Skip to main content

Sketch

Cast: Vikram, Tamannaah, RK Suresh, Soori
Director: Vijay Chandar

The year was 2002 and I still remember the smile of satisfaction I had while walking out of the theatres, holding my parents’ hands. Vikram’s Gemini had come out and it was easily one of the most enjoyable films of that decade. Of course, the actor has come a long way since then and has done similar roles in films such as Bheema and Rajapattai. But the promo material of Sketch gave me the same vibes as Gemini. It must have been the North Madras backdrop, the loose-fitting checked shirts, the unique hand signs Vikram posed with… Unfortunately, the similarities all end there.

Director Vijay Chandar, who gave us Vaalu in 2015, is back, and again, he attempts to nail a commercial entertainer. Sketch is yet another film about a group of friends, gangsters who control the city, corrupt politicians, and of course, a run-of-the-mill love story. Jeeva aka Sketch (Vikram) is a rough man who can take down a dozen men at one go but is also a big softie — “just like a jackfruit”, as his girlfriend Amuthavalli (Tamannaah) introduces him to relatives.

Vikram looks smart and his swag appeals. Though he doesn’t offer anything we haven’t seen from him before, he scores, as always, in the close-up shots and action sequences. Considering the genre, Tamannaah’s screen time is more than what one expects but the clichéd romance portions and forced songs really spoil the show.

The film has a huge cast but not everyone gets the space they deserve and we’re left with half-baked characters. Be it the main villain, Royapuram Kumar (Baburaj), Settu (Hareesh Peradi) or characters like Guna and Ravi played by Kabali Vishwanath and RK Suresh (who are heroes in their own rights now), they all fail to leave a mark. Soori appears in an extended cameo that the film could’ve completely done without.

On the bright side, Thaman’s music is a big strength. The Kanave Kanave track is a chart buster already and so is the peppy Atchi Putchi. The young composer also aces the background score and the theme music adds the ‘mass’ factor for our hero. The action and camera departments too deserve special mention.

Vijay Chander’s screenplay takes its own sweet time to develop and the film finally does justice to its genre only in the second half. Sketch also changes gears at the climax in a completely inefficient move and ends with a message to the public which feels out of place.

The film has a few good moments, like when Vikram ‘puts a sketch’ for a mission and how a bunch of middle-aged men pull it off. There’s also a shot in which Vikram appears in his get-up from Dhruva Natchathiram. But thanks to the majority of the film bringing nothing new to the table, Sketch is only something that might, to an extent, satiate the hunger of Vikram’s fans.

Rating: 2/5
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi shoulder a mediocre film: Master Review

A flawed protagonist and a powerful antagonist have always proven to be successful tropes in the world of cinema. The hero, when being anything but perfect, makes way for a beautiful story arc as he convalesces and a strong villain makes the hero’s triumph at the end larger. Despite having both of these, Vijay’s Master feels far from a perfect flick thanks to succumbing to irregular pacing and a middling screenplay. Master follows the trials and tribulations of JD (Vijay), an alcoholic college professor whose valiant effort towards the student community plants a belief in his colleague Charu (Malavika Mohanan) that he would be able to do the same to the kids in a juvenile correction centre that needs… correction. Armed with a just kada, a classic four-wheeler, a Persian cat and a cool pair of sunglasses, JD embarks on a journey that will collide with that of Bhavani’s (Vijay Sethupathi). On paper, Master looks like a failproof star vehicle – the story of a man out there to teach lesson
Post a Comment
Read more

Icon Residency, Wayanad

During one of my solo bike rides from Chennai to Coorg, I took a detour to check out Wayanad and since Coorg is just a few hours by road from there, I decided to use the small town also for a layover. A quick search told me about the limited options this tourist location has and as I was all by myself, I didn’t mind taking a risk by choosing whatever has a decent rating. iCon Residency in Kalpetta had some really good reviews and in no time, I was in Kerala via Bangalore.  iCon Residency is located on National Highway 212. Though the direction on Google Maps is accurate, finding the place was quite a challenge as it’s located past a narrow street. The hotel looks brilliant from the outside in total contrast to the otherwise old town. There’s also a decent parking space. The basic room I opted for is small when compared to average rooms but for a solo traveller, it was cosy and perfect. The bed
Post a Comment
Read more

Spago Inn, Mahabalipuram

It was yet another trip to Mahabalipuram and if you visit the famous tourist town as much as I do, you should be knowing that unless you’re a tourist, it’s better to stay from the centre of the city. A quick search told me that Spago Inn, a considerably new property has made its way to ECR, right at the entrance of Mahabs. I had also seen it, right on the main road, during my regular drives down that brilliant stretch of tarmac. The town is famous for pocket-friendly options making it perfect for a day’s retreat and Spago Inn too fits the bill.  Unlike most of the properties in Mahabs, Spago Inn has a car parking space, enough for more than half a dozen four-wheelers. The room is compact, similar to most of the properties in that price range but ticks off all the basic boxes one would expect. The place is extremely clean and neat. The linens were tidy and so was the bathroom. The bed was comfy too and it was perfect fo
Post a Comment
Read more