Poojai is a film made to thrill

Actor Vishal’s new film Poojai, which opened on a pale note compared to the Vijay starrer Kaththi, comes with no pretence. An out-and-out action thriller, the film tries to capitalise further on the action hero status of Vishal. But then again, in a film directed by Hari, the hero always is larger than life.

Adhering to his favourite formula of underdog-boy-turns-bad-man’s terror, Hari packs enough gore and raw action that goes about you with such a frenetic pace that you simply do not have the time to think. In fact, Hari has candidly admitted that his movies are tailored to ensure that audiences are not given the breathing space to think, because “the moment they think, you start losing them.”

Which is fair in escapist cinema and to Hari’s credit, it has worked in his favour largely. People know what to expect from his films, and delivers it with self-assured confidence. For Vishal, it is the perfect time to bank on the directorial skills of Hari. The two had earlier worked on Thaamirabharani, which was a box-office success.

Credited with giving fresh leases of life to Vikram and Surya (with the Singham series), Hari has also roped in Sathyaraaj, who has now moved on gracefully to strong supporting hero and character actor roles. With Shruti Haasan in the female lead, the film charts the life of Vasu (Vishal), who is having a good time in life with a bit of money laundering on the side and doing odd jobs.

But then, he actually belongs to a rich family and has been kicked out of the house following a misunderstanding with his mother. When he saves the life of a police officer (Sathyaraaj) by chance, it also becomes a defining moment of his life. There is the mandatory romantic angle too but the film is largely all about Vishal’s action and how he cleans up the loose ends.

Poojai does not break new moulds; it doesn’t even alter the patterns that viewers are accustomed to from the Hari-school of filmmaking. But if you are content with some fast-paced action, here is your weekend getaway.