Vijay, the celebrated actor, is reportedly preparing to leave the film industry for a career in politics. His second-to-last film, Thalapathy—which translates to “Commander”—positions him as the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) in this Tamil masala spectacle. Catering fully to his dedicated fan base, Vijay delivers an over-the-top performance in a film that’s almost immune to criticism. While I watched the Hindi dubbed version, the movie’s core remains untouched—a critic-proof crowd-pleaser.
The story revolves around two roles that Vijay takes on, one of which is a character that could be deemed “wicked.” The film follows a standard formula of a father-son conflict, ending with a science-based twist that suggests a sequel might be on the horizon. Whether this will mark Vijay’s final film remains uncertain.
The plot kicks off in 2008, with Vijay’s character Gandhi and his teammates from the Special Anti-Terrorism Squad (SATS), a unit tied to India’s intelligence agency, RAW. They attack a train in Kenya, where Rajiv Menon, a traitorous officer, is attempting to smuggle uranium. In the ensuing chaos, the uranium is recovered, the train explodes (with no mention of civilian passengers), and Menon along with his associates are eliminated.
Gandhi and his three comrades, Kalyan (Prabhudheva), Prashanth (Sunil), and Ajay (Ajmal Ameer), lead secretive lives, telling their families that they work for the Indian Tourism Development Corporation. Gandhi’s wife, Anu (Sneha Prasanna), is pregnant but grows suspicious of his behavior, suspecting an affair due to his secretive lifestyle. Finally, Gandhi is forced to reveal his true identity to Anu, who is left shocked and in disbelief.
In an attempt to smooth things over, Gandhi allows Anu and their young son Jeevan (S.J. Akhilan) to accompany him to Bangkok, where the SATS team is heading for their next mission. However, tragedy strikes when Gandhi’s family is attacked. During the ensuing chaos, Anu begins experiencing labor pains and must be rushed to the hospital. In a brief moment when Gandhi leaves Jeevan alone to complete admission procedures, his son is kidnapped. Shortly thereafter, a burnt body is found, and the presence of a toy Spiderman that Gandhi had given his son leads everyone to believe that it is Jeevan’s remains.
Devastated, Gandhi informs Anu, who has just given birth to their daughter, about the tragic loss. Distraught, she leaves Gandhi and takes their newborn daughter with her. Heartbroken, Gandhi resigns from his job and takes up work as an immigration officer. Fast forward to 2024, when Gandhi is called upon by his former boss, Nazeer (Jayaram), to train officers at the newly-established Indian Embassy in Moscow. Oddly enough, the embassy soon comes under attack, and during the skirmish, Gandhi spots a young man among the attackers who bears a striking resemblance to him.
It turns out that the man is, in fact, Jeevan, who is alive. Gandhi brings him home, reuniting the family, including their now-grown daughter, Jeevitha (Abhyukta Manikandan). However, this joy is short-lived as Nazeer is murdered in front of Gandhi by a masked assailant, and more killings follow. Meanwhile, Jeevan finds himself drawn to his childhood friend, Srinidhi (Meenakshi Chaudhary), who is Sunil’s daughter.
As the plot progresses, several twists unfold, and Gandhi comes to realize that his son Jeevan has now taken on the role of the new villain. The script is peppered with coincidences, but the filmmakers seem unconcerned with logic—the goal here is pure entertainment.
Director Venkat Prabhu, along with his team of writers, delivers a film designed purely for spectacle, a relentless rollercoaster of songs, dances, and action sequences. The cinematography by Siddharth Nuni is breathtaking, and the production values are grand. While the Hindi lyrics penned by Riya Mukherjee fail to make a lasting impression, Yuvan Shankar Raja’s background score is serviceable, albeit stereotypical.
Vijay shines in his dual role, giving his fans exactly what they expect. Whether he’s portraying the seasoned Gandhi or the younger Jeevan, his performance hits all the right notes for his audience. His emotional scenes, particularly when he discovers what he believes to be his son’s remains and later breaks the tragic news to his wife, stand out as moments of genuine intensity.
The supporting cast, however, doesn’t have much room to shine. Sneha Prasanna’s Anu, Prasanth as Sunil, and Jayaram as Nazeer are competent but underutilized. Prabhudheva’s portrayal of Kalyan, though brief, leaves a lasting impression. Yogi Babu as Diamond Babu brings a touch of comic relief but doesn’t contribute significantly to the story.
The film’s runtime is an issue, stretching beyond 183 minutes. A more concise version would have packed a greater punch, allowing the film to resonate even more with its audience. Despite its excessive length, *Thalapathy* offers plenty of entertainment for Vijay’s devoted fan base and is expected to perform well at the box office. That said, with a tighter script, the film could have earned a higher rating.
In the end, the movie invites the audience to suspend disbelief and simply enjoy the ride, without questioning the improbable plot elements. As one of Vijay’s final films, it serves as a grand tribute to his cinematic journey, while also hinting at a future in politics.
“Vijay delivers exactly what his fans want in Thalapathy,” said one critic, praising his ability to embody both the intense action hero and the heartbroken father with equal ease.
While the movie is unlikely to win over those outside of Vijay’s fan circle, it successfully serves its purpose of being a full-blown masala entertainer, with plenty of action, emotional drama, and larger-than-life sequences that cater to its target audience.