Garudan: An Imaginable performance of Soori.
The one line of 'Garuda' is on a person who is caught between fairness and loyalty and what he ultimately chooses, after a chain of events that pits lifelong friends against each other in a tale of betrayal and vengeance written and directed by RS Durai Senthilkumar, based on an interesting and intriguing story by Vetrimaran
Minister R. V. Udayakumar eyeballing a lucrative land owned by Temple in a village, where Sasikumar and Unni Mukundan who are close friends since childhood are living, and Soori, a faithful servant to Unni Mukundan's family who is an orphan who rescued years ago, plays a significant role in both families, overseeing their matters assiduously.
As the Minister's henchman tempts Unni Mukundan with a deal to deceive Sasi Kumari and to surrender the temple documents for an abnormal monetary benefit, persuaded by his wife's desires, agrees, eliciting a heartbreaking chain of events. Unni manipulates Soori's loyalty, installing him as the new trustee to assist in the document theft. Sasi Kumar, unclear of Unni Mukundan's betrayal, meets a brutal end, witnessed by Soori, caught between allegiance to Unni and a sense of justice, Soori lands at a tough decision, leading to an intense showdown.
Garuden maintains a fast pace, the film effectively portrays the close bond between the three main characters, intensifying the impact of the betrayal. Soori stands out with his conflicting emotions, portrayed in a way that goes against his natural loyalty. Additionally, he is unable to lie in front of his master, leading to humorous moments of stream-of-consciousness rambling.
It will be interesting to see what happens next in a film that capitalizes on the thrill. The intermission scene where everything gets thrown away is guaranteed the best theatre experience of the year with Soori's never ever before screen presence with extreme violence and splashing blood, with screaming, strangulation and cutting of hands.
The plot, galloped on betrayal, the film's use of graphic violence and bloodshed, while enhancing its intensity, feels excessive and slightly diminished their impact. Soori, Sasikumar, and Unni Mukundan share equal screen time, Sasikumar delivers his usual flair with a worthy performance. Unni Mukundan new comer from Kerala, impresses with his earnest portrayal seamlessly delves into the character's psyche. However, it's Soori, as an actor, has previously done mostly comedy roles as hero's sidekick, in this film Soori shines, with muddy vibes of the brickfield, transitioning from a loyal servant to a principled fighter, offering the film's emotional core. He delivers an outstanding performance, continuing his successful streak of serious role in Viduthalai, audience is at the edge of seat, they can see only Sokkan the character of Soori throughout the film, and Soori's miracle transformation from Comedy character to a serious and emotional rural action flick, it proves how a capable director can mould an actor to the desired character. Hats off to Director and Soori.
Yuvan Shankar Raja's background music is impressive to uplift the film, the Director RS Durai Senthilkumar has weaved Garudan to appeal the audience to see Soori with a totally different mannerism and body language. The climax builds up with a high-speed chase, culminating in a dramatic confrontation that will leave audiences on the edge of their seats.
Overall, Garudan is a rollercoaster of emotions that will stay with viewers for long time with Soori's life time performance.
Review by M. Siraj.
