Subash's action flick Chatriyan introduces the journey of an honest and ruthless police officer, Panneer Selvam. From the tragedy that Panneer Selvam witnesses in his childhood to his return as a police officer, the film presents the perfect graft of a common man turning into a strong hero. Vijayakanth portrays the role effortlessly, with his screen presence captivating the audience throughout the film. One of his main strengths is his brilliantly choreographed action sequences. Fitting well in his police uniform, Vijayakanth lives as Panneer Selvam in Chatriyan. Bhanupriya plays the female lead. She is bubbly, entertaining and adds color to the darkness of the film. Her light-hearted portions are fun to watch. The other supporting actors had at least one scene to leave their mark in the film. The most notable performances would be the guest appearance of Revathi and the fatherhood character of Vijayakumar. Both of them were enough strong to bring a turning point in the life of Panneer Selvam. Adding to this, the major reason for the strong heroism of Vijayakanth in the film is the memorable performance of Thilakan as the main antagonist. He shines in each and every scene that he appears in, and he carries well the role throughout the film. He is not the typical antagonist. Furthermore, he is a smart antagonist who is able to bring down the protagonist not by his fist but by his strong mind games. He plays with Panneer Selvam's weakness to defeat him and re-establish his reign. One of the major reasons why Chatriyan appeals well to the masses is because of the intense background score done by Ilayaraja. The main theme music that he scored for the protagonist Panneer Selvam is simply extraordinary. It adds a great level of energy, intensity, and heroism to the character. It works well for Vijayakanth's action hero image. Chatriyan might follow the same revenge template tailor-made for action heroes, but there's a certain uniqueness in the way the protagonist has been written. Panneer Selvam has two shades. He is a responsible father who cares for his kids while not caring much for the crimes happening in his surroundings. On the other side, he is a ruthless police officer who desires to punish the criminals while not counting much on his own life. Panneer Selvam might be a flawed police officer with his addiction to alcohol and his stubborn nature, but he is one of the most realistic and heroic police officer that we have seen in Tamil Cinema so far. Overall, Chatriyan is an interesting action flick tailor-made for Vijayakanth's action hero image.
