The Tamil movie Maaveeran is directed by Madonne Ashwin and stars Sivakarthikeyan, Aditi Shankar, Saritha, Sunil, Yogi Babu, Mysskin, and Monisha Blessy.
How to watch Maaveeran in the UAE
Maaveeran is currently showing in cinemas across the UAE, such as VOX Cinema and Novo Cinemas. It will probably be a while before the film hits streaming services in the UAE.
Maaveeran review
- Entertaining first half
- Sivakarthikeyan
- Comedy
- Second-half lag
- Predictable villain
Sivakarthikeyan’s film career as an actor is perhaps just over a decade old. But in this period, he has established that he has the nous for commercial mass masala entertainers. Though he has been accused of modelling his screen characters in the spirit of Rajnikanth, the up-and-coming star has shown the same flair and poise for making potboilers work. That screen presence and some joie de vivre in playing to the gallery are all there with Sivakarthikeyan. These elements make masala movies tick, which is mostly driven by templated stories.
- Best new Tamil movies and TV shows to watch
- New Indian movies and TV shows on Prime Video
- Top 5 Indian movies and shows to watch this week
Maaveeran is a good example. As a story, it has nothing new in it. One simple fantasy element and the rest is all Sivakarthikeyan show, who once shows his remarkable skill in playing the simple-man-turned-hero by circumstances with zest and gusto. His innate sense of humour allows for comedic elements in the narrative, which is a huge plus in such movies. And director Madonne Ashwin is a person who seems adept at imbuing organic humour in serious social matters that concern people from the other side of the track, as it were.
In his first film Mandela (2021), he blended rustic comedy with the issue of caste as it exists in villages. Here he takes up the issue of relocating people living in slums in the city to government-built flats, which are poorly constructed while the slum land is usurped by land sharks hand-in-glove with politicians.
Okay, this lays out the story of Maaveeran. Sathya (Sivakarthikeyan) is a simple and laid-back cartoonist. He lives an unprepossessing life with his family (comprising his mom Saritha and sister Monisha Blessy) in a downbeat location. The inmates of the locality are all shifted to a row of government flats, which are dubious buildings as they become decrepit even without much use. The spoils of such shoddy work go to the venal politician Jeyakodi (Mysskin), and his assistant (Sunil).
The public wants to protest, but Sathya, with his reluctant personality, is not keen. As it happens, Sathya becomes a superhero figure thanks to the voice of the valorous character he is sketching (voice-over by Vijay Sethupathi). Once this fantasy element kicks in, the movie falls into a typical pattern and loses steam. But the first half is entertaining when all the elements click with aplomb.
The comedic portions involving Yogi Babu, who plays a construction worker, are also interesting, as it unpretentiously takes up the larger issue of migrant workers from other States pitted against local workers. But the latter portions don’t have the pulsation and fun of the initial segments when Sivakarthikeyan is in fine fettle. It also doesn’t help much that Myskkin’s character is routinely villainous, offering nothing new. And his performance, too, is stretching for effect. Saritha, Aditi Shankar, and Sunil have nothing much to offer.
The fight sequences are also long and tiresome.
But Maaveeran, on the whole, is a decent entertainer and does not harm Sivakarthikeyan’s stature as a decent entertainer.
What are the other critics saying about Maaveeran?
