When it comes to a Maharaja movie review, you need to consider how a stolen dustbin can be used to create a creepy thriller. In this Tamil movie by Nithilan Swaminathan, barber Maharaja reports the theft of his beloved Lakshmi.
The officers are struggling to believe him, but I wanted to find out why he was so keen to find it back.
This kept me engaged throughout as the timelines began to intertwine. However, as more twists were revealed, I did have mixed feelings. While Maharaja has a brilliant lead performance, clever storytelling and some great moments, there were times where the script felt more like it was trying to shock than persuade.
The mystery surrounding the dustbin is stranger than it appears
As soon as Maharaja brings up Lakshmi going missing, it’s taken seriously. However, the officers appear upset that they’re having to investigate. This created a funny scenario but it felt like it didn’t quite complete the joke due to his determination.
Why is it so important?
I kept wondering about this question. Throughout the movie, Maharaja doesn’t appear to be trying to create a dramatic effect. He appears to be very personally determined to find the item which made me wonder if it wasn’t actually about the item but about the people questioning him not understanding.
The movie sets up a straightforward issue to solve. I enjoyed following along with this as Maharaja seemed like he had a genuine reason to solve the mystery.
Vijay Sethupathi is the highlight
One thing I really like about the movie is how he uses silence as part of the dialogue.
After Maharaja has said everything he needs to say, his face often shows more questions than answers. However, he never feels like a mystery with no answers but instead feels like a calm yet determined individual. This makes even simple conversations entertaining.
The calmness helps Maharaja stay relatable despite the script trying to treat him like a piece of a much bigger game.
Throughout the movie, I stayed engaged with Maharaja. Despite some parts making me question the script, Sethupathi provides a good balance between keeping the audience curious and caring about what happens to him. His performance is one of the strongest points in this Maharaja movie review.
The movie has a great non-linear structure
One of the best things about this movie is how the non-linear structure works. As the movie progresses, scenes from different times begin to connect. This creates a sense of meaning behind small details. The viewer is being asked to remember what they’ve seen.
I love this type of storytelling. It was very satisfying to realise how a previous scene needed to be looked at again.
However, I did notice that as the movie progressed, I became more focused on the script connecting things together. While I was initially trying to understand Maharaja and why he was bringing up such a strange issue, sometimes I was more focused on how the script was connecting things.
This is an interesting point to consider. The twist should give more meaning to previous scenes. However, sometimes I felt like the twist was just reminding the audience that they weren’t told everything. While the movie does this well on several occasions, it isn’t consistent throughout.
Some of the twists don’t feel natural
While the main issue I have with this movie is not that Maharaja wants to try to surprise the audience, some of the twists don’t feel as natural.
The review in The Indian Express by Kirubhakar Purushothaman questions how contrived the script was. While The Week acknowledges how captivating the complex structure can be, they do note it has some convenient twists. I can understand these opinions. Overall the movie is captivating but there were a few moments where I became more aware of the writer creating a story.
This is an important point to consider when writing a Maharaja movie review. While having a clever twist should reward the audience for paying attention, I don’t like it when the twist relies on everything feeling very convenient.
I’m fine with a thriller deceiving me but if the twist relies on the events feeling very convenient then I don’t like it.
Despite this, the movie does have a good pace to it and many of the connections are satisfying. I just wish it had more confidence in its best ideas.
The dark themes lack depth
While the start of the movie may suggest it has an unusual mystery with some funny moments, it does turn quite dark. The violence and trauma become a huge part of the story. I wouldn’t recommend this thriller without mentioning the dark themes.
I don’t want the movie to make me feel comfortable with the heavy themes. I want to care about the characters suffering.
While some scenes do show the impact on their emotions, others can feel like they’re using pain as another way to create tension. This can make the impact feel less earned.
I also found myself wondering whose viewpoint the movie is focusing more on. While there is a lot of focus on the male characters and their decisions, the females who are impacted by the violence can feel like they’re part of the males’ stories.
This impacts the emotion of the movie. I would have liked to see more of the females who are at the centre of the dark themes.
Is Maharaja a masterpiece or over-rated?
Overall I would say it falls somewhere in the middle. I would still recommend it.
With its unique concept, non-linear structure and Vijay Sethupathi’s performance, it’s an engaging movie to watch. However, the issues become more noticeable when the script focuses too much on surprising the audience.
Thankfully, Sethupathi keeps the movie engaging despite the obvious structure. He provides a relatable character that no amount of complex twists can match.
Overall I would recommend Maharaja to anyone who enjoys Tamil thrillers. As the movie has some dark themes, I’d recommend going in with as little knowledge about the plot as possible. This will help you get more out of the movie as the connections come naturally.
I left feeling impressed but not fully convinced. The issue with Maharaja coming from a dustbin is a brilliantly strange way to start a thriller and Sethupathi provides a core to the mystery that you can care about.
I just wish the script had had more confidence in its strong points.