jagame thandhiram tamil movie review

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‘Jagame Thandhiram’ Review: Scheme, Slaughter, Repeat

A Tamil gangster gets recruited to work for a British tycoon in this bloody crime drama.

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By Natalia Winkelman

An intrepid gangster maneuvers between rival crime lords in the glossy drama “Jagame Thandhiram.” The movie ( on Netflix ) follows Suruli (Dhanush), whose merciless killing sprees earn him an invitation to serve under a wealthy British megalomaniac. Seduced by a big payday in pounds, Suruli uproots his life from Madurai to London and assures his new boss, Peter (James Cosmo), that no task is too vile.

Gore abounds, but the methods of violence vary flamboyantly. We see men and one woman killed by guns, slashing, a car explosion and a shovel to the head — all within the first 15 minutes. The story grows more compelling when Suruli learns that his London assignments will center on Peter’s foe, the Tamil crime lord Sivadoss (Joju George). Simultaneously, Suruli’s developing romance with the local singer Attilla (Aishwarya Lekshmi) helps to balance out the endless shootouts.

The director Karthik Subbaraj, who also wrote the screenplay, elevates the usual crime antics by drawing attention to language, and how it can be used as a weapon or a unifier. Suruli and Peter rely on a translator to communicate, though often tone alone — or “yes or no” ultimatums — are what carry meaning. Conversely, Suruli’s encounters with Sivadoss’s gang hinge on the nuances of their shared Tamil language and culture.

Yet for the most part, bloody action dominates. A subplot concerning immigration law is vastly oversimplified, and Suruli’s arc to becoming a semi-good guy seems dubious in the wake of his unrelenting recklessness and brutality. Some moments feel fresh, but the movie’s patterns are familiar: scheme, slaughter, repeat.

Jagame Thandhiram Not rated. In Tamil, with subtitles. Running time: 2 hours 37 minutes. Watch on Netflix .

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‘Jagame Thandhiram’ movie review: Guns, warfare, a pressing issue and a ricochet bullet

Karthik subbaraj’s latest wants to have a bit of everything: a drama with an ultra-cool gangster (dhanush) at the centre, a serious political film dealing with a global issue, and a stylishly-shot bubblegum film with a carefree attitude, that doesn’t quite achieve the desired results.

Updated - June 18, 2021 06:15 pm IST

Published - June 18, 2021 06:04 pm IST

There may be spoilers...

A bittersweet moment between two characters over the idea of home paints a bigger picture of the kind of substance Karthik Subbaraj has in his hands. One of them is Murugesan (played by Subbaraj’s father), a Tamil from Ceylon but a refugee in Tamil Nadu, before moving to London where he works at a restaurant as a dish washer. Murugesan narrates his ordeal of being a “stateless” person, or rather, a man without an identity. The person receiving this information is Suruli (Dhanush in a “been there, done” that performance), a well-respected gangster from Madurai who has made a gulf called Little Madurai (like how Hosur is referred to as Little England) out of an entire street in London. They are both Tamil at heart but are immigrants living in a foreign soil when looked at from a holistic perspective. “How can you be a refugee in Tamil Nadu when you’re a Tamil?,” asks Suruli. Murugesan politely laughs at Suruli’s innocence or rather at his understanding of the politics of race.

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It is a scene straight out of Jigarthanda when the Sangili Murugan character narrates the story of Kuruvama, a script that was pitched as his debut but never saw the light, to Karthik (Siddharth). Much like Karthik of that film, it is the story of Murugesan that ignites the spirit in Suruli for correcting all the wrongs. Karthik Subbaraj has this very interesting habit of creating these little but profoundly-personal moments that not alone alter the course of the hero’s journey, but also leave a wholesome effect on the audience. These intimate moments is when Jagame Thandhiram comes truly alive. But the catch is, there are only a handful.

The good news is, Karthik Subbaraj has excelled as a writer in presenting a globally-relevant issue of immigrant crisis by drawing attention to the oft-conflicting issue of Tamil Eelam and their decades-long struggle against majoritarianism. It is a marvel what Subbaraj has done: purely in terms of breaking down a geo-political conflict and etching it into full-fledged characters, without name-dropping or fingers explicitly pointing at the whos and hows. It would be far-fetched to say that the film gets its politics right, but it is sufficient to say that it understands and more importantly, empathises with the Eelam cause. At least, the film is not with the State but with the people; Jagame Thandhiram is what the second season of The Family Man isn’t. The execution is where the film falters.

Cast: Dhanush, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George, James Cosmo and Kalaiarasan
Director: Karthik Subbaraj
Storyline: Suruli, a petty gangster from Madurai, is hired as a “gangster consultant” by a White Supremacist in London, in the raging war against immigrants lead by Sivadoss, the leader of a Tamil rebel group whose roots trace back to Sri Lanka.

Notice how the characters are written, in the backdrop of the civil war in Sri Lanka. Sivadoss (played with such panache by Joju George) is a Tamil rebel fighting for immigrant laws in London, where he goes against Peter (James Cosmo whose only brief seems to use the F-word in every sentence. Let’s thank the heavens that the script never reached Al Pacino or Robert De Niro), a White Supremacist who has aligned with the State, in their unified geo-political war against the minorities. Peter is on the lookout for a Tamil gangster to join his wolf pack, to wipe out Sivadoss and his group of Tigers. Here comes Suruli from Tamil Nadu.

A parallel can be easily drawn with the film’s primary characters (Sivadoss, Peter and Suruli) and the actual facts and figures: LTTE, the Lankan Army and Indian Peace Keeping Force, which was sent to Sri Lanka during the Civil War. All these readings can be derived from one particular word “ dhrogam (treason)” and it appears that Subbaraj wouldn’t mind such an interpretation. If you look at Jagame Thandhiram with its geo-political context, it may seem like a fascinating experiment. But the bitter issue is, it remains to be an experiment till the end.

Now, the bad news. Jagame Thandhiram is perhaps Karthik Subbaraj’s weakest film till date. Of course, the bigger problem is, it doesn’t have the stamp of Subbaraj, the filmmaker at all. Sure, there are those trademark Karthik Subbaraj moments where he pays a hat-tip to Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Ilaiyaraaja and everything Tamil cinema. But those don’t define the filmmaker.

Part of it arises mainly due to the way Suruli is written whose character descriptions go like: uber-cool, ultra-stylish, notorious gangster — Subbaraj’s words, not mine. Suruli’s inherent coolness is the biggest issue and the film, for the most part, looks like a gabfest with dialogues translated from English to Tamil. And it drags in the middle part. A lot.

Subbaraj’s steadfastness in retelling the central conflict, the Eelam issue, seems to have made him forget about Suruli, or rather, how to handle him. In other words, the entire stretch around Suruli looks like an afterthought that was flushed out at the last minute. “He is a loose cannon,” says someone about Suruli. But his portion comes across as a slender thread hanging in the air without support. If the idea was to treat Suruli like an uber-cool don , one is tempted to remind the existence of the Maari Cinematic Universe. Dhanush too has very little to offer to a cardboard character, though he gets a redemptive arc. Everything around Suruli seems concocted and put or “cooked up”.

Take the action scene inside Suruli’s parotta shop. The camera (by Shreyaas Krishna) rotates 360 degrees before it settles on Suruli. He takes cover, prepares a country bomb and flings it while popping a cigarette in his mouth — all in slow motion. It is supposed to be a cool scene showing us the extent of Suruli’s cruelty, but it ends up looking dull. Compare this scene with Angamaly Diaries , particularly the way a country bomb was used as a device to move the story forward, and you will realise why the latter felt real and more importantly, why the prop had a purpose. With such a central character who is a) unreliable and b) one-dimensional, it is exasperating to buy into the film’s actual core and everything else looks like a colossal mess. Let’s pray Karthik Subbaraj isn’t suffering from a burnout.

Jagame Thandhiram is currently streaming on Netflix

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Jagame Thandhiram review: A saga of Revolution, revenge, redemption

The world is full of trickery - Jagame Thandhiram ! But for mere mortals, it is worth the risk. Karthik Subbaraj takes one such risk in his 2021 flick Jagame Thandhiram , released on Netflix. It is not just another gangster movie from the director of Jigarthanda and Petta . It is a crude bomb with a heavy mix of politics of migrant crisis, a clash of ideological differences, contrasting philosophies, and all this wrapped tightly with a slick gang war plot.

When the bomb goes off, the audience is sure to be hit by one or more shrapnel. Only time would reveal how deep they managed to pierce.

Aishwarya Lekshmi roped in opposite Dhanush

'Captain Miller': This Dhanush movie speaks loud and clear | Review

Dhanush's Suruli is a man who basks in the glory of his ignorance. But only till a deluge of realisation drives him out of his hole. It then lays him bare under the harsh realities craving for redemption.

Life and status changes fast for Suruli as he leapfrogs from his small-time thug life in a Tamil Nadu village to being an integral part of Peter Sprott's band. Peter is a racist British warlord played by James Cosmo who profiteers from the UK migrant crisis.

Money and his dream of having a decent life along with his mother Manimegalai (Vadivukkarasi), his love Attila (Aishwarya Lekshmi), and friends dictate Suruli. And he commits an unpardonable mistake by becoming a tool to target Joju George's Sivadoss, a Sri Lankan Tamil, who is a godfather to migrants from the Tamil Eelam and similar stateless people who seek refuge in Britain. How Suruli realises his mistake and redeems himself forms the crux of the story.

Karthik's stylised yet profound storytelling and striking dialogues are the highlights of the movie. He found strong allies in Joju and Aishwarya, Santhosh Narayanan (music), Shreyaas Krishna (cinematography) and Vivek Harshan (editing). Joju was convincing as a revolutionary and a sympathiser of the cause in every aspect minus the dialogue delivery. The Eelam Tamil dialect was missed dearly in Joju. However, watch out for Aishwarya's portrayal of a displaced yet determined Lankan Tamil girl. The supporting cast has also held their ground with stellar performances.

Dhanush had only one job to do in the movie - to carry on with a swag we have seen only in his in-law, Rajinikanth. And he does that with ease. Suruli's intro is a tribute to Rajinikanth's character, Petta Velan in Karthik's Petta .

Karthik has tactfully infused references of The Superstar and Ilaiyaraaja throughout the movie. But he missed the same kind of acumen while trying to discuss some of the heavyweight subjects juxtaposed on a popular storyline. Jagame Thandhiram could not be considered equal to Pa. Ranjith's Kaala or Kabali , where the director used the popular figure of Rajinikanth and his Style Mannan avatar to drive home a political and ideological point. But it definitely will hold its place. Viva la Revolution!

(The movie is available on Netflix)

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Cast & crew
User reviews

Jagame Thandhiram

A nomadic gangster finds himself caught between good and evil in a fight for a place to call home. Starring Dhanush, Aishwarya Lekshmi and James Cosmo. A nomadic gangster finds himself caught between good and evil in a fight for a place to call home. Starring Dhanush, Aishwarya Lekshmi and James Cosmo. A nomadic gangster finds himself caught between good and evil in a fight for a place to call home. Starring Dhanush, Aishwarya Lekshmi and James Cosmo.

Karthik Subbaraj
K.N. Vijay Kumar
James Cosmo
Aishwarya Lekshmi
338 User reviews
18 Critic reviews

Peter Sprott

Manimegalai (Suruli's Mother)

(as Soundara Raja)

Peters gang
Valli's Friend
Theerthamalai

London Nightclub Businessman
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

Trivia The makers unsuccessfully approached famous Hollywood actors Morgan Freeman, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino for doing a key role in the film. Later actor James Cosmo was signed on to play the concerned role.
Soundtracks Rakita Rakita Rakita Music by Santhosh Narayanan Lyrics by Vivek Performed by Dhanush , Santhosh Narayanan and Dhee

User reviews 338

guhanmathi-526-492645
Jun 17, 2021
How long is Jagame Thandhiram? Powered by Alexa
June 18, 2021 (United States)
United Kingdom
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Leicester Square, Soho, Westminster, Greater London, England, UK (location)
Reliance Entertainment
Y Not Studios
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£7,995,000 (estimated)

Technical specs

Runtime 2 hours 38 minutes
Dolby Digital

More to explore

Jagame Thandhiram movie review: Dhanush and Karthik Subbaraj's new film is a chore to sit through

Jagame thandhiram movie review: karthik subbaraj tried to pull a kabali with dhanush but he disappoints big time with his new film, out on netflix india..

Karthik Subbaraj’s Jagame Thandhiram comes across as a very ambitious film about immigrant politics. Unfortunately, what it ends up being, in spite of its promising premise, is a convuluted gangster drama about a local goon, Suruli from Madurai, played effortlessly by Dhanush .

Jagame Thandhiram movie review: Dhanush, in a still from Karthik Subbaraj's new film.

Jagame Thandhiram opens in London, where a key member of a local gang, headed by a man named Peter, is killed by member of a rival gang, headed by Sivadoss, an immigrant from Sri Lanka who is gradually strengthening his grip over the city. Peter employs Suruli (who gets a gallery-pleasing introduction stretch in Madurai) to help him take care of Sivadoss.

Watch the Jagame Thandhiram trailer here:

At nearly three hours long, the film is a chore to sit through. Jagame Thandhiram never takes itself seriously, but it wants to discuss some pressing problems, like the state of immigrants, particularly the Sri Lankan Tamils who’re fighting to be accepted in Britain. This is a noble idea, but what’s the point of having a great idea when a film can’t keep you invested for most of its running time.

Despite Dhanush’s earnest efforts, Suruli isn't someone you can easily root for. He appears to be largely self-centered, and all it takes to transform him into a more endearing character is one sob story about the Tamils in Sri Lanka. Karthik Subbaraj tried to pull a Kabali with Dhanush but he disappoints, big time.

Also read: Suruli in Jagame Thandhiram: Dhanush's five other characters that became popular

The casting is also one of the reasons why the film doesn’t quite work. Most of the foreign actors feel totally lost. James Cosmo gets a few decent scenes, and he's the film other stand-out performer, besides Dhanush. Joju George is majorly miscast as Sivadoss, and hardly makes any impact. The film’s editing plays spoilsport; it’s chopped and stitched together in a way that some scenes absolutely make no sense.

Jagame Thandhiram

Director - Karthik Subbaraj

Cast - Dhanush, Joju George, James Cosmo, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sarath Ravi, Kalaiarasan

Jagame Thanthiram
Karthik Subbaraj

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Jagame Thandhiram Movie Review: Dhanush Jagame Thandhiram Movie Review Karthik Subbaraj Santhosh Narayanan

18 Jun 2021
Release Date: 18 Jun 2021

Jagame Thandhiram Movie Cast & Crew

Amidst huge expectations and hype, Dhanush's Jagame Thandhiram has been released and it is streaming on Netflix platform. Directed by Karthik Subbaraj and produced by Sashikanth's Y Not Studios, the film has music composed by Santhosh Narayanan. James Cosmo, Joju George, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Kalaiyarasan, are some of the prominent names in the film's star cast.

Story - Jagame Thandhiram takes us through the journey of a gangster named Suruli, played brilliantly by Dhanush. Suruli, a local parotta master/gangster in Madurai travels to London after being called by Peter (James Cosmo) to help him in his fight against Sivadoss (Joju George). Suruli is a carefree youth who'd do anything for money. Some of his actions in London land him in big trouble. What were those actions and how did Suruli defeat all the odds? Watch the film to know!

Cast - Dhanush takes complete control of Jagame Thandhiram, right from his first shot and it is a delight to see him perform as Suruli. The energy that he brings (along with few Superstar Rajinikanth mannerisms) through the character is fantastic and this is a film that offers him good scope to emote at different levels. Dhanush has delivered an earnest performance and he has been supported by a good cast too.

James Cosmo, as Peter, looks deadly and his performance is quite impressive, as well. Joju George as Sivadoss garners good attention with his acting skills and he is a good asset for the film. However, it feels sad that he has not been utilized to his full potential. Aishwarya Lekshmi as Attilla exhibits good promise and let us hope that Jagame Thandhiram is a good start to her Tamil career. While she looks beautiful in the frames, she also delivers a neat performance. Among the other supporting actors, Sharath Ravi as Vicky is enjoyable.

Screenplay & Direction - Jagame Thandhiram is a well-intentioned film on paper and the idea to address the immigrant issue is noteworthy. The film talks about racism and the plight of immigrants, but it is not effectively conveyed. The impact is not felt anywhere. Post the high-point halfway through the film, the engagement completely falls flat. The writing is very predictable and you know what Suruli is going to do next. Karthik Subbaraj is someone who is strong in writing and we've seen him write some of the best scenes in Tamil cinema through his previous works. Unfortunately, nothing of that sort is felt in Jagame Thandhiram.

The film opens really well and the first hour of the film is fun and engaging to watch. The issues start to pop up only after that. With more substance in the writing and effective execution, Jagame Thandhiram would have appealed much better. The dialogues are on point and it goes well along with the film.

Technical Department - Jagame Thandhiram is technically, a sound film! Santhosh Narayanan's background score uplifts the movie and stands as a solid support system. The talented composer's wacky musical scores are a treat. The visuals are brilliant. Be it the colours, or the frames, or the lighting pattern, everything was in unison. Kudos to cinematographer Shreyaas Krishna. Vivek Harshan's edit could have been crispier.

So? - Except for Dhanush, Santhosh Narayanan, and Shreyaas Krishna, there isn't anything great that works in the favour of the movie.

Verdict: An underwhelming action drama that falls flat with average writing and packaging.

Galatta Rating: ( 2.25 /5.0 )

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Jagame Thandhiram Review

Article by Satya B Published by GulteDesk --> Published on: 4:33 pm, 18 June 2021

158 Mins | Netflix | 18-06-2021

Cast - Dhanush, Aishwarya Lekshmi, James Cosmo, Joju George, Kalaiyarasan, and others

Director - Karthik Subbaraj

Producer - S. Sashikanth, Chakravarthy Ramachandra

Banner - Y NOT Studios, Reliance Ent

Music - Santhosh Narayanan

The much-awaited Tamil film Jagame Thandhiram was released on Netflix this afternoon. The film was made available in Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and Malayalam audios, along with the Tamil version. Karthik Subbaraj is the film’s director. Dhanush played a gangster in the film.

What is it about?

Suruli (Dhanush) is a local gangster in Madurai of Tamilnadu. Apart from running a Parotta restaurant, Suruli also executes murder. One fine day, he lands in London to carry out an assignment by Peter (James Cosmo) to kill Sivadoss (Jojo George). Suruli executes Sivadoss killing perfectly and emerges big in London. However, Suruli realizes that he’s made a mistake by executing Sivadoss, who is fighting for a cause. The rest of the story is about how Suruli confronts Peter and stands for Sivadoss’ cause.

Performances

Dhanush is a rockstar, and he proves it with every film. In Jagame Thandhiram, Dhanush brings a unique swag to his character, inspired by his father-in-law Superstar Rajinikanth. He is full of energy and swag throughout the film and delivered an entertaining performance. Jojo George is a brilliant actor, but unfortunately, he is wasted in a poorly written, weak gangster role. James Cosmo fits the bill perfectly and acts well. Unfortunately, female lead Aishwarya Lekshmi has no scope to perform. The rest of the cast hardly makes an impact!

Technicalities

The film is made on a grand scale, and the visuals say it all. There is no compromise in terms of production values. The output looks rich, and the camera work is exceptional. The tone of the film is in accordance with the mood of the story. Except for the Rakita Rakita song, the rest of the songs in the audio album fails to impress. The background score lifts the film beautifully. Santosh Narayanan maintained a perfect level of score in highlighting the film. The slow and fast beats go according to the emotion in the scene. His score is one of the major highlights of the film. A lengthy runtime is a big minus.

Camera work Background score Dhanush’s performance

Weak second half Boring Drama Slow Narration

Director Karthik Subbaraj is known for mixing humor into a commercial story and driving it with an engaging drama. He has done this in the past and tasted success, but he failed to impress the audiences this time. The only factor that put him away from tasting success is the story that fails to give an emotional connection to the audience.

Karthik Subbaraj came up with a gangster drama. The first half of the film is all over the place as the director decided to tell the actual story in the second half. This delay caused a lot of boredom to the audiences. The director makes it very clear to the viewers that Suruli goes to London on purpose. Whatever Suruli does in London brings laughs to the audiences, but the story goes nowhere.

Karthik Subbaraj wanted to discuss the issues of immigrants, the plight of Tamil Srilankans, pointing our political issues, commentary on racism, and other sensitive elements. It can be blended well with all the other commercial elements, but the director treated them separately. While taking the film forward in a commercial vehicle, the director suddenly stops, brings in a serious element, and continues his journey. As a result, the viewers are not moved emotionally by the important issue raised on the screen.

The film loses the grip in finding a balance between using Dhanush’s star image and telling a serious issue in an undercurrent manner. It feels like the film has come to an end at the interval point because there is no strong villain or enough conflict that keeps us waiting for the second half. The second half is to talk about the issues of immigrants, but it all makes no sense because of the half-baked drama in the first half.

On the whole, Jagame Thandhiram struggles to keep you invested and constantly tests your patience.

PS: The Telugu dubbing is too bad, and even the subtitles go for a toss in translating the dialogues.

Botomline: Boring Gangster

Tags Dhanush Jagame Thandhiram Jagame Thandhiram Review

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Jagame Thandhiram, On Netflix, Is A Flamboyant But Generic Drama About An Important Issue

Director: Karthik Subbaraj Cast: Dhanush , Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George , James Cosmo, Kalaiyarasan

Jagame Thandhiram begins with the image of a boat in the English channel with refugees who are approached by an English patrol boat. If you look at Karthik Subbaraj's career you will find a very similar scenario in Neer where three Indian fishermen ( Vijay Sethupathi plays one of them) are attacked by a Sri Lankan patrol boat. There's a similarity between the refugees and the Indian fishermen because both are traveling into waters that are not their own country's. The question now becomes: what is your land and where do you belong?

This question seems to interest Karthik Subbaraj, especially in the context of the Eelam movement. The last scene of Karthik Subbaraj's short Katchi Pizhai has to do with war-torn Sri Lanka. In Jigarthanda , there's a reporter who says he covers arasiyal and Eelam. In Iraivi, SJ Suryah directs a film that's titled '17th May' which is a very important day in the history of the Eelam movement. In Jagame Thandhiram, he's diving into this interest in detail. And it's not particularly the Eelam issue but also a broader global refugee crisis. Karthik Subbaraj addresses the issue through the lives of a few displaced Sri Lankan Tamils who are living in London. There's even a line that goes: namma payyangallaam pulingada (our boys are tigers).

Suruli (Dhanush), a gangster from Madurai, doesn't even know that there are Sri Lankan refugees living in Tamil Nadu. Maybe this is Karthik Subbaraj's way of saying that the younger generation has slowly forgotten what happened. The first half of the film (though it's hard to say on an OTT platform where you cut it into two halves) is about the rivalry between two gangsters: Sivadoss (Joju George) and Peter (James Cosmo). They're both involved in unlawful activities and tread on the other's territory. Peter is a white supremacist who wants England to be filled with only white people. Sivadoss on the other hand is a humanist who is open to all people. Through a series of events Suruli gets in the middle of a clash of ideologies between the two.

Joju George is excellent even though his character is written generically. His bigness and warmth (you also see it in the Malayalam film June ) makes up for quite a lot. James Cosmo plays Peter excellently; a lot of foreign characters in our films are played by bad actors. Also, what surprised me was that his lines were like what an actual Englishman might say. They don't sound like lines an Indian imagines an Englishman saying. They really fit into the world of Peter. He even gets a great punchline about Lord Ganesha. After a long time, we get a worthy opponent for the hero.

This is a flamboyantly made film. There's an important meeting and Santhosh Narayanan creates a sound that sounds like a comb moving across teeth. Combined with a symphonic orchestra, it sounds eerie. And some of the setups work wonderfully. Like the scene where a car lies on a track as a train is approaching (cinematography by Shreyaas Krishna). The way it plays out, especially after Suruli gets into the train, is fantastic. There's a fight scene in a parotta mess where the narrowness of the place lends itself to a kind of fight choreography that we haven't seen much before. The film's most interesting shot is a 360-degree shot around four people where each time the camera comes around the power equations between them change. This could have been shown through direct cuts too but the 360-degree shot lends a certain flamboyance.

When it comes to the writing, though, Karthik Subbaraj hasn't been quite as confident, for some reason. A lot of recent Tamil films are overwritten and when they're edited to a certain length there are sudden jerks and the film goes all out whack: there's no rhythm and the scenes don't lock organically to each other. There's a beautifully staged introduction scene for Attila (Aishwarya Lekshmi), who is a singer in a nightclub. She's singing 'Kaathoduthaan' from Velli Vizha and her voice switches to LR Eswari's original once Suruli starts to become interested in her. But, for some reason, the song has to stop abruptly and there's another abrupt switch to a romantic scene between Suruli and Attila. There's also an odd stretch where we cut from a funeral dance to Suruli as a captured person (we don't see him being captured, though); there's something that feels missing in all this.

I also wish they had gotten rid of the larger subplot about immigrants and just kept it to Sri Lankan Tamils. The smaller the scope, the bigger the points you can make. The film also tries to make a larger point about a bill that suppresses immigration. This feels extraneous because so much of that is already being told through the lives of Sri Lankan Tamils.

Because it's difficult to feel for an issue in a film, you have to personalize the issue through the characters. So, when people concerned with an issue die, we should really feel for them. By feeling for them, you are also feeling for the issue at large. But that doesn't happen here except for one character (though it's very effective and moving in that instance).

Dhanush doesn't play the usual hero in the film. Though it's not a stretch for him, the character is brand new for him because he's an unrepentant mercenary for two-thirds of the film. I was really impressed because the leading man had no redeeming qualities. He's willing to sell himself to anyone without worrying about the consequences. Even in the small Madurai portion, Karthik Subbaraj manages to bring in the issue of territory and ownership: there's a North Indian who Suruli can't stand. We already see a kind of territorial war.

I felt that this should have been Suruli's coming-of-age story. He has a great line: thanakkunnu vandhadhaan oraikkum valikkum. It's his pain that we should be feeling. The film should have been about him wrapping his head around the issue of refugees. The same point is made with superb economy by Murugesan (Gajaraajan). All he wants is his own piece of land and when he finally gets it, it's one of the most wonderful pieces of the film (he also gets a terrific line about what a first date constitutes).

Things get better in the last third of the film because it's more emotional and we're invested in the proceedings. But even these scenes are hastily written and done. Overall, you get the feeling of watching a not-bad generic drama. I'm left with the same question every time I see a major star in a film that discusses an issue, as opposed to a film like Pariyerum Perumal with a smaller hero.

To be fair to Karthik Subbaraj, there are heroic moments, slo-mo moments, putting on sunglasses moments, the big BGM moments — but they're kept to a minimum. Yet, there is this feeling that one guy is using his heroism to tackle and even solve a very, very complex issue. One of the best lines of the films is by Attila: you can start a war but you can't end it. But, apparently, if you are a hero, you can. That, sometimes, ends up being a disservice to the issue. You're torn between the fact that someone did a film about an important issue and that the film is not as perfect as it could be.

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Jagame thandhiram, common sense media reviewers.

Indian gangster gains a conscience; violence, language.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

"It hurts only when it's personal." Home isn't whe

Suruli is a violent, irreverent, self-serving, mur

Extremely violent. Shoot-outs between rival smuggl

A man and woman kiss.

"F--k," "s--t," "pr--k," "bastard," "screw," "hell

Adults drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes.

Positive Messages

"It hurts only when it's personal." Home isn't where you are born; it's where you feel alive. Refugees forced to leave home ought to be treated with greater kindness and empathy.

Positive Role Models

Suruli is a violent, irreverent, self-serving, murderous criminal who is occasionally nice to others. He's clever and at times charming, but basically unscrupulous. Plot suggests that he regrets helping a racist British gangster whose business treats mostly Brown immigrants unfairly.

Violence & Scariness

Extremely violent. Shoot-outs between rival smuggling gangs. Men beat each other, kick each other. Many people die bloody deaths by guns, bombs, saber. Underlying story is about White racism in Western countries targeting refugees of color who are forced by wars (often started by Western powers over oil and other resources) to emigrate to the west. When refugees arrive, they are treated to violence, prejudice, disrespect. A violent mob boss drives a white Rolls Royce with a White Power license plate. White anti-immigrant conservative politicians conspire to kill a liberal leader in effort to promote anti-immigrant legislation. Someone points a gun at a man's genitals.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

"F--k," "s--t," "pr--k," "bastard," "screw," "hell," "damn," "piss," and "crap."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Jagame Thandhiram is a 2021 Indian film (in Tamil with English subtitles) about Indian and British gangsters at war in London. The backdrop is a racism-motivated anti-immigration movement in Britain dedicated to either keeping immigrants out or imprisoning them in privately owned detention centers, enriching the White owners. Violence is gory, widespread, and at times gratuitous, including shootings, beatings, bombings, and a saber attack that results in death and lots of blood spatter, making this unlikely fare for kids. Slo-mo mass shootings are part of an aesthetic that glorifies violence and mimics the tone of Bollywood-style dance numbers. Language includes "f--k," "s--t," "pr--k," "bastard," "screw," "hell," "damn," "piss," and "crap." To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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What's the Story?

In JAGAME THANDIHIRAM, Suruli (Dhanush) is a local Tamil gangster willing to work with any mobster who will pay enough. Although he'll break into joyful dance at a moment's notice, he doesn't hesitate to murder anyone who gets in his way. He seizes the opportunity to work with a racist British gangster called Peter (James Cosmo) and travels to London for a job. Although he doesn't speak English, he sniffs out the workings of a rival guns-for-gold smuggling operation run by India national Sivadoss (Juju George). His plotting sabotages Sivadoss' setup and leads to Sivadoss' bloody murder. A love interest named Atilla (Aishwarya Lekshmi) distracts Suruli but also enlightens him on certain truths: that murderous gangster Sivadoss was using his ill-gotten gains to help immigrants from war-torn countries safely make it to England. Suruli realizes his ignorance about racism and world politics has led him to make things difficult for other people of color and tries to make amends.

Is It Any Good?

At 157 minutes, Jagame Thandhiram is at least an hour too long. The story about a charming, greedy, murderous criminal who gains a conscience far too late meanders through relevant and irrelevant information and plot points. Throughout, there's a comic and irreverent undertone that feels more and more inappropriate as the plot develops, as if the movie is in some sense mocking itself at the same time that it's taking itself too seriously.

The narrative often feels naïve and simplistic. Characters change their minds and philosophies at the drop of a hat, problems are solved lickety-split, someone recovers from near-lethal wounds in an instant, and a looming political issue just goes away. People break into joyful Bollywood dance numbers that have nothing to do with moving the plot along, adding to the general draggy feeling. The plight of immigrants forced to leave homes in war-torn countries is also simplified to tear-jerking dramatic snippets, as if they explained everything. The end is utterly implausible and disappointing, but suggests a sequel may be in the works.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how believable it is that murderous gangster Suruli suddenly becomes empathetic and politically aware. Do the filmmakers convince the audience of a real change in him? Why, or why not?

Suruli and his charm and violence are glorified here. Do you think he seems like an admirable figure? Why, or why not?

Do you think the plot merits the movie's unusual length? Why, or why not?

The gangster who expresses racist views wants to imprison immigrants. He owns "detention centers" for that purpose, institutions that used to be owned by the government. Do you think allowing private citizens to own prisons is a good idea? Why, or why not?

Movie Details

On DVD or streaming : June 18, 2021
Cast : Dhanush , Joju George , James Cosmo , Aishwarya Lekshmi
Director : Karthik Subbaraj
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : Netflix
Genre : Drama
Run time : 157 minutes
MPAA rating : NR
Last updated : February 17, 2023

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‘Jagame Thandhiram’ Movie Review

Guns, warfare, a pressing issue and a ricochet bullet.

by Srivatsan S, The Hindu, Chennai, India, June 18, 2021

Karthik Subbaraj’s latest wants to have a bit of everything: a drama with an ultra-cool gangster (Dhanush) at the centre, a serious political film dealing with a global issue, and a stylishly-shot bubblegum film with a carefree attitude, that doesn’t quite achieve the desired results

Cast: Dhanush, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George, James Cosmo and Kalaiarasan
Director: Karthik Subbaraj
Storyline: Suruli, a petty gangster from Madurai, is hired as a “gangster consultant” by a White Supremacist in London, in the raging war against immigrants lead by Sivadoss, the leader of a Tamil rebel group whose roots trace back to Sri Lanka.

Jagame Thandhiram is currently streaming on Netflix

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Jagame Thandhiram review: Dhanush, Karthik Subbaraj film is just about serviceable

Jagame thandhiram movie review: dhanush-in-veshti strides across sleety england streets in slo-mo, doing rajini but wisely keeping it low key, channelling the street-smart, lovable scamp he specialises in..

Jagame Thandhiram movie cast: Dhanush, James Cosmo, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joseph Joju George Jagame Thandhiram movie director: Karthik Subbaraj Jagame Thandhiram movie rating: 2 stars

Status report: I’ve spent 2.5 hours hoping for a film that starts out disappointing to better itself. After all, this is Dhanush , right? The actor who is a crafty chameleon, and can dissolve into pretty much anything. And this is also Karthik Subbaraj, who is capable of madly stylised story-telling, encased in startlingly psychedelic colours, yes? So why is Jagame Thandhiram, pitched as a gangster tale with sociological underpinnings, so underwhelming? No, dear readers, it doesn’t improve.

Suruli (Dhanush), a loutish fellow with superfast fists, finds himself transported from Madurai to London, there to help Peter (James Cosmo), a ‘racist, supremacist, xenophobe’, clear obstacles in his way and get rid of immigrants washing up at UK shores. Peter gets his jollies from slicing heads and wiping blood off his cashmere woollies, and growling at brown-and-black-skinned people.

A white villain is not enough. So, a fellow Tamilian, the sturdy, dour Sivadoss (Joseph Joju George) is rustled up. And Suruli is all set, scything his way through hordes of gun-toting baddies from both sides, as we get politicians on TV spouting wisdom on anti-immigration laws, and beleaguered refugees streaming in from all parts of the world.

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The clunkiest part of the film is the inclusion of a love interest for Suruli, in the shape of the very shapely Attila (Aishwarya Lekshmi), a nightclub singer with secrets. When they begin circling around each other, there’s a bit of fun to be had. He gets gooey-eyed the instant he hears her sing, and she looks at him bemused. There’s nothing more, though, and the big reveal is a convoluted thread about a long journey from Sri Lanka to England, via choppy seas and dark vans and shady agents, and a long-lost brother.

One character stands out: a paper-less emigree who finds solace in washing dishes. American plates, Russian plates, all those dirty plates in the sink tell stories, they talk to me, he says. And instantly the film lifts. This is character we haven’t met before, and a bit more of his story would have been very welcome.

Meanwhile, Dhanush-in-veshti strides across sleety England streets in slo-mo, doing Rajini but wisely keeping it low key, channelling the street-smart, lovable scamp he specialises in, when not going all out gangsta familiar to us from such cracking films as Vada Chennai. Serviceable. Just about.

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'Jagame Thandhiram' review: Dhanush is entertaining in a gangster film that falters

Dhanush in black shirt and white dhoti sitting on a wall in Jagame Thandhiram poster

Karthik Subbaraj and Dhanush were keen on Jagame Thandhiram releasing in theatres first. Watching it, you can see why. The film is made for the big screen, with plenty of stylised action sequences, absurd comedy sketches and Dhanush's vibrant personality lighting up the scenes. And of course, Santhosh Narayanan's background score would have set the audience on fire. But as fate would have it, the film is now out on Netflix and you have to 'Rakita Rakita' in your drawing room.

Gangsters in the Subbaraj universe are colourful, quirky characters who amuse and entertain more than instill fear. They are meant to be seen as jolly people even if they're taking the head off someone and show no remorse. Jagame Thandhiram 's Suruli (Dhanush), with his prominent moustache, fits the bill. He runs a barotta restaurant in Madurai, but that's just a front for his gangster activities. On the day of his engagement, he kills the brother of a north Indian man who set up business in his town. The murder happens on a train, and typical of Subbaraj's films, the violence is served with some black humour. As the blood splatters on his shirt, Suruli is upset because he's the groom. The gesture mirrors what happened in two other murders we witnessed before this — one executed by Sivadoss's (Joju George) men and the other by Peter Sprott (James Cosmo) — connecting them even before the dots are joined.

Sivadoss is an Eelam Tamil in the UK who deals in arms while Peter is a monied, anti-immigration racist with political clout. How does Suruli from Madurai land in their midst? The reason is mind-numbingly flimsy and makes zero sense; perhaps this was meant to be a cue that we should stop expecting the film to have any logic, but considering the narrative plunges into serious issues later, it just stands out as lazy and convenient writing. And this inconsistency in tone and execution is a problem that hampers the film throughout.

Dhanush is undoubtedly the life of Jagame , reeling off punch lines with his impeccable comic timing and easy body language. Game of Thrones fame James Cosmo seems to have enjoyed himself, wielding an aruva like any other Madurai gangster. The scene when the two of them meet and Suruli jokes about Peter's name is especially hilarious. To Subbaraj's credit, Peter makes for a worthy adversary, even if you keep wondering why he had to import a part-time barotta master from Madurai to see the fruition of his racist ideology. Tamil cinema so rarely has a villain worth their salt these days that an actor with screen presence in the role makes a big difference.

Watch: Trailer of Jagame Thandhiram

It's only been a few days since season 2 of The Family Man triggered massive outrage over the representation of Eelam Tamils. I can't imagine that Jagame Thandhiram will score any better in this respect. Joju George is impressive as Sivadoss, but criminalising the Tamil community even if it's justified later in the film with some nods to the LTTE, is still problematic, particularly when you're juxtaposing it with immigration policies. The wounds left by the nearly 26-year war in Sri Lanka are too raw and deep for the struggle to be packaged in a jokey gangster plot like this, and marketed to the viewers.

Aishwarya Lekshmi plays Attilla, an Eelam Tamil woman, occasionally slipping into a Malayalam accent (ironically, Suruli looks at her and declares that such a beauty has to be a Tamil woman — why not actually cast someone of Tamil origin in the role? Or at least be conscious of the industry's double standards and avoid such lines?). The actor brings intensity to the emotional scenes, but the romance between her and Suruli is quite inexplicable and juvenile. You don't understand why he falls for her (beyond the fact that she's hot, that is) or why she falls for him.

There are some wildly fun moments in Jagame , like a song from Muthu playing in a car ride on an empty European road. Or Dhanush in the endgame going guns blazing in a veti . But these remain moments , leaving us largely unmoved by the story. You feel like you've been playing an extended video game rather than watching a cogent film. Subbaraj likes to squeeze some messaging into his films, but this tendency is his Achilles' heel. The karutthu looks out of place when most of the film has no moral compass.

At over 2 hours and 30 minutes, Jagame Thandhiram falters — if it doesn't fall flat entirely, it's thanks to Dhanush.

Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the series/film. TNM Editorial is independent of any business relationship the organisation may have with producers or any other members of its cast or crew.

Jagame Thandhiram Review

Published date : 18/jun/2021.

Jagame Thandhiram - This marriage of quirkiness, formula and messaging doesn't really come together!

Bharath Vijayakumar

Karthik Subbaraj's Jagame Thandhiram starts off in his typical style. There is a lot of blood and a lot of quirkiness. The violence is celebrated. And soon this celebration of violence turns into a celebration of Suruli. For well over an hour, Jagame Thandhiram is about Suruli and how he becomes the most sought after henchmen amongst the gangsters in London! The character as such isn't really atypical. The nonchalant, double crossing rowdy playing the hero might have been novel at some point of time in the past. But today, that has sort of become the template to mount a hero vehicle. We then need to wait for the hero's conscience to be awoken which mostly happens at the interval point. So while you stand in queue for your popcorn, the hero transformation would be complete. With OTT, you do not even have that much time to buy into the hero's transformation. It happens simply because it has to happen!

Suruli is a close cousin to Maari and Dhanush has a gala time playing to the gallery. Unfortunately, the present situation would mean that our drawing room is the gallery. The humour works and though we aren't really sucked into the film, the initial half of Jagame Thandhiram is a reasonably entertaining affair. The twists don't really take you by surprise and the film does travel along expected lines but Karthik Subbaraj is in control, well, at least up to a point. It is when the film wants to get serious and speaks about very important issues, that it starts falling apart.

However absurd they might be, overnight hero transformations are still fine in a masala film that knows its stakes. What we have here is a hero who lacks any sort of moral compass. It is just money and a sense of self importance that matters to him. And the topic of refugees is such an important one and to see someone like Suruli getting transformed in a jiffy and then give lectures about refugees, racism and casteism to others is a little problematic to say the least. Well, there certainly is a nice little core at the center about how Suruli who kills migrants in his homeland realizes his folly when he is seen as a migrant elsewhere. But this realization doesn't come through convincingly on screen. All the effort is towards making Suruli look and sound cool. What should have come across as self realization comes across as savior complex. Again, all this would not have mattered in a pretty straightforward masala film or a cool gangster film that Jagame Thandhiram could have been. At one point in the film, Shivadass (Joju George) tells the heroine (Aishwarya Lekshmi) that Suruli is a good guy. And this happens well before Suruli transforms. Well, if being the star of the film is the lone qualification for being a good guy, let us not analyse further. This isn't even convenient writing. You are just labelling a really bad guy as a good one to merely justify the love angle. And just to draw parallels to the backstabbing faced in the real world by refugees, Shivadass calls Suruli a betrayer. The actual scenario in the film is that Suruli works for Peter (an amusing James Cosmo) to spy on Shivadass and when caught red-handed, agrees to take money from Shivadass to betray Peter but then doesn't do it. In fact, the only place in the entire film when Suruli actually does seem to act with some conscience is here when he remains faithful to his 'original' boss.

The film starts like a no brainer entertainer and the biggest conflict at this point is in finding out the difference between 'Thaambathiyam' and 'Thaamboolam'. The quirkiness in these portions almost borders on being spoofy. How else would you explain the need for an IT professional in UK to talk about a gangster from Madurai in his appraisal meeting. I really wished Karthik Subbaraj kept it this way right through. Jagame Thandhiram has its moments. In fact, right through there is something that keeps us invested. Along with Dhanush, cinematographer Shreyaas Krishna and music composer Santosh Narayanan ensure this. But the idea to talk about an extremely important topic in a quirky film that keeps glorifying its hero falls flat!

Rating: 2.5/5

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Jagame Thandhiram Movie Review: Too frivolous to be serious, too serious to be fun

Rating: ( 2.5 / 5).

It’s like Karthik Subbaraj desired to make two different Tamil films set in the West. One, a solemn film—like Iraivi —that would bleed for immigrants and refugees and Eelam Tamils. It’s the sort of film that would declare that those that take to violence to protect the vulnerable mustn’t be labelled terrorists—a plea, I imagine, in favour of the Eelam Tigers. This first film would also take on weighty topics like racism, conservative politics, government bills and what it takes to pass them, unemployment… If this seems burdensome enough, Karthik, it seems, also wanted to make another film: A globe-trotting gangster film that would have our Madurai gangster clash with his equivalent from London, and explore this strange relationship and with it, the linguistic, culinary, cultural differences of their respective regions (Note how Suruli is taken aback when he sees an Indian kiss his girlfriend).

Director: Karthik Subbaraj

Cast: Dhanush, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George, James Cosmo

Both stories seem like exciting possibilities in the hands of an accomplished filmmaker like Karthik Subbaraj. With films like Iraivi and Mercury , he has established his credentials in executing a film with social themes. As for the second story, it’s pretty much his default zone. In his six-feature-film-old career so far, he has already shown his love for shooting violence in aesthetically pleasant ways. So, why does Jagame Thandhiram never really take off? It’s because he’s tried to fuse these films together into one, and in doing so, has created a film in which one story doesn’t really allow the other to thrive. An attempt at wordplay concerning ‘ thaamboolam ’ and ‘ thaampathyam ’ failing to take off, is an early warning, and a harbinger of things to come.

Jagame Thandhiram doesn’t ever thrive in its violence and humour as, say, a Jigarthanda did. Dhanush tries—especially with those malicious grins. But the problem is, I couldn’t ever get a hang of his character, Suruli. You get fleeting details, like when his mother speaks of not being a good parent. However, the film leaves you with more questions than answers about him. Who is he really? What’s with his love for cooking? What’s with the murderous streak? What’s with all the ruthlessness and desire for money? And if he were really so ruthless, how is it that he’s so profoundly moved by a brief narration from Atilla (Aishwarya Lekshmi)—a throwback device from the 90s films in which filmmakers would have characters narrate their stories like in a play…

This love story itself feels manipulative and flimsy. The film asks you to relate to the profound emotion felt by Atilla, but then, this relationship is never built on any profundity. Suruli catches a glimpse of this woman and declares that he’s in love and would like marriage. Atilla, whose singing, it seems, is just for a single scene, randomly agrees to sit in a conversation with him. And before you know it, she’s supposedly developed feelings for him. I didn’t buy this important relationship for even a minute in this film—let alone be moved by the developments caused by it.

Similar superficial exploration is offered to the Eelam conflict, mainly discussed through passing dialogues and brief introductions to mainly minor characters. A major character is Sivadoss (Joju George), but then again, there isn’t really time in which to get introduced to him. We hear of him through an easy flashback narration, in which a political tragedy is archived into a single blast, in which the trauma and struggle of a homeless woman is relegated to some quick shots of her being moved about from country to country, before she settles in London. The flashback, in fact, has the effect of making you feel that her journey was not as uncomfortable as one might perhaps have imagined.

This rather cold film needed to tell us more about its characters. Who is Peter (James Cosmo), for instance? Apart from his generic, racist comments, what are his deep views about people of colour? What’s the extent of his influence in the government? While the English of the London characters in this film is thankfully quite all right, they still don’t seem to comfortably belong in the universe of this Tamil film. Something about their movement, their gestures, their dialogue delivery, their non-verbal responses… Jagame Thandhiram is an improvement in how integrated they are, but clearly, we still have a long way to go.

And yet, let me register that Karthik Subbaraj’s latest film means well. It demands that the world treat refugees better. It stands with Eelam Tamils; it empathises with those who take up arms on their behalf. It stands against racism, and I doubt there has been another Tamil film in which a character has used the word ‘xenophobia’. It even notes the irony of these Indians, so ill-treated in foreign countries, oppressing each other through caste divisions. It may be a ‘man’s film’ but it still makes an attempt to elevate Aishwarya Lekshmi’s character above the purpose of just being the romantic interest of Suruli—even if it isn’t exactly successful in achieving this. The problem with Jagame Thandhiram isn’t the motive; it’s the execution.

Among the pleasures of a Karthik Subbaraj film is the reuse of old Tamil songs to enterprising effect. Perhaps for the first time in his filmography, I didn’t particularly care for these homages in Jagame Thandhiram . You hear songs like ‘ Kalyana maalai ’, ‘ Kadhalin deepam ondru ’, ‘ Veetukku veetukku vaasapadi venum ’, ‘ Oruvan Oruvan ’, ‘ Sambo, siva sambo ’… and there are dialogues that speak of films like ‘ Nayagan ’ and ‘ Citizen ’. But it all feels rather cursory—like he was checking off items in his auteur checklist. Homages. Check. Murder and mayhem. Check. Stylised gunfire. Check.

And yet, for all the gunfire, this film feels like a misfire, despite Dhanush’s best attempts to light up this film. His eyes drip menace and a certain insanity. And in many, many scenes, it’s impossible not to spot the Rajinikanth influences. He communicates this through lopsided grins and eyebrow raises and in dialogue-delivery too—like when a corner of his mouth moves and he utters, “ Verum panam… vachikunga .” And yet, the film, confused as it seems between being a sensitive film about refugees and an entertainingly violent film about gangsters, does him no great service. In trying to be both, it ends up being neither.

In a Jigarthanda , it didn’t matter that we didn’t feel emotionally connected to ‘Assault’ Sethu. But in a Jagame Thandhiram —like in an Iraivi —it’s important to care for the characters. This film wants you to feel for the plight of the refugees and the Eelam Tamils. And in such a film, it’s a problem that I couldn’t get myself to truly care about any character. The body count increases, but it doesn't matter. Suruli could have died, and it still would not have mattered. It doesn’t help that the characters in this film themselves don’t seem to be taking certain events too seriously. Close friends and aides get murdered, and yet, bizarrely, they seem quick to forgive. Be it Sivadoss (Joju George) or Deepan (Kalaiyarasan) or Dharani (Deepak Paramesh) or strangely, even Suruli himself, these characters move past betrayals quite quickly. When these men don’t care about their tragedies as deeply, why must we?

I’m convinced that Jagame Thandhiram is Karthik Subbaraj’s weakest film yet, but it’s still a Karthik Subbaraj film. And so, you do get treated to some lovely flourishes of filmmaking, aided by Santhosh Narayanan’s eclectic music. Watch a kidnapping scene get brilliantly executed in a series of quick shots of various characters speaking in one-liners. I also loved that big murder scene near the halfway mark and enjoyed how the camera circles the characters over and over again, as their reactions change. The event itself wasn’t a big surprise for me, but how it’s shot makes it all quite enjoyable, nevertheless. I may not remember Jagame Thandhiram for many things, but I won’t be forgetting in a hurry that the film still showed us the unlikely visual of a Tamil gangster going ballistic in an alien land being pounded by snow. And of James Cosmo being told how to eat parotta with salna .

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June 19, 2024 / 11:14 PM IST

Jagame Thandhiram

Dhanush (Hero)
Aishwarya Lekshmi (Heroine)
Karthik Subbaraj (Director)
Santhosh Narayanan (Music Director)
S. Sashikanth (producer)
Chakravarthy Ramachandra (producer)

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Karthik Subbaraj is the writer and director of the 2021 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film Jagame Thandhiram (transl. The Universe is a ruse), which is produced by YNOT Studios and Reliance Entertainment.

Dhanush, James Cosmo, Joju George, Aishwarya Lekshmi, and Kalaiyarasan are among the film’s stars. It’s Cosmo’s first Indian film and George’s first Tamil film. A Madurai gangster is enlisted in the movie to assist a British criminal lord in eliminating a rival, but he is later taken aback by the ethical conundrums that arise.

The project was first announced in April 2016 and awarded to Thenandal Studio Limited. However, the production house’s financial issues caused the project to be shelved. In February 2018, it was brought back to life once more when YNOT Studios purchased the film rights.

Following a formal announcement in July 2019, the movie started production in September and wrapped up in December 2019, shooting in London, Madurai, Rameshwaram, and Jaipur. Santhosh Narayanan wrote the soundtrack and songs, while Shreyas Krishna handled the photography and Vivek Harshan handled the editing.

The COVID-19 epidemic caused Jagame Thandhiram’s planned May 1, 2020, theater release to be postponed indefinitely. In February 2021, the filmmakers decided against releasing the movie only in theaters, opting instead for a global direct-to-streaming distribution on June 18, 2021, via Netflix. It was dubbed and released in 190 countries, including 17 languages.

Critics gave the movie mixed reviews; they complimented the technical aspects, soundtrack, musical score, cinematography, and performances by the cast (especially Dhanush, Cosmo, and George), but they also criticized the screenplay and pacing

“Jagame Thandhiram” is a Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Karthik Subbaraj, released in 2021. The plot revolves around a skilled but carefree gangster named Suruli, played by Dhanush, whose life takes a turn when he is sent to London by his boss to take over the operations there. Suruli initially struggles to adapt to the new environment and its challenges.

In London, Suruli becomes entangled in the conflict between a multinational corporation led by Peter Sprott (played by James Cosmo) and a group of Sri Lankan Tamil immigrants represented by their leader, Sivadoss (played by Joju George). As Suruli navigates this complex situation, he faces moral dilemmas and choices that force him to confront his own identity and values.

The film explores themes of identity, belonging, and the clash between tradition and modernity, all set against the backdrop of the London underworld. It combines elements of action, drama, and social commentary, with Dhanush delivering a charismatic performance in the lead role.

More Details

Director
Story
Screenplay
Dialogues
Cinematography
Editor
Music
Producer
Cast	, Hema Dayal
Release Type	Theatre
Language	Tamil
Production	YNOT Studios, Reliance Entertainment
OTT Platform	Netflix

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What is the release date of 'Jagame Thandhiram'? Release date of Dhanush and Aishwarya Lekshmi starrer 'Jagame Thandhiram' is 2021-06-18.
Who are the actors in 'Jagame Thandhiram'? 'Jagame Thandhiram' star cast includes Dhanush, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Kalaiyarasan and Joju George.
Who is the director of 'Jagame Thandhiram'? 'Jagame Thandhiram' is directed by Karthik Subbaraj.
Who is the producer of 'Jagame Thandhiram'? 'Jagame Thandhiram' is produced by S. Sashikanth.
What is Genre of 'Jagame Thandhiram'? 'Jagame Thandhiram' belongs to 'Drama' genre.
In Which Languages is 'Jagame Thandhiram' releasing? 'Jagame Thandhiram' is releasing in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi,Malayalam and Kannada.

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Jagame Thandhiram Review: Weak Gangster

Movie: Jagame Thandhiram (Tamil/OTT) Rating: 2/5 Cast: Dhanush, Aishwarya Lakshmi, James Cosmo, Joju George, Kalayirasan, and others Music: Santhosh Narayanan Cinematography: Shreyas Krishna Editing: Vivek Harsan Produced by: S Sashikanth Written and directed by: Karthik Subbaraj Streaming on: Netflix Release Date: June 18, 2021

The names of Dhanush and Karthik Subbaraj are enough to get excited about for film lovers. No wonder that “Jagame Thandhiram” has generated a lot of buzz.

The Tamil-language film is now streaming on Netflix, which is one of the biggest releases on the OTT platform this year.

Let’s find out its merits and demerits.

Story: Suruli (Dhanush), a local rowdy in Madurai, is asked to leave the city for a month as he landed in a trouble after killing a businessman.

Around the same time, an NRI comes with an offer that if he works for Peter Sprott (James Cosmo), a politically affluent honcho in London, for a month, he would get plenty of money.

Suruli agrees and starts working for Peter, whose nemesis is a Tamilian gangster Sivadoss (Joju George).

Suruli quickly rises as a gangster, and also falls in love with a Tamilian singer Attila (Aishwarya Lekshmi).

Peter also wants the bill BICORE, meant against the immigrants, to be passed in the parliament, and trying to eliminate Sivadoss.

Due to certain incidents, Suruli is forced fit against Peter, his boss. What happens next?

Artistes’ Performances: As a boisterous gangster, Dhanush is in his element. He has shown a lot of swag enacting a Madhurai gangster in London, also paid tribute to his father-in-law superstar Rajinikanth by following certain expressions.

James Cosmo, who appeared in "Game of Thrones", is suited to the role of a racist mob boss but his character ends up as a caricature in the second half.

Aishwarya Lekshmi is okay, but the romantic thread on Dhanush and her is not explored much.

Joju George, who was terrific in the recent Malayalam movie ‘Nayatttu’, once again shines in a brief but important role.

Technical Excellence: Director Karthik Subbaraj’s strong point has always been extracting the best from his technical crew. He stylishly shoots the regular scenes. Shreyas Krishna is perfectly tuned to his vision and has given terrific visuals.

The fight scenes set in London are truly international. Santhosh Narayanan’s background score is another attraction. Editing should have been crispier.

Highlights: Dhanush’s style Cinematography and music

Drawback: Predictable narration Lengthy runtime Indulgent scenes Boring first half

Analysis Gangster dramas have stopped throwing surprises for audiences because many filmmakers have explored this genre from all possible angles.

The story of Suruli, and his journey from being a local thug in Madurai to a hired gangster in London and redemption thereafter, is no different.

“Jagame Thandiram”, directed by Karthik Subbraj of “Pizza” and “Petta”, is essentially a gangster drama but the director has cleverly blended the struggle of Srilankan Tamils and immigrant issue to his regular gangster story.

However, despite having a strong idea, Karthik Subbaraj beats around the bush for a long time and the actual point comes much later in the film. Before exploring the main point of ‘home’ and immigrant issues, “Jagame Thandiram” depends on usual gangster action sequences.

We are made to believe that the film is about Suruli’s rise as a gangster in London and his face-off with Peter.

It also gives an impression that Suruli may turn double rat for both Peter and his rival and the story might explore that front. But that is not what the film about.

After going all over the place, Karthik Subbaraj comes to the main point in the last act. The proceedings struggle to keep us invested.

Although Dhanush tries to save the film, the slow-paced drama doesn’t engage us. Two action episodes are stylishly shot.

One comes before the interval, involving Dhanush, Joju, and Cosmo. The other is the pre-climax fight. These stunts and the terrific cinematography are the best in this predictable gangster drama.

The villain’s characterization is not strong enough. After all the hype, the villain turns into a caricature, and the abrupt ending with the dialogue – “you can only start the war, but can’t finish it”, leaves unsatisfied.

All in all, “Jagame Thandhiram” doesn’t live up to expectations. Despite having a stylish presentation, it is a big disappointment. It is a weak effort from Karthik Subbaraj.

Bottom-line: Lacks Appeal

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Jagame Thandhiram

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Cast & Crew

Jagame Thandhiram Story

Jagame thandhiram cast & crew.

Jagame Thandhiram Crew Info

Director
Story
Cinematography
Editor
Music
Producer
Budget	TBA
Box Office	TBA
OTT Platform	Netflix
OTT Release Date	2021-06-18
Addtional Info
Lyrics
Singers
Stunt Choreography
Dance Choreography
Costume Design

Jagame Thandhiram Trailer

Jagame Thandhiram Videos

Jagame Thandhiram Songs

Rakita Rakita Rakita Singers: Dhanush , Santhosh Narayanan , Dhee Lyricist: Vivek (Lyricist) 4
Bujji Singers: Anirudh Ravichander , Santhosh Narayanan Lyricist: Vivek (Lyricist) 4
Nethu Singers: Dhanush Lyricist: Dhanush 3.8
Aala Ola Singers: Anthony Daasan , Santhosh Narayanan Lyricist: Vivek (Lyricist) 3.6
Theengu Thaakka Singers: GKB , Arivu , Santhosh Narayanan Lyricist: Arivu 3.7
Theipirai Singers: Meenakshi Elayaraja Lyricist: Madurai Babaraj 3.9
Kalarey Kalarvasam Singers: Anthony Daasan , Santhosh Narayanan Lyricist: Vivek (Lyricist) 3.6
Naan Dhan Da Maas Singers: OfRo , Arivu , Santhosh Narayanan Lyricist: Arivu 4.1
Suruli Singers: Lyricist: 3.1
Barotta Master Singers: Lyricist: 3.4

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Jagame Thandhiram

In this Jagame Thandhiram film, Dhanush , Aishwarya Lekshmi played the primary leads.

The Jagame Thandhiram was released in theaters on 18 Jun 2021.

The Jagame Thandhiram was directed by Karthik Subbaraj

Movies like Maharaja , Garudan , Suriya 44 and others in a similar vein had the same genre but quite different stories.

The Jagame Thandhiram had a runtime of 157 minutes.

The soundtracks and background music were composed by Santhosh Narayanan for the movie Jagame Thandhiram.

The cinematography for Jagame Thandhiram was shot by Shreyaas Krishna .

You can watch the Jagame Thandhiram movie on Netflix,.

On 18 Jun 2021 Jagame Thandhiram was released on the Netflix, platform.

The movie Jagame Thandhiram belonged to the Action,Drama,Thriller, genre.

Jagame Thandhiram User Review

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Rajiv 1104 Days Ago

The struggles and aspirations of the Tamils are far more sacrosanct. Humble request to Dhanush not to accept such roles that betray our aspirations. Karthik - Tamil people can never be traitors. Audience - Tamil Films were never a clap and go aff..

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Jagame Thandhiram: Cult Classic or Flop? Jagame Thandhiram Review
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COMMENTS

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The world is full of trickery - Jagame Thandhiram!But for mere mortals, it is worth the risk. Karthik Subbaraj takes one such risk in his 2021 flick Jagame Thandhiram, released on Netflix.It is not just another gangster movie from the director of Jigarthanda and Petta.It is a crude bomb with a heavy mix of politics of migrant crisis, a clash of ideological differences, contrasting philosophies ...
Jagame Thandhiram (2021)
Jagame Thandhiram: Directed by Karthik Subbaraj. With Dhanush, James Cosmo, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George. A nomadic gangster finds himself caught between good and evil in a fight for a place to call home. Starring Dhanush, Aishwarya Lekshmi and James Cosmo.
Jagame Thandhiram
Jagame Thandhiram ( transl.The Universe is a ruse) [1] is a 2021 Indian Tamil -language action thriller film [2] written and directed by Karthik Subbaraj and produced by YNOT Studios and Reliance Entertainment. The film stars Dhanush, James Cosmo, Joju George, Aishwarya Lekshmi and Kalaiyarasan. It marks the Indian film debut of Cosmo and the ...
Jagame Thandhiram movie review: Dhanush and Karthik Subbaraj's new film
Jagame Thandhiram opens in London, where a key member of a local gang, headed by a man named Peter, is killed by member of a rival gang, headed by Sivadoss, an immigrant from Sri Lanka who is ...
Jagame Thandhiram Movie Review
Jagame Thandhiram Movie Review: Dhanush Jagame Thandhiram Movie Review Karthik Subbaraj Santhosh Narayanan 18 Jun 2021; Release Date: 18 Jun 2021; 2:38 Hrs
Jagame Thandhiram Review
Jagame Thandhiram Review. Article by Satya B Published on: 4:33 pm, 18 June 2021 2 /5. ... Music - Santhosh Narayanan. The much-awaited Tamil film Jagame Thandhiram was released on Netflix this afternoon. The film was made available in Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and Malayalam audios, along with the Tamil version. Karthik Subbaraj is the film's ...
Jagame Thandhiram, On Netflix, Is A Flamboyant But ...
19 Jun 2021, 7:53 am. Director: Karthik Subbaraj. Cast: Dhanush, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George, James Cosmo, Kalaiyarasan. Jagame Thandhiram begins with the image of a boat in the English channel with refugees who are approached by an English patrol boat. If you look at Karthik Subbaraj's career you will find a very similar scenario in Neer ...
Jagame Thandhiram Movie Review
Parents need to know that Jagame Thandhiram is a 2021 Indian film (in Tamil with English subtitles) about Indian and British gangsters at war in London. The backdrop is a racism-motivated anti-immigration movement in Britain dedicated to either keeping immigrants out or imprisoning them in privately owned detention centers, enriching the White owners.
'Jagame Thandhiram' Movie Review
'Jagame Thandhiram' Movie Review Guns, warfare, a pressing issue and a ricochet bullet. by Srivatsan S, The Hindu, Chennai, India, June 18, 2021 ... a Tamil from Ceylon but a refugee in Tamil Nadu, before moving to London where he works at a restaurant as a dish washer. Murugesan narrates his ordeal of being a "stateless" person, or ...
Jagame Thandhiram review: Dhanush, Karthik Subbaraj film is just about
Jagame Thandhiram review: Dhanush, Karthik Subbaraj film is just about serviceable Jagame Thandhiram movie review: Dhanush-in-veshti strides across sleety England streets in slo-mo, doing Rajini but wisely keeping it low key, channelling the street-smart, lovable scamp he specialises in.
Jagame Thandhiram Movie Review: Dhanush Opens Up A Blazing ...
Jagame Thandhiram Movie Review Rating: 2.5/5 Stars (Two & A Half Star) . Star Cast: Dhanush, Aishwarya Lekshmi, James Cosmo, Joju George, Deepak Paramesh & ensemble. Director: Karthik Subbaraj ...
Suruli
But Jagame Thandhiram isn't exactly a return to form. Jun 25, 2021 Full Review Barbara Shulgasser Common Sense Media At 157 minutes, Jagame Thandhiram is at least an hour too long.
'Jagame Thandhiram' review: Dhanush is entertaining in a gangster film
Karthik Subbaraj and Dhanush were keen on Jagame Thandhiram releasing in theatres first.Watching it, you can see why. The film is made for the big screen, with plenty of stylised action sequences ...
Jagame Thandhiram Review Tamil Movie, Music Reviews and News
The humour works and though we aren't really sucked into the film, the initial half of Jagame Thandhiram is a reasonably entertaining affair. The twists don't really take you by surprise and the film does travel along expected lines but Karthik Subbaraj is in control, well, at least up to a point.
Jagame Thandhiram Movie Review: Too frivolous to be serious, too
Jagame Thandhiram Movie Review: Too frivolous to be serious, too serious to be fun. For all the gunfire, this film feels like a misfire, despite Dhanush's best attempts to light up the show. It's like Karthik Subbaraj desired to make two different Tamil films set in the West. One, a solemn film—like Iraivi —that would bleed for ...
Jagame Thandhiram: Cast, Crew, Movie Review, Release Date, Teaser
Karthik Subbaraj is the writer and director of the 2021 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film Jagame Thandhiram (transl. The Universe is a ruse), which is produced by YNOT Studios and Reliance Entertainment. Dhanush, James Cosmo, Joju George, Aishwarya Lekshmi, and Kalaiyarasan are among the film's stars.
Jagame Thandhiram Movie: Showtimes, Review, Songs, Trailer, Posters
Jagame Thandhiram Movie Review & Showtimes: Find details of Jagame Thandhiram along with its showtimes, movie review, trailer, teaser, full video songs, showtimes and cast. Dhanush,Aishwarya ...
Jagame Thandhiram Movie Review: Weak Gangster
Movie: Jagame Thandhiram (Tamil/OTT) Rating: 2/5 Cast: Dhanush, Aishwarya Lakshmi, James Cosmo, Joju George, Kalayirasan, and others Music: Santhosh Narayanan Cinematography: Shreyas Krishna Editing: Vivek Harsan Produced by: S Sashikanth Written and directed by: Karthik Subbaraj Streaming on: Netflix Release Date: June 18, 2021 The names of Dhanush and Karthik Subbaraj are enough to get ...
Jagame Thandhiram (Jagame Thanthiram) Movie (2021): Release ...
Jagame Thandhiram Tamil Movie: Check out Dhanush's Jagame Thandhiram aka Jagame Thanthiram movie release date, review, cast & crew, trailer, songs, teaser, story, budget, first day collection, box ...
Review : Jagame Thandhiram
Unfortunately, Jagame Thandhiram promises a lot with its unique storyline that's never been explored in Tamil Cinema and the star cast, but ends up delivering too little. The film clearly falls short of the high expectations it has set prior to its release and ends up as one of the major disappointments of this year so far.

‘Jagame Thandhiram’ Review: Scheme, Slaughter, Repeat

‘Jagame Thandhiram’ movie review: Guns, warfare, a pressing issue and a ricochet bullet

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