Thupparivaalan (2017) User Reviews

Mysskin's Homage to 221b Baker Street

[samxxxul · 7/10 · 16 September 2017]

Director Mysskin made history of sorts in 2007 when "Anjathe" came out during the heyday of Valentine's Day, Cut to the present 2017, Mysskin joining hands with Vishal for Thupparivalan (Detective) was a news which stifled me. Anyway it would be right to mention that cinema enthusiasts need to thank Myskkin for those bold initiatives in making Tamil cinema an attainable dream for countless young wannabe filmmakers. So keeping aside the "I'm also Madruai daaww" Vishal I knew for the fact that actor Vishal will be seen in the run time. Goodness, it was a decent effort put by him, no unwanted buffoonery or deviating from the character arc. Actor Vishal playing Kaniyan Poongundran has given one his best in his filmography after Avan Ivan (2011), a pathetic film reeking of Bala's village fetish, saved by performances of all the actors.

In Thupparivalan, Vishal is credible as a detective who doesn't hesitate to use force in order to accomplish some true to life spellbinding action scenes. Parallelly he is a seeker and the overall mood of the film is eeyorish despite few minor dose of cringey humor from the sidekicks be it villains or the supporting artists. Reason I state this is the previous Mysskin outings was supported with fascinating writing for the supporting artist which will leave a mark and some of them still do. Well Thupparivalan fails to score big with supporting artists. This doesn't prove that this flick isn't worth a shot it is a film which blends perfectly with constructive and meaningful cinema as it should be.

Oh, almost forgot to say a couple of words on the background score of the movie, the entire film is loaded and loaded with real ammo like score which speaks more with the mystery surrounding in the mind of associate Mano (Prasanna) who is just looking for nods while the protagonist is seeking to connect all the dots with amazing visual framing that heightens the adventurous movie-watcher. Good to see cinema like this today when our weekly releases have been flip-flop chicken flicks- blockbusters.

With a touch of empathy

[rathakrishnanarun · 8/10 · 20 September 2017]

A common aspect of Sherlock Holmes adaptions is the emphasis on the emotional distance between the detective and other characters, and in turn the audience. In Sherlock, the show uses this emotional distance to trick the audience to wonder what if Sherlock is only a very convincing and methodical con-artist? In this regard Thupparivaalan differs from other adaptations I have watched. Kanian Poongundran, the Sherlock Holmes styled protagonist here seemed to invoke a similar feeling of detachment to other people/things that populate this film's universe. Mysskin's triumph is in portraying the detective not only as a Canon Doyle hero donning a thinking hat, but also as a Good Samaritan Myskkin hero, whose life takes a different turn due to his act of kindness. With that move, Mysskin makes this film his very own.

Direction sets up an unsettling mood from the first shot, which creates a tension that continues throughout the prologue. There are interesting situations in other movies, that don't get an interesting visual treatment, that some times make you wonder what Mysskin would have done. The excellent set piece that introduces Mallika and her gang of pick pockets is a good example. Mysskin employs a consistent visual language to establish empathy. He draws your attention by slightly throwing off the film's rhythm, by forcing his characters suddenly come to a pause and encounter a new situation that demands their empathy. This is much more refreshing than using a reaction shot (accompanied by a beat or two of a thavil) for the same purpose. Mysskin use this technique to introduce Naveen, a child whose bereavement draws Kanian and Mano (Dr. Watson here is more like a Man Friday, which works just well) into a web of crimes hinted during the prologue. Mysskin stretches the moment, allowing the child to express his grief. This scene sets up the detective's quest not just as an intellectual exercise, but a deeply empathetic one. Mysskin uses the same technique to much better effect to come to a pause on Mallika, as she helplessly watches her siblings get punished by a mob during a botched robbery.

When it comes to establishing the setting, main characters and the seemingly unexplainable crimes, Mysskin's writing is strong. In true Canon Doyle fashion, the crimes committed are intriguing, outlandish and thoroughly entertaining at once. There is also a streak of bleakness, that tries to explain the other side to a Good Samaritan. Bhagyaraj's character offers some money as a token of gratitude to a driver - a minor character (also a Good Samaritan) he is not acquainted with, even though he is marked to be hit in one of the gang's plots. May be he has a little hope that the driver would survive or his family can subsist on the money. In contrast to this, in another scene you don't see any of this hope, as Bhagyaraj's character in his dying moments tries to put lights out on his helpless domestic partner.

The same happens in the dying moments of a character close to Kanian and Mano. The duo give up right away, as they realize out what's happening, and don't even attempt a rescue, even as the said character continues to breathe and is able to muster a few final words. And Mysskin stretches the scene, allowing Kanian to emerge out of his surface level indifference to the character, but this only unnecessarily restates Kanian's empathy towards the character which was far more convincingly established earlier. The long scene also allows you to wonder why he would be so helpless enough to try to save the character at the moment.

May be the whole point is to show how a Good Samaritan reacts when the person in need is dear to him. Is he still able to still ask what should I do next, or is the situation far too overwhelming? While this may be a sufficient explanation in the hindsight, but when the scene itself was playing, it was hard to ignore the severe dissonance Kanian's actions cause. To make things worse, Mysskin passes the opportunity to explore whether Kanian's pursuit becomes personal after this incident, despite setting the stage for that. He stages the scene by blocking Kanian and Mano in a position similar to Naveen (the child) was when he was first introduced after his personal loss, but does not explore their grief any further. Instead he introduces a pivot that only does a little to move the plot ahead. He cuts to a scene heavy with exposition, as the detectives get information about the antagonists.

A few of the set pieces work: the bike chase sequence is interestingly shot, where the tension steadily builds up and ends with a bang. But there are other set pieces where Mysskin lets your attention drift. The fight sequence at the Chinese restaurant is an unnecessary digression that lacks the intrigue that accompanies fight sequences from Mysskin's earlier work. The climatic fight sequences also seem long and filled with pointless deaths.

A common theme in this disappointment is how Mysskin builds a scene to make you expect a pay off, but fails to deliver the pay off, especially towards the end. When Vishal and Andrea's characters have a stand off, Mysskin creates a very noticeable pause raising the stakes, only to deflate it suddenly by cutting to a character who is stabbed and bleeding. Even though the climax also tries answer some questions about who the villain really is, it leaves a huge question mark over the relevance of this exploration. But the final stretch with its unexpected sprinkle of humour, redeems the climax and winds down on an empathetic note, as Naveen's quest comes to a completion.

The film is not without its flaws, but this is a rare demonstration of excellent directorial craft from one of Tamil cinema's master directors.

celluloid presented with excellent screenplay and last minute thriller

[sri0912 · 9/10 · 11 November 2017]

Mind blowing and gripping screenplay with a bit lag of first half which is worth enough to hold the breathe.

Every Character has done a great job and Vinay and Andrea made their shine.

Director has a gripping screenplay which makes you to sit for 2.30 hrs on the edge of the seat.

An Indian Sherlock Holmes version

[naveen_reloaded · 9/10 · 30 October 2017]

Mysskin has taken the essence and given us an Indian version of Sherlock Holmes. He has truly stuck to the core of Sherlock and produced one of the best thriller in Tamil movie. Vishal has excelled in his role. The background score , the fight sequence is top notch.

One small request to Mysskin , make Thupparivaalan Part 2.

Mysskin's: Sherlock of our own

[iravavastav · 9/10 · 3 December 2017]

Thupparivaalan, story of an adventurous unconventional bachelor with an acquired taste at deduction and solving challenged cases.

A detective story set in a peculiar little universe to solve the mystery of the cases. Characterization was very good, even the small characters are very much connected to the story. Movie becomes interesting over a period of time with the action thrilling and suspenseful scenes. Antagonist becomes head to head with the detective (protagonist) with always one step ahead, which gives a distinct touch of a mind game.

Thupparivaalan is another solid aesthetic thriller from Mysskin. But what sets this movie apart from other action thrillers is how it not only thrills us, but also makes us feel.

Entertaining movie

[harineem-209-525488 · 7/10 · 11 November 2017]

Being a hard core Sherlock fan of both Jeremy Brett and Benedict Cumberbatch , I was a little skeptical to watch this one. But it does entertain if you go with limited expectations. The movie has good pace and story.It only drags at points where Vishal wants to show his fighting skills.Vishal has always been a mediocre actor but this role works for him. The real surprise is an actor whom you usually watch for his dialogues barely gets one in and still delivers.

Great Job Myssakin

[rajsekhar-kr · 9/10 · 24 June 2018]

Continue this with a sequel...Make this in Hindi aswell

Thupparivaalan is an engaging detective thriller with Mysskin's terrific direction but poor climax which lasts for 30 mins spoils the feel.

[shobanchittuprolu · 7/10 · 8 November 2017]

Thupparivaalan (2017): Mysskin is one of the most overlooked filmmaker of Indian Cinema.He is way different from lot of filmmakers and his films are a reflection of his real-life character. They're moody, melodramatic, poetic, rebellious and stylised at the same time.Now he came with Thupparivaalan which is inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective thriller Sherlock Holmes.

Plot: Mysterious deaths happens continuously, at the same time a private detective (Vishal) is waiting for an interesting case. A kid asks the detective to find the murderer of his dog, then he collects clues which are interrelated with the dog's murder. Is the mystery solved by the detective ? My Review: Thupparivaalan is one of the rare detective thrillers of Indian Cinema and Mysskin made it special with gripping investigation and characters, During introduction of Kaniyan,refuses to take up the missing case of an arrogant rich man's daughter for which he promises Rs 50 lakhs but agrees to investigate a dog's murder case brought by an innocent kid, who has his pocket money to pay as fee which forms the basic part of the film.

Just like all Mysskin films, Thupparivaalan takes its own time to establish characters and initial screenplay flow to the core plot. Once the director sets everything, there is no looking back and he completely makes us glued to our seats to watch this edge of the seat action thriller.The Mysskin touch is present in every frame of the film.Especially the scene where Mysskin introduces the serial killers of Thupparivaalan. It's a quiet setting, inside a house, where all the characters meet at the dining table. Suddenly, a woman picks up a drink from the fridge that stores a dead body inside.It's freaking scary.....and the scene where Devil (Vinay), while butchering a person, pauses for few seconds to have his coffee in blood stained clothes..

But it is the climax which went wrong with 30 minutes hide and seek game in a forest area.It is so boring and repetitive which completely spoils the entire feel of the mystery solved.

The action sequences in Thupparivaalan are world class, especially the bike chase scene and the fight in Chinese restaurant are treat for action lovers.Thupparivaalan's another biggest strength is Arrol Corelli 's impressive background score and Karthik Venkatraman's cinematography is brilliant in action sequences.

Vishal has pulled off the detective's role easily with his quirky mannerisms and body language and natural style in action scenes. Prasanna, a fine actor, also does a good job as the detective's assistant, while Vinay Rai as the villain is a revelation. Among the female actors, it is Andrea who shines along with rest of supporting cast of Bhagyaraj, John Vijay and Anu Immanuel.

So,Thupparivaalan is an engaging detective thriller with Mysskin's terrific direction but poor climax which last for 30 mins spoils the feel.

My Rating 7/10

Thupparivaalan (2017)

[santhosh-10290 · 8/10 · 1 January 2018]

The movie was Awesome. Vishal acting was marvelous. BGM And the promo song was awesome. Vinay and Prasanna also done a wonderful work. Everyone Acted Very well in the movie. The movie was so thrilling and interesting. But the climax would have been more better. Amazing Movie.

Pretty decent movie

[ajay-92672 · 7/10 · 22 September 2017]

It is not a great movie but it is not bad either by looking at the trailer it clearly look like it is inspired from Sherlock Holmes,the screenplay is engaging,action looks good,performance wise Vishal did a pretty decent job as a detective,the villain in the movie too has done pretty good job but Andrea Jeremiah steals the show,she is a real badass in this movie

Best thrilling movie in different style

[syedhub · 9/10 · 12 June 2018]

Happy to see new story with new style ... all the best for the future movie mr. Miskin

A PRETTY GOOD WATCH !!

[postsenthil · 7/10 · 27 October 2019]

Mysskin presents our own homegrown Sherlock Holmes sorry in his inimitable style with most of his trademark elements.

Vishal plays the protagonist Kaniyan Poongundran with Prasanna as his sidekick Mano -a la Watson (albeit in much minor part).

The above average mystery unfolds in a linear narrative which keeps you hooked.

Vishal fits the role for the most part as the emotionally remote, brainy detective and is convincing in the kinetic action set pieces. The rest of the cast including Prasanna, Vinay, Andrea, Bhagyaraj and John Vijay are apt in their minor parts. After Pisaasu, once again, Arrol Corelli impresses with his background score which elevates the proceedings.

Overall, while it is definitely not a masterpiece by any measure, is flawed and could be leaner, the auteur in Mysskin succeeds in making an engaging thriller which has the potential for becoming a fabulous franchise.

A waste of time

[kanabuma · 3/10 · 29 September 2017]

The result of watching this movie is headache only. Can anyone compare the detective in this movie to the great Holmes? Just think of Conan Doyle's Holmes and Satyajit Ray's Feluda, great detectives of all time. The method of detection and solving the crimes, was purely logical, simply within their capacity as human beings, whereas the detective in this foolish movie, reveals facts as if he were God, without any explanation or logic. That's the problem with Tamil movies. Typical Tamil film Hero. We can't expect answers to all questions only in horror and fantasy movies. Whereas a detective story should answer to all our questions. This movie failed pathetically in that aspect. Acting by Vishal is poor and artificial. I am wondering how can people give more stars for this goddamn movie. I give 3 stars only for the natural acting by Prasanna.Fans of good detective movies should avoid this awful movie.

Quite underrated movie

[reachrakeyshranjan · 9/10 · 27 August 2018]

The strong point of the movie is it's plot. One of the best detective movies made in India.

COMEBACK FOR VISHAL

[sunilaas · 8/10 · 3 February 2020]

Indian Sherlock Holmes....in a decent way... good movie who like to watch thriller or detective stories definitely it's for you

The Mysskin stamp! [+62%]

[arungeorge13 · 6/10 · 24 October 2017]

It's been a while since we've watched a finely crafted (murder-)mystery thriller like Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru (well 'Nibunan' wasn't that bad but it never quite soared to the heights that it could have) and 'Thupparivaalan', I guess, is somewhere close to an answer. The movie, written and directed by Mysskin, and starring Vishal (and produced by him as well), pits an Indianized version of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes - named Kaniyan Poongundran, against a vile, murderous antagonist who calls himself Devil (Vinay).

While there are barely any commercial compromises made (#1 No songs, just a haunting violin-ruled background score by Arrol Corelli #2 No forced romance track) in the making of 'Thupparivaalan', it is the unorthodox, idiosyncratic writing style of Mysskin that leaves a solid mark. The humor is subtle, at times unintentional, and sprinkled at the most unanticipated of instances (such as a man getting converted into a plant-vase during an action scene; Santa getting kicked in the crotch; and the camera doing repeated 360 degree rotations while the chief antagonist breaks eggs into a frying pan; the manner in which the cops keep running - almost circuslike).

Mysskin proclaims his love for international cinema through the methodologies by which he stages some of the kills (chainsaw - actually employed for body-disposal than killing, poison darts, lightning emission, sepukku even!). His 'stylized bunch of antagonists', played by Vinay, Andrea, John Vijay and K Bhagyaraj (who was almost entirely unrecognizable for a good part of the film) and a couple of others, are first shown gathering over a home-cooked meal (a la. Texas Chainsaw Massacre, albeit quaintly).

The lead protagonist Kaniyan Poongundran (Vishal) is clever as a fox but is also unapologetically eccentric and exhibits the behavior pattern of a sociopath. That renders him less of a character worth backing, but Mysskin supplements Kaniyan with a thoroughly grounded Watson-like Mano (Prasanna, in excellent form) who raises the kind of queries the audience would actually want answers for, whenever Kaniyan moves too far ahead in fitting the puzzle-pieces. The subplot involving Mallika (Anu Emmanuel), a pick-pocket, is Mysskin's way of depicting the emotional side of Kaniyan (although the climactic outcome isn't great, to be frank). The treatment of the heroine is a little cringeworthy too (when she comes knocking on his door looking for a job, he places a broom in her hands and shoves her inside!). It also stretches the movie a bit more than required and adds an angle of (the much-seen) personal vendetta towards the end.

One thing always stands out in Mysskin films is the immaculate staging of fights. The venues for much of the action too are unlike the usual ones (a building under construction, a Chinese restaurant, a mangrove-filled forest) seen in Tamil cinema. Add a superbly executed bike-chase sequence (with an astounding finale) to that (Andrea is terrific!). If Vishal is deemed a couple of steps behind in terms of his acting chops (the expressions are mostly leaden, except for one scene which was a little over-the-top), he makes up for it by excelling in the stunts department. The punches and reversals are meticulously landed - the harmonica and moon-walks only sweeten the pot.

Some scenes might make the viewer raise eyebrows - like Kaniyan and Mano falsely identifying themselves as Stanley Kubrick, Karl Marx and Tamizhvannan (and Shankarlal) amongst others, but they happen so swift that we forget them when the bigger 'crime' picture takes over. 'Thupparivaalan' also features the most hilarious laughing-gas induced murder scene in the history of Indian cinema (I really laughed out LOUD for this segment, however terrible the aftermath turned out to be).

That said, 'Thupparivaalan' is more a 'whydunnit' than a 'whodunnit' - the identities of the murderers are revealed almost halfway into the flick. The film puts more weight on how Kaniyan unfolds a business conspiracy and eventually encounters the gang of antagonists, after starting off with the case of a dog's killing.

The one scene that I keep talking about in this review where Kaniyan showcases his emotional side (however wooden his outward persona is, he is essentially human, 100% Tamilian) stuck out like a sore thumb because of a lot of reasons: I'd have liked an expressionless Kaniyan here too, essentially falling in place with his character-build. It's supposed to be a 'rescue scene' (turned all-too-melodramatic) and why they instantaneously give up altogether without attempting to 'save a life' by rushing to the hospital, also seemed quite ludicrous. This bothered me as it went much against the overall tone of the film.

Even if the death-toll is sufficiently high, 'Thupparivaalan' isn't as dark as some of Mysskin's other films (like 'Yuddham Sei' or 'Onaayum Aattukkuttiyum') - a concession given to the star, maybe? The villain's motives are also not clearly expounded either - red herrings are thrown during the climax, but the pay-off is almost negligible. There are plenty of known faces taking up supporting roles: Simran, Jayaprakash, Thalaivaasal Vijay, and Aadukalam Naren - all of them perform well. Ignore some of the peripheral flaws and you still have an engaging 150 minute cinematic piece, spurting thrills every now and then.

Verdict: Scrupulously entertaining!

GREAT Concep.

[fariasultana-91270 · 9/10 · 3 October 2020]

Don't miss this movie. Nice story and screen play....only south and Hollywood can make such a Detective crime thriller

Average movie with good climax..

[venkatesankitmech · 6/10 · 20 October 2017]

Plot:::Things become complicated when a Private Detective - Indianized Sherlock, investigates a murder of dog.

First of all movie is just OK..because it has some potholes which leads to average movie..Don't Expect Sherlock homes effect in this movie.

watch this movie if u don't care about logic.

Very well made movie!!

[papanloveu · 9/10 · 31 July 2021]

An inspiring film for upcoming detectives.. Vishal's every moment was meaningful & thoughtful.. Assistant detective's performance also very watchable.. And soo impressed with the work of Cinema Autographer.. Hatsoff to Mysskin's efforts.. This film is particularly for highly matured & well prepared sharp minds.!

Average movie from exceptional Mysskin

[maruthuk-82307 · 6/10 · 7 September 2018]

Mysskin is known for his own unique style of filmmaking, but this film is pretty average and you can predict, what's coming next. Vishal could have done the lead role better.

Thanks to Myshkin.

[solomonvarghese-26330 · 8/10 · 28 August 2018]

First of all I thank all crew of this film as this is an investigative action thriller where Vishal with his Superman figure and energy makes each scene superb with Prasanna.The villain has given his best .

Good movie dragged down down by poor climax

[boy13 · 6/10 · 4 July 2023]

The movie style is inspired by Sherlock Holmes. The crime scenes create good tense situations. And we start hoping for a good investigation style movie. But keeps getting confused betweenn whether its a action triller movie or suspense crime genre? The lead actor keeps screaming for trivial reasons.

But the movie starts going downhall in second half. The movie becomes slow and uninteresting starts feeling like a drag. The movie could have given much better impact if they would have avoided the climax action scenes. They look childish and forced, and it feels as if director is clueless as how to wrap up the well built story.

Just what the doctor prescribed to induce a heartburn

[dustnglory-307-532963 · 2/10 · 16 March 2020]

While I appreciate the Sherlock theme that was attempted, the story telling felt too forced. Vishal did not disappoint and held true to his pathetic acting skills.

Thrill movie

[arhan-02874 · 9/10 · 6 January 2021]

This movie contain lot of thrill,suspence,Action and more. Overall A good Movie.

Starts Out Small but Watch Out

[bonniath-13968 · 8/10 · 24 December 2021]

I'm gonna have to watch this movie again because it's so complicated and convoluted that I was confused but also intrigued! If a flick makes me feel SO interested, it's great as far as I'm concerned.