Mandaadi

Actor Soori’s transformation from a comedian to a protagonist is a testament to his hard work, perseverance and resilience. If there’s one thing that deserves appreciation in this renewed journey, it’s his script choices. With Mandaadi, Soori has picked a story centred on a sailboat race, a sport rarely seen in films. The unusual setting gives the film a distinct identity from the outset. A young Maari (Mithun Jai Sankar), in the opening sequence of Mandaadi, almost kills antagonist Saatapuli (Suhas) and his son. A commotion at a local temple festival stops Maari from completing the murders. Saatapuli, an influential man who controls the sailboat business and racing team, is now hunting Maari. He escapes to Chennai and seeks help from Muthukaali (Soori), who works at a theme park in the city.

Bearded, unkempt, brash, and smoking, the Tamil film hero is no obvious object of desire—they get sloppy drunk; you see them waking up hungover; they romance reluctantly, and then recklessly; their lips are cracked, their skin discoloured; if you kiss them, your skin might scrape off; grooming is unbecoming. Charisma, then, is what elevates them to heroism, that ephemeral star quality of re-framing even bad breath as a sign of a night spent sleeping under the stars. The actor Soori, whose very visage is an image of innocence, stepping into this heroism in Mandaadi, plays this charismatic abrasiveness as sincere and patient—this is not collar-up coolness, but button-up kindness. Soori, after stepping away from comedic gaffes and supporting characters, has embraced being the central, impregnable presence in films like Viduthalai (2023-24), Kottukkaali (2024), and now Mandaadi.