‘Amaran’ movie review: Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi march into our hearts with this soul-stirring action film

Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi in a still from ‘Amaran’
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

“When the guns roar, the arts die,” said celebrated playwright Arthur Miller. Many art masterpieces have been swallowed up by wars but art, like the ever-forgiving land that has caused countless battles, has withstood it all. It has been the blank canvas to paint everything from propaganda films to anti-war movies. While many of them resort to skewed agendas, director Rajkumar Periasamy takes the road less travelled with Amaran, and along with producer Kamal Haasan and powerhouse performances from Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi, the filmmaker delivers an evocative biopic of Major Mukund Varadarajan.

The perfectly titled Amaran is everything we expected it to be. While we know about the war that came in the form of an operation in which Major Mukund attained martyrdom, Amaran builds up to it by showcasing the battles Mukund (played by Sivakarthikeyan) and his lady love Indhu Rebecca Varghese (Sai Pallavi) had in their personal and professional lives amidst their beautiful love story.

Technically, Amaran would make for a near-perfect biographical war film but at its heart, it is an endearing love story. Partly fiction and mostly adapted from a segment of ‘India’s Most Fearless: True Stories of Modern Military Heroes’, Amaran journals the lives of Mukund and Indhu from the first time they met at college. Of course, the film follows the template of the tried and tested romance story with everything from meet-cute, convincing the families and entering into wedlock. But the army backdrop, set in the picturesque valleys of Kashmir, makes the film stand apart.

Apart from the beautiful love story, Amaran offers a glimpse into a counter-insurgency/terrorism battalion and their everyday lives. Rajkumar Periasamy isn’t new to the game of bringing to life the everyday actualities of a group of people; his fantastic debut Rangoon (2017) was about Tamil Burma repatriates and similarly, in Amaran, the filmmaker puts us right in the middle of the action and reaction of our soldiers.

What works in the favour of Amaran is how it stays with its characters instead of dwelling at length on the history and politics behind the territorial conflict over the Kashmir region. We get throwaway lines on how those who are supposed to sit and talk are yet to do it and even a glimpse into the ‘other’ side when militants face losses. From a cinematic standpoint, Amaran, to our pleasant surprise, is more akin to Vaaranam Aayiram than Vishwaroopam. Though our counterparts in the North have a richer history when it comes to the genre of war films, some of the recent Bollywood outings reek of jingoism hastened by hypernationalism and xenophobia. Amaran avoids such pitfalls like an expert soldier manoeuvring across a minefield.

Without throwing military jargon at us, the film skillfully teaches us concepts like white and black villages, why certain battalions are allowed to grow facial hair and how the Indian Army works closely with camps for reformed militants. Another line, “Suspect all but respect all”, mouthed by the dependable Rahul Bose, embodies the means through which the army operates in sensitive areas.

It wouldn’t be an overstatement to call Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi the pillars that prop up this film. Sivakarthikeyan’s introduction shot featuring a planking competition with two soldiers standing on his back lingers in the mind. More than the physical transformation — which makes him look the best he has ever looked on screen — it’s the restrained performance of Siva that makes it one of his most career-defining roles. His character’s braveness is underlined by his persona rather than an assembly of heroic moments. While Siva aces through the action sequences, he’s in his element in scenes where his character is vulnerable — and that happens often, be it when his team is ambushed or when his love story hits a roadblock.

If Sivakarthikeyan is the heart of the film, pumping blood that accelerates through our veins during the action sequences, it’s Sai Pallavi who happens to be the soul of Amaran. The resilient Indhu Rebecca Varghese compares their long-distance relationship with that of the sky and the sea. While Mukund, with desires and passion like the boundless sky, flies high as a kite, it’s Indhu who, like the serene sea, endures the brunt of their relationship’s rocky start and the solo responsibilities of being a parent while simultaneously being the source of power for Mukund’s perilous journey. In the hands of a less capable actor, the chances of Indhu coming off as a one-dimensional turning the film into a sobfest were painfully high but Sai Pallavi aces it.

Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi in a still from ‘Amaran’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Apart from the lead pair, who complement each other well, Geetha Kailasam shines the most as Mukund’s mother. The thoughtful decision to stick to a not-so-familiar cast makes it easier to see them as characters, lending a sense of legitimacy to the story. The lighter moments — like the romance montages or the scenes showcasing the brotherhood within the force, including a sequence where the soldiers discuss their favourite films from Thuppaki to Anbe Sivam — add depth to the characters which may otherwise feel superficial.

While shedding light on the personal and professional tribulations a soldier faces, the film is primarily an ode to the family members and what they go through after sending their loved ones to the army. The brilliant writing overshadows the minor flaws of Amaran and while I’m personally not a fan of films reusing yesteryear titles, this one happens to be a rare case where it feels befitting to the newer film. With Amaran, Rajkumar Periasamy hits it out of the park once again thanks to a pacy screenplay, marvellous performances and brilliant technical prowess, especially from GV Prakash who, apart from accentuating the mass sequences with rousing music, skillfully uses silence during the poignant moments.

Vijay handed over the ‘thuppaki’ to Sivakarthikeyan in GOAT as a gesture to announce his successor in Tamil cinema, and with Amaran, Sivakarthikeyan shows us that the gun is in safe hands.

Amaran is currently running in theatres