Writer

We have seen many cop thrillers in different type: Action Hero Biju, in which a central character resolves all small issues, Visaranai and Kavalthurai ungal nanban, that explores the police atrocities. Writer differs from these in the core theme and the way of portrayal of few characters and their backstories.

Thangaraj is an experienced cop and he worked as a writer in writing crime scenes. As he says to a character, he barely hits anyone or uses gun. He gets the duty to look after a guy named Devakumar in a lodge. Who is devakumar and how will Devakumar’s case change the life of Thangaraj? That forms the crux of the story.

The main positive of this movie is that it neglects the usual elements in a cop story. Initially, we are shown the family dilemma of Thangaraj. Then we move to police station where Thankaraj explains to a rookie about case file details and the ‘adjustments’ to resolve cases. Then comes the core issue of the necessity of police union and Thankaraj’s fight for it.

Writing of meaty characters and their sub plots is yet another merit for this movie. For instance: Thankaraj’s companion Raja shares his story with Thankaraj where he wanted to change his life but the cops never let him to do it. The way of writing that scene and the narration that creates an emotional connect with the character elevates that scene with limited time.

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Along with police atrocities, this movie highlights the importance of mental health of cops: How their indefinite work time affects their lives and their families.

Special mention to dialogues as well. For instance: Thangaraj says to the rookie in a scene:”Policele adhikarathile illatha ellarume adiyal than”. Such strong dialogues strike the right chord.

Samudrakani fits pitch perfect to Thangaraj. He portrayed the helplessness, fight and the final fierce attack with atmost conviction. Iniya was fine as Saranya in the impactful flashback portions. Special mention to background score in the chase sequences. Cuts could have been better in Devakumar’s flashback portion. The flashback seems to be stretched a bit and loses the steam.

Writer deserves a watch for the core topic it tries to discuss, Samudrakani’s intense performance and technical fineness. Do try it.