It is amidst a lot of controversy that Ganesh Vinayak makes his mark in Kollywood. 'Thagaraaru' is all about friendship, love, revenge and the survival of the fittest. Fresh from his 'Mouna Guru' success, Arulnithi is back again on a gripping story threaded with emotions, sentiments and the raw force of youthful zeal.
Sarvanan and his three buddies are small time thieves under scanner. On a fine morning, Sarvanan stumbles upon Meenakshi and falls in love with her right away. Following her down, the hero manages to woo her after a few days and a little scuffle with her father's men. The team gets an offer to support one of the feared rowdies of Madurai, on his mission to establish supremacy over others. Owing to disagreement over payment for the favour, earning his enmity too. Meanwhile the gang also gets itself into trouble pulling the new commissioner's leg, rubbing him the wrong way. Struggling between love and friendship, but choosing the latter nonetheless, Sarvanan gets himself into choice trouble which turns fatal.
When Sarvanan gets beaten up and warned by Meenakshi's father's men, his friends Palani, Senthil and Aarumugam turn apprehensive about the love affair and express discontent over the relationship, as a turn out of caring friendship. Though she initially retorts, Meenakshi eventually understands the care that her boyfriend receives from his mates, who are also orphans like the hero himself. All goes well in the lives of the thick friends, until one fine day when the inspector hunts down the gang and Palani's throat is slit by a mysterious man in the dark. As they are followed by three different groups, the second half is a whodunit.
From an innocent lad to an enraged youth chasing the rivals down and defeating them, Arulnithi does it again as Sarvanan. Known for his expertise in choosing gripping stories, Arulnithi has essayed the role of a sincere friend and honest lover. Tarun comes around as the friend Arul melts over. As the understanding daughter and the bold girl that she is, Poorna is a complete surprise package in an attractive frame. Set in Madurai, the city known for outrageous courage and dedicated honesty, the film is full of sincerity, complete with action packed second half. And there's a shocking surprise in the climax!
There is never a dull moment in the taut story, there are certain portions where dialogues seem repetitive. However, that really don't seem to be a problem in the screenplay that is highly supportive of friendship. Dillraj has put his heart to canning all shots, with exceptional perfection, especially in the underwater chase sequence and the fight on narrow lanes in the dark. While Dharan's music is an interesting aid, Praveen Sathya's background score is exceptionally good and very unique. From melting love and compelling friendship to unparalleled revenge, 'Thagaraaru' is a complete entertainer with an unbelievable surprise.
Rating: 3.2/5
