Convict steps in for cops

Karthi, as a reliable box-office bet across the southern film market, has enjoyed a tenure of more than a decade in which he has had notable successes. He has been featured in a wide variety of roles, by leading names from Mani Ratnam at one end and Selvaraghavan at the other, with Pa. Ranjith too featuring him in a gritty actioner, five years ago.

'Khaidi', the second film of its director Lokesh Kanagaraj is seemingly inspired by a news report which the helmsman came across, subsequently developing it into a full-blown commercial venture. Though steeped heavily in the crime and action genre, there is enough scope in the story for emotional sub-plots and flashes of humanitarianism, which adds to the viewer's connect to the proceedings.

An 800-kg drug consignment is seized by the Special Task Force, which is stashed away in a safe spot by them before they go about apprehending the culprits. Of course, things are not so easy as informers on both sides keep the action boiling, with inputs being exchanged between both sides.

There is a black sheep in the law and order establishment who has his own agenda and caught between all of them is a convict out from jail (Karthi), who has served a 10-year sentence and is keen to reunite with his daughter, housed in an orphanage, whom he has not seen since her birth.

As the entire force is drugged after a cocktail party, one of the cops (Narain) takes upon himself to take them to the hospital and later initiate action against the drug lords. By default, Karthi is roped in as the driver of a ramshackle truck in which all the unconscious policemen are loaded.

All this happens in a night, where the hoodlums get together to stop the vehicle from reaching its destination at a distance of 80 kms. How each of them is overcome in a see-saw battle till the end is what the film is all about.

With no heroine or comedy scenes to provide relief, Kanagaraj keeps the action blocks rolling out one after the other, with Karthi getting enough scope to show his super heroism and add that chilling, menacing edge to his onscreen role. The film is a racy one till the interval, with the hero getting to show his emotional side too.

Post-interval, it sort of sags here and there, as the tension becomes exhausting after a while, making the viewers feel it could have been hurried up towards a logical climax sooner. A crisper flow towards the end, which has a hint of a sequel, could have made it into an even more engrossing and appealing flick.