Non-stop action thriller

‘AK 25’ reads one of the opening cards as the title scenes roll out on the screen. What follows is explosive stuff, literally – an AK-47 kind of a film- which is what leading star Ajit Kumar showcases in his silver jubilee year of acting career. ‘Vivekam’- his latest offering, continuously spews out high-voltage sequences as a saga of ceaseless stunt and action, shot grippingly across the Eastern Bloc countries like Serbia and Bulgaria.

In a clear departure from the family-oriented roles that he was seen in his last few releases, Ajit switches gears and plays a globocop, the salt-and-pepper looks deployed to macho effect for sure. Director Siva, aiming to create a southern film with an international flavour manages to capture the ambience well and blends it with the storyline, which is all about multi-national warfare with nuclear weapons and its deadly impact across the globe, including India.

Beginning with a bang, literally, the 150-minute film zooms into the zingy zone of action and stays there till the end. This is the plus and minus of the film, if one is looking for a variety fare, which would usually have romance, melodrama and sizzle in the form of item numbers packed to saturation.

Here, the hero is shown as an obsessed, committed mercenary of sorts, out to avenge the betrayal of his team on whom he invests all of his time and efforts in building it to a top notch unit. Lifting the treatment on to an intellectual level, Siva makes the hero and the villain (Vivek Oberoi, who comes on his own post-interval) lock and unlock their moves akin to a chessboard.

Clearly playing up the superhero image that Ajit enjoys in his home state, the director shapes up his initial entry, screen presence and character like a trained craftsman. The gentle tone to the interludes the hero has with Kajal Aggarwal redeems the relationship from being confined to a routine depiction. Akshara Hassan, is a disappointment, not because of her inability to act but also owing to the micro mini stature of her role which leaves her no scope to exhibit her prowess, despite raising a lot of curiosity about it as long as she is shown.

Fans of Ajit Kumar would rate this flick as one of his best ones, given that he looks dashing and has the cool attitude of a man under control, almost all of the time. The Hollywood feel elevates the proceedings to a large extent and the heroine’s docile home maker persona only serves as a short contrast to the hyper action the film has throughout.

Film Name : Vivekam

Cast : Ajith Kumar, Kajal Aggarwal, Akshara Haasan and Vivek Oberoi
Direction : Siva
Genre : Action/Drama
Likes : Super action sequences
Dislikes : No scope for emotion/comedy