How ‘Vikram’ pays homage to Hollywood action thrillers

Lokesh Kanagaraj’s gigantic hit reminds us of The Batman trilogy, Rambo series and Skyfall, writes Amogh Ravindra

Kamal Haasan, the acting genius with over a five-decade experience, hasn’t strangely made works worth remembering in the action genre. True, there have been ambitious attempts such as ‘Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu’ (2006), ‘Dasavatharam’ (2008) and ‘Vishwaroopam’ (I and II, 2013 and 18) that fell in the action-thriller zone. But we missed a full-fledged, no-hold-barred exploration of the genre from Kamal.

Lokesh Kanagaraj’s ‘Vikram’, released recently, has left the audience stunned with the number of explosions and pyrotechnics. With this, Kamal Haasan has also added a fresh chapter in his glorious filmography. More importantly, the star-studded Tamil film has got the action lover talking about the influence of Western hits on the film.

For people who grew up watching Hollywood flicks starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, ‘Vikram’ — an out and out action film – is an ode to those Hollywood flicks. For that matter, the action sequences in the truck in Lokesh’s ‘Kaithi’ (2019) was quite reminiscent of ‘Mad Max’ (2015). Perhaps for ‘Vikram’, the director’s brief to the entire team was to create something special out of Christopher Nolan’s ‘Batman Trilogy’ with a hint of ‘Sicario’ and ‘Skyfall’ (2012). The latter two were shot by Roger Deakins.

The fast-paced cat and mouse bike chase scene where Bane is riding across Gotham with a hostage from ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012) probably inspired Lokesh to conceptualise the spectacular chase before the interval. We have the vigilantes dragging Aruldoss’ character Rudra Prathap from his daughter’s wedding in an identical manner. The grand reveal of Kamal Haasan as one of the masked men is quite similar to how Batman appears for the first time in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’.

The influence doesn’t stop here. Towards the end, where we see Vikram’s grandson having lunch/meal at the restaurant only to see Kamal Haasan sitting a few tables behind reminds us of Nolan’s Batman finale. So much so that Vikram’s daughter-in-law played by Swathishta Krishnan turning her head behind is exactly how Anne Hathaway’s character looks at Michael Caine’s character. Anirudh Ravichander’s score has a Hans Zimmer feel in it.

Even the characters seem like a homage to the famous ones of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’. Vijay Sethupathi’s Sandhanam, a drug lord, has a Banesque vibe. Every time he is beaten down to the pulp, he rises back with a performance-enhancing drug of sorts just like the serum Bane uses. Fahadh Faasil’s Amar, a black ops cop, reminds you of Joseph Gordon Levitt’s character John Blake.

The fights get a ‘John Wick’/’The Fate of the Furious’ like treatment. They aren’t the usual fast-paced cuts. The aerial shots where we see the trucks moving with a drone humming sound design is ‘Sicario’ish. Cinematographer Girish Gangadharan captures them extremely well to complement Anbariv’s excellent action choreography.

The final action block where Kamal Haasan single-handedly (quite literally) uses the DShk-138 and a Cannon to fend off his foes is a page from the playbook of ‘Rambo’. Anirudh’s rock music enhances the experience. Noisy for the elderly, but a treat for die-hard action fans.

That said, we aren’t complaining as Lokesh doesn’t do a lazy job in any of his executions. He loves his movies, the ones he watches and the ones he makes. It’s clear that the biryani has a special place in all his stories. Just like a biryani being a nice blend of spices, meat, and rice, he learns from the best action thrillers and adds his distinct touch to his works.

(The author is a Bengaluru-based senior graphic designer and short filmmaker)