The New Indian Express ·
Mandaadi Movie Review: Scintillating sail despite some turbulence
Nothing unites or divides people like sports. As a popular saying goes, “Sports do not build character, they reveal it.” Sports have the potential to bring out the best and worst in people. Director Mathimaran Pugazhendhi has delivered a highly competent film with Mandaadi that marries an unforgiving and unfamiliar sport of boat racing with emotional complexities. Barring minor dips, the film stays on course and cruises through its runtime.
Mandaadi begins with Maari (Mithun Jai Shankar) attacking Sattapuli's (Suhas) son during a temple festival. Scenes later, the connection between the present conflict and its origin 20 years ago involving Muthukaali (Soori) is revealed. Soon, Muthukaali too gets stymied in the present-day mess, and that offers him an opportunity to alight his emotional baggage. Of course, that opportunity comes with newer challenges.
For any sports drama, the job is half done if the makers craft the sporting sequences well. Mandaadi wins big in this aspect for multiple reasons. The way the watersport was captured was breathtaking, and so were the stunts accompanying it. What was also refreshing is the lack of familiarity with the game. The rules of the sport, the ways chances of either team could be spoiled, and the possibility of serious injuries and loss of life were both food for thought and delivered cinematic highs. But there were also spaces where it seemed the writers were carried away and over-excited, like the audience, thereby dramatising some of these sequences a tad excessively. Also, the already predictable mischief of the Tsunami Riders (led by Sattapuli) team during the gameplay against Mugavai Maindhans (led by Muthukaali) looks less threatening after a point. The final game in the climax has every must-have for a sports drama finish. It has the mini climaxes and mini setups and payoffs working for it, but is way too liberal with the use of cinematic liberties.
