Director: Anand Shankar (based on a novel by Shan Karuppusamy)
Cast: Vijay Deverakonda, Nasser, Sathyaraj, Mehreen Pirzada, Sanchana Natarajan
‘The worst thing I can be is the same as everybody else. I hate that.’-Arnold Schwarzenegger
Films based on political plot lines are not easy to make. For one, the audience is already very aware of the real political scenario prevalent. Secondly, the script has to trudge the thin line between what would be acceptable from a censorship perspective and what wouldn’t. And finally, the film does have to entertain! Director Anand Shankar is back with his third film (after Arima Nambi and Iru Mugan) and he manages this balancing act well to a certain extent.
Varun (Vijay Deverakonda) is the son of the sitting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vinothan (Nasser). Due to extraordinary circumstances, Varun who is a happy-go-lucky video game designer with no political inclinations, is nominated by his father to the CM’s chair for what is initially thought as a temporary two-week period. Due to unforeseen events, this plan goes south and Varun’s spell in office gets extended. Though Varun seems to be disinterested in the role at first, some major mishaps around the state kindle the fire of leadership in him. With support and mentoring from the media veteran Mahendran (Sathyaraj), he slowly transforms into a firebrand chieftain, loved by the public (with a catchy tag of ‘Rowdy CM’!) and despised by the Opposition. Parallelly, with help from his friend Wong (Priyadarshi Pullikonda) who is a hacker, he also starts investigating into the financial muddle his father seems to have built as reports start to emerge of threats to the life of his family. Will Varun’s dream run in office continue? Who is orchestrating the threats and attacks on his family and friends? These questions and more are answered as the film builds towards an interesting climax.
Vijay Deverakonda stands tall and carries this film on his shoulders. The highlight of the film is the sequence that portrays his stint as the Chief Minister. This segment reminds you of the unforgettable scenes from Muthalvan and it’s a pity that we don’t get to enjoy this sequence for a longer, focused duration. The satirical scenes inspired by real political events are a blast and are thoroughly enjoyable! Sathyaraj’s Mahendran character seems to be inspired from the legendary Cho Ramaswamy and he rocks with his screen presence and dialogue delivery. Special mention also to Sanchana Natarajan who essays the role of an important Opposition leader (Kayal) with great energy and conviction. The downside of the film is however the various sub plots that seem to interrupt the flow of the script, including a short flashback sequence. These might be important for the film to connect all the dots but you do think the film could have allocated more time to certain narratives than others. The villain and his motives are also a letdown and again, you feel not enough time was given to really establish his character in order to make a big impact on the audience. There are also unnecessary songs which are placed that disrupt the flow and extend the run time of the film. NOTA is definitely an ambitious attempt but it could have been even better with more focus and slicker editing.
Overall rating: 2.5/5
