Lathi Movie Review

Starring: Vishal, Sunaina, Prabhu, Ramana, Sunny PN

Director: A Vinoth Kumar

Producers: Ramana and Nandaa

Music Director: Yuvan Shankar Raja

Cinematography: Balasubramanian, Balakrishna Thota

About Vishal

Vishal Krishna Reddy (born August 29, 1977) is an Indian actor and producer who works primarily in Tamil films. Vishal, the son of film producer G. K. Reddy, is most known for his appearances in action films. Vishal Film Factory, his production firm, also produces films. Vishal received the Kalaimamani award for his contributions to Tamil cinema in 2006.

Vishal debuted in the film profession as Arjun's assistant director. He later became an actor, starring in the romantic thriller Chellamae (2004) before moving on to action films Sandakozhi, Thimiru, Thaamirabharani, and Malaikottai. Vishal decided to start his own production company, and he has since produced and worked on films such as Pandiya Naadu (2013), Naan Sigappu Manithan (2014), and Poojai (2014).

About Sunaina

Sunaina is a model and actress from India. She is mostly known for her work in Tamil films, but she has also appeared in Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada films. She made her Telugu cinema debut with Kumar Vs Kumari (2005) and her Tamil debut with Kadhalil Vizhunthen (2008).

About Prabhu

Prabhu Manrayar Ganesamoorthy (born December 25, 1956) is an Indian actor, businessman, and film producer who primarily works in Tamil cinema. His father is famous actor Sivaji Ganesan. Ilaya Thilagam is his stage name. He has appeared in over 215 films as a lead or supporting actor in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada.

After making his debut in Sangili (1982), Prabhu went on to play a variety of starring and supporting roles, collecting the Tamil Nadu State Best Actor award for his performance in Chinna Thambi (1991).

Synopsis of the Movie

Muruganandam, a cop and laththi expert, finds himself in the crosshairs of a legendary gangster and his son. He had no idea that this would endanger his 10-year-old son's life.

Review of the Movie

It's not often that you get to watch a cop action drama that avoids the normal tropes associated with the genre. Vinoth Kumar, the film's director, has done his best to develop an intriguing screenplay with some interesting tensions sprinkled throughout. However, given the subject matter, the second half is a major letdown.

Laththi does not have a khaki-clad hero who drifts in motorcycles and vehicles. Instead, it depicts the lives of a lower-ranking police officer, a laththi expert, who is threatened by the son of a gangster.

Muruganandam (Vishal), a former laththi specialist and suspended constable, seeks the assistance of a higher official to be reinstated in his position. As everything appears to be OK, DIG Kamal (Prabhu), who assisted him in re-wearing Khakhi, demands that he torture an accused held in his unofficial custody.

He had no idea that the accused is none other than Vella (Ramana), the son of the most powerful criminal and kingpin Sura. Can Muruganandham and his 10-year-old son, who become imprisoned in an unfinished building, avoid the fury of the infamous gangsters?

Vishal's Laththi has its heart in the right place. The film begins off strong and occasionally surprises us by staging a couple sequences perfectly. However, as the film goes, the plot thins down, failing to provide us with the immersive experience that it could have easily provided.

One of the film's major flaws is the 45-minute stunt sequence in the second half. It's far too long and prevents us from empathising with the protagonist and his plight. Given Vishal's efforts, the scene in which he charges against hundreds of crooks in an unfinished structure is fantastic. But then there are a few overdramatic passages that make us forget about the actual writing that we saw in the first half.

Despite the fact that Prabhu's character only appears for a short time, his role is noteworthy. Vishal's performance is one of the film's key attractions. He's worked hard on his body language, especially for the constable role, and it's clear throughout.

The music and background soundtrack by Yuvan Shankar Raja do not help to heighten the film's emotions. Other technical aspects are satisfactory, and stunt sequences are choreographed realistically. Laththi delivers powerful strikes at times, but just a handful cause us to feel genuine anguish.