When you leave the cinema hall, what stays with you is the message of inclusion and the need to stand up for your freedom, observes Divya Nair.
After a dud 2023, Dhanush lands a plush Pongal release with Captain Miller.
Anyone who has followed Dhanush's career would agree how this understated actor picked up just the right projects to build a cult following and carve his niche in an industry dominated by superstars and mass heroes.
Over the years, we have seen this jilted loverboy turn into a rebel of sorts, and play character roles that has always almost stirred up your emotions.
With Captain Miller, Dhanush teams up with Director Arun Matheswaran to tell a story of the rights of the oppressed society and their fight for freedom.
In Captain Miller, Dhanush plays Annalesan aka Eesa, a tribal, illiterate villager.
Set in the pre-Independence era, Eesa belongs to a village ruled by the kings, now overthrown by the British.
The villagers, who are not allowed to enter the Shiva temple, believe in folklore in which they are duty-bound to protect the shrine and the land they were gifted by their ancestors.
After losing his mother to an act of betrayal by his folks and witnessing the atrocities of the kings, Easa chooses to join the military hoping to earn some respect and freedom.
In an interesting conversation with his brother Sengolan (Kannada actor Shiva Rajkumar), the latter tries to persuade Easa to join the freedom movement rather than serve the British.
Easa beautifully explains why he chose to be a slave to the British rather than be humiliated by his own.
When Easa is unsuspectingly ordered to kill and bury his own people, he decides to rebel and eventually joins a gang of dacoits, who loot the British and help steer India's freedom movement.
Easa's transformation from a hesitant commoner to a leader with a purpose is interesting.
However, it's not unusual or extraordinary from some of his career-best roles, including Karnan and Asuran. He looks promising in an unshaven beard and long locks but that's not enough to steer your empathy.
After teasing us with films like Saani Kaayidham where brutal, physical violence is the only road to justice, Arun Matheswaran takes a safe step behind and settles for pistols, guns and fire bombs.
The effect, you'd agree, is not the same.
But so is the degree of injustice and oppression, which, unfortunately, fails in its attempt to draw your empathy.
The background score by G V Prakash Kumar is an absolute winner, adding just the right amount of punch and amplification where the story and character demand.
The camera work and screenplay are luminous.
With a runtime of 158 minutes, there are several instances where Captain Miller falls short of engaging you. To me, the guns and tools used in the warfare just didn't seem to connect with the pre-Independence era.
Just when you think you are entering the yawn zone, Dhanush comes to the rescue and successfully steers this epic on his shoulders, hitting the audience with a social epilogue, almost like a justification for his crimes.
And Easa never loses a moment to underline the fact that he is not a hero or a good guy.
The supporting cast, including the female characters, is good. One would have expected this director to give meatier female roles than mere dialogues.
The heart of Captain Miller is in the intelligent dialogue exchanges where the characters talk about equal rights, dignity of life, and the true meaning of freedom.
When you leave the cinema hall, what stays with you is the message of inclusion and the need to stand up for your freedom.
