Magamuni (Review)

There’s no shortage of crime thriller movies in Tamil, but Magamuni proves that there is still plenty left in the genre. Magamuni is directed by Shanthakumar, the man who gave us the dark thriller ‘Mounaguru’ eight years ago.

Maga is a cab driver and also close to a politician, while Muni is a simple man in a village who follows Sri Vivekananda’s teachings. We follow these two characters and the people surrounding them. Santhakumar keeps even Maga’s job as a twist, slowly revealing it after making us want to know more.

We always sense something is coming, but we’re unsure of what will happen until the last half-hour, and when it does, it leaves a stupendous impact. Magamuni is another winner from Santhakumar. The script is well-organized, and thanks to strong direction, we get a handful of really fantastic scenes.

A terrific crime thriller

The characters slowly grow on you, as does the intensity. There is a scene in ‘City of God’ where a girl helplessly watches the police chasing down her boyfriend. Magamuni has such powerful scenes, and they come in quick successions. To compile it in one line – Magamuni is a terrific crime thriller.

Unlike the usual heroes, here the hero has fear and pain, and he makes us feel his fear and pain. It is an experience that you don’t commonly get here. Magamuni occasionally reminded me of Mahendran’s ‘Johny’ and Padmarajan’s ‘Season’.

On the downside, the ending seems a bit hurried.

Maga and Muni, both the characters, require an actor who can internalize his emotions yet convey a wide range of feelings. Arya gives a powerful performance in both roles. Mahima Nambiar, looking very different from all her previous characters, is excellent as well. The person to really watch out for is Indhuja as Viji. She deserves a big break with this. This character is well-sketched and well-performed.

The music by Thaman is incredibly terrifying and deeply adds to the film. It enhances the scenes without overpowering them. And everything technical about this movie succeeds, making it a near-perfect film.

Watch this film now. These people deserve it. Magamuni is actually one of the most atmospheric and tense movies of this year. It will thrill you, break your heart, and make you want to see Viji again.