Karthik Subbaraj and the curse of expectation

Karthik Subbaraj owns the title of an ‘exciting filmmaker’ in Tamil cinema. Dhanush and Netflix’s grand promotions had set the tone for Jagame Thandhiram. The hype around it was also because of the director, who has a cult following.

The largely negative response for the film brings us to the topic of ‘the curse of expectation’. Jagame Thandhiram is a watchable film. But that’s not what we expect from filmmakers who stand out from the crowd. This is why fans are more broken than upset with the film.

Jagame Thandhiram is an action-drama that talks about the atrocities on refugees and immigrants. This is Karthik's elaborate exploration of the struggles of the Tamil Eelam. Despite being well-meaning, the film is shockingly plain without the director’s signature trademarks.

We know it’s a Karthik Subbaraj film when the story has ample room for quirky humour, bang for your buck scenes, and expansive narration, which meanders a bit before gaining control through visually exciting incidents and interesting characters. ‘Jagame Thandhiram’ makes you wonder if it’s from the same director.

With a direct-to-OTT release, it’s tough to determine if a film is a hit or a flop. Yet, when people say Jagame Thandhiram is Karthik’s weakest film yet, it’s a fair assessment. It’s definitely the first stumble in a career filled with potential.

Comparisons with his previous works are inevitable to understand the underwhelming quality of Jagame Thandhiram. Take for example his heroes, who are flawed. Be it ‘Assault Sethu’, the ruthless gangster in Jigarthanda or Jagan, the alcoholic, struggling filmmaker in Iraivi, they get convincing opportunities to redeem themselves.

In Jagame Thandhiram, Dhanush’s transformation is sadly predictable. The heroic character in a good vs evil trope while handling a global issue is far from believable, as opposed to Iraivi and Jigarthanda, which were personal, relatable stories.

Karthik’s debut Pizza showed his control over the thriller genre. Right from the Jigarthanda days, he has made no secret of his love for flamboyance. A self-confessed Quentin Tarantino fan, he is known for showcasing artistic violence. Jagame Thandhiram is replete with murders and action-sequences that fail to grip you with fear.

The story had enough scope for the famous Karthik Subbaraj twist. If he could incorporate unexpected moments of beauty in a less-extraordinary Petta, then there is no reason why he couldn’t have surprised us once or twice in an ambitious film like this.

He is a proven master of character development, another aspect missing in Jagame Thandhiram. The film drags because its fine actors (Joju George, James Cosmo and Aishwarya Lekshmi) are cast in generic characters. We don’t feel for them as much as we are supposed to.

Jagame Thandhiram lacks emotional intensity. The banal writing is to be blamed for. The flow of emotions doesn’t move us. Karthik should have striven for the creativity that shines in Iraivi, in which the emotions are organic.

For a director who dabbles with many genres in all his films, Karthik had been subtle about giving out messages. If you doubt his ability to produce an emotional impact while dealing with an issue, watch his Mercury. The silent film, based on Kodaikanal mercury poisoning, poetically finds its way to your hearts in the final act.

It seems like Karthik was undecided between making a full-fledged issue-based film and a balanced star-vehicle that touches upon an important subject. Karthik has said on multiple platforms that he aimed to make an emotional film that fills people with empathy. What Jagame Thandhiram missed being was an immersive and engaging experience.