Viduthalai Part 1 review: Vetrimaaran’s hard-hitting film questions police violence and the state

Even with limited screen time, Vijay Sethupathi leaves a mark as Perumal in Viduthalai Part 1. (Image source: Screen grab/Sony Music South)

The first time policeman Kumaresan (Soori) sets his eyes on the forest area of Arumapuri, he is sitting on a bus. He’s on his way to join duty, and he strikes up a conversation with the passenger next to him. It is a perfectly ordinary moment in the midst of breathtaking natural beauty – but within seconds, the sound of bullets pierces the air. It’s Kumaresan’s introduction to how quickly life can change in the region.

Vetrimaaran’s Viduthalai Part 1, adapted from a short story written by Jeyamohan (who also co-wrote the screenplay with him), is about a people’s army that has taken up arms against a mining corporation that is set to begin operations in the region. Called Makkal Padai, this group is characterised as terrorists by the government and police, but enjoys the support of the local people. The kingpin Perumal (Vijay Sethupathi) and two other leaders are the main targets of the police.

The film opens with a long single take that shows a train that was supposedly derailed by the Makkal Padai. The camera takes us through the death and devastation, the noise and chaos surrounding such an incident. The chopped limbs and mangled bodies are to create empathy with the police’s mission – but is there more to it than meets the eye?

Conceived as a two-part film, it is through Kumaresan that Viduthalai unfolds. It is an excellent choice to tell the story from the point of view of a lowrung policeman because he has very little power in the decision-making process but is forced to be an observer. He bears witness to what the policemen undergo, battling for their lives in the middle of harsh conditions while facing harassment from their superiors. He also has to look the other way when the force brutalises the local people in the name of hunting down suspects.

Such a role demands an actor, and not a star, someone whose passivity doesn’t grate but allows us to empathise. So far, Soori has largely been stuck doing slapstick comedy in films with a rural setting. He upholds Vetrimaaran’s trust in his ability by pulling off a career-defining performance. The surprise casting also takes away the audience’s impulse to predict what will happen next. So, when he’s running down narrow alleys or jumping down roofs in nail-biting action sequences, you never know if he will survive or perish.

Though Kumaresan’s life at the police camp is hellish, he finds it within him to fall in love with Papa (a lovely Bhavani Sre), a young woman from the village. How wonderful is it to listen to Ilaiyaraaja’s stirring background score at a time when our films barely allow silence to nurture a frame. It lends the film a bittersweet ache even as the story hurtles towards the inevitable. The love story here isn’t a distraction, it is woven into the tapestry of the film. It is in a tiffin box that arrives at a moment of vulnerability, it is in a hand with green bangles extended in the rain. It’s how Kumaresan begins to understand the Makkal Padai and why they may not be the terrorists that the police say they are. It is what keeps him human though his job expects him to forget that he is one.

In fact, this is Kumaresan’s biggest conflict. He is of the belief that a policeman should help the public. But neither his colleagues nor the Makkal Padai believe that this is true – on that and that alone, they’re on the same page. Still, the writing stays above painting all cops with the same brush. Chetan as the controlling officer-in-charge of the E-Command where Kumarasen works, is chilling with his petty mind games and penchant for torture. Gautham Menon plays Sunil Menon, his senior – and at first, he seems like a decent guy. But soon, you realise that he couldn’t have climbed up the ladder without becoming one with the system. Rajiv Menon as a bureaucrat is another good choice – he is able to stay classy even when being crass and that’s just what the job demands.

Kudos to Vijay Sethupathi for once again shedding his stardom and letting another actor take the spotlight. Even if his screen time is limited, Sethupathi leaves a mark as Perumal. The first time he’s on screen, we don’t even see his face completely. But from that sarcastic cough, we know it is him. There’s another moment, when Kumaresan and Perumal meet – they’re fighting each other but are on the same side. Their eyes do all the talking, and Sethupathi owns the scene like only he can.

There are extended scenes of custodial torture in Viduthalai, including several scenes where men and women are stripped naked. The bodies are blurred (and sometimes improperly – you can see the skinsuits in some shots) but it’s still disturbing and some might ask if this isn’t trauma porn. The torture is, of course, central to the plot and there is no denying that much worse happens in real life. But is it necessary to be so graphic?

(Screen grab from Viduthalai Part 1/Sony Music South)

Much has been written in recent years over how the bodies of marginalised characters are repeatedly exploited and desecrated to evoke pity. While it makes for hard-hitting cinema, it also desensitises viewers when such visuals are repeatedly associated with people from certain communities, and we expect it to happen. An othering takes place, the opposite of empathy. Aren’t there better ways to shoot such scenes? Isn’t it possible to suggest the violence and allow the viewers to put themselves in the shoes of the victims rather than depict it with such brutality that it puts a distance between them? For instance, watch how the assault and humiliation scenes in The Woman King (2022) are shot. The scenes tell us what happens but not at the cost of the dignity of the victims. Even if they are fictional, they are representing a certain vulnerable community on screen – this is something that filmmakers need to be conscious about and evolve towards a better film language to communicate such violence.

The editing seems rushed in places, and the transitions aren’t always smooth. But despite its flaws, Viduthalai Part 1 is an engrossing film that is part social commentary, part thriller. The epilogue promises a cracker of a sequel with more of Vijay Sethupathi on offer. Once again, Vetrimaaran delivers.