At the age of 73, Rajinikanth’s character in the 169th film Jailer is told by a member of the crowd: Neenka oru dindai sonna….He doesn’t finish the sentence. Director Nelson Dilip Kumar is saying through that imperfect sentence that those who have not understood that Thalaivar is a prisoner of sonna and a hundred thousand prisoners of sonnal Mathiri, should not watch this film. This means that only people who remember and like that old Rajini should watch this film. Jailer was not made for the new audience who thinks that cinema means some logic, some spontaneity and causality, connecting story and story premises.
The superstar has no interest in changing the numbers that have rocked generations for 48 years. The audience tells Rajini in the theater that we will catch it too, just like Kamal Haasan did with the movie ‘Vikram’, Rajinikanth has also captured the audience through Jailer. Kamal’s stepping into politics has made Kamal stronger, and Rajini’s stepping into politics has made him stronger, at least for a while.
Amazing Action 60 Plus
From the first film “Apoorraagaman” to the 168th film Annathe, Jailer reminds us of all Rajini films somewhere. Muthuvel Pandyan who searches for his son in the Jailor is the same Pandyan who searches for his wife in Apurva Ragas, and Kalaiyan who searches for his sister and brother-in-law in Annathe. At the same time, Muthuvel Pandyan in Jailor is not a Basha, Muthu, Alex Pandyan, Padayappa or Annathe. Rajini does few heroic deeds alone in jail. Retired Jailer is not going to do many tasks alone which Rajini of yesteryear could have easily done alone. There is no other film where a Rajinikanth hero seeks help from others like this. A Rajini hero who calls Mathew (Mohanlal) from Kerala, Narasimha (Shivaraj Kumar) from Karnataka and Kamdev (Jackie Shroff) from Bihar for help. Rajini who can be a playmaker without being a player is a rare sight.
Amazed by Vinayaka
Although Nelson Dileep Kumar is unable to completely avoid the usual new-gen cinematography, the director is careful to successfully return to the Tamil cinema of thirty years ago as the jailer begins to execute his revenge. The villain Vinayak starts his work with barrels filled with sulfuric acid, but by the second half, the story continues with bombs, guns and machetes. At that time Mohanlal, Shivraj Kumar, Jackie Shroff and others were doing their work in their own films even more beautifully for Jailer. (There is a possibility of a Mohanlal film in which Mathew is the lead character in Jailer universe.) Vinayakan’s face and body are what make Vinayakan boil and boil. Even though the Malayalis who are used to seeing Vinayakan on and off screen may not feel anything new in it. After Fahadh Faasil in Mamannan, the social media in Tamil Nadu is hailing yet another Malayali star.
I am still king
It was in this film that Rajinikanth bravely and honestly faced the reality of age, which cannot be hidden by any deaging technologies. Jailer will appear on screen for the first time as a grandfather. In the flashback scenes of his tenure in Tihar Jail, Thalaivar has tried his best to go back to the old Rajini era. However, for practical reasons, he was not old enough to carry on his trademark. A Rajini walking slowly. This new-age Rajinikanth also amazes with his dialogue delivery.
Although Jailer can undoubtedly be called A Nelson Dilipkumar film and An Anirudh musical, Rajini is telling Pacha through Jailer that his generation will continue to control the rules of the game in Kodambakkam for the time being. “I am the king here, here I say the law. I will change it as I like”- Muthuvel Pandian repeats this dialogue twice in Jailor is the superstar’s style statement. Thalaiva, why do you say it twice, the children in the cages are shouting loudly that you will go to a prison and go to gold.
