Subaskaran and Lyca Productions’ Vettaiyan The Hunter (dubbed from Tamil film Vettaiyan; UA) is a routine story about a principled encounter specialist and a businessman.
Police officer Athiyan (Rajinikanth) is an encounter specialist in Kanyakumari. He is called to Madras to kill a teacher’s murderer in an encounter. The teacher, Saranya (Dushara Vijayan), had tipped off Athiyan when she was in Kanyakumari about underworld don Kumaresan (Sabumon Abdusamad). Athiyan comes to Madras and kills Guna (Asal Kolaar) in an encounter. But human rights judge Sathyadev (Amitabh Bachchan) institutes an enquiry on the police for the encounter killing of Guna. Athiyan asks for time and while probing further in the case, he gets to know that Saranya had been raped and murdered by Hanu Reddy (Supreeth Reddy) at the behest of businessman Nataraj (Rana Daggubati). What axe did Nataraj have to grind with Saranya?
T.J. Gnanavel and B. Kiruthika have written a story which is not only routine but also long-winding. B. Kiruthika’s screenplay is interesting in the first part but it gets quite boring after interval as it has been stretched a lot. Lack of novelty in the subject and in the screenplay is the biggest drawback. Dialogues are okay.
Rajinikanth plays to the gallery as police inspector Athiyan. Amitabh Bachchan is good as human rights judge Sathyadev. Fahadh Faasil shines as Patrick. He is thoroughly entertaining. Rana Daggubati is alright as Nataraj. Manju Warrier is so-so in the role of Athiyan’s wife, Thara. Ritika Singh is okay as police officer Roopa. Dushara Vijayan lends average support as Saranya. Rohini is average as Nazeema. Rao Ramesh does an ordinary job in the role of police officer D. Shrinivas. Kishore is alright in the role of police officer Harish Kumar. Abhirami leaves a fair mark as Nataraj’s wife, Swetha. Sabumon Abdusamad (as Kumaresan), Supreeth Reddy (as Hanu Reddy), Shaji Chen (as the Madras police commissioner), Anirudh Ravichander (as himself in a song) and the rest do as desired.
T.J. Gnanavel’s direction is good. Anirudh Ravichander’s music is nice but the songs hold scant appeal for the Hindi film audience. Lyrics (Raqib Alam, Shuba and Amogh Balaji) are ordinary. Dinesh’s choreography is so-so. Anirudh Ravichander’s background music is quite good. S.R. Kathir’s cinematography is of a fine standard. Anbariv’s action and stunt scenes are thrilling. Production designing (by K. Kathir) and art direction (Sakthee Venkatraj M.) are alright. Philomin Raj’s editing is reasonably sharp. Dubbing is proper.
On the whole, Vettaiyan The Hunter is too routine to score with the Hindi film-going audience.
Released on 10-10-’24 at Maratha Mandir (daily 1 show) and other cinemas of Bombay thru Karmic Films. Publicity & opening: dull. …….Also released all over. Opening was not up to the mark at most of the places.