Vizhithiru: A disjointed thriller that doesn't pack a punch

Very rare is there expectation surrounding a long-in-the-making film. Occasionally, a film like Sethu has ended up as a sleeper hit. But Vizhithiru isn't one such underdog. It's a story, in fact, about a lost dog... and a few other stories that are equally uninteresting. 

The film follows the stories of an ensemble cast as they face different issues, all during a single night. Krishna lands in Chennai and ends up as a call-taxi driver after losing his wallet, Vidharth and Sai Dhanshika become partners in crime as they cross paths while robbing Thambi Ramaiah's house, a visually impaired Venkat Prabhu and Baby Sara search the streets for their puppy, and Rahul Bhaskaran tries to woo Erica Fernandes with his wealth. There's also another story of a corrupt cop, Nagendra Babu, as he tries to get clean while on the verge of being exposed. The stories cross eventually, but not to thrilling effect.

Vizhithiru spends a large portion of its time establishing its characters and by the time their stories finally overlap, it all feels forced. In one scene, almost all the main characters end up in a car that is stopped by Krishna, who then gets surrounded by cops. The film then cuts to the next scene, and now, Krishna is shown holding the car's driver at gunpoint and there are no cops around. You are not supposed to ask 'how'.

Cast: Krishna, Vidharth, Sai Dhanshika, Venkat Prabhu
Director: Meera Kathiravan

Vidharth and Dhanshika's story is the most memorable of the lot. The actress has aced the thara local ponnu look. The film doesn't have too much scope for Vidharth to perform, and it doesn't help that the scenes are often ruined by Thambi Ramaiah's overacting in some unfunny sequences. Krishna's portions would have been a reminder of the thriller the film's supposed to be, if it weren't so easy for him to escape every time he's caught. The weakest link in the film is the love story featuring Rahul Bhaskaran and Erica Fernandes. At the interval block, the villain walks towards the camera and says, "It's going to be a long night." I murmured, "You don't say."

The film has its occasional decent moment, such as when Rahul, a rich brat, has to borrow a rupee from a beggar after he loses his wallet. But the film fails to capitalise on such drama, and instead tries and fails at being a thriller. Just when you think things can't get worse, you get a wholly unnecessary kuthu song starring T Rajendherr. The song's lyrics don't help at all: "Uploadum pannalam, downloadum pannalam, wifi pothumdi, en wife-ah vaayendi."  

Perhaps the film could have attracted more audiences had it released on time, but I dare say that the story would still have made for a tiring watch.