Maaveeran’s makeover of Madonna Ashwin’s fantasy style is a splendid example of eliminating the usual tone of storytelling. Maeve Ashwin invests less in being attractive and instead focuses on writing with wit to bring unique elements to the story, pushing things forward. Although it has a solid dramatic track, the infusion of quirky humor makes Maaveeran thoroughly entertaining.
Satya is a cartoonist who created the comic named “Maaveeran” for a newspaper. In real life, Satya is very timid and doesn’t dare to question injustice. When her family was asked to vacate their homes in the slums, she was ready to do so, even though her mother expressed concerns. She was even prepared to adjust when problems arose due to faulty construction in the new flats. Maaveeran depicts the transformation in Satya’s life when she starts hearing a voice that predicts the future in comic book style.
The script clearly reflects the classic idea of an ordinary person rising up against a corrupt system. However, Maaveeran is more enjoyable because it creates a reliable and trustworthy central character that surprises even the main antagonists. Satya is someone willing to make adjustments, and her helplessness is something we can all relate to. Even when she gains the ability to hear that voice, her endeavor is to avoid conflicts. In fact, there is a scene where she goes to the antagonist’s house and talks about what’s happening to her. Maaveeran uses Madonna Ashwin’s incredible skill to accept the protagonist’s unwillingness, which breaks several clichéd scenes.
The response to the movie from fans has been tremendous
Shivakartikayan is an ideal choice for portraying such a role, as he appears very reliable when switching to an introverted style and exudes confidence when bravery comes into play. Aditi Shankar, as the girl-next-door, as the heroine doesn’t contribute much to the story. Sarita, as Satya’s mother, who dares to question injustice, was truly good in her role and never slipped into that typical powerful mother character. Yogi Babu, as Ashwin’s first hero, gets a proper character role, and the combination of Yogi Babu and Shivakartikayan brought many vibrant scenes to life. Masaskin, as the main antagonist, gets to showcase various shades of that character. From being initially humorous to becoming quite challenging, the transformation was effortless. Sunil also gets an interesting character with negative shades.
If you look at the packaging, Madonna Ashwin isn’t trying to make it a regular entertainment package. Instead of an introductory song for the protagonist, they use that song to advance the story. Even the romantic song tells a story rather than being a slow-motion montage. The real joy was in seeing how they incorporate this grand power into the story. It’s a screenplay that often employs the “what if” argument to provide some enjoyable or fresh elements. As I mentioned earlier, the dominance of humor is evident as the film reaches its central theme. Even when the third part takes it into these dark confrontational areas where our protagonist is helpless, Madonna Ashwin brings a comic twist to the film, taking it out of the realm of predictable slump. In the second part, a lot happens in the story, and therefore, there are significant ups and downs in the graph. However, Maaveeran effectively uses the fantasy element with conviction.
The voice assisting Satya in Maaveeran is provided by Vijay Sethupathi, and since we know the charm of his face and voice, it genuinely helps in shifting gears for the film in some areas. If you’re someone who appreciates superhero-like concepts that use the idea of entertaining the audience rather than visual grandeur, then Maaveeran will certainly impress you.