Die No Sirs review: A refreshing gangster tale from director Madhavan

Director Madhavan’s Die No Sirs is a refreshingly new entertainer that begins as a gangster film and eventually ends as a revenge drama.

Your heart sinks when it initially starts like any other gangster film. However, it pleasantly surprises you with some sudden twists and goes on to emphasise that it is not your regular run-of-the-mill kind.

So, how is Die No Sirs different from the other gangster movies of the past? Let’s find out:

Synopsis

The story is set in the Ennore belt and revolves primarily around its villain Saalaiyar (Maneksha) who is as wicked as he is smart and strong.

Saalaiyar controls most of the region and is notorious for illegal activities there. He has a rival gang to contend with. This rival gang is headed by Kiliappan (Babu) who has a score to settle with Saalaiyar.

The reason for Kiliappan’s bitterness is that his brother-in-law Mano was killed by a team of eight men sent by Saalaiyar.

At one point, Kiliappan gets to know that Saalaiyar handed over the team that killed his brother-in-law to the police and calms down. He offers to work with Saalaiyar on a new illegal scheme that requires both of them to work together.

Saalaiyar, who never lets go of an opportunity, accepts and sends his men to collect his share of the money from Kiliappan for the task.

Among the men who arrive at Kiliappan’s place is a guy named Durai (Maara), one of the eight people who killed Mano.

While all the other seven members who participated in the criminal act are in prison, Durai alone is out free. The reason is his friend Dhana offers to take his place in prison for the crime.

Unfortunately for Durai, one of Kiliappan’s men spots him when he comes to collect the money. What happens then is what the film is all about.

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Performances

Most of the cast in Die No Sirs is new, but they do a fine job and this is one of the reasons why the film works.

Maara, who plays the significant character of Durai, does a fantastic job. He livens proceedings by owning the character and playing it with a flourish.

Udhay Karthik, who plays hero Mannu, does a neat job. His unassuming manner and his wisecracks initially make you dismiss him as just another character.

However, he slowly comes into the story and suddenly seems to take centre stage with the poise of a practised expert.

Babu as gangster Kiliappan and Maneskha as Saalaiyar also excel.

What works?

Die No Sirs is refreshingly different on so many counts. Firstly, this story does not revolve around the hero. It revolves around the villain Saalaiyar.

Mannu, the brother of Dhana (who goes to prison instead of Durai), comes across as just another character for quite a bit of time. It is only just before the interval that you get to realise that he may well be the hero.

In a gangster flick, you only expect mindless violence to dominate the proceedings. But in Die No Sirs, there is more intellectual action than there is physical violence.

All the actors, despite being newcomers, play their roles so convincingly that you have no qualms accepting them as the characters they portray on screen.

Take for instance the scene where Durai, as part of Saalaiyar’s team, goes to collect money from Kiliappan. Halfway through when they are counting the money, Kiliappan’s man tells him in private that this could be Durai who killed his brother-in-law.

How Kiliappan tries to find out if the man in the yellow shirt is indeed Durai who killed his brother-in-law, how an alert Durai realises that he has been spotted, and how he tries to wriggle out of the situation smartly is a sequence worth watching.

It keeps you on edge and is exciting, to say the least.

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Message-oriented

Die No Sirs might be a gangster film, but the overall message it sends across is significant.

It points out that those who head gangs never get their children to do the dirty work that they expect their gangsters to do.

It also subtly shows how such vicious characters lure vulnerable young men from the poorer sections of society to do their dirty work through those whom they trust.

More importantly, it has the hero rejecting the idea of turning a henchman from the start. Each time an invite is sent to him to join and be a part of the gang, he not only turns it down but also explains how efforts are being disguised to get him into the gang.

There is a breakup sequence in the flick and the manner in which Mannu handles it with maturity,  without seeking vengeance or looking to harm the girl, is laudable.

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What doesn’t work?

On the flip side, Die No Sirs has a lot of cuss words. This might not be to the liking of some audiences.

Also, the film’s pace is not consistent. It begins slowly only to pick up speed and then eventually slows down again. It again picks up the pace just before the interval.

The second half has too many lengthy dialogues being delivered and this makes it tiring on occasions.

Final take

Despite its lapses, Die No Sirs works in parts.

(Views expressed here are personal.)