Jigarthanda Double X review: Karthik Subbaraj makes a smashing comeback

Director Karthik Subbaraj, who hasn’t had a theatrical release for some time now, makes a sterling comeback to the big screen with his Jigarthanda Double X.

In fact, the movie is so good that it could easily be Karthik Subbaraj’s best film to date.

Be it acting, cinematography or editing, the movie impresses. But more than these, the writing stands out and makes Jigarthanda Double X what it is.

The way each character has been fleshed out and all the characters are strung together by developments make the film an engaging and entertaining affair.

Without much ado, here is the synopsis:

Synopsis

The story is set in the 1970s. It begins with Kirubai ( SJ Suryah), an intelligent coward who is on the verge of becoming a police sub-inspector and thereby fulfilling his dad’s dream, coming to meet Lurthu (Shiela Rajkumar), his relative in her college.

As luck would have it, a gang enters the college when he is there and hacks four boys from influential families to death before getting away. Poor Kirubai, who suffers from fits at the time of the incident, is framed for the murders and is sent to prison.

Meanwhile, a power struggle happens in the top rungs of the state government.

Two political leaders look to outsmart one another and find favour with their party head, a woman, as they believe this will enable them to become the next chief minister.

Related: ‘Jigarthanda Double X’ is the spiritual sequel to ‘Jigarthanda’, says director Karthik Subbaraj

Battle for power

Karmegam (Ilavarasu), who has several goons controlling different districts, and Jeyakodi (Shine Tom Chacko) — a top actor and a vicious, power-crazy politician — are locked in an intense battle for the top post.

One of Karmegam’s trusted boys and the head of his notorious Jigarthanda gang in Madurai is Allius Caeser( Raghava Lawrence).

A set of developments trigger Jeyakodi, and he seethes with rage. He decides that all of Karmegam’s lieutenants must be taken out and assigns the task of eliminating these powerhouses to his ruthless brother Rathna (Naveen Chandra), who is employed in the police force.

Rathna, for his part, picks four prisoners serving sentences in the prison and assigns each one a target from Karmegam’s supporters. He offers each prisoner their life back if they complete the mission.

Kirubai, who is in prison, gets picked too and is assigned the task of killing the notorious Allius Caesar.

To kill Caesar, Kirubai poses to be a filmmaker named Ray Dasan and goes to meet him. What happens then is what Jigarthanda Double X is all about.

#JigarthandaDoublex – Is all yours now….

God’s best gifts to us are Elephants & Cinema !!

This film is our team’s heartfelt portrayal of the ‘Power’ of Cinema and it’s Audience……

Hope you all Love the film as much as we did while making it…..

Am Emotionally Happy… pic.twitter.com/AmheuMAPdx

— karthik subbaraj (@karthiksubbaraj) November 10, 2023

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Pertinent points

The plot of Jigarthanda Double X is well thought out. It not only entertains but also drives home several pertinent points.

From showcasing the need to protect elephants, tribes and reserved forest areas to showing how corrupt cops and politicians can sacrifice the interests of the common people without batting an eyelid, the film gently drives home several important points but in a non-preachy way.

The story is beautifully told, and it only gets better and better as the plot thickens.

In fact, the second half moves at a blistering pace and does not allow you to take your eyes off the screen for a moment.

Performances

The film has exceptional performances from its lead actors and outstanding support from its supporting cast.

Raghava Lawrence delivers the performance of his life in this film by playing Caeser with a flourish. It is an absolutely commanding performance that manages to even outshine the brilliant performance of the immensely talented SJ Suryah as Ray Dasan/Kirubai.

Both actors compete with one another to deliver a treat for film lovers.

As if their performances aren’t enough, two other actors deliver sterling performances and add more value to the film. Naveen Chandra as Rathna is outstanding, and veteran actor Ilavarasu as Karmegam comes up with yet another spectacular performance.

Nimisha Sajayan as Malaiarasi and Shine Tom Chacko as Jeyakodi do justice to their parts.

Also Read: Kida review: This realistic social drama from Ra Venkat touches your heart

Final take

In all, Jigarthanda Double X is indeed what it claims to be. It packs double the punch that the first part of the franchise delivered!

(Views expressed here are personal.)