Both films deal with sexual assault and adopt different ways to expose the crimes. They both have several touching moments and leave the audience unsettled. Here's how:
Published Jul 27, 2024 | 4:47 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 27, 2024 | 6:02 PM
Maharaja and Iratta: Two intense films that left a lasting impact. (X)
Vijay Sethupathy’s recent Tamil movie, Maharaja, garnered a tremendous response at the box office making its way to the ₹100-crore club. The film’s success came as a boost to the actor, who was in dire need of a hit in his career.
Maharaja starts with the backstory of a young barber named Maharaja (played by Vijay Sethupathi) and his daughter Jothi (Sachana Namidass). It follows a ghastly sexual assault against Jothi in her teenage and the consequences.
The intense story haunts the audience even after they leave the cinema halls. Surprisingly, the film reminds us of the Malayalam film Iratta (2023), featuring Joju George in dual roles as twins, which was equally haunting because of the content.
Both films dealt with sexual assault and adopted different methods to expose the crimes. The routes the protagonists seek for justice also vary. They both have several touching moments and leave the audience unsettled.
In a nutshell, Maharaja and Iratta left a lasting impact on the viewers. Here’s how:
Joju George played twin brothers in ‘Iratta’. (X)
Iratta, directed by Rohit MG Krishnan, didn’t do well in theatres. It was released along with the Malayalam film Romancham (2023), which turned out to be a blockbuster.
In the film, Joju George plays twin brothers, both cops. His awe-inspiring performance, especially as a younger brother with grey shades, won him huge appreciation. Though the film failed to pull the crowds to cinema halls, it received critical acclaim upon being premiered on Netflix.
Joju George plays a deputy superintendent of police (DySP) and assistant sub-inspector (ASI) in Iratta. Though they are twins, Pramod (DySP) and Vinod (ASI) share a strange relationship. A disturbed childhood turns them into enemies.
An investigation into an incident at Vinod’s police station reveals some earth-shattering truths about the brothers. These findings keep the story engaging. Interestingly, the incident was inspired by a real-life event reported in Kerala.
Tamil actor Anjali plays the role of Vinod’s live-in partner.
In an interview with South First, filmmaker Rohit MG Krishnan said he wrote a story for Iratta by creating fictitious characters around the real-life incident.
The main cast of ‘Maharaja’. (X)
Meanwhile, Maharaja showcases Vijay Sethupathi in the titular role. A barber, Maharaja files a complaint with the police about his stolen dustbin named “Lakshmi”. From this very event, director Nithilan Saminathan keeps the audience guessing what exactly Maharaja wants.
The film revolves around the lives of two fathers, played by Vijay Sethupathi and Anurag Kashyap.
Maharaja loses his wife (Divya Bharathi) to an accident; their daughter Jothi, a toddler then, survives it. Meanwhile, Selvam (played by Anurag Kashyap) lives a happy life with his wife (Abhirami) and daughter; however, unknown to her, he commits robbery and murders for easy money. A misunderstanding leads Selvam to seek revenge against Maharaja.
The non-linear narration surprisingly works in favour of this revenge drama. Audiences are made to believe that the events in the lives of Maharaja and Selvam are happening in the same period. But, only towards the end does the reality dawn upon the viewers.
Had the narration been straightforward, Maharaja would have been just another revenge drama. Filmmaker Nithilan Saminathan deserves applause for choosing and efficiently crafting the events in a non-linear format while ensuring the audience is engrossed till the climax part. Needless to say, his storytelling made all the difference in this case.
Further, the revelation of the identity of the perpetrators of the crime, as the story progresses, elevates the narrative.
Nevertheless, Maharaja drew criticism for the gruesome rape scenes and the gore. Many debated that the film glorified violence and there was no need for a rawness in the presentation. It was also criticised for encouraging people to take the law into their own hands instead of taking a legal route for justice.
Abhirami, Mamta Mohandas, Bharathirajaa, and Divyabharathi don’t have much to do. Similarly, Anurag Kahsyap’s dubbing could have been better.
Interestingly, the film’s title gave the impression that it would be a mass entertainer. But Vijay Sethupathi is presented not as a hero but common man and a father seeking justice for his daughter.
Despite all this, Maharaja made a mark because of its raw content and the pertinent points it raised.
Maharaja and Iratta are intense films with impactful performances. While Joju George was the show stealer in Iratta, Maharaja was undoubtedly a one-man show by Vijay Sethupathi.
Maharaja is a revenge drama presented with cinematic liberty, especially in the climax. However, Iratta is a realistic film and is devoid of any heroic moments. The revelation of secrets at the end and how they affect the lives of the twins make it an engrossing watch.
It’s quite challenging for an actor to do multiple roles and present them as different personalities without any physical changes. However, Joju George effortlessly succeeded in pulling off these roles of estranged twin brothers in Iratta.
On the other hand, Vijay Sethupathi was heaped with praise for his intense performance in Maharaja. Also, the makers took extra effort in conceptualising his character—right from his body language to dialogue and action scenes.
Meanwhile, Maharaja’s climax scenes were widely criticised for encouraging instant justice against perpetrators of sexual crimes.
Surprisingly, Mamta Mohandas, who played a cameo in the film, said she liked the film’s climax and felt that it was a powerful ending. “In the movie, the prey (woman) gets the opportunity to speak to the predator (the sexual offender). No girl child has the opportunity to do so and I wish every woman would get it. We didn’t know the climax before. Nithilan is a brilliant writer,” she said in an interview.
Both Maharaja and Iratta have different formats of narration. Iratta has plain storytelling, while Maharaja adopts a non-linear format. Its climax was predictable though. But it comes with a good twist towards the end when the identity of the real rapist is revealed. How the police crack the case also makes it an intriguing watch.
(Edited by Y Krishna Jyothi)
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