Tamil Rockerz review: Arun Vijay keeps us engaged in a web series let down by poor writing

Piracy has been plaguing the Indian film industry for many years.

When the website Tamil Rockers came up and unleashed its fury on the industry by releasing movies online — sometimes even before their theatrical release — the number of lives it affected and the financial losses it caused are well-documented.

Director Arivazhagan’s web series titled Tamil Rockerz takes a look at the world of piracy and how the web of deceit and crime was spun with accomplices from both within and outside the film industry.

It is the first web series from AVM Productions, and is written by Manoj Kumar Kalaivanan and Rajesh Manjunath.

All about piracy

Adiradhi Star Aditya is a top Kollywood hero looking forward to the release of his ₹300-crore magnum opus by producer Madhi. But just before the first show starts, the entire movie is leaked online by Tamil Rockerz.

The series then goes on to show how and why people get into the business of piracy, aided and abetted by those working in the film industry.

#TamilRockerz is out now!!#TamilRockerzSonyLIV @dirarivazhagan @avmproductions @arunaguhan_ @DopRajasekarB @vanibhojanoffl @Ishmenon @SonyLIV pic.twitter.com/rjQAb6EhYc

— ArunVijay (@arunvijayno1) August 19, 2022

Enter cop Rudra (Arun Vijay), who is married to Keerthana (Iswarya Menon). He is tapped to solve the mystery of who the Tamil Rockerz are and to nab them. Sandhya (Vani Bhojan), a cybercrime cop, helps him in this investigation.

At the outset, the premise is good and it’s a good attempt to highlight the problem of piracy, how the film industry is not glamourous for everyone, and the kind of struggles and problems that many experience working there.

For example, the series features an assistant director whose script is plagiarised, a producer who dies by suicide due to financial losses, and a driver who struggles for money for his wife’s treatment.

And then, it deals with fans who blindly believe in their heroes and spend days promoting them before every release, sacrificing their studies and responsibilities.

Bad writing lets actors down

Unfortunately, the writing doesn’t live up to one’s expectations. The characters of Rudra, Keerthana, and Sandhya are not well etched out.

Rudra has been written as a stereotypical, cliche cop with a sad backstory. Iswarya Menon as Keerthana doesn’t have too much of a role except being a pretty wife.

Similarly, Vani Bhojan’s character Sandhya comes across as weak and emotional, instead of a strong cop who is out to nab criminals. In fact, most of the cops on the show — except for Rudra — are shown to be inefficient or corrupt.

As for the performances, it is Arun Vijay who clearly steals the show as he stands out, but the writing lets him down.

பைரசியை ஆதரவுக்கும் அனைவரும் ஒரு முறையாவது பார்க்க வேண்டிய web-series ???#Tamilrockers – SonyLIV தமிழ் ஒரிஜினல் Aug 19 முதல் SonyLIV-இல்.#SitelaillaSonyLIVla #TamilRockerzSonyLIV #TamilRockerzOnSonyLIV @arunvijayno1 @dirarivazhagan @avmproductions @vanibhojanoffl @Ishmenon pic.twitter.com/463zgE6DUX

— SonyLIV (@SonyLIV) August 19, 2022

Faulty execution

Tamil Rockerz is highly ambitious and provides good insights into the world of piracy.

Unfortunately, the fault in the execution doesn’t let it capitalise on its potential.

It should have dug much deeper into the piracy world rather than be superficial and present what is already known.

Furthermore, not all cybercriminals are driven by emotions, as we are shown, but often by money.

Verdict: Tamil Rockerz is a series that could have been far more thrilling. Let’s hope that the next season will be redeeming!