The writer tries to make sense of 'Andhadhun', 'Andhagan', and everything in between.
Published Aug 13, 2024 | 10:00 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 13, 2024 | 3:31 PM
Prashanth in 'Andhagan'; Ayushmann Khurrana in 'Andhadhun'. (Facebook)
I approached Andhagan, the Tamil remake of Andhadhun featuring Tabu, Ayushmann Khurrana and Radhika Apte, with little expectation. However, Sriram Raghavan’s 2018 Hindi crime thriller, proved to be a delightful watch.
Remaking a widely acclaimed film is no small feat. While Prashanth’s Andhagan, released on 9 August and directed by his father Thiagarajan, stays true to the original, it doesn’t quite measure up.
The best thrillers keep you hooked, much like a gripping novel that builds anticipation with every page. Thiagarajan’s Andhagan builds suspense effectively but it lacks the sleekness of Sriram Raghavan’s original, with the Prashanth-led film feeling somewhat bloated.
Krish (Prashanth), a piano player who lost his sight as a teenager, doesn’t let his blindness affect his music. One day, he meets restaurateur Julie (Priya Anand), who offers him a job at her restaurant. There, Krish encounters former actor Karthik (Karthik Muthuraman), who, impressed by Krish’s talent, invites him to perform a private concert at his home, as a surprise for his much younger wife, Simi (Simran).
It’s tough to say more without giving away details, but from this point, Andhagan is unstoppable.
Andhadhun’s plot, inspired by Olivier Treiner’s French short film, L’accordeur (The Piano Tuner; 2010), follows a young musician who, after losing the Bernstein Prize, whimsically pretends to be blind. The story hinges on actions that are difficult to understand or outright inexplicable.
Every story is a journey, shaped by conflict. The protagonist seeks something, while the antagonist tries to prevent it. This conflict drives the plot. In thrillers, a compelling protagonist, a formidable antagonist, and a gripping hook are essential. Both films contain all the elements of edge-of-your-seat thrillers.
Tabu and Khurrana in ‘Andhadhun’. (X)
However, both films miss key thriller elements, like motive and background. Who is the protagonist, and how does he manage to live alone in the city? Aside from his skill in focusing on sound and attracting empathetic women, his background remains vague. Similarly, who is Simi, and why does she commit murders so casually and without remorse?
The film is worth watching twice to fully appreciate how the director and actors subtly mislead you while leaving clues. As it nears the end, it can become overly complex, with more plot twists than needed. Thiagarajan creates an intriguing setup but struggles to resolve it, unlike Sriram Raghavan’s smoother execution.
Suspense is crucial for a thriller—as it is the heart of the story and the foundation of the narrative. In both films, every detail, including the opening scene of a rabbit being chased through cabbage fields, has a purpose. The story centres on the impact of having a visually impaired witness to a crime, altering our perception of the actions of the perpetrators, the witnesses, the police, and the opportunists.
Sriram Raghavan excels at keeping you guessing and entertained, a balance not as completely achieved in Andhagan. In Andhadhun, elements like cabbages, cats, the colour red, milestones, rabbits, and references to liver and life, carry deeper significance. Although Thiagarajan aimed for a scene-by-scene remake, Andhagan doesn’t capture the natural blend of darkness and humour seen, in the original.
Often, a character’s disability overshadows other aspects of an actor’s performance. In both films, Ayushmann Khurrana and Prashanth deliver strong performances, maintaining the suspense, though Khurrana stands out more.
While Krish might not appear as the most compelling protagonist on paper, Prashanth, undoubtedly, brings a convincing vulnerability to the role. However, there is a unique quality in Ayushmann Khurrana’s performance that Prashanth doesn’t quite capture.
Thrillers are dynamic, constantly moving and racing. Andhadhun achieved this, but in some parts, Andhagan feels static. At times, Prashanth’s expressions make you question whether he’s acting or if that’s simply his natural demeanour.
Simran and Prashanth. (X)
Prashanth may not match Ayushmann Khurrana’s performance in the original—but it’s impressive how even smaller roles—like those of Urvashi, KS Ravikumar and Yogi Babu, have their moments in Andhagan. The supporting cast shines in their scenes with Prashanth, elevating the film.
Prashanth, like Khurrana, adeptly switches between being blind and normal, capturing both his helplessness and rage at the world’s unfairness. He and Simran display a faultless rapport in their scenes together, with their performances serving as the cohesive element in the film’s intricate plot.
For 90s kids, seeing Prashanth and Simran, back together in a film, after a long time, is a nostalgic treat. Their on-screen chemistry remains as strong as it was in Kannedhirey Thondrinal (1998), Jodi (1999), Thamizh (2022) and so on.
Thiagarajan’s Andhagan, completed in 2022, marks the return of Prashanth to Tamil cinema after a six-year absence. Although the movie has a solid script, this role may not have been the ideal choice for the actor’s comeback.
Simran, like the exceptionally talented Tabu in Andhadhun, excels in Andhagan. Both actors masterfully shift between emotions, expressing contrasting feelings, through their faces and voices.
Simran transitions effortlessly from coy to vulnerable to ruthless, making this one of her most memorable roles. Her exceptional timing keeps us engaged and consistently surprised.
However, I wish the films had explored why Tabu’s and Simran’s characters act the way they do. There must be more to their killing spree than just money and comfort.
Andhadhun is a quintessential murder mystery, featuring morally questionable characters, including a thoroughly corrupt cop (Manav Vij). Samuthirakani struggles to match Manav Vij’s level of performance.
KS Ravikumar’s role as a corrupt doctor burdened by family demands adds an extra layer of intrigue to the story.
A still from ‘Andhadhun’. (X)
There’s nothing extraordinary about Priya Anand’s performance, whereas Radhika Apte’s role, in the original, remains my favourite.
The most frustrating aspect of Andhagan is Karthik’s role. He is miscast as Simi’s husband, and his dubbing is poorly synced with his on-screen performance. Karthik still has a fan base, but Andhagan doesn’t need an actor of his stature; anyone could have filled this role.
Andhadhun’s major strength was Amit Trivedi’s well-conceived soundtrack, blending original songs with classic re-runs, alongside Daniel B George’s compelling background score.
Andhagan features a mix of Ilaiyaraaja’s songs, honouring Karthik’s old hits, but the background score lacks the soulful, robust quality of the original.
Remember? Santhosh Narayanan, credited as the music director, distanced himself from the “Andhagan Anthem” shortly after its release, clarifying on X that the music, lyrics, arrangement, mix, and master were not his work.
Andhadhun features gripping, symphonic editing with its dynamic rises, falls, and sudden interludes, whereas Andhagan’s editing is merely adequate.
Director Thiagarajan. (X)
Moreover, the clever wordplay in Andhadhun is lacking in Andhagan. While it’s not entirely missing, you need to listen closely to catch its intended meaning. There’s a lot to interpret between what is said and what is shown.
In Andhadhun, every camera movement, glance, frown, gesture, and interaction with the crowd conveys emotion fluidly. This emotional depth is not as seamlessly captured in Andhagan.
Thiagarajan stepped in as director for Andhagan after two other directors left the project. Andhagan drags at an annoyingly slow pace until the intermission but accelerates rapidly in the second half. With a shorter runtime, this could have been a perfect film.
Andhadhun was riveting, stunning, comedic, and intense. Andhagan aims to reach the same heights but only comes close.
(Views expressed here are personal)
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