From Bhavani Krishna Iyer
I will start this piece with a disclaimer that this is not a review but rather an outright condemnation and rejection of Kamal Hasan’s latest film “Vikram”.
I have great regard for Kamal’s versatility and his superb acting skills and I think he has done justice to his role as and in “Vikram”.
What I abhor, however, is the fact that the movie glorifies cold-blooded killings with which the movie starts and ends. The thirst for blood is the movie’s staple.
The black-ops police officers who go on a killing spree justify it by the perpetrators’ perverse logic and twisted sense of right and wrong.
In the dark world, there is an obscure line between right and wrong. If one is not careful, the distinction disappears and what rules is the momentary external influence that draws you into the wrong side.
I decided to watch the movie for all the hype that was abuzz, and from the reviews, one would think it would be a worthwhile three hours spent at the cinema. I have no issue with the length and it was definitely gripping with action and dripping in blood.
Indian youths in Malaysia are a disillusioned lot. They hover between reality and fake idealism from the Indian movies they watch.
A 2021 report quotes that 72% of gang members identified in Malaysia were Indians and that more than 26,000 Malaysian Indians belonged to gangs.
With the country’s population being about 32 million and Indians making up about two million, the above statistics on Indians in gangs is staggering and the numbers are not easing up.
There have been studies done to identify the root cause of gangsterism in Malaysia and poverty tops the list. The lack of education and job opportunities add to the woes of the Indians in the country.
Gangsterism is escapism where the members get to live life in the fast lane with their own rules.
The mainstay of gangsterism is violence and movies like “Vikram” can influence youths who are on the verge of making a choice in life.
An evocative movie such as “Vikram” with megastars in the line-up makes it impactful and is taken as a representation of life and reality.
Just because Kamal corrects the misdeeds in the community and does it with a lot of violence involved, it does not make it right. Two wrongs do not make a right, but rational thinking has no place in a movie like this.
It is a tad sensitive and may be a very unpopular view, but “Vikram” is a movie that will scar our society which is already bleeding. If the bottom line is the only concern of the producers, then our censorship board should have perhaps banned the movie here.
A movie like “Vikram” cannot be censored in parts as the entire movie sits on gun violence, lawlessness, brutal killings, and fights that give viewers a trance-like feeling.
It is no secret that action films usually end up as box office hits and are deemed as being in demand among moviegoers. Hence, it makes sense for the filmmakers to make movies that will sell, and the tendency to make such films has increased.
Particularly post-pandemic, there has been a deluge of action movies with a lot of violence and it is very popular as well. But how do we evaluate and strike a balance between profit and social obligation?
On that note, increasingly, there have been defensive statements by filmmakers such as, “It’s only entertainment. It does not influence anybody”, “We just reflect reality. Don’t blame us; blame the society”, and “We give the public what it wants. If people don’t like it they can always turn it off.”
If the end game and message is to sacrifice some people to save the world from the effects of drugs that would proliferate and destroy millions, then the end does not justify the means.
Bhavani Krishna Iyer is an FMT reader.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.