Movie Review : DC
Arun Matheswaran's DC marks the debut of director Lokesh Kanagaraj as a hero.
Devadas ( Lokesh Kanagaraj) undertakes an armed robbery stealing guns from a cop vehicle with his gang of four friends.
This inadvertantly gets linked to the killing of an innocent passerby by the same cops who steal a big sum of money from him. When Devadas finds out, he feels responsible and vows to get back the money, which was for the deceased's son's education. This leads to a chain of events that suck in the gang further into grusome crimes.
A posse of cops gets assigned to crack this case and rein in the leader, Devadas.
Now, Devadas and his gang are forced into hiding and on the run for a few days. But when cops catch up with them, all hell breaks loose, leading to the death of a young singer (Sanjjana) whom the loner Devadas had befriended.
What happens next? Does Devdas avenge her death, and complete his mission to help the young boy? Or do the cops bring them all to justice? How does this cat and mouse game end?
The tightly knit screenplay leaves never a dull moment on screen. Right from the word go to the end credits, the film is one racy watch, with no lags. A non-linear narration with flashbacks adds to the suspense build-up and tension on screen. Twists at every turn add to the entertainment quotient. The raw action blocks, using guns, knives, batons and the like, are gory in nature, but seem to flow without lingering nor hyping, as part of the narrative, though at many a point, they do begin to feel excessive ( as in the brothel for instance). However, Anirudh Ravichander's bgm and tracks, package the whole proceedings in a way that makes the music one of the heroes of the film. Anirudh surpasses himself in one of his most powerful and impactful works, with DC.
The camerawork of Mukesh G is another solid pillar, with just the right palette of colors and the perfect angles that add to the tension.
The action directors too deserve kudos as does the sound design department.
Dialogues are shorts, and expressions and eyes speak volumes. Lokesh Kangaraj delivers a a superb, measured and natural performance, making you only remember him as Devadas, with his off -screen identity taking a back seat. The chemistry between the four gang members, is superbly brought out. Every character stands out in the way they are written, and given their moment in the sun by Arun. Sanjana ( as Parvathi delivers a stunning act and Wamiqa Gabbi ( as Chandra) proves the perfect choice. Both heroines deliver terrific, mature performances, where less is more. The actors playing cops ( Krish Dayal as the main cop Bhojraj ) and even the supporting cast, every actor gets into the skin of their characters. Each has been well written by Arun, in a way that keeps you invested in their fates. Kasturi Raja as the stubborn father, proves a fantastic choice for the role. The superly executed climax and the build-up to it is to watch out for. Basically, the screenplay ensures the viewer is glued to the screen, except maybe when gory violence erupts in places.
The excessive gore and violence may be off -putting in several places with many an on- screen bloodbath. But the film succeeds because of its emotional core and the emotions that it evokes as you get a peek into the lives of these characters.
DC turns out to bea racy, stylishly made, suspenseful, gripping watch for fans of the genre, with a raw, rivetting and natura, pivotal performance by Lokesh Kanagaraj at the centre of it all.
Rating 4/5
*DC CAST & CREW DETAILS*
*CAST WITH CHARACTER NAMES*
* Lokesh Kanagaraj – Devadas
* Wamiqa Gabbi – Chandra
* Sanjana A.K. – Parvathi
* Kasthuri Raja – Motor Mani
* Thalaivasal Vijay – Arasu
* Krish Dayal – Bhojraj
* Avinash Raghudevan – Kitty
* Jawahar Sakthi – Karuppan
* Sharath Ravi – Chunnilal
* Pranav Teophine – Sebastian
* A. Raajarishi – Singaram
* Balaji Deviprasad – Ashraf
* Attul – Rajarishi
* Manoj Sashi – Manoj
* Kalaiyarasan R. – Raja Manikam
* Franklin Jacob – Franki
* Dileepan K. – Dilip
* Karnaraajaa – DGP
* Baskar R. – Angani
* Vijayalakshmi Veeramani – Vadivu
* Nanthis M. – Angani Son
* Deepam Philipose – Yuvaraj
* Pream K. Seshadri – Saamikannu
* Bigil Siva – Doctor
* Ashraf Mallisseri – Karvachi Kannan
* Samundeeswari J. – Amulu
* Kapil Velavan – E. Kapil
* Raja Raghupathy – Arokiyaraj
* Idayakumar – Yuvaraj Team
* Kaka Gopal – Shop Owner
* Aara Ajith – Vijay
* Shoban Babu – Shoban Babu
* Viraj – Kitty’s Brother
* Nageshwari T. – Arasu’s Wife
* Harish – Arasu’s Son
* Madhesh – Young Devadas
* J. Vaishalini – Ashraf’s Daughter
* D. Naresh – Yuvaraj’s Assistant
* A. Ajith Kumar – Maavatham
* Johnson – Johnson T.
* Deva – Deva
* Hannah – Ashraf’s Wife
* P.S. Gowtham – Police Officer
* Kalai Vembu – Police Officer
* Dhayaram – Police Officer
* Vikash J. – Police Informer
* Kizhakkuvaasi Chanderan – Singer
* Sasi Kumar P.A. – Police Officer
* Sarah Black – Parvathi’s Friend
* Salamon – Parvathi’s Friend
* Nandhini Udayakumar – Saamikannu’s Wife
* V.G. Raajesh (VGR) – Police Officer
* Subramanian Mathavan – Lodge Owner
* Deepak – Warehouse Owner
* Sangeetha – Brothel Girl
* C. Priya Shanmugam – Brothel Girl
* Nithya S. – Brothel Girl
* Sivasankari G. – Brothel Girl
* Tamilarasi – Brothel Girl
*CREW*
• Written & Directed by: Arun Matheswaran
• Produced by Sun Pictures
• Additional Screenplay: Arun Ranjan
• Dialogue: Arun Matheswaran, Franklin Jacob
• Music: Anirudh
• DOP: Mukesh G
• Editor: G K Prasanna
• Associate Editor: Harish Arun M
• Production Designer: Kannan S
• Stunts: PC Stunts
• Costume Designer: Arun Matheswaran
• Costumer: Perumal Selvam
• Make-up: Vinoth Sukumaran
• Stills: Amir
• SFX: Sync Cinemas
• Audiography: Vinay Sridhar
• Atmos mix Assisted: Vignesh Guru (Knack Studios)
• Colorist: Ranga
• DI Lab: Prasad Film Labs
• VFX: Praveen D
• Publicity Designer: Kabilan Chelliah
• Production Controller: D Ramesh Kuchirayar, K.T.S. Swaminathan
• PRO: Riaz K Ahmed, Paras Riyaz
