Mersal (2017) Review: Vijay Takes On Medical Greed

Is Mersal worth watching?

Yes, with reservations. Mersal is a big, brash Tamil mass entertainer that wraps a genuinely angry argument about the cost of medical care inside star-driven spectacle, and Vijay carries it with ease. Atlee delivers the songs, swagger and set pieces his audience expects, and A. R. Rahman’s music gives the big moments lift. The reservation is that the plotting is overstuffed and predictable, and at more than two and a half hours, the sermon and the spectacle often trip over each other.

What is Mersal about?

Mersal opens with a string of crimes against people in the medical profession: doctors are being kidnapped or killed. The police officer on the case (Sathyaraj) suspects Maaran (Vijay), a much-loved doctor famous for treating patients for almost nothing, and arrests him. But the case is not as simple as it looks, and the investigation leads to a flamboyant stage magician, also played by Vijay, and to a much larger story about hospitals that profit from the poor.

S. J. Suryah plays the film’s villain, with Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kajal Aggarwal, Nithya Menen and Vadivelu in support. Atlee directs this Tamil-language Indian film, which runs 161 minutes.

Vijay’s star power in several registers

The film is built to showcase its lead, and it does. Vijay gets to be a gentle healer, a showman who dazzles crowds with tricks, and a righteous avenger, sometimes within the same sequence. He handles the shifts with the relaxed charisma that makes him one of Tamil cinema’s biggest draws, and his magic-show scenes are particularly fun, full of flair and mischief.

S. J. Suryah makes a strong, slippery antagonist. His character is the face of a medical industry more interested in profit than patients, and Suryah plays him with a smooth menace that gives the hero something to push against. Samantha and Kajal Aggarwal, by contrast, are underused, confined largely to romantic interludes and songs, though Nithya Menen gets more to work with.

A mass film with a healthcare manifesto

What sets Mersal apart from many star vehicles is its target. The film is openly furious about private hospitals that exploit patients, and it builds its biggest emotional moments around the unaffordability of treatment. Some of these scenes land with real force, and the film’s populist anger clearly struck a chord with audiences. On release, dialogue criticising the government’s new goods and services tax also stirred political controversy, which only added to the film’s profile.

A. R. Rahman’s soundtrack is another asset. The songs are energetic and well staged, and the anthem Aalaporaan Thamizhan became a celebration of Tamil identity in its own right. The production is lavish, with grand sets, stylised action and plenty of slow-motion hero moments.

Where the sermon and the spectacle collide

Mersal’s ambitions exceed its structure. The plot relies heavily on convenient coincidences and a long flashback that slows the second half, and many of its twists will be obvious to anyone familiar with Tamil mass cinema. The film’s message is delivered through speeches that stop the story cold, and at 161 minutes the pacing lurches between thriller, romance, comedy and melodrama. Comparisons with earlier dual-role vigilante films are hard to avoid, and some critics found it derivative.

Who should watch Mersal?

It is a strong choice for Vijay fans, admirers of Atlee’s crowd-pleasing style and anyone who enjoys Tamil mass cinema with a social message. It contains stylised violence, some grim hospital scenes and plenty of hero-worship, so it is best for teenagers and older. Set aside nearly three hours and embrace the spectacle.

If Mersal works for you, try:

• Jawan, Atlee’s later Hindi blockbuster, which uses a similar mix of vigilante action and social causes.
• Master, a grittier Vijay vehicle that pits him against a memorable villain.

More in our thriller section.

The verdict

Mersal is loud, overlong and occasionally clumsy, but it is also energetic, heartfelt and built around a star in full command of his audience. Its argument about the cost of healthcare gives it more bite than a typical mass entertainer, and for Vijay fans it is a satisfying, rousing ride.

Rating: 3.5/5