The greatest strength of Autograph or Thavamai Thavamirundhu was that the message was embedded in the drama. You cried for the characters first, and then understood the moral. In Bakasuran , the reverse happens. The second half devolves into an extended lecture. Characters stop behaving like real people and start behaving like audience surrogates waiting for the next sermon. The subtlety that defined Cheran’s earlier work is largely absent here.
A young co-writer to trim the preachiness, a sharp cinematographer to modernize the visuals, and perhaps a step back from the lead role to let a fresh face carry his words. Because the world needs Cheran’s voice more than ever. It just needs it to be heard, not just listened to. Have you seen Cheran’s recent film? Do you think his style of social drama still holds up, or has time passed him by? Share your thoughts below. cheran recent movie
After a significant hiatus from directing (his last directorial was Pokkisham in 2009, followed by a long gap as an actor in other projects), Cheran returned to the director’s chair with (2019) and more recently the highly discussed "Bakasuran" (2023). But the question on every discerning film lover’s mind is: Has Cheran’s recent movie recaptured the nuanced magic of his golden era, or has it become a victim of the very loud, message-driven cinema he once subtly mastered? The greatest strength of Autograph or Thavamai Thavamirundhu
Cinema has evolved in the decade Cheran was away from directing. Bakasuran has a television-drama aesthetic—flat lighting, static shots, and a background score that tells you exactly when to feel sad or angry. For a film about the slick, fast-paced world of cybercrime, the visual language feels dated. Younger audiences, accustomed to the stylish thrillers of Lokesh Kanagaraj or Sudha Kongara, found the pacing sluggish. The second half devolves into an extended lecture
The greatest strength of Autograph or Thavamai Thavamirundhu was that the message was embedded in the drama. You cried for the characters first, and then understood the moral. In Bakasuran , the reverse happens. The second half devolves into an extended lecture. Characters stop behaving like real people and start behaving like audience surrogates waiting for the next sermon. The subtlety that defined Cheran’s earlier work is largely absent here.
A young co-writer to trim the preachiness, a sharp cinematographer to modernize the visuals, and perhaps a step back from the lead role to let a fresh face carry his words. Because the world needs Cheran’s voice more than ever. It just needs it to be heard, not just listened to. Have you seen Cheran’s recent film? Do you think his style of social drama still holds up, or has time passed him by? Share your thoughts below.
After a significant hiatus from directing (his last directorial was Pokkisham in 2009, followed by a long gap as an actor in other projects), Cheran returned to the director’s chair with (2019) and more recently the highly discussed "Bakasuran" (2023). But the question on every discerning film lover’s mind is: Has Cheran’s recent movie recaptured the nuanced magic of his golden era, or has it become a victim of the very loud, message-driven cinema he once subtly mastered?
Cinema has evolved in the decade Cheran was away from directing. Bakasuran has a television-drama aesthetic—flat lighting, static shots, and a background score that tells you exactly when to feel sad or angry. For a film about the slick, fast-paced world of cybercrime, the visual language feels dated. Younger audiences, accustomed to the stylish thrillers of Lokesh Kanagaraj or Sudha Kongara, found the pacing sluggish.