Victim: Who Is Next? Four short films by directors Pa Ranjith, Rajesh, Venkat Prabhu, and Chimbudevan are included in the anthology Victim-Who is Next? The review claims that Ranjith’s Dhammam was the most impressive of the bunch and chimbudevan scores well. The anthology’s theme is victimhood, as the title suggests. The directors have made an effort to portray a variety of victimhood, from the leads being victims of circumstances to being victims of superstitions and caste. Has the audience responded to it, though?
Dhammam By Pa Ranjith
Cast: Guru Somasundaram, Kalaiyarasan, Poorvadharani
The complex plot of Dhammam examines the connections between caste politics and land ownership. Guna, the daughter of Guru Somasundaram, is working in the field while Kema (Poorvadharani), the son, is keeping herself busy on a farm. Sekar, a member of a dominant caste in Kalaiyarasan’s play, wants to demonstrate his “power” to Guna, with whom he has frequently clashed. He makes an effort to silence Kema in order to achieve this. She questions him appropriately, and the result is a full-fledged altercation between Guna and Sekar. After Sekar suffers a fatal injury, Sekar’s men decide to kill Guna as payback. But Guna and Kema are the ones who attempt to save his life.
The movie uses strong imagery to provoke thought about the true victim. Dhammam’s narrative power is impressive. It demonstrates how hate can blind people to important lives and their importance. Additionally, it reveals how materialistic people can be. For its perspective on caste and power, Dhammam is a must-watch. Kalaiyarasan, Poorvadharani, and Guru Somasundaram all gave outstanding performances.
Kottai Paaku Vathalum Mottai Maadi Sitharum By Chimbudevan
Cast: Thambi Ramaiah, Nasser
Even with this short, the director, who is renowned for his fantasy adventures, uses the same cliché. It centers on a senior journalist who is about to lose his job and must take an interesting action to prevent it. He sets out to interview the sage after hearing about his magical abilities. But no one can easily see the sage, who is thought to have lived for many years. Despite the COVID situation, this journalist still manages to interview the wise man. Is the sage really involved, or has there been wrongdoing all along? Although Chimbudevan’s concept is intriguing, it doesn’t hold much of my attention but The first and last acts are excellent, but the acts in between are boring and lack interesting material to keep us interested. Both Nasser’s appearance as Mottai Maadi Sitthar and Thambi Ramaiah’s performance are excellent. Watch out for the character of Vignesh Kanth.
Mirrage By M Rajesh
Cast: Natty, Priya Bhavani Shankar
Mirage makes an effort to try out the thriller genre, for which he is not well known. Does his test prove successful? The movie begins as a bloody horror thriller in which Priya Bhavani Shankar’s character, an IT professional, has strange encounters with the manager of an abandoned villa while staying there for a few days. Later on, the narrative follows a psychological path and comes to a fitting conclusion. Rajesh deserves praise for his attempt at the horror genre. Nevertheless, despite a satisfying twist in the climax, the story lacks the chills required for a story in this genre. But the actor Natty makes some of it interesting. One of the highlights is how he acts as the villa manager. Additionally, Priya Bhavani Shankar did a respectable job.
Confession By Venkat Prabhu
Cast: Amala Paul, Prasanna, Krish
With Confession, Venkat Prabhu makes an effort to be creative, but the result falls short of expectations. This short follows an unaccompanied 30-year-old woman (Amala Paul). One night, she receives a string of terrifying phone calls that plunge her into the jaws of death. She tries to tell several truths in an effort to save her life, but shocking details about her private life come to light. Does she ever get to see the sun? We anticipate a certain amount of oddness whenever we begin a Venkat Prabhu movie. Even confessions have peculiarities, but not in the writing. The impact of the climax falls short of expectations. After a certain point, everything, even Amala Paul’s confessions, become predictable. The only positive aspect of this section is Prasanna’s intriguing character.