Director Durai Senthilkumar is surprising in his lack of aggressiveness with Leader, crafting a film that is much more subdued than the star-driven plotline might imply. In the middle of it all is the more or less settled presence of Legend Saravanan, who no longer pursues the exaggerated heroism but has settled into a more down-to-earth tone of the narration. The supporting cast, such as Andrea Jeremiah, Lal, etc. is not used in vain, and the background score by Ghibran remains at a low level to accentuate the important moments, but does not crush them to death.
Even the action blocks and the songs are put in their places not by force. It all culminates into a commercial entertainer who knows his boundaries, but stretches a bit to demonstrate development, both of its lead in the movie and the movie making around him.
The storyline places Saravanan as a motor vehicle mechanic in Thoothukudi, a man who is unwilling to fight deliberately. But conflict is sure to discover him. There is a shady character called Salt who acts in the harbour, he coordinates the smuggling of hazardous materials in shipping containers. As the government starts surrounding this operation the character of Saravanan is dragged into the mess, first unwillingly and later with intent.
The plot is on paper a time-tested commercial formula. No radical narrative risks are present. But, the thing that captured my interest was the execution. Director Durai Senthilkumar is meticulous and disciplined in handling the material. All the reproaches directed against the previous adventure of Saravanan appear to have been learned by heart and reformed. The hyperbolic phrases are eliminated. The fumbling emotional bad moments are minimized. What is left is a subdued presence that organically fits the rhythm of the film.
I was especially impressed by the way that every frame is built so cautiously. It is not a movie that reverts blindly to the glorification of its protagonist. The presentation is admired, all right, but it is coupled with narrative discipline. There are no scenes that are aimlessly created, no characters are brought into the scene without clear introduction and nothing seems to be here to be applauded.
The description gives the story a surprising bulk. The mention of ammonium nitrate and its practicality in the real world, such as the echoes of the Beirut explosion, add a touch of grounded tension. Even the name of the antagonist Salt has minor thematic motive when considered in these lines.
The sequences of action are worthy of appreciation. The harbour block is scaled and made out in a clear manner, which even larger productions have difficulty in accomplishing. A car fight is unique as it has choreography, not random but it is well planned. I was further impressed by the train fight in the second part. It is not just spectacle but it does indeed propel the narrative on, and that is precisely how action is to be incorporated.
The performance of Saravanan conforms to this strategy. He provides what is needed, without any surplus. That moderation is his greatest strength. His screen presence is more relaxed, his expressions are more measured and even in stunt sequences, there is an apparent effort to act and not pose. I enjoyed this deliberate restraint quite as much as overwrought heroism.
The backup actors are employed with incredible wit. Space is assigned to performers such as VTV Ganesh and Adithya Kathir as well as Lal and Andrea Jeremiah. None of them are ornamental. All of them make their contributions to the progress.
Santhosh Prathap who plays the role of the antagonist does not disappoint, he has the burden of a heavy role to play and he does it with charisma.
The film is well polished on the technical side. The background score of Ghibran turns out to be a significant strength. It does not just go hand in hand with scenes, but lifts them. A number of the scenes are enhanced by the presence of sound itself, namely in the action stretches and the interval block.
A continuous flow of narrative is guaranteed by cinematography by Venkatesh and editing by Pradeep E Ragav. The film does not drag with a length of around 2 hours and 15 minutes. The composition is not overloaded with visual effects, transitions are not sudden, and even the VFX itself is rather decent.
The way the commercial elements are incorporated was especially refreshing to me. There is no coercing of songs. They look where they are needed and do not take the story telling out of track. It has a faint father daughter emotional line that lends some grounding. The mass moments are there, but not blown out of proportion.
The interval block is a well constructed high point. It does not overdo it and conveys the effect of a theatrical experience.
Despite this, the movie has its flaws. The latter half is slightly inconsistent, especially in the flashback areas, which seem to be a bit farfetched. Pacing would have been better with a tighter cut.
Logical liberties that are characteristic of commercial cinema are also present. Cases of the protagonist taking unrealistic physical harm and walking away with little or no repercussions do shine through in inspection. Nonetheless, they do not greatly interfere with engagement, particularly to an audience that is sensitive to the conventions of the genre.
The one thing that remained with me is the good intentions in the project. It is not a reckless vanity car. It is as though it is a conscious effort to be better, to learn through criticism and to present a product that meets the expectations of the audience.
By the moment the story was driven to its climax, with a clean twist to it, I realised that I was no longer making comparisons with the previous attempts. It was just a matter of me playing it as an independent film, as a commercial entertainer, aware in its constraints and working within them.
Leader is by no means a flawless movie but it is, nevertheless, a remarkably entertaining one. It maintains interest, provides regular doses of thrill, and above all, shows apparent growth where it was most needed. I went away not frustrated, but recognized. Here, the work is obvious and, to a great extent, it works.
Rating: 3.25/5
