Expectations soared high when Vijay and Atlee came together for the third time after Theri and Mersal. They aroused curiosity when they announced that Bigil is a sports-based drama that champions the cause of women empowerment. And, the biggest question is whether it lived up to all hype? The answer is a big disappointment.
It is neither completely a movie that revolves around a sport nor something that glorifies the heroics of an individual who accomplishes a mission. As like his earlier movies, Atlee’s Bigil resembles films that hit the screens in Kollywood and Bollywood before. However, thanks to Vijay’s screen presence, grandeur and glitz, Bigil ends up a decent show.
Strictly for Vijay fans, the movie has the actor in dual roles – obviously dad and son. A desperate don, the dad wants to see his son excel in football. And the latter in the due course of events is compelled to coach a women football team and help it achieve glory. What could have been a crisp little over two hours drama, Bigil ends up a lengthy fare with a run time of 179 minutes.
The film begins with the introduction of Micheal Rayyappan aka Bigil (Vijay), a youngster who is adored and admired by people in North Madras. He is a footballer too. Enters his father Rayyappan, a don and a do-gooder. He loves his son very much and wants Bigil to become a national football player. He believes that only sports can uplift the underprivileged and his son has to lead by example.
However, violence shatters their lives. After almost seven years, the situation forces his son, Micheal, to take up the role of a coach for a women’s football team, which was formed by his close-friend Kathir (Kathir). Does he achieve his mission forms the crux.
There is Nayanthara for Vijay to romance, Jackie Shroff, Daniel Balaji and IM Vijayan to fight besides Yogi Babu and Vivek to tickle your funny bone. Vijay’s screen presence, dialogues and stunt sequences should enthuse his fans. Though a women empowerment tale, it largely revolves around Vijay and almost all scenes are set to feed his ‘mass hero’ image. He has pulled off both the characters with ease and has given many mass moments for his fans to rejoice. Nayanthara gets to play an extended role as the heroine.
Sadly, the football sequences, which are supposed to be the major highlight of Bigil, look unrealistic at most places. Rahman’s music is the USP of the movie. The film has been shot in a lavish manner by GK Vishnu. A wafer-thin storyline, had the filmmaker avoided some cliched and made it trim, it could have ended up as an engaging affair