Cast: Sivakarthikeyan, Rukmini Vasanth, Vidyut Jammwal, Biju Menon
Director: A. R. Murugadoss
Music: Anirudh Ravichander
Genre: Psychological Action Thriller
Release Date: 5th September 2025
Runtime: 2hr 48mins
Director A.R. Murugadoss, who has been struggling with back to back flops, comes with his new film Madharaasi. The movie features Sivakarthikeyan as the lead, Rukmini Vasanth as the heroine, and Bollywood star Vidyut Jammwal as the villain. With stylish posters, trailers, and promotions, the film created good interest before release Let’s see what’s in the store
Story
Raghu (Sivakarthikeyan) is a young man who suffers from a rare psychological problem. Because of this disorder, he always remembers his dead parents and family members in others, which often makes him help people in need. In this process, he meets Malathi (Rukmini Vasanth), and their friendship slowly turns into love. But situations lead to a painful breakup which shakes Raghu completely.
At the same time, Prem Nath (Biju Menon), the NIA head of Tamil Nadu, comes into Raghu’s life. He plans a suicide mission and wants Raghu to be a part of it. How this mission is connected to arms dealer Virat (Vidyut Jammwal) and Chirag (Shabeer), and what happens to Raghu’s love story, form the rest of the movie.
Performance
Sivakarthikeyan is the heart of Madharaasi. He carries the film with his screen presence and performance. Though his character had so much potential to be unique, Murugadoss failed to use it fully. Still, Siva manages to entertain with his energy and emotional touch. Rukmini Vasanth looks elegant and acts naturally, while Vidyut Jammwal gets a powerful villain role and performs with intensity. Biju Menon does well in his supporting role, and the rest of the cast give decent performances.
Analysis
The concept of a hero with a psychological disorder is not new, but it always has scope for interesting storytelling. In Madharaasi, the first half is quite engaging with fun moments, a fresh love story, and some good buildup. The interval twist also raises curiosity.
However, the second half shifts into a darker tone with heavy violence. While some fight scenes are whistle-worthy, the overdose of action and lack of depth in the story make it less effective. The pacing also slows down in places, and the emotional angle doesn’t hit as hard as it should have.
On the technical side, the cinematography looks stylish and matches the action mood. The background score is loud but works in most parts. Editing could have been sharper, as the second half feels stretched. Songs are easily forgettable and don’t add much to the film.
Positives
Sivakarthikeyan performance
Action parts
Negatives
Story
Songs placement
Pacing
Verdict
Madharaasi is a stylish action entertainer that entertains in parts. Sivakarthikeyan’s performance and some action sequences work well, but the weak story, overdose of violence, and missed potential hold it back. Murugadoss had a strong character setup but failed to use it properly. Compared to his recent flops, this is a better attempt, but it still falls short of becoming a strong comeback.
Rating: 2.5/5
