Cyber heists

Irumbu Thirai is a sober account of how our daily smartphone use can be our nemesis

Despite Irumbu Thirai being his first movie, I would like to believe that director P S Mithran reads newspapers every day. How else can a film-maker incorporate uncomfortable details such as fudging regular bank SMSes? Or, depict robbers tracking social media profiles for vacation details of homeowners? Or, portray how allowing apps unfettered access to our smartphones is the reason why big data has become the new oil?

With Arjun as the suave antagonist who makes illegal use of even Aadhaar data, Mithran has managed to make a movie that can be a bigger flashpoint for Bharatiya Janata Party supporters than Mersal was. The story’s about an army man, Major R Kathiravan (Vishal at his ever-dependable best), who unites with his estranged father (Delhi Ganesh) and sister, but the joy is short-lived as the money saved up for his sister’s marriage goes missing from the bank account. A deeper investigation into this Houdini’s Act reveals the pattern of several such crimes by “White Devil” (Arjun), the ruthless mercenary who can rob everything from anyone’s bank account.

This headlong thriller is a sober account of how our daily smartphone use can be our nemesis in multiple ways. There are even references to Dark Web, something I can expect from only Tamil cinema. It’s weirdly hypnotic to see Mithran weaving such a cohesive yarn that still abides by the checklist of regular Tamil cinema: there’s oodles of family sentiment, a menacing villain and a decent romantic subplot (with Samantha as the shrink to keep Vishal’s anger issues under control).

Despite its long runtime, the movie never runs out of steam because Mithran’s story is so universal. So the next time you try to access free Wi-Fi at any public place, be aware that you are giving away every vestige of your digital life. Mithran deftly lends this whole process the levity of a Faustian pact. The last time Tamil cinema saw such a brilliant anti-hero act was Aravind Swamy in Thani Oruvan.

Vishal has been on a roll lately. He’s emerging out of his rural Tamil Nadu chrysalis one step at a time. After his successful role as a dapper detective in the hypnotic Thupparivaalan, this is another act he has revelled in. Good for him that he didn’t mind a first-time director like Mithran who really gives the movie a Thuppakki-like vibe. Just like in Thuppakki, which is helmed by A R Murugadoss, Mithran also ensures his hero goes through the by-lanes, and who better than George C Williams to capture the travails of the hero. It’s fortuitous that Williams was given his first shot at cinematography by Murugadoss.

It remains to be seen what Mithran follows up his creepily engaging social drama with, but I expect good tidings ahead.

I watched Irumbu Thirai’s Telugu version, Abhimanyudu, at a single-screen theatre, Movieland, in Bengaluru’s Majestic area. I paid Rs 118 for a balcony ticket and it was one of those moments when I realised I will not be getting more such opportunities. The mallification and gentrification of India and its metros means we are stuck forever with multiplexes and with paying through our noses to have a good time at the cinema. With there being not many art galleries or green spaces in our country, the neighbourhood multiplex is our Louvre and that’s where we end up spending most of our weekends. The Monday water cooler talk at workplaces is about what new movie is a good watch.

Single-screen theatres are dying unmourned deaths in all major cities. While Chennai and Kolkata are somehow holding the fort, Mumbai and Delhi have readily bid farewell to these theatres, and Bengaluru is rapidly following suit. During my student days in Bengaluru barely a decade ago, I remember numerous such theatres with massive cutouts of and decorations for every major Kannada, Telugu and Tamil actor. I still get to see this in Hyderabad and Chennai a lot, but movie-going as an experience has been severely vitiated in the rest of the country.

Going to theatres like Movieland will keep our movie-going soul intact, and it’s pocket-friendly as well. Sugary drink plus popcorn at Rs 60 is a deal you can never say no to.

jagan.520@gmail.com