For those who have been waiting for the vintage ‘Thalaivar’, your wait ends here. After Enthiran in 2010, nothing really worked out for Rajini and his fans till now. Fans can now rejoice, Superstar Rajinikanth’s latest outing is a full on Rajini movie, right from the opening credits to the ending credits. The ‘Rajini fan’ in director Karthik Subbaraj has portrayed the actor just like how the audience wanted. ‘Petta’ is in the league of movies which made ‘Rajini’ numero uno in Tamil Cinema industry. Now without any delay, let’s delve into this one in detail.

The basic story of ‘Petta’ is one we have seen before in movies like ‘Baashha’. But still it feels fresh, thanks to the director. Kaali (Rajinikanth) joins a college hostel as warden. The college and its hostel is ruled by student rowdies headed by Michael (Bobby Simha). Right from his entry to the hostel, Kaali makes his presence known. He sets things in his own way. He soon became a leader for students except the rowdies. Kaali is playful, romantic and full of swagger. Michael, son of a local kingpin, was subject to humiliation in the hands of Kaali. Michael and his father plot against Kaali which in turn reveals who the hero actually is. The audience then gets to see other biggies of the cast aka the baddies of the movie, Nawazuddin Siddique and Vijay Sethupathi. The clash of these titans and the history of their rivalry forms ‘Petta’.

The movie justifies the tag #GetRajinified in every sense of the word. It truly feels like a tribute to the biggest superstar of the industry. His classic mannerisms, energy, dialogue delivery, swagger and style makes this a treat for festival movie lovers. ‘Thalaivar’ captains this ship; Karthik Subbaraj feels like his deputy. Rajini’s character can be rough and playful; his comedy timing is perfect. Certain references to his all-time hits are sure to bring applause in movie halls. Combination scenes of Rajinikanth and Simran are lovely.

Nawazuddin Siddique and Vijay Sethupathi eased into the role of villains. Nazwazuddin had his issues with Tamil, but acting was flawless. For Vijay Sethupathi, this was a walk in the park. He managed to have his own space in the movie where Rajinikanth outscored everyone. The actresses and other actors are just a namesake part of this Rajini show, though important at times.

Cinematography by Tirru played a massive role. The movie had a certain visual beauty, which synced perfectly with the ‘mass’ nature. It is undoubtedly one of the best looking movies of Rajinikanth. The use of light is spectacular.

This review cannot end without mentioning Anirudh. His music and bgm elevated the overall experience of ‘Petta’. ‘Marana Mass’ and ‘Petta Parak’ will be amongst the biggest Rajini hits for sure.

‌Karthik Subbaraj has delivered a winner in ‘Petta’. He managed to compile all the essentials of a Rajini spectacle, which several other directors couldn’t do. He even managed to produce a stamp in the movie’s climax; an obligatory Karthik twist. The movie does have issues however, mainly in the latter half where there is more drama than the first half. But that’s not a major problem in the final outcome of the movie. The director gave us the Rajini we were longing for; one we fell in love with. He being a hardcore fan of the superstar knew what the fans wanted. Right from the songs to punchlines, it truly felt like the star was communicating with his fans.

‘Petta’ lived up to lyrics of the peppy hit song in the movie; it is indeed ‘Marana Mass’. Don’t miss this one from theatres if you like, love or admire Rajini. Fans of entertainers can be sure of a joy ride.