Suriya has returned to form with a bang in Thaanaa Serndha Koottam. After being part of a few duds at the box office over the past few years, the actor seems to have a winner in his hands this time, with viewers as well as with critics wholeheartedly praising his latest Tamil flick.
Thaanaa Serndha Koottam is the official remake of the Bollywood flick Special 26. The original film was based on the 1987 Opera House heist in which a gang, disguised as CBI officers, carried out a fake raid to steal jewellery and money worth Rs 30-35 lakh in Mumbai.
As promised by director Vignesh Shivan, he has retained only the outline of the story and tweaked the rest to suit the sensibilities of the local audience.
Taking a break from his angry-man avatar, Suriya has played the character of a common man and impressed viewers with his energetic performance.
Thaanaa Serndha Koottam is not just an entertainer but also a message-oriented film. Critics have lavishly praised Suriya, Anirudh Ravichander's background score and Vignesh Shivan's screenplay, which are among the highlights. Here, we bring to you reviews of leading publications:
The Times of India Review: Taking the core plot of Neeraj Pandey's Special 26, a solid caper, Vignesh ShivN has come up with a heist film that is playful for the most parts, but gets message-heavy in the end. He has also carried over the music video sensibility of his Naanum Rowdydhaan and this style injects playfulness and lightness to the narrative of TSK in the first half.
The Hindu Review: Thaanaa Serndha Koottam works wonderfully well as long as it stays closer to the plot of Special 26, and the changes are superficial - restricted to the backgrounds and motivations of the characters. The raids are staged with a sense of fun, and the scenes are punctuated with Anirudh's peppy songs that make the film lively.
Sify Review: Suriya commands your attention in every frame and you cannot take your eyes off him. Be it the emotional scene with his dad after an interview followed by the breakdown scene, when his friend commits suicide, he reveals the actor behind the star. After Vignesh and Suriya, Anirudh is another hero of TSK.
Behindwoods Review: Whenever regional filmmakers decide to make a heist film with a bunch of big star cast, our imagination directly goes to the renowned Ocean's series. TSK has a core plot that is pretty similar to the Hindi film Special 26. It must be noted that they have acquired the rights to the Hindi film and Vignesh ShivN has modified the screenplay completely to suit the local audience. TSK actually looks like a highly original product that is sure to get its applause.
