Karuppu review: A nostalgic but uneven ride with Suriya at his best

Karuppu movie review: Director RJ Balaji's Karuppu, starring Suriya, Trisha and himself, is a fantasy courtroom drama that exposes how corruption is deeply ingrained in the system. While the film taps into a familiar idea, it doesn't capitalise and use it to its full potential.

In Short

• A father and daughter from Kerala face a corrupt court maze in Chennai
• RJ Balaji plays a ruthless lawyer exploiting vulnerable people for money
• Suriya enters as Saravanan, anchoring the film's fantasy and justice arc

It's the 90s and early 2000s. Do you remember watching the Amman movies getting replayed on KTV? Ah! Nostalgic, right? Director RJ Balaji took us to the same time period with Nayanthara's Mookuthi Amman in 2020. With Suriya's Karuppu, he has returned to the same space, but mounted it as a stylised commercial entertainer. But, does Karuppu hit the jackpot? Let's find out!

A father-daughter duo from Kerala arrive in Chennai in the hope of selling their gold to fund the daughter's liver transplant operation. But, they get robbed on their way to the lodge. After seeking police intervention, they recover a portion of the gold and are asked to follow the procedure of retrieving the jewellery by visiting the court. A one-day visit turns into a four-month ordeal, and it exposes different levels of corruption.

Their lawyer, Baby Kannan (RJ Balaji), is an evil man who doesn't pity the poor and milks them dry. And the magistrate (Natarajan Subramaniam aka Natty) gets a cut from the money. To put an end to their reign, Saravanan (Suriya) lands as a lawyer from nowhere and gets a taste of what Baby Kannan and team are up to.

Director RJ Balaji once again attempts to convey a devotional commercial film. This time with a local guardian deity, Karuppusaami. Mookuthi Amman explores a similar concept, but takes a satirical route. With Karuppu, RJ Balaji mounts a proper mass masala entertainer that glorifies Karuppusaami and holds him high. With slo-mo and mocobot shots, we get several elevation scenes featuring Suriya and RJ Balaji, with Sai Abhyankkar's music nudging you to scream your lungs out.

Karuppu's first half is cleverly written by RJ Balaji and team. It sets up the premise and the fantasy element, and establishes the context. However, the conflict remains puzzling as the film gets too convenient and bends or breaks the rules as it pleases. This leaves a bitter aftertaste, especially when you sit with the film after the credits.

But Karuppu works for those who expect a harmless commercial entertainer that plays to its strengths. The 'God' angle in Karuppu is interesting and when Suriya's character enters, he does justice to his character with his intense expressions. RJ Balaji, too, in his role as Baby Kannan, is perfect as a lawyer with no morals.

Karuppu is enjoyable in the way it uses Suriya's old film callbacks and other pop culture references. They genuinely invoke laughter and are organically woven into the story. The performances of Suriya, RJ Balaji and Natarajan Subramaniam help elevate the predictable story as well.

Trisha, however, disappoints. The lip sync is completely jarring, and Chinmayi Sripada's dubbing improvisations kill the vibe the film aims for.

GK Vishnu's frames give Karuppu a rich, vivid look, while Sai Abhyankkar's music makes it feel like a proper commercial entertainer with great production values.

Karuppu also pays a hat-tip to Amman movies of the yore in the third act. The sequence is tastefully shot and Suriya's expressions do absolute justice. There is corruption, common man vs system, sexual harassment and a lot going on in Karuppu. The messaging is intact and sensitive. It is only in hindsight that the film's glaring loopholes affect the overall impact.

Karuppu is a harmless KTV watch that reminds you of your 90s and 2000s Amman films. But, it only goes so far!

- Ends