Surya loses weight to play hardcore action hero

Movie review: Phoenix

Cast: Surya Sethupathi, Varaluxmi Sarathkumar, Devadarshini and Sampath Raj. 

Director: Anl Arasu

Rating: 9/10

PHOENIX is undoubtedly Kollywood’s proud offering to the world cinema world. 

Kollywood’s most popular hero "Makkal" Vijay Setupathi introduces his son Surya as a hero in this movie to Tamil cinema.  And what an introduction it is. 

With the uncanny resemblance to his dad, Surya makes a grand entry as a hardcore action hero. It took him about 18 months to reduce his weight from 120kg to play the hero in the sports action thriller. He was on the set of Jawaan, which starred his dad opposite Shah Rukh Khan, when stunt master Anl Arasu first met Surya. 

Arasu immediately told Vijay he would like to cast his son as a lead in an upcoming action movie directed by himself. Vijay said Arasu should speak to Surya about his suggestion and that he would not have a say in the matter. As the saying goes, the rest is history.

Being on screen is not new to Surya. He appeared in two movies featuring his dad, as a child artiste. Phoenix is his first full-length feature as a hero.

Just as Vijay impressed audiences in his debut movie Pizza so does his son, who, from the outset, has a compelling screen presence with a trade-mark piercing stare, akin to his dad. 

Phoenix is a gritty, dark and brooding movie that shows the dark side of political power and the dire consequence that follow in its wake.

Sampath Raj plays a powerful politician, Karikalan (Sampath Raj), who is obsessed with his son winning a mixed-marshal arts competition and goes overboard when his eldest son loses to the elder brother of Surya (Surya Sethupathi).

Karikalan becomes incensed and irrational when he orders his private army of henchmen to murder Surya’s brother. The deed is done. This opens the floodgate of blood, gore and guts. 

Surya fights for survival in a juvenile prison after he daringly avenges his brother’s cold-blooded murder by butchering Karikalan in broad daylight, during the funeral of his brother. 

Varaluxmi Sarathkumar plays Maya, Karikalan's wife. She embarks on a journey to avenge her husband's death. Varaluxmi excels in her role and proves why she is regarded as the best female antagonist in Kollywood. Her dead-pan stare and agile body movements are tailor-made to perfection as a menacing woman who shows no mercy when she makes up her mind to wreak havoc on anyone who interferes with her family.

Arasu had hand-picked the best technical crew in the business. With him as a director, it is unbelievable that he has delivered such a gem of a movie. 

Phoenix is a gritty and a gut wrenching movie. Kudos to Surya whose hard work in preparing for the fight scenes has paid huge dividends in firmly entrenching him, albeit in his first movie, as an all-out action star in Kollywood. 

Phoenix was a box-office success and is wooing fans on Amazon Prime, IPTV and YouTube and other streaming platforms.

Michael Lachimiah is an MC. He has worked in community radio and on internet radio platforms.

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