Mask delivers a whirlwind of excitement and intrigue

Movie review: Mask

Cast: Kavin, Andrea Jeremiah, Charlie and Pawan Krishna

Director: Vikraman Ashok

Rating: 9/10

THE Mask stars Kavin in his seventh appearance as a hero in Kollywood opposite Andrea Jeremiah, who produced the movie. She is also an accomplished playback singer in Chennai. 

The film starts off as a slow-burn but takes off like a bat out of hell. 

Kavin plays Velu, a witty private detective, who is hired by the public to solve their problems but they are unaware that he is a scammer who hacks their bank accounts to fleece them due to his insatiable greed for money.

Jeremiah plays Bhumi, who runs an NGO that provides education and shelter to down-trodden children. But this is a ruse as Bhumi is involved in various shenanigans. She launders money on behalf of criminals and heads a sex trafficking syndicate, using her charity as a front for all her nefarious activities.

Manivannan (Pawan Krishna), a crooked politician, approaches Bhumi for her to hide 400 crore rupees of black money for safe-keeping and in return Bhumi would receive a share of the total amount. In a daring heist, a group of individuals wearing actor Radha Ravi masks enter a supermarket and hold the staff and customers hostage. Among the hostages is Velu, who is in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The masked individuals know exactly where the black money is hidden. They retrieve the money and make a clean getaway. Velu is approached by Bhumi to investigate and retrieve the stolen money and to deal with the robbers and he negotiates a handsome reward. The only snag is that Velu has exactly seven days to crack the case and get the money to Bhumi before the crooked politician becomes aware of his missing stash in Bhumi's care.

Does Velu manages to get the money and the bad guys within seven days? This and other intriguing questions will be answered when you watch Mask.

Director Vikraman Ashok makes an impressive entrance into Kollywood with his first cinematic offering in Mask. He knows his craft quite well - he knows how to keep the viewer’s fully engaged and where to turn on the heat, so that the action on screen never falters. Ashok hand-picked the best actors and technicians that Kollywood can offer to deliver a great piece of entertaining cinema.

Kavin has grown as a hero in leaps and bounds. After Bloody Beggar and Kiss, which were massive hits, he is not easing on the accelerator. He has downed the gas-pedal once again in Mask and has delivered another massive hit.

GV Prakash Kumar has come up trumps with his impressive background score. The fight sequences are tastefully choreographed by ace Chennai-based stunt masters Peter Hein and Vicky. The action scenes are believable and professionally choreographed.

The Mask is currently on IPTV and other OTT platforms.

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

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