Bheemaa

“Bheemaa” (2008), directed by N. Linguswamy and starring Vikram, Trisha and Raghuvaran is a crime action film, which continues the theme of loyalty, love, and betrayal among gangsters. The tale centres on Sekar, a dutiful gang foot soldier who yearns for an honest life but is ensnared in a bloody cycle he feels he has no way out of.

In Chennai today, Chinna’s gang and Periyavar’s gang are fighting every day to gain power on the ground. During this attack on Chinna, a white knight hero, Sekar, a stranger to Chinna, acts to save Chinna. Fascinated by Sekar’s wild spirit, Chinna recruits him into his mafia. Sekar has been an admirer of Chinna since childhood and soon becomes his right-hand man. Thanks to Sekar’s support, Chinna prevails over Periyavar’s faction and solidifies his power. Shafi, another member of the gang, becomes envious of Sekar. At the same time, Sekar arranges for Chinna to marry Padma, daughter of the headman secretary, whom Chinna has long had a crush on, which brings even further intimacy between the two friends. Even with a truce between the bloody rival gangs, the new police commissioner moves against the two gangs, putting pressure on both gangs’ operations.

Sekar eventually falls in love with Shalu, and even though she loves him back, her parents refuse to accept him because of his criminal past. The two have a secret elopement, and Shalu talks Sekar out of the life of crime. Chinna believes in their choice, bestowing upon them all his blessings and cash to start anew. Their innocence is bliss only for a moment. After Chinna and his men pay a visit to Sekar’s house, the plan quickly backfires in a hilarious twist of fate. In the turmoil, Shalu is murdered by Shafi. Later, in the midst of a brawl with law enforcement, Chinna accidentally kills a cop. Sekar, thinking that Chinna has cheated him, shoots him out of rage. Only when he finds out his smudgy truth is too late. When the police surround him, in his grief and rage, Sekar charges at them and is gunned down, dying with memories of his bond with Chinna.

Three lead actors, especially Harish, take it to the next level, and it shows in “Bheemaa”. Vikram adds a feral power and rough-hewn passion to Sekar’s character, and Raghuvaran nails the quieter, but still forceful, presence of Chinna. While the film’s dark cocktail of brotherhood, heartbreak, and betrayal packs an emotional punch, its violent sensibilities and bleak conclusion won’t work for every audience.