Spoilers!!
There is a terrific central conceit in RJ Balaji’s Karuppu.
What if the legal system is so corrupt that the presiding deity of that jurisdiction has to himself come to serve justice? What if the antagonist (Rj Balaji himself) challenges God to get justice served without using his powers but as a human? What if God, stripped of his powers, is fighting to get justice to the common man and loses and has a death under his watch?
This is an intriguing premise of the first half of Karuppan where Suriya who is the presiding God of that territory tries to get back the confiscated jewellery of Indrans (Superb cameo) and his daughter so that the money from the jewellery can be used to save the daughters life who needs a transplant. And fails!!
If RJ Balaji had continued THIS movie into the second half, we would have had a very good movie here of how the ordinary god wins against the system and achieves real God status. But RJ Balaji suddenly changes tracks in the second half and decides he will just make ‘God do God things’ and correct the system, and movie loses its entire novelty. So, we have scenes from Liar Liar where the antagonist cannot lie anymore (god using his powers) and Suriya in God mode fighting them in one set piece after another. The second half is somewhat redeemed by the climax where God shows his true weed smoking black (Karuppu means black) form and vanquishes the antagonist in mythological style.
I can see why the movie is a blockbuster. I didn’t like the second half, but it is all massy and I can see the rural belt go crazy as the whole concept of Karuppan is an ode to village deities (think Kantara). The movie is more of a director’s movie (RJ Balaji has an equal role to Suriya if not better!!) but I would have been happier if he had made the movie he intended to make in the first half and had not turned all massy and populist in the second half.
Overall, a missed opportunity but I will be surprised if this is not remade. It’s a very easy hit.
