This breeze of romance is written by Dhanush, bringing back the iconic DnA combo. In a completely fresh dimension, we have a quintessential Anirudh melody pictured on Superstar Rajini. A surprise is Superstar Rajini's one-liner with his signature laugh. A retro feel is given to this track, making it an interesting theme for the film. The beats pick up, the synths straighten and the trumpet blows on. It catches on with an eerie tune that makes us feel like Rajini could have a negative shade in his character. The track rides solely on the trumpets that lead the show. Petta theme is a screamer for those who love Superstar Rajini. Anirudh's rendition is as always very strong and the local flavor is not missed out on! Another very interesting move is bringing in the authentic percussionists from various places to keep adding multiple layers of beats to this excessively powerful kuththu song. Vivek's lyrics are quirky and they adjust to the requirement of the situation. Though he has only a few lines, his zest brings back so many memories and gives this song a big boost. Firstly, though the words Rajini mouths in the song are less, the choice to bring the legendary SPB to sing for that is a fantastic move. Anirudh Ravichander seems to have capitalized on that fact and he delivers in style with Marana Mass. Vocals: SP Balasubrahmanyam and Anirudh Ravichanderįor a very long time in Superstar Rajini's career, we hadn't witnessed the pakka mass thara local kuththu number in an album. You can't agree more, and that's what the film is all about. The film opens with a card: INSPIRED BY, PERFORMED BY, AND DEDICATED TO RAJINIKANTH. We can safely say this is one of the most memorable Rajini films we've got. Thirunavukarasu's usage of the blue color in the hill station scenes actually makes you feel cold, and the yellow tone used in the mass scenes look delightful and majestic at the same time. Petta is also technically strong, with Kunal Rajan's sound design and Vivek Harshan's edits hogging the limelight. The portions involving Rajini and Simran look as beautiful as the latter. With a run time of close to 3 hours, it could have been shorter by a few minutes. The popularity of the songs aid the film, but a couple of dance sequences creates a lag. He has unleashed every trick in his bag, leaving us with a terrific score. Despite scenes working well separately, a set of audience can find the story to be less engaging in the second half, partially due to the history that Karthik Subbaraj carries.Īnirudh looks like a man who has been on a penance to work for a Thalaivar movie. The best part is, it all complements the scene well.
For example, the movie opens with the song 'Andha Naal Mudhal, Indha Naal varai', we get to listen to En Iniya Pon Nilave, and other Ilayaraja hits. Karthik Subbaraj once again uses Ilayaraja's music extensively. In fact, the film by itself has a lot of meta scenes, most of which works. There is a certain aura about him that breakes the 4th wall and hits us. As cliched as it may sound, we cannot take our eyes off the Superstar. A separate thesis can be written on how the man manages to enthrall us in every way possible. There are scenes where he flicks his hair, flips a cigarette, dances to a Kuthu number and what not. Petta is a Rajini fan's delight, as we witness a lot of scenes that remind us of the Superstar from the 90's. Even though Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vijay Sethupathi deliver memorable performances, the film leaves us wanting more of them. The actors fall under the latter category. It takes a lot of effort to act, and even more effort to make it effortless.
Simran, Trisha, Sasikumar, Bobby Simha, Munishkanth, and Guru Somasundaram deserve a special mention. Even more surprising is the fact that all of them have performed their best and stand out in their respective scenes. The director must be praised for putting together a dream cast like this. Whereas, the second half belongs to the 'Thalaivar Fan' with Rajini moments. The first half belongs to Rajinikanth the Superstar, with little Karthik Subbaraj moments. The film can be easily divided into 2 parts. Still he manages to retain his Midas touch throughout the film, with massive twists and surprises every now and then. Karthik Subbaraj's 5th directorial Petta is his most commercial film yet. Synonyms - Rajinikanth, Thalaivar, Kaali, Petta Superstar (Noun) - an extremely famous and successful performer