At first glance, Meka Suri - produced by Karthik Kancherla - is the kind of film that lovers of the classic, bloodthirsty revenge thriller will flock to. Give it a short while, though, and it delivers a few surprises that will pique the interest of even new-age arrivals to the South Indian action film genre.
The titular Suri is a 6-foot-6-inch tall giant of a man. He’s a butcher who is known for his ability to skin an entire goat and cut the meat in minutes, which is why he’s nicknamed “Meka”. He’s also the kind of man who kills goats with his teeth, drinks their blood, and then runs kilometres around his home village to work off the extra iron he’s consumed. Suri can’t be challenged by anybody, and listens to nobody but his lady love Rani. Rani is drop dead gorgeous, so much so that she’s caught the eye of many powerful men in the village, including the landlord she works for - Appalnaidu. But she only has eyes for Suri, and is the only one who is able to soften him. And then, she’s taken away from him.
The use of a flashback device in the first act, that is later brought back full circle in the final act, is common in this kind of film - especially ones from the Tamil film industry.
However, in Meka Suri, the police investigation we’re introduced to in the beginning doesn’t take as much time as usual. It’s brief but effective in setting up the mystery of the case - a refreshing change from the more usual drawn-out present day scenario that then cuts back to an even more long-winded flashback. Meka Suri sticks to quicker storytelling, which makes it more enjoyable.
Meka Suri as a character is the epitome of brute strength and wild masculinity. He’s sometimes more beast than man. And still, possibly thanks to the nuances of how Abhinay has performed the character, we see that Suri may be wild, but he’s also layered.
When the village begins to gossip that Rani is having an affair with Appalnaidu - whose house she works in - Suri is distraught in a way that isn’t so macho. And Appalnaidu’s presence in the narrative itself - why he’s blackmailing Rani, why Rani begs Suri not to whisk her away from the village so they may live in peace - addresses a different and striking element of masculinity and its inherent weaknesses. More on that cannot be revealed without spoiling a major plot point, but you’ll see for yourself when you watch it.
Both Abhinay who plays Meka Suri and Sumaya who plays Rani are actors with a background in theatre. This is evident in the ways they approach their roles. In one particular scene, where Rani begs Suri to understand why she has to keep working at Appalnaidu’s and details the terrible blackmail she’s been undergoing - the drama quotient is high, but at no point do the two actors allow their performances to feel over the top.
In this kind of movie, which doubles down on grit and rawness, the bloodshed and violence must be tempered by characters that are extremely human and empathetic. Abhinay and Sumaya bring exactly this to their roles. Even after Rani is murdered by her blackmailers and Suri is driven to the depths of grief, even after he is wrongfully suspected and beaten gruesomely in a jail cell, Abhinay retains some of Suri’s humanity. You’re left still rooting for him to win.
Ultimately, if you’re a fan of superbly shot fight scenes (kudos to cinematographer Pardhu Saina), high drama, and central protagonists whose traits allow them to reach levels of almost mythical power within the story - Meka Suri gets the job done. There’s love lost, vengeance sought, and a cliffhanger that leaves you wanting more to boot.
It’s not often that a commercial action-thriller allows for the mystery of unanswered questions, which is a testament to the skills of writer-director Trinadh Velisala. Maybe there’s a Part Two, who knows.
This article was created by TNM Brand Studio in association with ZEE5.