“Karuppu” is a think piece masquerading as a potboiler. In it, Sukumaran (Indrans), a helpless old man falls at the feet of Karuppasamy (Suriya), the God of Justice after court proceedings drain him of energy and life savings. To aid his devotee, the deity dons various human avatars, from a lawyer to a cop. However, the corrupt judiciary system and other such obstructions don’t spare even divine figures themselves!
This genre-bending venture is laced with high octane violent action sequences straight out of an anime. However, with plenty of magical realism as well as a bizarre concept (and even more berserk execution), it is a bold, grounded portrayal of how a judicial system (mal) functions. This is particularly seen by the arm twisting by so-called upholders of justice who mislead their clients, deliberately sabotaging or dragging out court cases in a bid to exact more fees. It is also reminiscent to works such as “PK,” “OMG,” “Aparichit,” and “Kadaisi Vivasaiyi,” which featured a similar concept of an outsider or divine entity observing or even falling prey to injustice and the helplessness of humans.
Indictment of the Corrupt Legal System
Through characters such as Preethi (Trisha Krishnan), “Karuppu” showcases the rarity of upstanding lawyers on court premises where the disrespectful act of flinging legal documents on the ground or stashing them away in file cabinets to collect dust is rampant. And this latter is unfortunately normalised by lawmakers who neither fear no god nor face consequences.
The film also sheds light on judges who are easily bought off and cops who aren’t immune to money under the table either. This is in addition to the misogyny in courtrooms and police stations alike. For instance, Sukumaran’s young daughter Binu (Anagha Maya Ravi) is admonished by a judge for wearing a sleeveless top while conveniently turning a blind eye towards the injustice faced by her.Â
Another instance highlighting the sad state of the judiciary includes the plight of an elderly man languishing due to a minor error in his documents that has rendered him legally dead. Much like Tom Hanks’ Viktor Navorski from “The Terminal,” he is forced with no choice but to permanently reside on court premises with no identity nor hope in sight after decades of fighting his case. Lastly the movie rests its case by drawing a parallel between a cruel judge humiliating the all-powerful Lord Karuppasamy while he’s disguised as a lawyer with the same treatment meted out to the powerless layperson at the mercy of the judicial system.
Suriya with a God Complex
In the role of Karuppasamy, Suriya is stoic, suave, and a tad ham, particularly when shaking a leg to the ‘God Mode’ theme song or winking and breaking the fourth wall. He particularly excels at lending a human touch to a superhuman force. Similarly, RJ Balaji (who also directs) offers a layered performance as primary antagonist Baby Kannan, a lawyer gone rogue. The second half particularly affords him opportunity to flex his comedic chops in a slapstick sequence that’s lifted from Jim Carrey’s “Liar Liar.” Later the film will showcase a more chilling side to this character who develops a God complex, behaving in an erratic and borderline psychotic fashion. Trisha Krishnan is effective as Preeti, a loyal sidekick to Karuppasamy and a human vessel through whom the God indirectly administers divine justice. Indrans and Anagha Maya Ravi, as the father-daughter duo of Sukumaran and Bindu, offer empathetic performances too.
“Karuppu’s” bonkers direction style, unexpected brainrot moments, and high camp interspersed with a more serious tone are definitely an acquired taste. However, despite its distracting massy elements, the message itself is delivered with a punch. With many a layperson losing faith in a corrupt system that unjustly rewards the accused with a slap on the wrist, “Karuppu” is certain to resonate with viewers.
“Karuppu” is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
