Check out how badass he looks in the motion poster (basically like a first look teaser) below: Karthik Subbaraj is a fantastic director. His second film, Jigarthanda, a dark dramedy centred around a gangster and an aspiring filmmaker received widespread critical acclaim. The same can be said about his third film, Iraivi, a near-masterpiece of a sprawling crime drama about men and their untameable egos. It happens to be one of my favourite films of 2016. Karthik Subbaraj has also made a couple of experimental horror films, including Mercury in 2018 which takes the A Quiet Place approach to its storytelling (though, admittedly, it’s not nearly as brilliant as the John Krasinski film). In 2019, he made Petta starring Rajinikanth and while it isn’t a great film, it’s easily one of the most uniquely written and beautifully shot Tamil commercial action blockbusters in recent memory. Naturally, Jagame Thandhiram is one of my most anticipated films of 2020. But it’s not just because of its director. It’s also because of its leading man, Dhanush, who is — without a tinge of hyperbole — one of the best actors working in world cinema today. Just check out films like Asuran, Vada Chennai, Aadukalam and Pudhupettai. I can’t wait to see Dhanush and James Cosmo bounce off one another. Cosmo’s work as Jeor Mormont in Game of Thrones was simply outstanding. There was always a sense of warmth underneath his assured stoic-ness. Jeor Mormont was a proper leader and James Cosmo brought his character to life in a believable and sincere manner. Director Karthik Subbaraj has previously mentioned that he initially tried to cast the likes of Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino but wasn’t able to due to budget constraints. Jagame Thandhiram hits cinemas 1 May 2020.
