Rajini's Darbar overtakes Murugadoss.

    A.R.Murugados is known for his sleek and succulent narration of cinematic events.He could resort to the direct narration mode as he did in Ramana and Kathi or could also narrate scenes with pep and precision that  he beautifully did in Gajini,Thuppakki and Sircar. But Darbar does not fit into either of his modes.The first fifteen minutes were an erratic visual furore with gun shots making one doubt whether it is a Murugadoss film. But soon Rajini and his daughter occupy the centre stage,with the highly energetic superstar dancing with his daughter and passing on the glorious spirit of father daughter relationship.
   The first half of the film is a Rajini bonanza to his ardent fans invigorating them with his Baasha days of sparkling style and punch and his inimitable flair for humour. Nivedha Thomas does a beautiful role as Rajini's daughter,creating the very genuine camaraderie of a pampering daughter of a devoted father. Nayantara with her brief,in- between appearances, adds grace to the breezy romance bound interactions between Rajini and herself.One can not imagine the superstar as a stalker.Perhaps that is why he fumbles at his every move.
   I am one of those who would have longed for the presence of Vadivelu in the presence of Yogi Babu to raise really hilarious moments so as to make the first half more rib tickling,because Yogi helplessly lets Rajini take the lead in generating humour and remains most often,at the receiving end.One could really envy the almost immortal youth of Rajinikanth. However effective the cosmetic touches are in restoring one's youth,it is the individual's mindset to retain the gusto of youth,that matters.In this particular regard Rajini is always on the winning side.His bodily movements and the nimble effects they create, are his special assets.Long live his celluloid youth.
  Though Murugadoss attempts to raise his head here and there in the second half,it is once again Rajini whose mad encountering spree, that lifts the second half, with power packed action.When the first half comes to a close Rajini pulls us to the screen for greater expectations. There is a special scene in the second half where Rajini vows to prove his physical and mental fitness within four days to remain as a cop,after an almost fatal attack on his life and the killing of his daughter,which made him psychologically deranged for a while.It is truly one of the super scenes of the film.The dampening climax is an undeserving end of an otherwise fast moving film.
    There is a stench of dubbing through out the delivery of dialogues by most actors  excepting Rajini, Nayantharan, Nivedha Thomas and Yogi Babu. Anirudh did a better job for Petta.The initial formulaic Rajini song, is of Annamalai/Arunachalam type.It is an overall all Rajini film and his fans would all be doubly delighted and thank Murugadoss for not coming in between them and their most adored superstar.