Pokiri: typical Vijay entertainer

Vijay has modelled his career on the Tamil super star Rajnikant. His films rarely have a storyline but have sufficient elements to keep audiences enthralled. There are a half-dozen dance numbers, unimaginable aerobic action sequences, hard-hitting dialogues, below-the-belt humour and dollops of sentiment. And his films work as does Pokiri. Even new director and ace choreographer Prabhu Deva does not create a change in Vijay's success formula.

Tamizh (Vijay) is a local goon who's more on the lines of a mercenary. He switches loyalties between rival gangs depending on who has more money to offer. When he is not bumping off henchmen, Tamizh indulges clowning around with a set of friends, troubling Shastri (Naser), owner of a gym and romancing its aerobics teacher Sruthi (Asin). To settle scores, underworld don Ali Bhai (Prakash Raj) arrives in town, only to be arrested immediately by the cop Mohideen Khan (Napolean). Ali Bhai manages to get out of jail and finds out that Tamizh is an undercover cop.

Pokiri is a remake of a Telegu blockbuster with the same title, and Deva as director did not have much to do. But his influence in the dance sequences is evident to the extent that he lands up on screen to shake a leg with Vijay. But if Deva wants to create his own image as a director, then he has to take the risk of directing a story-driven film, not a star-driven one. Vijay enthralls, Asin does not have much to do and Napolean is in fine fettle. Films like Pokiri are currently the flavour in Tamil cinema and have an audience.