Fahadh Faasil

Movie Name :  Maareesan
Streaming Date : Aug 22, 2025
Streaming Platform : Netflix
123telugu.com Rating : 2.75/5
Starring : Fahadh Faasil, Vadivelu, Kovai Sarala and Others
Director : Sudheesh Sankar
Producer : R. B. Choudary
Music Director : Yuvan Shankar Raja
Cinematographer : Kalaiselvan Sivaji
Editor : Sreejith Sarang

Related Links : Trailer

Maareesan marks the reunion of Mollywood actor Fahadh Faasil and Kollywood actor Vadivelu after Maamannan. The Tamil movie has recently made its entry into the digital space. The Telugu version is also available on Netflix. Here’s a detailed review.

Story:

Daya (Fahadh Faasil) is a thief. While attempting to loot a house, he encounters Velayudham (Vadivelu) in an unexpected situation. Velayudham asks Daya to let him go and drop him at the nearest bus station. Daya agrees, but only in exchange for money. Velayudham requests Daya to free him and drop him at a nearby bus station. In return, Daya asks for money, which Velayudham agrees to. In the process, Daya learns that Velayudham has Alzheimer’s and plans to steal his money. As their journey unfolds, shocking truths emerge. Who is Velayudham really? Is he truly a patient, or does he have another motive? Is Daya a cruel man or a soft-hearted thief? These questions, along with others, are revealed as the story progresses.

Plus Points:

Vadivelu, widely known for his comedic roles, has rarely been explored in serious roles. In the past, many comedians have stated that actors capable of doing comedy can handle any role, and Vadivelu proves it with Maareesan. As a character with Alzheimer’s, he delivers a restrained and powerful performance that draws the audience into the story. The darker turn his character takes later is another highlight of his performance, showing his versatility once again.

Fahadh Faasil’s decision to play Daya is appreciative. Though the story centers around Vadivelu, he accepted the role and skillfully portrayed a character full of contrasts – soft, cruel, humorous, and innocent. His scenes and conversations with Vadivelu are delightful to watch.

Initially, the film seems like a simple road trip story involving a thief and a memory-loss patient. However, as the layers are peeled back, the real twist emerges, revealing the true essence of the story. The film succeeds in keeping the actual theme under wraps until this reveal, which works very well.

The emotional core in the second half is effective at several points. Supporting actors like Sithara, despite a small role, perform admirably, while Vivek Prasanna is given a neat, well-executed part.

Minus Points:

The real challenge in a thriller movie is to maintain engagement once the main twist is revealed, and this is where many directors falter. Director Sudheesh Sankar is no exception. The writing by V. Krishna Moorthy could have been more engaging even after the twist. Had it been, the film could have remained a solid thriller.

The second half loses momentum and fails to maintain the thrill of the first half. Certain unnecessary scenes appear to drag the film. Both writing and execution contribute to this lapse. As a result, the runtime feels long, especially after the main twist is revealed. A better inclusion of secondary twists could have made it more engaging.

Kovai Sarala, as Assistant Commissioner Fareeda, doesn’t have much to contribute to the story. The director could have leveraged Sithara’s scenes more dramatically to evoke stronger emotional engagement. Additionally, including songs in such a thriller hampers the pacing.

Technical Aspects:

V. Krishna Moorthy’s Writing and Sudheesh Sankar’s direction are a delight in the initial part of the movie, but unfortunately, their quality declines in the second half. The camera work of Kalaiselvan Sivaji is passable; however, especially in the second half, Sreejith Sarang’s editing could have been better. Yuvan Shankar Raja’s score is just about alright, and it is a letdown that the songs in the Telugu version are not freely adapted, even though the dubbing is quite good. The production values seem to be nicely compatible with the content.

Verdict:
On the whole, Maareesan is a thriller that retains the viewers’ interest at some occasions. Vadivelu and Fahadh Faasil put out strong performances. Unfortunately, the second half gets a bit slow with unnecessary scenes and the storyline turning predictable, thereby having a lesser impact on the movie as a whole. The movie is good to see for the actors and the decent first half if you want, but don’t watch expecting a perfect thriller.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.75/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team