Utharavu Maharaja

Utharavu Maharaja Movie Synopsis: A traumatic incident from his childhood has left Ravi (Udhaya), the son of a dhobi, with dissociative identity disorder. One day, after a night of inebriation, he wakes up to realise that he was out for a month! And, he starts hearing a voice in his head — from a king, no less — commanding him to act as it wishes. Meanwhile, a businessman claims that Ravi, as Vasu, robbed him off Rs 400 crore. What is happening to Ravi, and how does Arun Bose (Prabhu), a doctor, fit in this bizarre tale?

Utharavu Maharaja Movie Review: On paper, Utharavu Maharaja is certainly interesting, with a pulpy plot that has a medical disorder, a likely historical connect, a touch of sci-fi that includes micro-chips inserted inside one’s body, a melodramatic flashback that provides the scope for a revenge angle… Unfortunately, the filmmaking lacks the panache that such a premise needs, and is filled with underwritten characters, underdeveloped sub-plots, flat staging and over-the-top performances. After a point, the film becomes a loudness contest between Naren Balakumar’s music (if the intention was to make us experience the disorientation of the protagonist, it doesn’t work) and Udhaya’s hammy acting. Prabhu brings some sangfroid, but that isn’t enough to salvage the film.