For over two decades, Cheran has occupied a unique space in Tamil cinema. In an industry often dominated by mass heroism, larger-than-life action, and star-driven vehicles, Cheran has been the soft-spoken chronicler of the common man. His films— Autograph (2004), Thavamai Thavamirundhu (2005), Mayakannadi (2007)—didn't just tell stories; they held up a mirror to middle-class morality, family fractures, and societal hypocrisy.
Cheran’s recent movie proves that his heart is in the right place, but his craft hasn’t adapted to the rhythm of the 2020s. He is still making middle-class television plays for a multiplex, OTT-native audience. Bakasuran is not a great film, but it is an important one. It will make you angry at the state of digital safety. It will make you nod your head at several profound observations about modern parenting and online shame. But it will also make you check your watch during the long courtroom sequences and the repetitive moral sermons.
For hardcore Cheran fans, Bakasuran is a welcome reminder of a voice that refuses to go silent. For a new generation of viewers, it might feel like a stern, well-meaning uncle giving a lecture at a family gathering—truthful, but tedious. cheran recent movie
Cheran has always cast himself as the everyman. But in Bakasuran , at 53, playing a retired professor hunting 20-year-old hackers, the physicality strains credibility. While his performance is earnest, one can’t help but feel that a younger, more dynamic lead might have elevated the material. There is a growing sense that Cheran’s off-screen persona as a moral crusader is now overshadowing his on-screen character’s vulnerability. The Larger Question: Is Cheran Out of Sync with Modern Cinema? The reception to Bakasuran forces a difficult conversation. Cheran is not an irrelevant filmmaker; he is an uncomfortable one. He makes films that should be made. Cyberbullying, digital voyeurism, and the collapse of family structures due to technology are urgent topics.
The director’s signature long, quiet speeches return. There is a scene in the second half where Sathya Moorthy confronts a young cybercriminal not with a fist, but with a devastating monologue about the weight of a father’s name and the hollowness of anonymous cruelty. For a few minutes, the film soars on pure writing. For over two decades, Cheran has occupied a
Unlike the vigilantes of mainstream Tamil cinema, Cheran’s hero does not use a gun or a machete. He uses a VPN, a voice modulator, and a deep understanding of human psychology. This intellectual heroism is rare and welcome. The Criticism: Where Bakasuran Stumbles Despite the noble intentions, Bakasuran received mixed reviews and underwhelming box office returns. Why?
Cheran plays Sathya Moorthy, a retired, principled college professor living a quiet life in a hillside town. When his niece becomes the victim of a deepfake pornography ring and the police prove helpless against anonymous digital predators, Sathya takes matters into his own hands. What follows is not a typical action thriller but a cat-and-mouse game rooted in psychological warfare, legal loopholes, and moral lectures. The film contrasts the vile anonymity of the internet with the grounded, physical world of family honor and personal responsibility. The Cheran Stamp: Strengths of the Film For long-time fans, Bakasuran feels both familiar and frustratingly different. Here’s what works: Cheran’s recent movie proves that his heart is
The greatest strength of Autograph or Thavamai Thavamirundhu was that the message was embedded in the drama. You cried for the characters first, and then understood the moral. In Bakasuran , the reverse happens. The second half devolves into an extended lecture. Characters stop behaving like real people and start behaving like audience surrogates waiting for the next sermon. The subtlety that defined Cheran’s earlier work is largely absent here.