Karthik Subbaraj is a director who knows how to flesh out brilliant characters. His movies are edgy, rough and made with immense attention to detail. Jigarthanda Double X had power-packed performances by Raghava Lawrence and SJ Suryah, but what stood out for most people was the remarkable acting by Nimisha Sajayan. Nimisha plays the wife of Allius Caeser (Raghava Lawrence)
She isn’t your usual wife of the protagonist. Here, she has a voice, and a loud one at that. She is made to seem like an equal opponent when the husband and wife are at loggerheads. We are in for a treat when women get to play a meaty role like this one. Nimisha is one of the finest actors we have in South Indian cinema. When we saw her in The Great Indian Kitchen, her measured performance was excellent. She was an instant household name and was appreciated by critics as well as the public.
- She is fierce, she stands up for herself: When Kiruban aka Ray Dasan (SJ Suryah) comes to meet Ceaser, we are introduced to Malaiyarasi. ‘If you insult my Dad, I will insult yours; her dialogue is a solid tit for tat. This characteristic is something fresh, we haven’t seen many women who belong to such gangster families have a voice.
- She’s bold and brave, and isn’t afraid to speak her mind: When an elephant comes to their tribal village, the others are afraid that it has come for their lives. She isn’t scared and approaches the situation with bravery and compassion.
- She’s not your typical gangster wife, she possesses a strong stance and powerful presence. Movies mostly end up showing a wife to a gangster in a whole different light, here she isn’t a ‘trophy wife’. She has substance and isn’t shown as just a heroine.
- She supports her husband when needed but also stands against him when he does her wrong: During her seemantham(baby shower), Caesar loses his temper when he learns of his uncle’s death. When he raises his hand on a pregnant Malaiyarasi, she decides to leave him and go to her hometown.
- She isn’t afraid to lay down her life for her people and her land: When their entire tribe is attacked and killed, they all stand in solidarity for their land. She has a newborn baby, that she hands over to someone to safeguard and takes position up front with her husband to fight for their motherland.