Kamal Haasan on Fahadh Faasil, Vadivelu's ‘Maareesan': ‘Left me laughing, thinking, and admiring its craft'

The Hindu

24-07-2025

Veteran actor Kamal Haasan on Thursday (July 24) praised the Tamil film, Maareesan, starring Fahadh Faasil and Vadivelu, which is set to release in theatres on Friday.
On his X handle, Kamal called the Sudheesh Sankar-directed film as one that 'dances effortlessly between wit and depth, leaving me laughing, thinking, and admiring its craft.'
Stating that he has congratulated the team for their delightful creation, he called it the 'inventive, spirited cinema' that he gravitates towards. 'Beneath its humour lies a socially conscious lens on human emotion and a keen gaze at the darker shadows of our society,' he wrote.
Watched Maareesan - a film that dances effortlessly between wit and depth, leaving me laughing, thinking, and admiring its craft. Had a wonderful conversation with the team to congratulate them on this delightful creation.
Beneath its humour lies a socially conscious lens on… — Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) July 24, 2025
Written by V Krishna Moorthy, Maareesan follows a small-time thief (Fahadh) who befriends a stranger (Vadivelu) in a bid to rob him. The film marks a reunion between the two actors after their acclaimed 2023 film Maamannan.
The Hindu's review of the film called it leisurely paced in the first half to set things up nicely for a thriller in the second half. 'The twists are many, but they all arrive slowly, like a character's change of intention and the subsequent actions. Do we really know someone fully? Maareesan explores this aspect in good measure by taking up a protagonist who has dementia. That itself is a triumph — because forgetfulness is a big ordeal. What is life without memories, the lead character asks nonchalantly, and you feel sympathetic to his state,' it read.
The film also features Vivek Prasanna, Kovai Sarala and PL Thenappan playing pivotal roles. Sithara, Livingston, Renuka, Saravana Subbiah, Krishna, Haritha, and Telephone Raja are also part of the cast.
With music scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja, the film has cinematography by Kalaiselvan Sivaji and editing by Sreejith Sarang. RB Choudhary produces Maareesan under his Super Good Films banner.