Skip to main content

Vikram Vedha (2017): A Semiotic Analysis

A semiotic analysis of the Tamil film Vikram Vedha (2017), directed by Pushkar-Gayathri, reveals how the film employs signs, symbols, and narrative structures to explore themes of morality, duality, and the grey areas between good and evil. Drawing inspiration from the Indian folktale Baital Pachisi (Vikram and Betaal), the film uses a rich tapestry of visual, auditory, and narrative elements to convey its philosophical and ethical inquiries. Below is a detailed semiotic analysis, focusing on key elements such as narrative structure, character archetypes, visual motifs, dialogue, and cultural references.

Genre: Neo-noir action thriller
Duration: 147 minutes
Di. Pushkar-Gayathri
Tamil 

Narrative Structure and the Baital Pachisi Framework

The film's narrative is a modern adaptation of the Baital Pachisi, a folktale where King Vikramaditya is tasked with capturing the cunning Vetala (Betaal), who challenges him with moral riddles. In Vikram Vedha, this structure is mirrored through the cat-and-mouse game between Vikram (R. Madhavan), an upright police officer, and Vedha (Vijay Sethupathi), a charismatic gangster. Vedha’s three stories, each ending with a moral dilemma posed to Vikram, serve as narrative signs that disrupt Vikram’s black-and-white worldview, forcing him to confront the complexities of morality.

Denotative meaning: The stories are literal tales from Vedha’s life, recounting events involving his brother Pulli, his rival Chetta, and his own criminal activities.

Connotative meaning: These stories function as allegorical riddles, symbolizing the ethical ambiguity of human actions. They challenge the binary of good versus evil, reflecting the Vetala’s role in the folktale as a trickster who reveals deeper truths. The non-linear narrative, with its flashbacks and layered storytelling, signifies the complexity of truth and perception, encouraging the audience to question their own judgments about the characters.

The film begins with an animated sequence, depicting the Vikram and Betaal story voiced by Nasser, serves as a meta-narrative sign, explicitly linking the film to its mythological roots and preparing the audience for a tale where moral absolutes are destabilized.

Character Archetypes and Binary Oppositions

The characters of Vikram and Vedha are constructed as semiotic opposites, embodying the dichotomy of law versus crime, order versus chaos, and dharma (duty) versus karma (consequences). However, the film subverts these binaries by revealing their interconnectedness.

Beginning of the film: Vikram is in white (signifying Good), Vedha is in black (signifying Evil)

Vikram:

Denotation: Vikram is a no-nonsense encounter specialist who views the world in black and white, believing in the absolute righteousness of his mission to eliminate criminals.

Connotation: Vikram represents societal authority and the idealized hero, aligned with the archetype of Vikramaditya, the just king. His white shirts at the beginning of the film symbolize purity and moral clarity. However, as the narrative progresses, his shirts transition to grey, signifying his growing awareness of moral ambiguity and the erosion of his rigid world.

Semiotic Significance: Vikram’s transformation reflects the film’s central thesis: that moral certainty is an illusion, and even the “hero” is fallible. His character arc, influenced by Vedha’s stories, signifies the human struggle to reconcile duty with ethical complexity.

Vedha:

Denotation: Vedha is a notorious gangster who surrenders voluntarily and narrates stories to Vikram, manipulating the narrative to challenge his adversary.

Connotation: Vedha embodies the trickster archetype, akin to the Vetala, who uses wit and storytelling to reveal uncomfortable truths. His grey attire and relaxed demeanor signify his comfort with moral ambiguity, positioning him as a foil to Vikram’s rigidity. Vijay Sethupathi’s charismatic performance, marked by a “cool, calm way of living the character,” enhances Vedha’s appeal, making him a figure audiences are drawn to despite his criminality.

Semiotic Significance: Vedha’s stories and his ability to “bedevil” Vikram with ease symbolize the power of narrative to reshape perspectives. His character challenges the audience to question whether a criminal can possess honor or wisdom, blurring the lines between villain and anti-hero.

Supporting Characters:

Priya (played by Shraddha Srinath): Vikram’s wife and Vedha’s lawyer, Priya represents a bridge between the two opposing worlds. Her profession as an advocate signifies rationality and justice, yet her alignment with Vedha complicates her role, symbolizing the tension between personal loyalty and professional ethics.

Pulli and Chandra: Vedha’s brother Pulli and his girlfriend Chandra are pawns in the larger conflict, symbolizing innocence caught in the crossfire of crime and law enforcement. Their relationship, marked by raw emotion (e.g., the scene where Chandra slaps Pulli back), signifies the human cost of the moral games played by Vikram and Vedha.

Simon: Vikram’s partner, named after the biblical Simon who carried the cross, symbolizes loyalty and sacrifice. His tragic arc reinforces the film’s critique of blind allegiance to authority.

Last sequence where both Vikram and Vedha are in Grey shade, notice the change in position of respective characters as well.

Visual Motifs and Symbolism

The film employs visual signs to reinforce its thematic concerns, drawing on color, framing, and mise-en-scène to convey meaning.

Color Palette:

The transition of Vikram’s shirts from white to grey is a clear visual sign of his moral evolution, reflecting the film’s exploration of the grey areas between good and evil. Vedha’s grey attire and the muted, gritty tones of the North Madras setting signify the murky world of crime, contrasting with the sterile, orderly environments of Vikram’s police station.

Title Design:

The film’s title design is a potent semiotic element. The Tamil letter “வி” (Vi) in Vikram is stylized to resemble Vikramaditya’s sword, symbolizing authority and justice, while the letter “தா” (Dha) in Vedha resembles Vetala’s tail, evoking cunning, and elusiveness. This design encapsulates the central conflict between the two characters and their ideological stances.

Windows and Framing:

A notable scene highlighted on X shows Vikram and Vedha with two windows behind them, one illuminated and one dark, symbolizing their differing perspectives on morality. Vikram’s association with the dark window reflects his rigid, unyielding worldview, while Vedha’s alignment with the illuminated window suggests his nuanced understanding of life’s complexities. The directors’ use of studied framing, such as close-ups during interrogation scenes, emphasizes the psychological intensity of the Vikram-Vedha confrontations, with their body language (e.g., Vedha’s sarcastic smile) conveying power dynamics.


Action Sequences:

The action scenes, such as Vedha’s escape to a container yard or his interaction with a police dog when surrendering, are laden with symbolic meaning. For instance, Vedha throwing snacks to the police dog signifies his ability to manipulate and outwit authority, reinforcing his trickster persona.

Dialogue and Verbal Signs

The film’s dialogues, described as “crisp and sharp,” are a key semiotic tool, blending humor, philosophy, and cultural references to deepen the narrative.

Philosophical Riddles: Vedha’s stories end with questions like “Was I right or wrong?” which serve as verbal signs challenging Vikram’s and the audience’s moral assumptions. These riddles echo the Vetala’s queries in Baital Pachisi, positioning Vedha as a moral provocateur.

Humor and Regional Flavor: Dialogues like “Neenga siricha azhaga irukinga sir” (You look beautiful when you smile, sir) and the comedic exchanges in scenes like “Orampo” add levity while humanizing Vedha, making him relatable despite his criminality.


Music and Sound Design

The film’s score by Sam C. S. and songs like “Yaanji,” “Tasakku Tasakku,” and “Karuppu Vellai” (Black and White) are semiotic carriers of the film’s themes.

Karuppu Vellai: The song’s title and lyrics explicitly reference the black-and-white dichotomy, reinforcing the film’s central question of whether morality can be so neatly categorized. The song’s placement in the narrative underscores the tension between Vikram’s and Vedha’s worldviews.

Background Score: The “killer BGM” (background music) amplifies the film’s neo-noir aesthetic, with its pulsating rhythms signifying the psychological and physical confrontations between the protagonists.


Cultural and Social Context

Vikram Vedha engages with Tamil cinema’s conventions while subverting them, using semiotics to comment on broader social issues.

Encounter Killings: The film critiques the practice of extrajudicial killings by police, a controversial issue in India. Vikram’s role as an encounter specialist and Vedha’s stories questioning the morality of such actions serve as signs of the ethical dilemmas faced by law enforcement.

Gender Roles: Unlike traditional Tamil cinema, where female characters are often marginalized, Priya and Chandra are strong, independent figures. Priya’s role as a lawyer and Chandra’s defiance (e.g., slapping Pulli) challenge patriarchal norms, signifying evolving gender dynamics in Tamil cinema.

Mythological Resonance: The film’s grounding in Baital Pachisi connects it to Indian cultural heritage, using the folktale’s moral ambiguity to resonate with contemporary audiences. The animated sequence and title design reinforce this link, making the film a bridge between tradition and modernity.

Audience Reception and Semiotic Interpretation

The film’s reception, as evidenced by reviews, highlights its semiotic richness. Audiences and critics praise its “well-crafted” script, “terrific writing,” and “phenomenal performances,” indicating that its signs and symbols effectively engage viewers on both emotional and intellectual levels. The film’s ability to make audiences root for both Vikram and Vedha reflects its success in destabilizing moral binaries, a key semiotic achievement.

However, some critiques note that the film’s climax feels conventional, suggesting that while its semiotic structure is innovative, it occasionally reverts to familiar cop-gangster tropes. This tension between subversion and convention is itself a semiotic commentary on the challenges of balancing artistic ambition with genre expectations.


Conclusion

Vikram Vedha is a semiotic tour de force that uses the Baital Pachisi framework, character archetypes, visual motifs, dialogue, and music to explore the fluidity of morality. By presenting Vikram and Vedha as mirror images—each challenging the other’s worldview—the film invites audiences to question their assumptions about good and evil. Its visual and verbal signs, from the stylized title design to the grey shirts and philosophical riddles, create a layered narrative that resonates with both Tamil cultural traditions and universal ethical concerns. Through its meticulous use of semiotics, Vikram Vedha transcends the cop-gangster genre, offering a profound meditation on human nature and societal justice.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

ગુજરાતી ફિલ્મો : ‘કંકુ’, ‘ભવની ભવાઈ’ અને ‘ધાડ’ના સંદર્ભે

  આમ જોઈએ તો ગુજરાતી ફિલ્મ ઇન્ડસ્ટ્રી ખૂબ જૂની છે અને કેટલાય મહત્વના કલાકારો અને ફિલ્મો આપી ચૂકી છે. પરંતુ આજેય એ રાષ્ટ્રીય-આંતરરાષ્ટ્રીય સ્તર પર ખૂબ જ પાછળ દેખાય છે. અહીં , હું ત્રણ ગુજરાતી ફિલ્મો ‘ ભવની ભવાઈ ’ , ‘કંકુ ’ અને ‘ ધાડ ’ વિશે વાત કરીશ, અને ગુજરાતી ફિલ્મોનાં પટ પર તેમનાં મહત્વ વિશે વાત કરવાનો નાનકડો પ્રયાસ કરીશ. ભવની ભવાઈ (૧૯૮૦) કેતન મહેતા દ્વારા દિગ્દર્શિત ફિલ્મ ‘ ભવની ભવાઈ ’ ૧૯૮૦માં પ્રદર્શિત થઈ હતી જે ધીરુબહેન પટેલના નાટક પર આધારિત હતી , અને જાતિવાદના મુદ્દા વિશે ખૂબ જ રસપ્રદ રીતે વાત કરે છે. આ ફિલ્મને રાષ્ટ્રીય અને આંતરરાષ્ટ્રીય સ્તર પર ખ્યાતિ પ્રાપ્ત થઈ છે. મારા માટે ફિલ્મનું સહુથી મહત્વનું દૃશ્ય શરૂઆતની ૬ સેકન્ડ્સમાં જ જોવા મળે છે; એ કહે છે, અસાઈત ઠાકોર અને બેર્તોલ બ્રેખ્તને સમર્પિત. આ એક ફ્રેમ ફિલ્મને ગુજરાતી અને વૈશ્વિક નાટ્યપરંપરા સાથે જોડી આપે છે. ‘ભવની ભવાઈ’ (દિ. મહેતા , ૧૯૮૦)       ફિલ્મ પોતાની વાત કહેવામાં ભવાઈ નાટ્યપરંપરાનો ઉપયોગ કરે છે, અને એક નવી જ નેરેટીવ પદ્ધતિ...

Mikhail Bakhtin and his Dialogic Imagination

Book: The Dialogic Imagination: Four Essays (1981) Author: M. M. Bakhtin Translated by: Caryl Emerson & Michael Holquist Edited: Michael Holquist Austin & London: University of Texas Press "The Dialogic Imagination: Four Essays" by Mikhail Bakhtin is already considered a classic not only from the perspective of literary genre but also as an important work on the philosophy of language. The present book contains the four essays: 1. Epic and Novel, 2. From the Prehistory of Novelistic Discourse, 3. Forms of Time and of the Chronotope in the Novel, 4. Discourse in the Novel and an Introduction and Glossary by the editor. The essays are a commentary on the  historical development of novel form and how it is different from the other literary form. His argument is that as the novel form is different from the other literary forms, we need a different type of stylistic and poetic analysis and dogmas for that in order to truly evaluate the Novel. He tries ...

"ધુળકી તારી માયા લાગી": એક અવલોકન

ફિલ્મ “ ધુળકી તારી માયા લાગી ” રાઠવા સમાજની એક યુવતી , ધુળકી , ની વાત કરે છે . આ ફિલ્મ ‘ રાઠ ’ વિસ્તાર તરીકે ઓળખતા છોટાઉદેપુર , પાવીજેતપુર , નસવાડી , બોડેલી , વગેરે જેવા ગામડાંઓમાં ખૂબ સફળ થઇ હતી . આ વિસ્તારના સિનેમાઘરોમાં , જ્યાં ફિલ્મ ફક્ત ત્રણ દિવસ ચાલતી , આ ફિલ્મ મહિનાઓ સુધી ચાલી . પરંતુ , મારા કેટલાક માહિતીદાતાઓના મત અનુસાર આ ફિલ્મ રાઠવા સમાજ વિષે ન હતી . તો પછી આ ફિલ્મ કેટલાક ચોક્કસ વિસ્તારોમાં જ આટલી સફળ કેમ થઇ ? પ્રસ્તુત પેપર એના કેટલાક કારણો વિષે વાત કરશે , અને ફિલ્મમાં ‘ રાઠવા ’ ઓળખ કઈ રીતે ઉભી કરવામાં આવી છે તેના વિષે વાત કરશે . સામાજીક રીતે પછાત વર્ગની ઉપલા વર્ગ તરફની ગતિ જે ફિલ્મની મુખ્ય કથાનો ગર્ભીતાર્થ છે , જે ફિલ્મનું અન્ય પાસુ રજુ કરે છે . તદુપરાંત , આપણે ફિલ્મ અને સમાજમાં પ્રસ્થાપિત માલીક્વર્ગ અને પીડીતવર્ગ વચ્ચેના પારસ્પરિક સંબંધોને પણ જોઈશું . ***                 માણસ સહુથી પહેલા એક માણસ છે , ધર્મ , જાતિ , વંશ , બધું જ તેની માનવતા અને માનવધર્મ સામે ગૌણ છે . આવો સરસ સંદેશો રજુ કરતી...