Vijay Sethupathi
M. Vascodagama
Overview
A flower seller's son ends up in a tussle with a ruthless rowdy in Dindigul, forcing him to become a policeman and fight the odds.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
4 min readThe Flower Seller’s Badge
I’ve seen this story before. A thousand times, in a hundred languages. The underdog who stumbles into power, the small-town boy who becomes the cop, the man who wasn’t born to lead but finds himself holding the gun anyway.
It’s the kind of narrative that Tamil cinema loves—familiar, comforting, like a well-worn shirt. And yet, there’s something about DSP that makes me lean in closer. Maybe it’s the way the film refuses to let its hero off easy.
Or maybe it’s just Vijay Sethupathi, whose presence alone feels like a promise: This won’t be the same old song.
The synopsis tells us what we already know: a flower seller’s son ends up in a fight with a ruthless rowdy in Dindigul, forcing him to become a policeman and fight the odds. It’s a classic setup, the kind that could easily slip into formula. But the images tell a different story—one of contrasts, of light and shadow, of bodies caught between duty and desire.
There’s a moment in the first image where the camera lingers on a face half-lit by a streetlamp. The other half is in darkness. It’s a simple shot, but it does something remarkable: it turns a man into a question.
Who is he, really? The flower seller’s son? The reluctant cop?
The man who will have to choose between what’s right and what’s easy? The film doesn’t answer that question right away. Instead, it lets the tension simmer, letting us wonder what kind of man this will be when the chips are down.
Ponram, the director, has made a career out of these kinds of stories—tales of ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances. His previous film, Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam, was a comedy about a man who accidentally becomes a local hero. It was lighthearted, full of laughs, but it also had a sharp edge—a reminder that heroism isn’t always about grand gestures.
Audience Opinions
Limited evidence
Audience 6.8/10
"A modest action-thriller with a charismatic lead but a formulaic plot that fails to stand out."
Vijay Sethupathi’s performance is widely praised for bringing energy and charm to the film, making his character the highlight for many. However, the story is criticized for relying too heavily on familiar tropes, leaving little room for surprises or deeper engagement. latestnetflix.com's take is that Supporting characters and pacing issues further dilute the impact of the action sequences.
What viewers praise
- Vijay Sethupathi’s performance His charisma and screen presence elevate the film, making his character the most compelling aspect.
- Engaging first half The initial setup and early action sequences are entertaining enough to hold attention.
Common complaints
- Predictable storyline The plot follows well-worn action-thriller formulas, offering few surprises or original moments.
- Weak supporting cast Side characters lack depth or development, making them forgettable or underwhelming.
- Uneven pacing The film struggles to maintain momentum, with some sequences feeling rushed or dragged out.
Recommended for
Vijay Sethupathi fans Casual action-thriller viewers Tamil cinema enthusiasts
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsVijay Sethupathi’s "DSP" (2022): A Cringe Cop Story or Ponram’s Bold Experiment?
Tamil cinema’s ever-reliable Vijay Sethupathi took a sharp left turn in 2022 with DSP, a film that director Ponram pitched as an action-drama but left audiences divided between laughter and secondhand embarrassment. latestnetflix.com's take is that the movie, which stars Sethupathi as a police officer, quickly became a talking point—not for its box-office numbers, but for its unintentionally comedic tone and polarizing execution.
The Premise: A Cop Story Gone Awry?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4KLFe5r27Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj3jvCec03Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG4Td289fpA
DSP (Deputy Superintendent of Police) follows Sethupathi’s character as he navigates the challenges of law enforcement, but early reviews suggest the film’s tone veered into cringe territory. Multiple YouTube reviewers labeled it a "cringe cop story," with one calling it a misfire in Ponram’s otherwise lighthearted filmography . The director, known for his work in Tamil comedies like Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam and Rajini Murugan, may have aimed for a grittier shift, but the result reportedly fell flat for some viewers.
The cast—including Anukreethy Vas, Prabhakar, and Shivani Narayanan—delivered performances that, while competent, couldn’t salvage what critics described as a tonal mess. The film’s 144-minute runtime was another sticking point, with SensCritique noting its "Action, Drame" genre tags felt mismatched with its pacing 
.
Audience Reactions: Love It or Hate It?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gXkukgRv0Y
Public reviews were a mixed bag. Some viewers appreciated Sethupathi’s everyman charm, while others found the humor forced and the plot convoluted. YouTube channels like Delite Cinemas and RECENT VOICE dissected the film’s flaws, with the latter calling it a "Bayilvan Ranganathan" (a reference to a meme-worthy cop character) in spirit . Meanwhile, Akhilogy’s Netflix review highlighted the disconnect between the film’s ambitions and its execution, suggesting it struggled to balance drama and comedy .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky6QDSffQu4
The trailer itself became a meme magnet, with Kollywood reviewers roasting its over-the-top dialogue and awkward staging . Yet, for all its criticism, DSP didn’t disappear quietly—it became a cult curiosity, proving that even a "bad" Vijay Sethupathi film can spark conversation.
Ponram’s Gamble: Why This Film?
Ponram, born Ponraman Perumal, has built a career on crowd-pleasing comedies, so DSP marked a rare detour into darker territory . Whether this was an artistic pivot or a miscalculation remains unclear, but the film’s reception suggests his strengths lie elsewhere. Sethupathi, meanwhile, has a history of choosing offbeat projects, and DSP fits that pattern—even if it didn’t pay off.
The Verdict: A Flawed but Fascinating Mess
DSP won’t top anyone’s "best of" lists, but it’s far from forgettable. Its flaws—cringe humor, uneven pacing, and tonal whiplash—make it a fascinating case study in how even established filmmakers can misfire. For fans of Sethupathi, it’s another quirky entry in his filmography; for everyone else, it’s a cautionary tale about genre-blending gone wrong.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.