Aadhalal Kadhal Seiveer

Actor Vishal had spoken very highly about Director Suseenthiran’s Aadhalaal Kadhal Seiveer (AKS) a few weeks back in an interview to Behindwoods and our expectations about the movie naturally shot up.

 

Suseenthiran is known for quality movies such as Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu and Azhagarsamiyin Kudhirai. He has always been choosing diverse subjects in each of his movies and now he has based his latest movie on a teenage romance, set in an engineering college in Chennai. Selvaraghavan had towed a similar line, a decade back in Thulluvadho Ilamai but his setting was a school. 

 

Here, Suseenthiran has not just stopped with showing the rosy side of such hormone-driven college romance but he has also focussed extensively on the striking realities and grim consequences that arise from such a romance. 

 

The first half has its share of fun thanks to some lively characters in the college such as Arjun (earlier seen in Kadhalil Sodhappuvadhu Yeppadi), the guy with a feminine voice and

the reference to Mankatha Ajith’s salt ‘n’ pepper hair. Arjun keeps the mood light amid the tension around, with his spontaneous comments. The girl who plays Manisha’s best friend Jenny, is another important character and she adds a different angle to the proceedings. 

 

The way teenage lovers coolly resort to lying, to save their skin at home is again enjoyable. But we get the feeling that save romance, nothing else is on their mind. We might also wonder if ‘crossing the limits’ is something which is so easy for this generation’s youngsters. 

 

The running time of the movie is a crisp 106 mins and the screenplay is unwavering. The gripping family drama really takes the movie along, post the intermission and the finale is sure to leave a lump in your heart as we are shown the unfortunate little victim of this entire episode.

 

The casting in AKS is mostly on the mark with Jayaprakash and Thulasi as the heroine’s parents, investing their heart and soul into the movie. Under intense duress, both these actors mirror how parents would react in real life. Jayaprakash brings out the concern and helplessness in his body-language while Thulasi stands as a pillar of support for her troubled daughter in the end. Poornima Bhagyaraj as the hero’s mother doesn’t have much of a role compared to Thulasi. 

 

The way both the families react to the crisis on hand and how people respond to the same situation in a different manner, are nice lessons in human behavioral dynamics. This brings out some really engaging drama in the second half.  

 

The hero Santhosh Ramesh could have been a lot more spontaneous. Manisha Yadav plays the vulnerable and the emotionally fickle college girl pretty well and this is an extension of her role in Vazhakku Enn 18/9. She too has some scope to improve. The chemistry between the lead actors could have been more sparkling. 

 

Yuvan Shankar Raja proves why he is the ‘Little Maestro’ in the finale of the movie and the little pathos song sung by Yuvan himself, will surely move you. The little child that comes in these scenes is a delight to watch though it’s really heart-wrenching as well. Great work by the team in capturing all the myriad reactions of this child in a candid manner. 

 

Among Yuvan's songs, ‘Mella Sirithal’ is well-choreographed and comes in the title credits. ‘Thappu Thanda’ has been aesthetically shot too. He has composed some extra songs for the BGM score of the movie and they gel seamlessly with the screenplay. 

 

The cinematography by Soorya is functional and shines through in the songs particularly.

On the whole, AKS is a ‘slice of life’ tale topped by a really impactful climax. Teenagers and their parents ought to watch this one, for sure.

555

Firstly rounds of applause to Bharath and Sasi for making this film finally happen after tremendous delay. 555 is a cocktail of everything, however it’s best to be classified in the romantic thriller genre with a small dosage of fun as well. Bharath is counting a big comeback through this film and will be sitting fingers crossed. After diverse movie making through Poo and Rojakootam, Director Sasi comes out with a thriller, so let us take our Binoculars to see how it has come out.

The Plot:
The movie is a galore of twists and turns, the suspense element just keeps piling up through the movie and off late this is one of the best thriller movies without a doubt. And being a thriller movie with high suspense quotient, it would be unfair to reveal the storyline that might break the anticipation. Bharath plays Aravind a guy suffering severe trauma from the loss of his love Liyana(Mirthika) after they are struck in an unfortunate accident. Santhanam plays Bharath’s brother who takes care during the days of his loneliness and what follows on forms the plot of the movie. Thanks to some crystal clear cinematography by Saravanan the movie looks spot-on delivering the objective of the director.

The Good and Bad stuff:
For a few minutes into the first couple of scenes, it is sure to make us nostalgic of Ghajini, nevertheless the carefully scripted movie weaves away in its own pace making an impression. The love scenes between Bharath and Mirthika is adorable and poignantly portrayed, add to it a load of cuteness. Mirthika is sure to be the find of this year, her actions are simply awesome and one scene in particular when she reacts to Bharath on the phone in astonishment over his pranks is simply delightful. Sasi has intelligently made this movie look believable without stereotyping the intelligence of the heroes so that you don’t go “Oh yet again”.

The lengths and breadths of how love can make someone change is a one liner on what the movie is, where the protagonist will scavenge through anything for his lost love. Sasi is a gifted story teller of love with his previous outings always rendering love very sensitively, however this is something with aggression infused in an awe-inspiring way.

Bharath has put his heart and soul in this movie, making it worth the wait. His transformation from an urban cool dude to a steel gritted toned angry hunk is amazing, even though the justification for his clenched body is never shown in a convincing manner. All said, this might be the movie that could bring back him to the limelight again.

The rest of the cast are adequate enough to fill their roles neatly. Though being a movie with all serious intentions, Santhanam’ s crackers does light you up. Erica as the other heroine also fills her role with enough suspense elements. One of the biggest letdowns from this movie is the way the villain is pigeonholed, the usual mistakes all directors do. The kick and extra punch is clearly missing. The art work and set is impeccably done, the accident and its after math is so realistic, hats off to the team. However the stunts and fighting are monotonous with nothing to crave for.

Simon’s dives well with a few of the songs, the visuals are fun to watch especially Vizhiyile has some creative work that would go well. However the BGM is a disappointment not giving the thump during aggressive scenes. Two of the songs are absolutely misplaced and cutting them down would’ve reduced the length as well, even though the screenplay does not drag.

Alright, everything said and tested, was the publicity enough for this racy thriller? and will it catapult the box office good enough during Thalaivaa’s absence? A question to wait and watch as it was released rather in a hushed manner and might need some hefty promotion, as the makers would not want a good movie to die down that easy.

Pattathu Yaanai

Director Boopathy Pandian is known to deliver comedy based entertainers and when Santhanam comes aboard his story, it’s akin to gliding on a well practiced terrain giving the audience a fun time at the theatres. In Pattathu Yaanai (PY) produced by Michael Rayappan for Global Infotainment, Vishal joins the director after their last outing Malaikottai. Pattathu Yaanai also becomes special, for here is where, Action King Arjun’s daughter Aishwarya makes her on-screen debut.

These days when there is Santhanam, he takes charge of the opening scenes and Pattathu Yaanai is also no exception. It is also interesting to watch the intro scene of a hero without much fanfare; Vishal just surfaces into the scene without any hype or hoopla.

The story is as old as the hills; it is about how an ordinary person is forced into things that he may not otherwise venture and the offshoot of such event is all Pattathu Yaanai about. However, if you are that type who would expect a correlation between the title and the film, PY does not give you that till the end.

Comedy serves its purpose however much mindless it can be. Example is the scene towards climax when John Vijay is constantly being harassed by a call from a call taxi driver and the cascading events.

Some dialogues like “color Xerox edutha godzila maadhiri” and “ammavukku heart attack vandha kooda, doctorukku missed call koduppanga” bring the roof down.

The story travels on a predictable turf most of the time but for a nano twist just before the interval block. In other places, it is quite evident that the screen play wanders around in many directions. The biggest drawbacks of PY are the cliched flashback sequences and over the top villains.

Vishal has sincerely delivered what is expected from him. If you were to expect Vishal to showcase his six pack abs, you would be disappointed but the twist in the tale comes from the villain who removes his shirt to flaunt his chiseled torso. Action scenes though well choreographed, offers nothing new. More you see Vishal, more you would realize that here is one talented action hero who has not been fully utilized by directors till date.

Aishwarya Arjun looks emaciated but fits into her docile role. Pattathu Yaanai is an apt vehicle for the debutante and there is not much for her to demonstrate in the department of histrionics. There is a big line-up of supporting cast in the name of John Vijay, Murali Sharma, Seetha, Patti Mandram Raja, Mayilsamy, Jagan and many more. Of the list, John Vijay shines through his unique voice modulation and body language.

Santhanam rules in the first half but is missing in action in 2^nd half. The actor has improvised on his dialogue delivery and body language as the son of ‘Poongavanam’ in PY and has worked out well. For a change, there are no double innuendoes and women-teasing dialogues from him. His hairstyle is also different in PY. Usually, in Santhanam’s movies, it is he who would take others for a ride but in PY, he is at the receiving end most of the time. In fact, in second half, the villains also double up as comedians and fill up the void left by Santhanam.  

Thaman’s music satisfies the requisites of the film. ‘Enna Oru Enna Oru Azhagiyada’ and ‘Twenty-Twenty’ are good listens. Other tracks are just about ordinary.

Pattathu Yaanai would appeal to audience who would just want to come to watch a film without expecting much. In short the film does not promise much and hence does not disappoint much too.

Sonna Puriyadhu

ust about a month or so after the release and subsequent success of Thillu Mullu, Shiva is back to delight his fans with another of his typical comedy movies. The core team of Sonna Puriyathu, comprising director Krishnan Jayaraj, cinematographer Saravanan and music director Yathish Mahadev are new and Shiva felt happy introducing them to the industry.

Pre-release, the Sonna Puriyathu (SP) team had promised a light hearted entertainer which had no lofty intentions of delivering serious messages to society.

In SP, Shiva plays a unique dubbing artist who loathes marriage and leads a happy-go-lucky existence with his buddies. Buying a posh Volkswagen vehicle is his only motto in life for some trivial reason. But like 99% of other Indian movies, our hero has to fall in love with a girl and walk hand-in-hand with her, before the end credits roll.

Here, the romance isn’t the conventional ‘boy chases girl’ kind, but one which is kick-started by Shiva’s mother through a traditional marriage alliance.

Shiva oozes charm and makes us smile for whatever he does on screen. Such is his charisma! The scenes showing Shiva dubbing for Chinese action films along with his friend, are truly hilarious. He is in full flow in these scenes and even dubs for a little ‘monkey romance’ episode. The little references to Chennai 28 and Thamizh Padam are nice nostalgic trips down memory lane. Shiva’s ‘poker-faced’ dialog delivery style is his USP and his directors know it all too well. Also, watch out for his ‘Rosa Hai Dosa Hai’ Hindi song.

Vasundhara Kashyap has a sizable role and pulls it off pretty well. She must be hoping that SP proves to be a stepping stone for her career as a lead actress.

The actors who play the friends do a neat job with the fat young man given prominence. Sam Anderson’s cameo will surely leave you laughing. Such is his dancing prowess.

Vathsala Rajagopal as the tech-savvy Ipad toting grandmother gets a few entertaining lines while Mano Bala plays another of his quintessential roles. Meera Krishnan is another typical Tamil cinema mom who wants her son to get married at any cost. Gangai Amaran and Aarthi also do their parts in little cameos.

In all, though Sonna Puriyathu really peters out towards the end, if you are a fan of Shiva’s brand of comedy, it might just be the movie for you this weekend.

Maryan

Ace ad filmmaker Bharathbala makes his Tamil feature film debut with Maryan, which sees the return of Dhanush to Tamil films after a sizable hiatus post 3. With the best possible technical crew assisting the director, Maryan comes with the promise of delivering great music and visuals. Maryan also continues the recent love affair that Tamil cinema seems to be having with the state’s coastal areas.

The trailer gave us the perfect gist of the tale with elements like love, separation, struggle, survival and hope being the pivotal emotions. We have to admit that the movie is exactly what the trailer led us to believe.

Maryan is a spirited young man who shares a deep bond with the sea and calls himself the ‘Prince of the Ocean’ as that is where he plies his trade and earns his livelihood in an adventurous manner. Circumstances surrounding his lady love Panimalar, force him to seek employment as a construction worker in Sudan. Just as he is about to return home, things take a turn for the worse.

Will the power of Maryan’s love for Panimalar cross geographical boundaries and prove to be his elixir?

The movie’s pace is leisurely all the way and the director might have deliberately slowed it down for the audience to feel the intensity of the emotions longer. The first half is mostly used to set up the deep bond between Maryan and Panimalar and whether this bond can withstand all the pain and suffering, is what the second half narrates.

Marc Koninckx’s visuals are poetic and out-of-this-world as he has fully exploited the wide visual canvas that Bharathbala has offered him. You might be reminded of Kadal and Neerparavai though, as the setting is the same.

A.R.Rahman has used the tunes of the magical ‘Enga Pona Raasa’ and ‘Kadal Raasa Naan’ prominently as part of the movie’s background score and this will resonate in your heart, long after the show is over. The wizard has brought his A-Game for the movie’s BGM score. His songs for the movie need no further mention but their visual treatment is mostly similar due to the repetitive situations and surroundings.

Dhanush has mastered pain and suffering on screen and he has apparently gone through an extraordinary physical struggle for the second half. His emotional prowess is displayed in the scenes when he mourns his dear friend’s loss, during his lovelorn phone calls with Panimalar and when he overcomes his starvation with an imaginary feast of seafood. When he bursts out and expresses how workers such as him are impoverished and helpless, you can feel his agony. Expect more awards to knock at the star’s doorstep.

His looks don’t have continuity at times and his hairstyle undergoes a noticeable change even within the same scene. The long production duration of Maryan shows.

Parvathy Menon is all oomph and looks really attractive in authentic native costumes. She is a terrific actress and shows her emoting range in Maryan. Her chemistry with Dhanush is really intimate and adds a lot of depth to the movie.

Among the support actors, Appukutty and Jagan have their moments as Maryan’s close friends while Uma Riyaz Khan is too loud and boisterous. The African villains are over-the-top and their modus operandi isn’t too logical and reasonable.

Ultimately, there is no questioning the crew’s hard work and the lead cast’s outstanding work. Maryan might not appeal to the common man seeking unadulterated entertainment but it is worth a trip to the theater nevertheless, for the very reasons mentioned above.

Singam 2

Hari’s Singam was about an honest small town police officer who is an embodiment of all virtues and values. He loved his Khaki more than anything else. And he operated within the indigenous shores to nab criminals and weeded out unwanted elements of society and to a large extent he remained a local domicile. In Hari’s Singam 2, the honest cop expands his horizons to bring peace to his place.

From the word go, Singam 2 clearly establishes that it’s fulcrum is only action and the quantity of romance, sentiment and comedy that occupied equal proportion in Singam is less here. The film opens up with an item number of Anjali with a vigilant Suriya who also keeps her company in waltz but conveys to the audience that he is a man on a different mission.

Director Hari adheres to all his usual ingredients from music to method of action scenes to the cavalcade of four wheelers to the structuring of sequences. He is known to string the various elements of commercial cinema viz. romance, action, sentiment and music in an entertaining fashion and he does the same in Singam 2 too with a racier screenplay that gives a lot of scope for action.

Suriya shoulders the film big time. The sincerity and dedication of this artist is something that needs to be lauded. Suriya with his dialogue delivery, eye expressions, body language and live energy has redefined screen presence! What a show! The biggest challenge of doing an action packed ‘mass’ role is not to over do it, as its a very delicate thin line to cross. Suriya in Singam 2 pulls it off with consummate ease.

The actor brings in a majestic and a respectable color to the police attire and his dexterity over action sequences is remarkable. Dialogues like “appa amma solra pechai kekkaama vera yaar pechai keppanga” when mouthed by Suriya brings out the earnestness of the statement. The efforts the actor has put in to his dancing is also visible with the ‘Singam dance’.

The rain fight in front of Suriya’s house, revved up by DSP’s RR, Suriya taking charge as Deputy Superintendent of Police, Thoothukudi and Suriya making the first arrest of Danny are all power packed sequences.

Hansika is effective and her role is meaningful and integral to the plot. Anushka is charming and has screen space in the second half. Santhanam is an enjoyable addition to Singam 2 and his sequences livens up the proceedings be it in the Arabian Kudirai episode, the Viswaroopam Kamal sequence or the Kadhal Vandhale scene. He makes us ask for more of him in the film.

There is a long list of ensemble in Singam 2. Mukesh Hari and Rahman as the key antagonists supported by Naan Kadavul Rajendran deliver neatly. Danny Sapani, the London based artist as the international drug dealer is fearsome initially but tapers down towards the end. Sankarabaranam Vishwanath also makes a cameo.

Music director Devi Sri Prasad soothes the audience with a melodious ‘Puriyavillai’ number. Rest of the tracks sound like an extension of the earlier enterprise. Kannukkule number suffers from wrong placement. Cinematographer Priyan neatly captures the Tuticorin and the South African soils and the car chase sequence in Durban has been done well. V.T Vijayan and Jay, the editor duo have worked in tandem with Hari to keep the proceedings pacy.

The predictable nature of the plot and the climax could well be the downers of this otherwise well packed action entertainer.

To sum it all, with Hari’s racy screenplay and Suriya’s terrific screen personality, Singam 2 strikes big time. Mass masala guaranteed !

Ambikapathy

What is it all about? Bollywood and its love stories.. here is a new definition of love.. 'Ambikapathy' this Eros International feature which launches the south sensation Dhanush in Bollywood is a brilliantly written, marvelously performed and soulfully sung desi capricious love guide beautifully realized by director Aanand Rai.. We are used to feel good romancers with added dose of bromance thrown in regularly by the tinsel town filmmakers.. 'Ambikapathy' is an unsuspecting welcome surprise which turns from poetic to politics taking the viewers on a journey which witnesses adolescent, obsession, jealously, friendship, ignorance, innocence, faith, love, loss, sacrifice, anger, revenge, guilt all one after the another and hold its 'heart' right at the centre for its recognition as a wonderfully told different love story of Bollywood.. The Story.. Himanshu Sharma as the writer does a marvelous job here.. the story is set on the holy ghats of Ganges Banaras where Kundan (Dhanush) sees Joya (Sonam Kapoor) much before his adolescent and falls in love with her head over heels... Circumstances force Zoya to go to Delhi for further education. A wannabe politician (Abhay Deol) steals her heart... but be aware this is not a run of the mill triangle and just when you expect that now the feel good regular bollywood romancer will take charge.. the writer shocks you with a twist which can be anything from a political conspiracy to a joke on the so called paper revolutionaries (social media) revolutionaries who jump in the protest without understanding the root cause of the issue.. and the writer manages this difficult task of twining the poetry of love in Banaras to the politics of the so called 'waken' up young souls in the capital Delhi in this new found 'touchy' adage of love which is also blended with attitude.. What to look out for Aanand Rai and his writer Himanshu Sharma are in song when they take us to Banaras.. the settings, the mood, the atmosphere, the lingo everything is bang on.. Tanu Weds Manu proved that Aanand Rai is a good director... The banaras episodes in 'Ambikapathy' crosses the career bridge for Aanand and brings him to the point where his substantial talent becomes vividly clear.. Anand's narration backed by Himanshu's writing powers gives an utter assurance of a profoundly moving picture in store for us when the love story in Banaras grows and continue to grow.. the moments are highly entertaining, humorous, poetic and yet so simplistic.. Excellent.. as said earlier Himanshu Sharma's dialogues are sheer brilliant piece of writing but those silent moments in the film where everything gets shared with the viewers just by expressions is just magic.. The confidence by which Aanand Rai takes the movie to an unconventional route deserves high praise..Himanshu again supports the cause of his director and we get a pulsating climax which knocks you out of the blue and Vow!! What a way to end.. real Ashiqui.. must say.. Propelled by A.R.Rahman's soulfully soothing scores.. 'Ambikapathy' gets an inspiring lift.. Tu Mun Shudi, Tum Tak, Piya Milenge are highly addictive enhancing the movie watching experience.. Vishal Sinha and Nataraja Subramanian do a beautiful job with their camera which captures the beauty of Banaras and the chaos in Delhi to great effect.. Hemal Kothari editing is crisp.. Production Design by Wasiq Khan and Art Direction by Tariq Umar Khan is up to mark.. Coming to performances Dhanush debut in Bollywood is terrific.. he is a stealer.. those who has seen him are worthy of his talents and 'Ambikapathy' is all set to widen his fan base all over.. this actor is so simple and yet magical.. his comic timings is excellent.. while his emotional rendering on screen is touchy moving.. capturing the viewer right from the first frame till the end.. Dhanush with his brilliance makes us believe that this role was tailored made for him.. Sonam Kapoor is a revelation.. this is her finest performance till date.. Abhay Deol is fantastic.. From the supporting cast Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub as the side kick Dhanush friend is the best. He gets some goods lines also.. he is sheer fun.. Swara Bhaskar gets a meaty role and she proves her versatility.. What not The transformation of Ranjhanaa from poetic to politics is somewhat sudden and looks hurried.. though the sequences prove a point but it takes some extra time of the viewers to digest this sudden revolution in this love story.. Conclusion: 'Ambikapathy' this 140 minutes film strikes a rather unconventional notes of love ordered by Anand, orchestrated by A.R.Rahman's soulful tunes and powered by amazing performances by Dhanush and Sonam.. traveling between love, faith and loss taking the viewer on a journey that ends with a beautiful final image we rarely see in cinema.

Theeya Velai Seiyyanum Kumaru

Sundar C is known for providing a good time to audiences at the theaters, thanks to the inherent comedy in his movies. He has an enviable track record over the past decade or two and last year he proved that he hadn’t lost his touch, with the superhit Kalakalappu, produced by the same makers of Theeya Velai Seiyyanum Kumaru (TVSK) - Avni Cinemax and UTV Motion Pictures.

In TVSK, it isn’t your typical Sundar C setting as the director has based his tale in an IT company and around an urban youngster, Kumar, who takes the services of a love guru (Mokia) to floor the lady of his dreams (Sanjana).

Kumar is from a family of romantics, having a long history of love marriages. He isn’t an expert at handling women and it requires the entry of a dream girl such as Sanjana, for him to realize the unrelenting romantic within him. But he spends insane amounts of money as service charge, to achieve his goal.

TVSK has hardly a few dull moments and it’s a joy ride most of the way. The pace is a little on the lower side in the first half, what with the presence of songs in quick succession. Post the interval, the movie picks up whatever steam it lost in the first, and floors the audience.

The casting is good and Hansika as Sanjana looks her best till date. The ‘Azhagendral Aval Dana’ song seems really apt for this young beauty queen and she is all dolled up in the songs and provides the necessary oomph which is mandatory in all Sundar C movies. Siddharth is perfect as the underdog ‘next door’ hero who makes all the efforts to impress the woman he desires. Ganesh Venkatraman (referred to as ‘Gymku pona Gemini Ganesan’) looks hunky as the man who is envied by his colleagues in the office. He doesn’t have much to do after the interval.

Santhanam is the dominant presence as expected and after the interval, when we come to know of the twist in his equation with Hansika, things really heat up. He looks dashing as Mokia, the high profile love guru who charges a bomb and even gives cupid tips to the likes of Arya and Vishal.

The elaborate support cast is in top form and they deliver their share of laughs. RJ Balaji talks like none other and the speed of his puns and funny one-liners is impressive. ‘Forever bald’ Bosskey (referred to as ‘Anytime Motta’ by Santhanam), the ever-thin Mano Bala (addressed with nicknames such as Nataraj Pencil, Ice Cream Kucchi) and the loud but funny Vidyu Raman are among the actors who make a mark. Devadarshini is for a change not speaking the Tamil Brahmin lingo on screen.

The typical Sundar C touches are almost invisible but the fact that the screenplay leaves no room for boredom is surely a credit to this veteran master at handling commercial movies. He has made his presentation and packaging contemporary. The involvement of Soodhu Kavvum’s director, Nalan Kumarasamy, in the screenplay and dialogues perhaps has added authenticity to the urban setting.

The big scene at the brothel and the moments when a famous Vikraman song is played in the background, when Santhanam realizes the lovable nature of Siddharth’s family, are among the movie’s highlights.

The songs composed by Sathya aren’t bad, but the placement, arguably the biggest negative of the movie, makes them serve as washroom breaks. But Hansika oozing out glamour in these numbers does keep the crowd in the theatres intact. The ‘Lovukku Yes’ song is one such Hansika special and the end credits number ‘Thiruttu Pasanga’ is an enjoyable end to the proceedings.

To sum up, TVSK is bound to continue the long-lasting trend of well-made comedy movies striking it big at the box-office. It’s a movie that can be enjoyed with the entire family.

Thillu Mullu

The Superstar film of 1981 directed by the legendary K Balachander, returns with the same name with Badri helming the state of affairs and Shiva reprising the role of Rajnikanth. The load of remaking a blockbuster which had stalwarts associated with it, would have meant that the team satisfies the huge expectations set by the original. And luckily director Badri sails through the process quite smoothly giving the film his own touch and also making it modern to suit the present needs.

For a population which was fed on a diet of K Balachander and Rajnikanth, the story is already known. For the ‘WhatsApp’ generation, Thillu Mullu is about the antics of a young man trying to hoodwink his boss to retain his job and love with a couple of lies.

What is interesting and what works for Thillu Mullu 2 is while Badri has managed to retain the main story line, he has made the new version appear much more contemporary and at the same time not goofing it up one bit. For all those who have watched the original will not find any complaining moments and the film is breezily comedic and enjoyable.

The strong point of the film is definitely Shiva and he suits the role of Pasupathy and Kandhan Ganguly so effortlessly. In one of the opening scenes, Shiva says that ‘he can never over act’, a statement that could not have been false anywhere. All that he needs to do is look at the camera and mouth a simple dialogue like ‘my name is Shiva’ with a poker face which is enough to send the audience on a laughathon.

Director Badri has utilized this facet of the actor effectively and with suitable help from dialogue writer Balaji, Thillu Mullu gives ample fun moments. One example would be Shivas’ reply that he is in Mylapore when Prakash Raj asks if he is there in Facebook and there are quite a few such scenes in the film.

For a film that is hinging mainly on humor, dialogues play a pivotal role and kudos to Balaji for rising to the occasion and delivering witty oneliners all through. Shiva’s explanation to Prakash Raj about his light eyed twin and his aunt’s (chitti) profession could best justify this. Towards the end when Santhanam appears, it is not an understatement to say that the actor buoys up the film to several levels. The scene is hilarious to the hilt with the comedian occupying the centre stage totally.

There are quite a few scenes which are written with the sole purpose of evoking laughter like Mano Bala getting confused with Kovai Sarala’s profession where Balaji has played with words brilliantly. The mix up of two Jananis and her fathers is one hell of a laugh riot at the temple.

On the performance department, we have veterans like Prakash Raj, Kovai Sarala, Mano Bala and Ilavarasu who deliver with effortless ease. Isha Talwar appears good looking and Krithika Nelson’s voice completes her portrayal as Janani. While Sachu, Soori and Sathyan round out the supporting cast, there is a long ensemble list of cameos from Sathyan, Venkat Prabu, Blaaze and the likes.

Thillu Mullu 2 has retained ‘Raagangal Padhinaaru’ from the original with Karthik’s voice and the ditty ‘Thillumullu’ is remade with rap. Kaipesi number is pleasantly melodic. 

The film uniformly provides fun moments all through the viewing time but the tempo is slightly marred by the songs Aaja Aaja and Raagangal Padhinaru. If this had been taken care, Thillu Mullu would have further emerged as a crisper product.

Summing it up, director Badri has successfully remade an old classic hitting the right notes without any compromise while rendering his own individual touch to the story.

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

What is it all about?

Boasting a sensational cast that includes B-town's most hot and desirable Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone, the year's most awaited and hyped love story is a glossy, feel good mesh up of love, youth and relationship done with panache where Ranbir and Deepika sizzle the screen on fire with their superb chemistry making the audience fall in love with this ode to friendship, love, life, youth, and self revelation.

The Story

Writer director Ayan Mukherjee in his second after the inspiring Wake Up Sid starts this by the voice over of Naina(Deepika Padukone) a simpleton who remembers her eight year old past where she entered into a different world away from her books and studies in the mountains of Manali and Himalayas on a crazy track trip where she bumps into her school mate Bunny(Ranbir Kapoor) a popular happy go lucky type an instant charmer and his two 'deadly' friends Aditi(Kalki Kochin)and Avi(Aditya Roy Kapoor) where they discover themselves, then love in all the craziness.

They all meet again this time at the marriage of Aditi, now situations, priorities have changed.. Will the 'Badtameez Dil' remain the same..

What To Look Out For

Ayan Mukherjee in his second feature after Wake Up Sid proves that he sensibly observes his characters studies them and then introduces to us.. There is a high degree of connection between the characters of YJHD and the audience.. be it Naina, Bunny, Aditi, Avi all these people stumble in and out of trouble, very much like  us.. Sometimes they are knowledgeable; sometimes they are innocent in their relationships.

The characters seems to grow and transform as the film progress.. Ayan tells us the story in a stylishly tender way bringing gentleness, warmth and lightheartedness to the film. The camaraderie between the friends is tremendous and the chemistry between Rambir and Deepika is piping hot..

YHHD in the beginning seems to be designed for the young at heart but as it progresses it makes certain statements on the choices we make and the path we take for our dreams which many times comes at a cost of a dear one and while doing so Ayan smartly balances the whole adage on screen with popular elements of dance and masti where Pritam Chakraborty does a commendable job with the extremely peppy 'Badtamez Dil', and 'Delhi wali girl friend'.. great job.

Hussain Dalal dialogues are easy with a dash of humour. .. V. Manikandan's cinematography is simply amazing it's a treat to the eye and the shots of Himalayas are sheer poetry. Akiv Ali editing is brilliant. Production values are exceptional.

Coming to performance Ranbir Kapoor is simply outstanding as Bunny.. he is energetic, exuberant, innocent, charming, maturity.. Roackstar, Barfi and now YJHD.. the appetite of this marvelous talent increases film after film.

Deepika Padukone is simply superb. Adding more glass (read class) to her repertoire the actress shows her tremendous growth from Love Aaaj Kaal, Cocktail to YJHD where she excels in her part with remarkable poise and grace.

Aditya Roy Kapoor is brilliant. He impressed all of us with Aashiqui 2 and with his performance in YJHD he seems to be saying that he is never going to look back.

Kalkie is wonderful and seems to be enjoying her role to the fullest. Farooq Shaikh plays Ranbir's father and he again proves why he is such a good actor. Tanvi Azmi is fine. Kunal Roy Kapur does his part very well. Dolly Ahluwalia is good. Evelyn Sharma is beautiful. Rana Daggubati makes his presence felt in his small cameo.

And last but not the least 'Ghagra' number reminds that Madhuri Dixit Nene can be 'Maardaala' at her will.

What Not

The second half is laid back and takes it own time. Wake Up Sid had more depth in its coming of age angle.

Conclusion : smitten by Ranbir and Deepika's charm and their electrifying chemistry YJHD is an enjoyable, youth centric,  feel good, roller coaster ride of love, friendship and relationship.. A must mast watch.

Kuttipuli

The last movie before the summer vacation is here folks and after some recursive promotion and a lot of hype n hoopla the movie has hit the theatres today. Sasikumar and Lakshmi menon, both fresh from their success in Sundarapandian reprise their chemistry, thanks to the director Mutthiah. Village centric movies have always been Sasikumar's strength and this will be yet another movie in that genre. Ghibran of Vaagai Sooda Va fame is crooning music and Production by Village theatres and the distribution rights have been grabbed by Red Giants, with Sun pictures presenting this movie. So let's take our magnifying glasses to see what this movie about.

The Small Tiger:

Sasikumar's role is quite nostalgic as we have seen him many a time portray the angry lad who spares no hair when it comes to injustice. Well then again this is another story with a lot of mother-son sentiment niched into. The film is set in and around the vibrant towns of Sriveliputur and Rajapalayam has Sasikumar who plays Kuttipuli an honest son of a father who gave up his life for avenging a girl's abuse, and the son takes up his Dad's legacy and continues doing that. Saranya is a heartfelt mother who wants her son to stay out of all this ruckus and lead a serene life. But it's easier said than done when it comes to Kuttipuli, who is also affectionately called as "Puli".

Now, enters the new damsel (Lakshmi Menon) in the town with all the flimflam and usual "figure" worship song, which is a little more portrayal than we could have imagined. As we could imagine, a flower without a swarm of bees is nothing and so is Bharathi (Lakshmi). She has a whale of Romeo's trying to win her heart, however after a series of mix ups and all the Samaritan work from Puli's store makes her fall in love. The screenplay piling up to these scenes are pretty good and they move up quite stealthily.

Elsewhere a Silambatam match breaks out into a haphazard fight between Puli and a local gang; the events turn out to become a bloodbath after the goons beat Puli up pretty badly. Post the trauma and pain, will Puli avenge his pride? What happens to Bharathi's love? Can Puli lead a normal life that his mother always wanted to? The rest of plot unveils with all these questions answered.

What's right and what's not:

For starters, the director's outright intention of making a movie from a personal real life character he happened to know is pretty appreciable and Sasi kumar has done a decent job out of it. Be it comedy, or sentiment, Sasikumar has grown as an actor to live up to the director's intent well enough. Comedy by the team from a Tamil TV channel vibes well in the first half.

Ask anyone in Kollywood as who is the best "mom" type character and hands down the answer is Saranya, and she is at her usual best. Sasi plays the perfect son and the bond between them is director's special. The climax is a revelation of all sorts with some emotional ending, though defying logic does gives a sense of sentimental finish. All said somewhat a stereotypical feel from Sasi and Saranya oozes out into our minds, as their character is almost reminiscent of so many of their own films.

All said, the violence in the movie is quite unwanted and a lot of blood bath could've been avoided As for the background score, which was very average jarring the emotional scenes and the songs did not live up to the expectation as well. The visualization of the songs was nothing special to hit a nail in the memory. Another big letdown will be the punch dialogues, which quite did not match the hero every time he quotes for "Kuttipuli".

The movie could've been a clean family outing if not for the violence scenes, and all said the screenplay lacks the pace in the second half with some stingy scenes not quite connecting well. Lakshmi menon though fresh and charming, her role is more like an extended cameo with songs clubbed to.

Ishkq In Paris

What is it all about?

Pretty Priety Zinta turns producer with 'Ishkq in Paris' which is finally seeing the light of the day.. Priety's debut as a producer is beautiful and picturesque as the ever lovely Paris but the movie helmed by Prem Soni who also directed the disastrous Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor starrer Main Aurr Mrs Khanna (the 2009 Diwali bomber), Prem seems to be so overwhelmed with the city that he makes his camera fall in love with Paris but while doing so he forgets to peep into the audience heart and wink for a charming new love story for Bollywood.

The Story

Prem along with his producer Preity appears to be suffering from some Imtiaz Ali syndrome from Love Aaaj Kaal where two Ajnabee Akash (Rhehan Malliek) and Ishkq (Preity Zinta) both non believers in the institution of love meet on a train from Rome to Paris, end up spending the evening together in the romantic city. The cupid doesn,t strike.. they drink, the  do make mock movies, they share their disturbing past but still...

The two part ways the next morning without a proper goodbye. Ishkq, being the strong-headed independent girl, moves on, while coming back to London Akash ends up falling for Ishkq. A friend's marriage makes them cross paths once again and we see our dear Salman Khan in full form making Ishkq dance to his bollywood tunes by that time Akash is in love with Ishkq who just can,t accept the proposal due to her parents' divorce when she was seven. Finally she says yes ties the knot.. and yes we do see that Punjabi wedding in the end.. so predictable...

What to look out for

Prem Soni makes Paris looks so beautiful, charming and loving making you falling in love with the city again and again. Cameramen Manush Nandan does a marvelous job. Priety looks good and carries the entire film on her shoulders.. She does a good job. Salman Khan pleases everyone with his delightful cameo.

What not

Prem Soni story telling is tedious, the moments are there but it fails to charm the viewers as the writer director just couldn,t not establish the lead characters for the audience who fail to identify with them. The chemistry between Priety and Rehan is ice cold.. the pair fails to beat the heat.. Priety is a photographer her mom played by the firang Isabelle Adjani (no comments) is an actress but who is this Rehan and what sort of an agent is he who can afford overnight trips from London and Paris at his will. First of all Rehan opposite Preity was a bad choice. Sajid Wajid music further adds to boredom while one watches the film.  Its not at all an offence to be suffering from Imtiaz Ali syndrome who himself is subscribed to the belief of Chupke Chupke or Roman Holiday in a way.. but he does it with smart twist adding great Indian ethos (Jab We Met, Love Aaj Kaal).. here Prem as a director and more as a writer fails terribly.. even the dialogues are pale and uninspiring without any link and connection to the characters.

Conclusion: Ishkq in Paris never posed itself as a game changer in Bollywood rom coms but certainly it could have been developed as a decent sweet love story for those who believe and for those who want to believe in Love but alas Prem Soni's 'Ishkq in Paris' the cupid just couldn,t strike for the audience... Priety's double comeback after Heroes (2008) as an actress and debut as a producer only manages to be a lovely postcard of the world's most romantic city 'Paris' you can see it, admire the beauty but can,t 'feel' it....

Aurangzeb

What is it all about

From Dad Ki Maruti to papa ki gaddhi (read throne) YRF ode to fatherhood continues this time with their current favourite Arjun Kapoor with 'Aurangzeb' a baffled action drama helmed by first timer Atul Sabharwal who is guilty of making the film struggle to find its true successor as he shifts the genre from crime thriller to mobster drama without checking on the emotional connect which is most of the time low even after having a snaky script.

The Story

Thank god in this year of remixes writer director Atul Sabharwal doesn,t pays his tribute to Don or Trishul as it was rumored. Atul Sabharwal in Aurangzeb (meaning successor to the throne) adds almost every aspects (read masala) that can make a hit bollywood action drama..  Aurangzeb has policeman, gangster, politicians, brokers, businessman, father son relationship, mother son relationship, brother sister relationship all half baked in this story where Yashwardhan (Jackie Shroff) posing as a sahriff aadmi runs a parallel world, a world where he is the Emperor. When Vishal (Arjun Kapoor) is planted in Yashwardhan's world in place of Ajay (Arjun Kapoor), the lawmakers (Rishi Kapoor and Prithviraj) roll the dice and a sequence of events unravel something much more than what Vishal bargained for, as he finds himself in a predicament that puts him to test.

What to look out for

The tagline the crux of the film the idea which says 'Apne, Sapno Se Bade Hote Hai' is good. Fathers and sons, and the uneasy bonds between them, receives some solace at the end in this film. The script is snaky enough for a potential action packed gripper.

The performances are the major highs here where Arjun Kapoor who is lucky to be in the list of those legends like Dev Sahab, Dilip Kumar, Mr. Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, SRK, Mithun doing a double role so early in his second outing.. Arjun's sober version attracts more attention the gangster boy part seems to be an extension of his debut 'Ishaqzaade'... certainly he is a talent to look out for and for him it's just beginning.

Rishi Kapoor excels in his grey shades and again throws a debate.. why during his prime he was not considered and looked upon beyond a chocolate hero.

Prithviraj is earnest and looks in complete command. Jackie is fine. Amrita Singh is okay. Tanvi Azmi does well.

Technicalities are fine. Production values are upto mark.

What not

Well directing crime series on tv and making a crime thriller is a different ball game all together and Atul Sabharwal just couldn't get it right after the initial impression. Even after having a script with satisfying twists the helmer is so relaxed in this outing that the viewer gets disinterested in the proceedings and fails to feel for the characters.. with so many solid emotions in the plot like greed, dream, ambition, aspiration, jealousy, love, sacrifice lost, gain.. Atul leisurely pace robs the movie and the audience from this emotions..  poor execution. Not done with this Atul wastes talents like Deepti Naval, Anupam Kher, Swara Bhaskar, Sikander Berry and what was the point of having Sasha Aagha.. Amartya Rahut music adds to the disappointment.

Conclusion: Aurangzeb was a potential game changer for those who are involved but it goes horribly wrong. Even worse the idea had decent twists in its tale and involved almost every feature of potential bollywood hit.. but alas the helmer couldn,t read.. what a miss..

The Great Gatsby

What is it all about?

Warner Brothers and the celebrated Baz Luhrmann no doubt get ambitious in turning jazzy, flashy and glittering in their adaptation of the Fitzgerald novel (fourth one in hollywood movie history) which is drop dead spectacular in vision which intoxicates your mind but fails to take your breath away as the heart doesn,t pound to the level as Luhrmann's over enthusiasm to please his dazzling 'broadband' fanaticisms ends up in stealing those matters of 'heart' that concerns..

 The Story

Based on F. Scott Fitzgerald novel by the same name Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce start from wannabe writer Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) narrating this story set in the 1920's where America was loosening morals, in the company of bootleg kings with sky-rocketing stocks.  Nick had left Midwest and landed in New York City to chase his own American Dream.

Nick stays in a rented house next to a mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), and across the bay from his cousin, Daisy (Carey Mulligan), and her philandering, blueblooded husband, Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton).

Nick is lured into this world of Gatsby who has 'something' about him.. Gatsby frequently throws loud parties where movie stars, politicians, athletes and all rich and the famous of the town coming to have a time of their life.

Nick soon finds out that Gatsby who always had 'something' about him and the mysterious ways how he got all the wealth once knew Daisy...

Rest is a mix of love lost and gain compelled by personal ambition and the great American dream..

What to look out for

It needs guts to even think of transforming America's widely read novel into screen in a 'fashion' like this.. Baz Luhrmann gets all the credit for this visualization..  he is just superb in what he is famous for.Turning the screen into a great damn broadband theatre with all the Jazz.. like Moulin Moulin Rouge!.. apart from showing us the parties of the rich and famous Baz Luhrmann does succeeds in giving us some gem of moments like the peeping Gatsby from a window and the introduction Nick to the mysterious smiling Gatsby at his high profile party is just brilliant.. Leonardo  Di Caprio is in complete command. The high tea sequence is just amazing. Tobey Maguire supports well. And yes the magnificent Mr. Amitabh Bachchan's most awaited Hollywood debut is amazing.. he is superb and steals the show in whatever time he gets.

Baz Luhrmann makes his technicians work overtime for fulfilling his broadband passion.. the production values are out of this world.

What not

Oh Boy.... You just missed some emotional connection.... Old sport... did 'Australia' just happened Mr Luhrmann....

Baz Luhrmann flashiness steals the movie's emotional thunder.. the director who dared by using his over the top pop culture technique  to sync the Shakespeare classic Romeo and Juliet in the 90's culture with Romeo + Juliet and became a favorite.. 'Australia' was high on drama and emotion which changed the general perception of Luhrmann to be a broadband devotee...  but here Luhrmann and his screenplay partner Craig Pearce are guilty of not making the viewers feel for the characters..  the great impact made at the introduction of Gatsby to Nick doesn,t go any further..  the movie moves at an uneven pace and fails to register the required space. No matter how gorgeous the images turn out to be on screen but Luhrmann fails to make us go back to the 1920's.. the 3D effect works as a spoiler as the parties turn repetitive. The music is good while listening but doesn,t gel with the narrative and comes suddenly. Unfortunately Carey Mulligan as Daisy was a bad choice same for Joel Edgerton as his husband Tom Buchanan.

Conclusion: The Great Gatsby was a challenge daringly taken by Luhrmann who proved his credentials with 'Australia' and as not just a sheer worshipper of Jazz. The novel which had all the ingredients for a for a great movie experience riding on solid emotions like ambition, love, mystery, jealously, lost, gain and hope.. but alas sometimes you just can,t get away with your first love and Luhrmann falls prey to his love for over the top extravagance which in all its glittery and sparkle fail to capture the 'green light' for Luhrmann, his cinema and Hollywood as a whole. Anyways.. Decaprio and Luhrmann lovers will lap it up while Mr.Bachchan's followers might peep in for his Hollywood debut which may swell Warners business prospects in this part of the world.

Kallapetty

It is true that we live in an age of brokers. We have brokers for marriage,  investment, used cars etc. But thanks to director Ra Ra we have found one more niche broker : he introduces us to a broker bartender who  mediates over 'cutting'.  ( For the uninitiated, cutting' is when two strangers pool their money in a bar and share the booze). That is the only time when you marvel 'eppadi ellam yosikarangapa'. Other than that the film spins a story that takes a predictable turn everywhere.

Yogi is a carefree young man, who hangs out with his friend mostly, and spends a little time trying to be a two bit broker, for everything from real estate to eggs of a 'pon vandu'. His mother, a vegetable vendor,  has borrowed money from Dandapani (Namo Narayan) at usurious rates, and is at his mercy. He is the kind of guy who dreams of lakhs in commissions, but is lucky to get a couple of hundreds. Most of his time is spent drinking in the bar, and once after a 'cutting' session with a father he meets Jyothisha (Veni)  and Rosin (Bhoomika) and finds out that their mother died  after being victimized by the money and women crazy  Dandapani. The two girls make a living as 'dance girls'.  Jyothisha, who had been a sorrowful person slowly begins to find happiness in Yogi's company.

However, their happiness is short lived. Dandapani, who has a wife who is so accommodating that she not allows her husband to keep another woman, but also fetches him whoever he fancies.. and that is how Jyothisha ends up dancing for the usurer. The situation gets further complicated when Yogi beats up Dandapani's assistant who comes for collecting the due interest from his mother. A clever Dandapani files a police case, Yogi is arrested and questioned by Jayaprakash. Dandapani meanwhile delivers an ultimatum to Jyothisha to come to his room. You must be asking , Does Yogi clear his name? Does Jyothika fall prey to Danapani's vaillainy . We don't want to put down spoilers here, but don't go expecting surprises.

There are five songs, and Sabesh Murali has tried to do a good job. But the songs do not haunt you even after you leave the theatre. Jayaprakash and 'Black' Pandi have done a neat job. The three lead characters do an average job. Selvakumar's cinematography remind you of the 1990s, which is where the film too belongs. Editing is sleek and the film has a running time of around 90 minutes. Thank god for small mercies.

Karimedu

For a film that is centered around the brutal real life story of the infamous Dandapalya gang that wreaked havoc in and around Bangalore during the late 90s by slitting the throats of women before raping them, "Karimedu" at times walks on some really silly and (inadvertently) cliched terrains.

I walked into the theater without a reference point (it came to my knowledge only later that the film was in fact a dubbed version of the Kannada hit "Dandupalya") and while director Srinivas Raju does deserve a fair bit of credit for touching upon a really sensitive topic; particularly at a time when the entire nation has its arms up in fury and protest with regards to what happened in Delhi, "Karimedu" doesn't really work well as a feature film.

From the get go, poor dialogues (perhaps lost in translation) accompany the narration. To save time, the film literally opens with the police character narrating the film's plot to the villains while interrogating them.

The characters are forcefully thrust onto the screen, without any back story or explanation regarding their motivations whatsoever. We are introduced to the world of these evil "mirugams" who stalk, capture and kill their prey on a continued cycle. It makes for an interesting premise, no doubt, but the very haphazard nature of the screenplay coupled with some abhorrent gore makes for a very difficult watch.

Indeed. For a good while now, cinema goers have been coerced (or influenced?) into believing that realism amounts to good cinema, which isn't exactly true. There is realism. And then there is plain nauseating. Unrestricted use of blood, sleaze and (Pig) meat only add to the repugnance.

The casting is alright, for the most part, even if the characterizations aren't. We are to accept that Makarand Deshpande is a terrifying rapist because of the eyelashes; and that Pooja Gandhi is all bad because she smokes a beedi and carries a Pig on her back. That's fine.

It's almost as if even the film isn't sure of what it exactly is, often fluctuating between a (needless) love story and the Inspector's fairly fruitless pursuit of the villains, which are both interweaved within the "rape" episodes.

It gets to a stage where the rapists become so central to the story, that we are almost being egged on to root for them. The slow motion shots of these men walking away from their victims like Reservoir Dogs would testify to this claim.

And speaking of testifying, how apt that such a film should end in Tamil Cinema's age old and favorite "court scene"?

We have the evidence. We have the criminals, and we have the proof. But no. It is only the long, exasperating speech about righteousness and justice from the cop that will convince the Judge to give out a fair and favorable sentence and cause an uprising amongst the (till then quiet) public.

For a film that has mutilated bodies and bloodshed galore, the only time I freaked out was at the final shot which alludes at the possibility of a sequel.

Oru Nadigayin Diary

Even after her demise, she is the darling of the masses! During her time, she was portrayed as a demi God of seductive acting, and now after these many years, her life is being depicted across in different languages. After Vidhya Balan's "Dirty Picture" here comes Kollywood's own version of Silk Smitha's story and the tag line of the movie screams aloud as "This is as it is version of her story". And why not, the screen writer is Kaloor Dennis, who has been writing more than ten of her films in the past. Directed by Anil the movie has Sana Khan donning the role of Silk Smitha, and the supporting cast includes Suresh Krishna, Arvind and Subin.

A Page out of the Diary:

As said, there are many versions of Silk's story and this is yet another girl coming from very na�ve backgrounds to reach the top. Sanakhan is Pongkodi an orphan brought up by her Step mother, portrayed by Shanthi Williams. Through the hardships of life, she crawls and her life gets a U turn after she grabs the attention of a director who takes her to the city. He introduces her to one of the movies, which turns out to be a blockbuster thanks to her. She is christened as Sumitha and that's when the climb to stardom weaves out.

Now Suresh Krishna is a millionaire businessman better known as RK. Sumitha falls in love with him crazily and slowly enough the couple get together as predicted. The movie flows enough predictably and the businessman slows puts the immense confidence on business and his all other personal commitments on her. Life is smooth for Sumitha as she settles down in one of his sprawling houses with luxury never a problem.

All hell breaks loose when RK's son Subin also falls heads over heels on Sumitha. The lad is just in his college, and the vivacity of Silk's is no match for his feelings, and he tries to grab her attention. When the millionaire comes to know of this, the plot unveils something surprising and the tale gets the much required grip.

Good and Bad:

To compare this movie with Vidhya Balan's "Dirty Picture", apart from the unfathomable oomph factor in both the movies, Oru Nadigayin Diary has a decent narration, thanks to the director. Though he screenplay is sluggish and you might wonder a lot of oomph from Sana, well this is Silk's movie.  Music is nothing to take notice of, with just whiskers of instruments, so is the background hardly ear catching.

Sana deserves a bit of appreciation for her role in this movie, as to take up and depict a bombshell of yesterday requires a lot of research and hard work; she manages to pass the litmus test. She oozes the dynamism pretty well and as usual the movie is full of ah's and oh's not to forget. However when you see her in distress in the early stages of the movie, it's like a sexy siren bound for hardship and doesn't even fit the scenario. The cinematography is uncanny and a lot of zooming on private parts without any justification, the notion is simply induced to showcase Silk's glamour quotient.

Screenplay falls behind by a long way with losing steam in places, clearly missing the train by a long way. An honest attempt no doubt, however it misses the wow factor that Silk's movie used to deliver those days. At the end of the day, it fails to make a complete impression, with only delivering the intention in places.

 

Masani

Tamil cinema has continuously churned out religious supernatural films to cater to the sentiments of a large section of the masses, predominately the womenfolk. Sri Green Productions’ Masani provides yet another offering for that specific market.

During an early part of the film, the young hero Akhil schools a bratty young girl, played by Sija Rose, about the simplicity and intelligence of the village-folk, clearly spelling out the film’s target audience. Masani’s story is centered around an unfinished idol of a deity that continues to haunt the town of Kalvadagam. While the idea attracts interest the nature in which it is exposed is rather taxing for the viewer.

A fair bit of the first half is spent detailing petty one-upmanship between a young pair, lengthy comedy sequences which are simply below par and a couple of songs that do nothing to compliment the narrative. Masani’s saving grace is definitely its established star cast that features the likes of Sarath Babu, Roja, Aadukalam Naren, Uma Padmanabhan, Mano Bala, Y.Gee.Mahendran and several other familiar faces. While they might not have been challenged by the characters that they portray they can do no wrong with their performances. In addition, their involvement does add more credibility to the project.

Masani also boasts of the re-entry of Ramky, and one must say it is nice to see him back! His role has scope for comedy, romance and action and he gives the impression that he’s picked up exactly from where he left off. The central character of the film is undoubtedly Iniya. Apart from possessing enchanting looks, the young lady continues to show that there’s no shortage of talent within her. But sadly for her this film may just slip under the radar despite delivering yet another strong performance. The other pair in the film, Akhil and Sija Rose, is just about adequate.

The production value of the film is quite decent with good camera work and follows all the usual cues required to creep out the audience from time to time. One feels that the scope of VFX in this film has been wasted with below par graphics when compared to the standards the audiences have been exposed to. Clocking at nearly 2 and half hours, the film certainly overstays its welcome and the engaging factor takes a beating. Composer Fazil has definitely put some effort into the songs and the BGM and it shows, even if it’s occasionally loud.

With no 3D factor to add value, Masani turns out to be a normal fare. The film could find acceptance with the B & C centre audience.

Neram

Neram widely publicized in online media acquired a fillip when Udhaynidhi Stalin’s Red Giant movies entered the fray to distribute it. A bilingual, made in Malayalam and Tamil, directed by newcomer Alphonse Putharen witnessed the release of the Malayalam version last week.

An opening Tarantino card with his famous quote ‘I steal from every movie made’, gives a feel that Neram might offer a different time at the movie hall. To add to it, a long line up of thank you notes also suggests that it might be an unusual ride that the audience would be subjected to. However what unfolds in a span of under two hours is a product that has its few bright moments but which are not powerful enough to tip the balance in Neram’s favor completely.

It is palpable that Alphonse Putharen had attempted to tell a story in a different manner but is successful only to certain extent. Sometimes the pretentiousness does get to you.

Good things happen to you if your time is good, otherwise, you suffer. And in life you are bound to be subjected to good and bad times. This is the premise around which Neram is woven. This universal truth could have been effectively used to narrate a story. However theme of the film alone is not sufficient enough to make an engaging tale. What matters is the form this theme takes on in terms of its characters, story elements and its overall presentation.

Nivin Pauly playing the role of Vetri is subjected to a torrent of mishaps and how the situations turn in the course of a single day forms the story of Neram. Alphonse has mildly touched upon ‘Chaos theory’ in the opening frames. That apart, Neram appears to be a short film that is stretched to a length of a feature film with quite a few slow-mo shots in the scheme of things.

Simha who was seen in Soodhu Kavvum does the role of a loan shark Vatti Raja and appears totally different and aggressive from his earlier role. But after a point, he gets repetitive. For R J Ramesh, his role as ‘Lighthouse’ is more of a cameo but is pivotal in its own way. Nivin Pauly finds it difficult to pull off few scenes that had the potency to showcase his talent. It’s only when the veterans like Thambi Ramiah and Nasser come in, the film takes on an engaging form.

The scenes involving Thambi Ramiah and John Vijay are easily the high points of the film and the dialogues by Pradeep in these scenes are the top of the pick. John Vijay sitting inside the lock-up in the police station as the station is getting painted results in some practical cheeky lines. His repartee when Thambi Ramiah who tries to boss over him evoke the necessary laughter. John Vijay sparkles here. Nazriya Nazim is sprightly but most of the scenes she is made to appear clueless of what’s happening around her.

When Nivin is robbed off his cash envelope, the ensuing chase is well conceptualized and a song placed there is a good touch. But the momentum that has been set in this scene is not maintained throughout. Rajesh Murugesan’s tracks don’t impede the flow of the film including the Pista track. It is interesting to note that Beethoven’s famous Für Elise is used at different speeds as BGM in scenes involving the chase of Lighthouse and gang which was aptly labeled as Thiruttu Isai! Anand Chandran’s deftness with camera was evident especially in the opening scenes with intentional shakes creating a suspense feel and a well handled color tone warrants mention.

With a premise that has the potency to engross the audience completely, Neram sparkles in bits and pieces. Intentions may be honest but execution could have been done with more finesse.

Go Goa Gone

Stoner films and movies based on zombies are an often seen and enjoyed genre in Hollywood. In India, due to stringent certification rules and the general conservative mindset among the audience, such films aren’t tried by our film-makers. But now, we have Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK presenting a zombie comedy (India's first zom-com as they say), backed by a brave producer in the form of Saif Ali Khan.

We have a typical trio of friends, roommates and colleagues - Luv, Hardik and Bunny. Bunny is the straightforward one in the gang while the other two are easygoing and have their share of booze and drugs. After Luv gets dumped by his girlfriend and Hardik loses his job, they happen to get the chance to go to Goa along with Bunny. They see this trip as their chance to drown their worries in more booze, drugs and girls. But, after a wild rave party in a Goan island, organized by the Russian mafia, things go crazy and zombies start cropping up all over the island.

The rest of the movie is an adventurous chase filled with thrills, spills and plenty of unsettling and bloody visuals of the zombies. The fun aspect is maintained throughout too.

The charismatic and stylish Saif Ali Khan plays a ‘desi’ Russian mafia ‘zombie hunter’, replete with a totally blonde crop of hair and a perfect Russian accent. His screen-presence is admirable and he passes off authentically as a Russian. There is the hot and pretty Puja Gupta providing some female charm in the chase as Luna, another youngster who is trapped in the island after the party.

The guys in the movie have had a jolly ride and they pretty much behave like how urban guys are. Kunal Khemu as the flirty and easy going Hardik scores high while Vir Das reprises the role which he played in Delhi Belly, as the down-on-luck and desperate dude. Anand Tiwari has good humor sense and he makes the nerdy chap Bunny, an endearing one.

This is one of those movies where conservative cinema rules have been broken coolly. We see our lead guys rolling a joint and smoking-up throughout the movie. Expletives fly all over the place in scene after scene.

These guys have surely had a lot of irreverent fun and it is targeted at the urban youth all the way. There is of course a message in the movie against alcohol, drugs and smoking and it gets emphasized more than once. They ask us to just visit Goa for the beautiful place it is, and not for the other adult aspects that Goa has come to symbolize.

The music by Sachin - Jigar is trendy and gels with the hep and youthful tone of the film. The madcap Babaji Ki Booty in the end, is very interestingly conceptualized. The Goan visuals are scenic and vibrant as always.

The filmmakers have taken the zombie aspect very seriously and we have many gory and gross visuals of the zombies devouring and tearing apart human body parts and flesh. If you can tolerate such visuals, Go Goa Gone is worth a trip as it provides enough entertainment.

Nagaraja Chozhan MA MLA

Amaidhi Padai released in 1994 talked about the emergence of an ordinary man in the world of tricky politics. Nagaraja Cholan, M.A., MLA picks up from where Amaidhi Padai left and chronicles the happenings in Nagaraja Cholan’s political life where he is the power centre for regional politics.

Nagaraja Cholan becomes significant for two reasons, firstly it is the 50^th directorial work of Manivannan and secondly it is the 200^th film of veteran artist Sathyaraj.

Undoubtedly, the highlights of the film are its razor sharp dialogues and the crackling chemistry between Sathyaraj and Manivannan. This is a different school of performance but hits the bulls’ eye. Dialogues dipped in sarcasm, reflecting the current political scenario occupy the centre stage of Nagaraja Cholan. And there could be no better artist than Sathyaraj who can deliver such emotion nonchalantly with an air of arrogance; it’s a breeze for this veteran. His body language and the timing sense elevate the character of a seasoned, corrupt politician to a higher notch.

Manivannan plays the perfect foil for Sathyaraj. Having brought Nagaraja Cholan to limelight, Mani knows him inside out and in a way, the characters are made for each other in pulling the other down. There is one more character in the form of Sathyaraj’s son played by Raghu Manivannan who is adequate in his role.

In the world of politics, there is nothing called honesty or ethics which has been clearly brought out in the film. Betrayal, backstabbing, weakness for women and money are some of the features that are dealt with in Nagaraja Cholan in a very objective manner. There is also the aspect of selling of our nation to foreign forces by politicians, displacement of Tribals and their livelihood and the Naxal forces. The scenes associated with the Tribals putting up a fight are the least convincing in the film.

Although expectations were raised with the introduction of the CBI officer Sathyaraj, he does not have much of a role to play in the film. Seeman as the socially conscious individual becomes responsible for the unintentional laughter when he mouths powerful dialogues as stoically as possible. There are many women characters but none of them make a mark. Varsha Ashwathi who made an impression in Neer Paravai is reduced to an item girl in Nagaraja Cholan.

There are plenty of dialogues taking abundant digs at the present political scenario from power cuts to freebies to Vijaykanth. These are the enjoyable moments of the film.

Technically camera work is neat and functional and James Vasanthan’s music is not anything that you will recall when you leave the theatre.

Although the dialogues and chemistry of Sathyaraj-Manivannan combo are the positives of the film, the strong punch that should have been created due to these factors is missing in Nagaraja Cholan. The movie does not grip you for the 150 odd minutes, nor does it bore you. There are dips but they are not much felt mainly due to Sathyaraj and Manivannan.

Shootout At Wadala

Sanjay Gupta is known for his movies which are high on machismo and extravagance. He showcases his heroes in all their glory and some of his works like Kaante and Shootout at Lokandwala are a case in point. His new feature, Shootout at Wadala shows on screen, the first ever registered encounter by the Mumbai police in 1982 and it is partly based on the book Dongri to Dubai.

After being sent to jail for a crime that he didn’t commit, Manohar decides to become the kingpin of the Mumbai underworld as he realizes soon enough that there is no place in society for a timid and straightforward human being like him. He starts from scratch and becomes the dreaded gangster Manya Surve, in the company of a handpicked set of fellow henchmen. Obviously there are gang wars aplenty and the Imtiaz Haskar brothers and Manya’s little gang don’t see eye-to-eye.

The Mumbai Police finally decide that enough is enough and Manya is framed as the target for their first-ever bloody encounter.

This is one of those raw and loud action movies that keep coming from time to time and the action on screen is riveting in parts with the climatic encounter taking the cake for its sheer bloody impact and the way it has been presented in graphic detail. The dialogs carry a lot of punch and are filled with liberal dose of expletives. Watch out for those wicked yet funny double entendre peppered across the lighthearted scenes.

The cast of the movie is required to be macho, heroic and filled with pride, and each of them fits the bill perfectly, be it the cops or the gangsters. The stone-faced John Abraham puts his mountainesque physique to good use and his muscles look their brutal best in this movie, which is among his career best acts. But when he hams at the top of his voice, it is an ear-sore. Tusshar Kapoor has played such loyal sidekick roles plenty of times and he is at ease here as well. Sonu Sood and Manoj Bajpayee display authority and some cold-blooded menace as the gangster brothers. Anil Kapoor, Ronit Roy and Mahesh Manjrekar portray the ambitious, honest and effective side of the Mumbai Police and it is a solid display by them as well.

The ladies in the movie are either there for the numerous item numbers or for some really explicit love making scenes. Kangana Ranaut takes care of the latter in the company of John Abraham in two steamy bed sequences while the likes of Sunny Leone and Sophie Choudhary deliver their share of sleaze in the raunchy item numbers. Priyanka Chopra also makes an appearance and gives the movie some superstar appeal in the Babli Badmaash number.

The movie suffers from a really loud background score which overshadows the dialogs and the three item songs aren’t special either, with Babli Badmaash and Laila Teri getting good mileage in the promos on air.

The film carries a gritty and raw look and cinematographers Sameer Arya and Sanjay.F.Gupta have given it lot of energy and life.

Ultimately, even though the movie is pretty long at around two and a half hours, it doesn’t lose grip or pace and delivers enough drama for the price of the ticket money.

Soodhu Kavvum

Soodhu Kavvum marks the entry of yet another young director, Nalan Kumarasamy, following Pizza’s Karthik Subbaraj, whose claim to fame was a TV show designed for likewise aspirants.  Nalan Kumarasamy shows his gratitude in the opening slide by thanking the judges of the show - Prathap Pothen and Madhan.

The aptly titled Soodhu Kavvum tells the story of petty criminals who are engulfed by their own occupation volunteering to ride the high tide, knowing well of its repercussions. Scheming the perfect crime and executing it is only half the story as Soodhu Kavvum offers some radical and sometimes outrageous twists and turns.

The actions and decisions of a motley crew led by Das, played by Vijay Sethupathy, with amateur miscreants enacted by Simhaa, Ashok Selvan and RJ Ramesh, is what drives Soodhu Kavvum forward, but at an unhurried pace. While Vijay might be the leader of the pack the screen space is fairly shared with other members in the gang but Vijay’s paunch and graying beard does earn him a sense of seniority. The actor does have the guts to play a forty year old, so early in his career. Sanchita Shetty’s character is a surprise as Vijay Sethupathy’s doll faced confidant and ‘dream girl’. Nice touch, sharing a different chemistry with the hero. The other cast members include familiar character artists such as Radha Ravi and MS Bhaskar in integral roles and a common face in the short film circuit, Karunakaran, appears in a role tailor-made for him.

Soodhu Kavvum’s scoring area is definitely its characterizations as Nalan Kumarasamy offers each of the central characters a back story that’s unique and more importantly contributing to the character’s present circumstance. Essentially the only righteous character in the film is that of M.S. Bhaskar who plays a spotless politician. Without being all too preachy or self conscious Nalan Kumarasamy paints a picture to portray that there’s hardly any room for such individuals in the modern day. Neither is he tempted to be ironic. Having said that, the writer director seems to have been consumed by his own thoughts, and probably even overwhelmed with his own project, that sees him go on a creative overdrive. Sure there is always room for cinematic freedom, and it is filled to the brim in Soodhu Kavvum in a bid to offer something different.

Santhosh Narayan peppers the background score with processed beats and hard rock rhythms that work well for the numerous dramatic slo-mo scenes. He also employs his own version of a popular score from Dr. Strangelove. The songs are well shot and its position in the film is justifiable. The camera work and editing is slick and seems to have drawn inspiration from post-modern filmmakers.

The film introduces us to several quirky characters and ambitious sketches, all delivered with a light heartedness. The director is rather successful in making the audience root for the anti-hero group and their reckless ways but the viewing is lacking of a certain stranglehold because of many long drawn-out scenes and the leisure manner in which the story unfolds to an end.

Moondru Per Moondru Kadhal

Director Vasanth has a special place in Tamil cinema for his films have always dealt with human relationships in a sensitive manner and have struck a chord with the audience. After his Satham Podadhe in 2007, he is back with Moondru Per Moondru Kadhal with Arjun, Cheran and Vemal. Very true to the title, MPMK is about the love stories of three sets of people with three different landscapes.

The emotion called love is ubiquitous and it touches people at different frequencies and at different dimensions. What this wonderful feeling does to its lead characters and its effect in the trajectory of life is what MPMK all about.  While mountainous terrain is the backdrop for Vemal and Lasini’s love, it’s the coastal belt for Cheran and Muktha Bhanu and its plains for Arjun and Surveen Chawla.

Vasanth has made the film in his usual style but a tepid pace works against MPMK. The styles of film making have changed and so do the sensibilities of the audience. For the current crop of audience who is low on patience and is restless to slow unfurling of the plot, MPMK may not work. That said, the plot is quite succulent and lofty which has a lot of positivity going with it.

We generally don’t find ‘cinematic’ family in Vasanth’s films and MPMK is no exception either. Be it Vemal’s parents (my family is such a happy one that we even laugh at the mention of the word ‘joke’) or Cheran’s parents (a father who is so happy helping mom and a mom who is so sensitive to son’s feelings) or Surveen’s practical father. 

It is not something new that Vasanth’s films are clean and are devoid of glamour or double entendres. Moondru Per Moondru Kadhal also follows the same path. Narration follows a very languorous path and hence the engaging factor fluctuates quite steeply. Arjun’s segment is the best followed by Cheran and Vemal. Dialogues sparkle on and off.

In the performance section, it is Arjun who scores over others and is aptly cast as a swimming coach. Cheran and Vemal are their usual self and there is not much for them to showcase their histrionics. Among the lady members, it is Muktha Bhanu who delivers perfectly as the love struck Mallika and she fits the role perfectly. Surveen who looks like a mix of Amala Akkineni and Kiran is adequate and her shots are well captured. Thambi Ramaiah, John Vijay, Appukutty, Shanthi Williams and Sathyan round out the supporting cast.

The songs of Yuvan Shankar Raja are already popular and gel quite well with the narration. Even though Aaha Kaadhal has been filmed fairly well, the power that the lyrics and the music had created has not been totally translated visually. Mazhai Mazhai number comes out trumps with cinematographer and music director having a field day with their respective departments. That apart, Ritwik Vasanth appears for ‘stop the paattu’ number and shows his dancing prowess.  Bhojan K Dinesh is in charge of camera and resplendently captures the moods of the different terrains.

Toting up, Vasanth’s Moondru Per Moondru Kadhal, although eulogizes love, works in parts with music and camera helping the story but his style has not been felt powerfully in the film.