Vedi Review

Starring: Vishal, Sameera Reddy, Poonam Kaur and others.
Director: Prabhu Deva
Music: Vijay Anthony
Cinematography: RD Rajasekhar
Producer: Vikram Krishna and Shreya Reddy

Vishal is back with yet another commercial potboiler titled Vedi, which is a remake of Telugu blockbuster Souryam. The Tamil movie is a mass masala flick, which has all the ingredients like love, sentiment, actions, etc. While the first half of the film sees Prabhakaran (Vishal) being chased by goons, the second half will reveal the flashbacks that make the audience to sit on the edge of their seats till the end.
Prabhakaran is a man, who does not know what fear is. But runs for his life and escapes to Kolkata. He gets admitted to a college and meets a girl named Deepa (Poonam Kaur). Meanwhile, a strange event bonds him with Aishwarya (Sameera Reddy) and he finds a room to stay in her house. At this juncture, several incidents make him to be an unofficial bodyguard of Deepa, whose life is in threat. It is because she is the only sister of him but he will not tell her the same for some reasons. The fate separated them when they were kids and as the story progresses, a series of flashback stories will be reveal the truth.
Like a typical action movies – there is a sister sentiment, goons chasing them, a deadly gangster and his son’s desperation for their blood, and the reason behind it with a series of flashbacks. Twists in the story and age-old rival story will be unfolded one after the other.
Vedi is regular mass movie but has a perfect mix of action, thrill and emotions to keep the audience entertaining throughout. Prabhu Deva has made some changes from the original script to cater the native audience taste.
Technically, Vedi is good. Vijay Anthony has given quite a few good songs like ‘Enna aachi..’, Ippadi mazhai..’ and the item number ‘Bombay ponnu…’. Cinematography by RD Rajasekhar is excellent. He has beautifully captured Howrah Bridge and some songs picturised in abroad. Especially, Anthony’s background score and his photography have blended well during action sequences.
It is a tailor-made role for Vishal Krishna. The actor has done his character with ease and shines during action scenes. He fights with panache and dances with elan, which will definitely give a big round of applause from the audience. Sameera Reddy is hot and sexy. Though, she has limited scenes to showcase her acting abilities, yet she manages to attract the audience with her good expressions. Poonam Kaur is good, as she is enacting the same role of a sister from the original. Last but not the least, ‘Mumbai ponnu’ Sophie Choudry takes the audience by storm with her item number. Rest other characters are okay.
Verdict:
Audience will experience like walking on a familiar terrain. Nonetheless, the movie has all the elements of a mass film. Go for it, as it is a paisa vasool entertainer.

7am Arivu Review

Starring: Suriya, Shruthi Hassan
Direction: A.R.Murugadoss
Music: Harris Jeyaraj
Production: Udhayanidhi Stalin (Red Giant Movies)

The big Diwali bonanza is here in theatres. The team that gave us the unforgettable Ghajini is back with 7 Aum Arivu. A.R.Murugadoss, Suriya and Harris Jeyaraj have teamed up and the expectations have hit an all time high for a Suriya starrer, what with the pre-release publicity and hit music. So, what is 7 Aum Arivu all about?
Well, everyone knows the answer to that, at least partially. Yes, anyone who follows Tamil cinema would have searched up the name Bodhidharman at least once on the internet over the past month. The team of 7 Aum Arivu digs into history to introduce us to this iconic (in China) Pallava prince who is claimed to be the founder or one of the first masters of Shaolin Kung Fu. The film takes off from the 5th century Pallava kingdom as the prince Bodhidharma, acclaimed for his proficiency in all arts, crafts, armoury and medicine, leaves for China. We are told about how he became a legend in China, spreading his immense knowledge to help them out of many a crisis.
But, the main plot brings us to present day Chennai. A young scientist looking to do some ground breaking research realizes that her work might be getting in the way of someone else’s plan and an unsuspecting simpleton who is a circus artiste by profession also unwittingly becomes part of this. And then, there is a deadly agent who has motives that are much bigger than just science or research. Behind all this is a huge conspiracy. What is the conspiracy and why is a scientist being hounded and what does a simple circus artiste have to do with all of this? Watch 7 Aum Arivu to find out.
The first few minutes of 7 Aum Arivu are magnificent in every sense of word. Be it the majesty of the Pallava kingdom, the authenticity of a period that dates 1600 years back or the aristocracy of Suriya as the Pallava prince, every frame holds all your attention. So, does the brief but powerful sequence in China. The reason behind Bodhidharma becoming an iconic figure for all the Chinese is effectively shown. Of course, we can see that the director is burdened by a very large account of Bodhidharma’s life (almost something of epic proportions) which have to be summed up in a 20 minute capsule. Therefore, he resorts to generous doses of voice overs which give a kind of semi-documentary effect to that particular portion. That, however, does not prevent the initial 20 minutes of the film from arresting your attention.
Cut to the present and that is where 7 Aum Arivu starts to show the first signs of tiredness. For a film that began with so much power and majesty, the script wears down the effect and makes it another entertainer with a couple of poorly placed songs and a romance track that seems to have little substance in it. You could get restless as you search for the central plot which, you are told at the beginning, is about some international conspiracy. Just when you believe that the plot is taking centre stage, there comes another song, further letting down the tempo of the first half. It is only at the fag end of a laborious 100 minutes that you are convinced that the central plot has finally arrived. You would think that the second half had to be a full throttle journey. That’s what the director has wanted, yes. But, here, Murugadoss hasn’t been able to pull it off with the success he is usually known for. Things do get interesting as more details about the conspiracy are revealed. The initial portions promise a race to the climax. Shortening the fight sequences could have helped the cause. Though the machinations of the conspiracy and the moves to counter it are intelligent, some aspects rob the entire script from being completely credible. One of these is the amount of powers that the lead antagonist is shown to possess; it borders on the realm of the unbelievable and when he exercises them constantly, scene after scene, it becomes a test of the patience of the viewer. Also, the director has taken generous scientific liberties in constructing his script. Nothing wrong with that, science fiction is a welcome addition to Indian cinema. But, once a scientific track is adopted, it must be seen through to the end. Instead, the script abandons the scientific credibility towards the fag end to give way to a commercial climax action sequence.
But, the film is not all about these flaws. There are strong bright spots which tilts the balance. With an impeccable body language as the stately prince and the ascetic monk, Suriya has turned in a committed and spirited performance yet again. He sure has put in a lot of hard work to get those Kung Fu moves right. Shruthi Haasan may not impress phenomenally with her Tamil debut, but she sure has acting in here genes! And, coincidentally, the film also deals with how abilities are carried forth through generations by genes. Johnny Tri Nguyen looks every bit the terminator, cold and lethal. Murugadoss has raised some very relevant messages through his movie. Some are spelt out clearly at various points in the film and the others are implied. These messages are sure ‘take homes’ for everyone. Also, the research he has undertaken to bring to light a person called Bodhidharma is truly praiseworthy; he has resurrected a piece of history.
7 Aum Arivu has some very strong technical aspects. The cinematography remains top notch throughout, you can see that every frame was carefully constructed, especially in the initial 20 minutes or so. Same can be said about the art too. The visual effects also are a treat to watch, except for a few instances in a fight sequence right in the heart of the city. Also congrats to the team for capturing so many shots in different spots of the city with originality. Harris Jeyaraj’s tunes have already delighted you, but do not expect the same in the movie as the songs have been placed at very unfortunate points in the script. Finally, the editing of the film could and should have been crisper; at a duration of above 3 hours, 7 Aum Arivu is a long drawn affair.
7 Aum Arivu which starts of majestically with support of a superior technical crew would have reigned supremacy, only if had not dwelled too much on insignificant romance, not pushing in 2-3 songs too many and leaving the entire central plot for the second half.
Verdict: Technical finesse catering to commercial compulsions.

Ra One Review

Starring: Shahrukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Armaan Verma
Direction: Anubhav Sinha
Music: Vishal-Shekhar
Production: Gauri Khan

Ra One is easily the biggest movie of the year and thanks to the tremendous and well thought off marketing push by Red Chillies and Eros International, it has turned into an event film. Shahrukh’s extremely high budgeted movie has launched a social game, a PS3 game, came out with graphic novels, merchandises, innumerable marketing tie ups, youtube tie up and the movie is going to be released in India in 3 languages simultaneously with more than 4000 prints all over the world. Can it get bigger than this? Well yes.
The King of Bollywood – Shahrukh made the movie even bigger by pulling in Amitabh to do the narration and then did the impossible – he brought in Superstar Rajinikanth to act in a small scene. Well should we say more? The tickets vanished from the ticket counters in minutes and today is the judgement day. Can Ra.One mesmerize you? Can Ra One change the game? Can Ra.One take Indian film to the international level, something that Endhiran promised, but failed to do? The answer to all these questions is just around the corner … And as the theatre starts getting dark and the screen in front brightens we expect nothing short of magic on screen.
And Magic it was. Ra.One shows reflections of several movies but it is mainly inspired by Terminator 2- Judgement Day. It has also taken few pointers from Iron Man(The core design), Astro Boy(the blue core red core), Endhiran(few shots) etc. And still, the film stands on its own merits which is the biggest plus for the movie and the director Anubhav Sinha.
Sekar Subramanium, a genius game developer’s desperate attempt to impress his son leads him to create a game where the villain Ra.One is more powerful than the hero. At the same time, his company is working on a program to remove the wall that separates the virtual world from the real. Ra.One utilizes this program to come to life and all hell breaks loose!
He wants to kill the only person who has beaten him in the game. Who is this one man? Is it Shahrukh? Can Shahrukh vanquish the super villain? To know the answer you will have to wait for at least a week to see it in the theatres, if you haven’t booked your tickets already.
The director did not have an impressive track record even though he has given 2 hits. But even those have got mainly average to bad reviews. After his last debacle ’Cash’ no one expected him to come out with a project of such magnitude, especially with Shahrukh Khan. But this time around, he has completely impressed with his direction. The movie is aimed at children and young adults while ensuring that even the elders can enjoy. So you will have to expect some kiddish scenes too.
The movie has no problem with the pacing as it is consistently fast. The Climax however could have been more impressive. The characterization of Ra.One could have been made more evil and terrorizing to heighten the tension and make the film gripping. The mystery as to what he would do next could have kept the audience at the edge of their seats. Ra.one’s ability to control human brain seemed too far fetched and could have been avoided.
Shahrukh does struggle with his Tamil, but is exceptional as Sekar and brilliant as G-One. His performance as a human and a virtual superhuman proves his prowess as an actor. Kareena has evolved wonderfully as an actor. She sizzles on screen especially in the world famous ‘Chhamak Chhallo’ track. She looks beautiful and delivers her role with élan showing how competent an actor she is. Armaan Verma is a delight to watch as Sekar’s kid.
Arjun Rampal enters the scene in the second half and plays a menacing Ra.One quite well. The special appearances by Sanjay dutt and Priyanka Chopra are ok. The much talked about Chitti’s (Rajnikant in Endhiran) appearance could have been much much better. However, Rajni’s appearance on screen received screams and cheering which reached maddening levels. The rest of the cast have little to do and they do impress.
Technically, Ra.One is by far India’s biggest and most expensive by the look of it. Cinematography by V. Manigandan is a feast to the eyes and the action swquences alone are shot by the legendry – Nicolo Pecorrini which has come out brilliantly. The animation and graphics compare to the best of Hollywood. The film actually leaves you wondering as to what is graphics and what is real. While it is good in the first half, the graphics is taken to an all new level in the second half. This film has clearly set a very high bar for computer graphics in Indian film Industry.
The action sequences are impeccable. Whether it is the car chase sequence, G-One’s introduction, Train sequence or the climax, the execution is of international level. Sabu Cyril’s art direction should be lauded as the ace art director makes every single set picture perfect. Which is real? Which is a set? Which is graphics? You never know. Did you think the train involved in the pre-climax action scene was a real train? Well, think again. Music has already received rave reviews especially with ‘Dil dara’, Akon’s ‘criminal’ and ‘chamak chalo’ have caught on like wild fire. The picturisation elevates the song experience.
Overall it is s a paisa vasool. Take your kids and family for this event film and become a kid and enjoy the fun. Technically the movie does touch international standards but doesnt boast of an exceptional or unique storyline to impress international junta but its a Indian film which every Indian should be proud off. Expect every record in the record book re-written.
Verdict: Blockbuster of epic proportion

Velayutham Review

Starring: Vijay, Genelia, Hansika Motwani, Saranya Mohan, Santhanam
Direction: Jeyam Raja
Music: Vijay Antony
Production: Aascar Films

Vijay is back to what he does best; mass entertainers, and what better time to unveil a mass entertainer than Diwali. With the music already a rage, the excitement was palpable as fans headed in droves to theatres on the festival of lights.
Velayudham is seen in many ways as a comeback to triumphant ways for Vijay. Yes, Kaavalan was a respite, but it is Velayudham that will more or less decide whether the tried and tested formula that have been followed for Vijay starrers for almost a decade can still hold the audience.
Lets make things clear first, Velayudham holds no surprises in the premise or the central conflict. It is not only something that is seen in a large percentage of commercial entertainers, it is also along lines that are very similar to quite a few earlier Vijay films. But, Vijay films have always been about his presence making things much more exciting than they appear to be in the script.
Velayudham deals with ‘one man saving the society from evil forces’ premise. Yes, we have seen it many times before. Here, the story is about how and why the man rises, how Velu becomes Velayudham. Once he has risen there is no looking back as he hunts down one bad man after the other, but that also earns him enemies who are nothing short of bloodsucking vampires. How does that affect his personal life and how he puts an end to what he began?
As you might guess, the seat of action is Chennai, cinema’s chosen city to portray all corrupt people in Tamil Nadu and the messiah is one who arrives from the village knowing nothing about the notoriety of the big bad city. Of course, he soon finds out and decides that it is better to react than be subdued. And, there is a generous dose of brother-sister sentiment thrown in.
Déjà vu anyone! Well, don’t mind that because Raja has woven a script that makes you forget all this and concentrate only on the screen. The first half is really a joyride, especially for Vijay fans as he is introduced as the fun loving, mischievous young man who will go to any lengths to make his sister (Saranya Mohan) happy. Vijay is an absolute livewire, be it in the electric dance sequences or the enjoyable comic exchanges, first involving Parotta Suri and M.S.Bhaskar and later with the extremely effective Santhanam. Of course, the director has not failed to keep pushing the central plot ahead steadily to leave the interval intriguingly poised. The second half arrives with more of action than anything else. Yes, there is place for a bit of romance and also some cleverly placed comedy sequences late into the half, but on the whole action does dominate. Again, as we have seen repeatedly with commercial films, it is the overdose of the action element, especially projecting the hero as an unassailable superhuman that makes viewing a bit difficult. Velayudham too falls prey to the same errors, though not to the irrecoverable extent that many other movies have fallen. Raja intersperses high octane action with a couple of well placed songs (Molachu Moonu and Rathathin Ratham) and a very sentimental pre-climax portion to keep the audience from feeling action weary. But, the dominant feeling as the end credits start to roll is that a racy and intelligent climax (not that the one now is non-inttelligent) instead of the hero’s mass appeal and a preachy message would have made the movie much better.
Raja has done a fine job of mixing all the elements that go towards making a mass hero film, though he has lost the balance a bit in the last hour. His adeptness at placing comedy, romance, sentiment and the mandatory 5 songs into a script that has an alter-ego(istic) superhero should be commended. Nothing looks out of place, as we enjoy Santhanam’s wisecracks, Vijay’s dances and the brother-sister sequences. It is a while since we have seen Vijay excel in an emotionally heavy scene, Raja gets it out of the actor, in Velayudham. Also, placing 5 songs in a movie with none of them sticking out like a sore thumb is quite an achievement; though we should say that Vijay’s presence is a major factor in ensuring this.
Everyone in front of the camera has done a fine job. Vijay is sprightly, energetic and every bit the way we love to see him. He has experimented a bit with his look in the songs and they have come out well. Hansika is there in many scenes, but for most parts is a silent spectator, being called upon once in a while, mostly for glamour. She does not look out of place as a village girl, but the makers’ claim that she would remind us of Khushboo is an overstatement. Genelia gets quite a significant part and looks convincing. A laugh is guaranteed every time Santhanam is on screen. Saranya Mohan too deserves a round of applause for being good enough to make the audience feel the depth of the siblings’ bond.
During most of the talkie portions, the camera strictly adheres to the requirements. Some well shot scenes within a train are worth mentioning. But, it is in the songs that the lens turns on the magic. At least a couple of them are visual treats. The capture of landscape for Molachu Moonu is delectable. Action too has been designed well. Though the movie is of the superhero type, the fights have not been taken to those levels; keeping them down to plausible levels (by commercial cinema standards). Dialogues too deliver the occasional punch and there is one particular reference to the rather benign ways of India.
Velayudham is a regular commercial entertainer which shows one man rising for the masses to right the wrongs in society. Yes, we have seen this kind of movie many times. But, a deftly written script keeps us engaged on screen for most parts until Raja gives into the temptations of adding extra mass appeal to a film that is already built around it. There are many scenes that instantly remind us of films seen earlier, but Viijay’s presence makes up for these glitches. There are also a few instances where the dialogues have political overtones (or are we imagining things, given the nature of the season). If the director had steered clear of these elements and concentrated on building a solid last hour which did not rely too heavily on the leading man’s charisma to carry it off, Velayudham would have been an even better end product.
Verdict: Regular mass entertainer spiced up by Vijay.

Thambi Vettothi Sundaram Review

Starring: Karan, Anjali, Saravanan
Direction: V.C. Vadivudayan
Music: Vidyasagar
Production: Senthilkumar

Thambi Vettothi Sundaram, a story that has been publicized as one that reflects the true picture of the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border made it to theatres on that fancy date 11-11-11. It has been a while since we saw Karan on screen, same holds true for Saravanan who is sparsely seen after his Paruthiveeran heroics. Not surprisingly, the most popular face in contemporary months in this film is Anjali; just goes to show the kind of performances she has turned in over her past few films.
Thambi Vettothi Sundaram is set in Kaliyakkavila, a town set on the state border. This place has a very unique distinction; almost everyone here is educated and quite peculiarly, almost every second person is involved in some kind of illegal business ranging from smuggling to the brewing of illegal liquor and other such activities. This place is certainly an antithesis for all those who believe that education is the one solution to all social evils. Here, people seem to be corrupt in spite of education. Sundaram (Karan) is one from the town, well educated, but not yet initiated into any subversive acts.
He has no idea to drift off onto the wrong side of the law, but the place and people are such that he finds it near impossible to follow a straightforward means of livelihood. He is confused, vexed, angry and then finds someone (Saravanan) who seems to understand his troubles; they form a jolly good duo. So, who is Saravanan, what does the duo end up doing, do they cleanse society, do they join the fray, do they make enemies? And, in the midst of this, there is a love story as an admiring Anjali falls for Karan; not without good reason!
The debutante Vadivudaiyan has done a fair job in sketching characters and writing a script that is packed to the brim with characters, events and twists all interconnected in multiple ways. But, he stretches his yarn too hard and too long. It does not snap, yes, but it is strained to the hilt and you feel it while watching the film. It is serious and grim right from the start, perhaps necessitated by the story, but in a movie that runs for over 150 minutes, the mood weighs down the audience considerably. He has put in place a graph that does not remain without a spike in it for too long, but some of them feel artificially inserted. The final portions become especially wearisome as people from all sides are baying for each other’s blood. And, your sympathies are undecided because almost everyone in this town has a shady dealing or two.
Instead of finishing things with a gripping and short climax, the director has opted for some strong medicine and stretched it to a culmination that looks a bit more dramatic than is called for. In the end, what the director wants to convey is clear. It is the society (that is each one of us) that is responsible one way or the other for breeding criminals, mostly out of promising young people. And, the age old wisdom of ‘crime never pays’, if it does, it is only short term! Good things to say, but they could have been said without making the audience feel stretched weary. It is interesting to note that the team has decided to do away completely with any traces of comedy that so often form integral parts of Karan starrers; a brave move which would have been lauded much more if the product delivered was of a higher standard.
There is not much in the characters to challenge the actors. Karan goes through his role with the experience of a seasoned performer. For most parts, he has to look angry, disappointed and disillusioned in turns, except in the romantic scenes; he does them well. Saravanan is asked to do what comes to him best and he delivers that without any problems, but he could do with something that challenges him more. Anjali has quite a bit of footage considering that it is a crime, punishment and revenge driven story. She looks good and emotes well as we have known her to. Her presence in the ‘Kolaikaara’ song is really wonderful. In fact, the song is one of the highlights of the film with all departments, art, camera, music, choreography and the actors making it a very good experience. The other actors in the movie have little else to do but appear angry and vengeful.
The dialogues and the dialect could have been taken care of in a much better way. After having been publicised as a Tamil Nadu-Kerala border story, one does expect a Malayalam-Tamil hybrid to come through in the dialogues; that does not happen. The Malayalam slang is limited to one or two words which often open sentences, afterwards, it is all normal Tamil which you would hear anywhere in the state. It is like using the phrase ‘yelle’ in every sentence to masquerade normal Tamil as the Tirunelveli dialect.
Technically, Thambi Vettothi Sundaram passes muster. The camerawork is adequate while Vidyasagar’s music makes an impression.
Overall, Thambi Vettothi Sundaram is a film that is loyal to its story; there are absolutely no diversions. But, is that enough for a good viewing experience? The grim and serious nature gets to you after a while and the happenings one after the other seem to lose sheen and credibility as we go deeper into the film. Thambi Vettothi Sundaram could have been much better, only if it had been packaged a bit more cleverly.

Konjam Sirippu Konjam Kobam Review

Screenplay, dialogue and direction: Sampoornam
Cast: Mahesh, Anusha, Vijayakumar, Sayaji Shinde, Ganja Karuppu and Sathyan
Music: Sunil Xavier
Cinematography: Sree
Editing: M N Raja
Producer: Sampoornam
Banner: Sri Astalakshmi Films

Mahesh made a grand entry into films with Vasathabalan’s ‘Angadi Theru’. Even after the success of the film, unlike for his co-star Anjali, Mahesh did not get any good offer. And, after a long wait the film ‘Konjam Sirippu Konjam Kobam’ is releasing as his second movie.
‘Konjam Sirippu Konjam Kobam’ is yet another different love story about Mahesh, an honest police officer who falls in love with Anusha, the daughter of a police commissioner. After their marriage is fixed a twist comes that stops the marriage. Anusha leaves Mahesh to marry his cousin. But what Mahesh does at this juncture, whether he marries Anusha or not forms the climax of the story.
Mahesh has again delivered an excellent performance in the film. Anusha does her role that was assigned to her. But she needs to tone up her physique to suit for heroine roles. She looks like a senior actress to Mahesh because of her appearance.
Vijayakumar, Sayaji Shinde, ‘Ganja’ Karuppu and Sathyan feature in other prominent roles. All the actors have done their parts well.
‘Konjam Sirippu Konjam Kobam’ is directed by debutant Sampoornam. He has also written the screenplay and dialogues for the film. Sampoornam has also produced the movie for Sri Astalakshmi films. A well written story but the script has many flaws. The director could have given some more time to tune up the script.
Music is by Sunil Xavier. Songs are just another set of compositions for Tamil cinema and the background score is okay. A good work by cameraman Sree. The editor M N Raja could have given more cuts to many unwanted parts. ‘Konjam Sirippu Konjam Kobam’ is a remake of 2005 Gopichand and Gowri starrer ‘Andhrudhu’.
Overall, ‘Konjam Sirippu Konjam Kobam’ is a once watchable movie!

Vithagan Review

Starring: Parthiban, Poorna, Milind Soman, Vincent Ashokan
Direction: Parthiban
Music: Joshua Sridhar
Production: Manickam Narayanan

Vithagan has garnered interest for quite a few reasons, one of them being Parthiban’s 50th film. Of course, the actor has not made much ado about this fact as he candidly admitted that for audience, these landmarks and statistics are immaterial and a wholesome entertainer is what they expect. Vithagan has also aroused interest because of Parthiban who is known for his intelligent and creative brainwaves which is evident from the tagline of the film in English that states ‘With the gun’ and also a novel post card appeal to viewers along with the movie ticket.
The film deals with the life of a cop and many dons and baddies who traverse his path and the events that happen when cupid strikes him. Parthiban is the Vithagan of the film having shouldered the responsibility of story, screenplay, dialogues, and direction in addition to penning the lyrics. In all these assignments, Parthiban the lyricist and the dialogue writer comes out with honors.
If it is a Parthiban film there would not be dearth of witty one-liners and clever dialogues and Vithagan also abounds in these sectors. For a film to totally engage the audience, it is imperative that every department works in sync and sadly it is not the case in Vithagan. The first half makes you sit up and take note as the content is arresting. Director Parthiban moves his film forward in an exciting manner. There are quite a few smart frames and the one just before the interval when Parthiban throws a wedge to keep his boss’s chair stationery but it lands with a gap wherein a title card ‘gap’ appears to indicate interval is just a sample.
Parthiban’s dialogues as always are full of clever pun and wit. To a remark from Poorna who points out that he laughs, Parthiban’s retort, “Naan ippadi daan kovapaduven’ is smart. The scene at a hotel involving the old crony of villain who insists that he pays the bill is hilarious although it has no relevance to the story whatsoever.
Second half is a complete antithesis of first half which is replete with logical loopholes, ambiguous characterization, many mindless killings sans rhyme or reason and distorted screen play. The film wobbles on to a goal less destination and you wonder what the director has in mind. Parthiban is shown to be very powerful and clever but it is perplexing as to why he takes such a long time to attack the villain. Law and order has taken leave in Vithagan where everybody roams with powerful firearms as toys and no questions asked.
Parthiban is shown as an honest and clever cop who basically covers his tracks intelligently in the 1st half and in just one single shot, he does a total volte face and is shown to be making a very foolish mistake. From then on the viewer is left in confusion about his character as his ideologies are thrown to wind. Milind Soman who features in 2nd half looks as dashing as ever but there is nothing special in him to validate his presence as anybody could have done his role. Poorna looks ravishing and her costumes (Nalini Sriram) are trendy and chic. Romance does not seem to go well with Parthiban as much as action, comedy or taunt does.
Under Joshua Sridhar’s music, some songs are hummable and the picturization in a few numbers is praiseworthy. White women dancing in black saris in the melodious ‘kkudhe’ number is an interesting conceptualization. In the ‘thanana thanthanana number, the flowers in the love struck Poorna’s sari turning into actual flowers shows the aesthetic taste of the director.
Toting up, Vithagan is like an inclined see-saw with the first half on top and second half in the ground.

Anbulla Kamal Tamil Review

Starring: Kamal Haasan, Meera Jasmine, Jayaram
Direction: Saji Surendran
Music: M Jayachandran
Production: Tomichan Mulakupadom

Four Friends, the Malayalam multi-starrer, which did middling business in Kerala has found its way into theaters in Tamil Nadu; presumably because it features a one-scene cameo by Kamal Haasan. Did the producers believe that just the presence of Kamal Haasan is enough to evoke interest in the Tamil audience, or did they believe in the strength of the story to woo the audience? The fact that the movie stars Jayaram, Jayasuriya and Meera Jasmine, who are already familiar to Tamil audiences, besides Kunchako Boban, might also have prompted the decision to go in for this Tamil release.
Anbulla Kamal is the story of four terminally ill people who come together and decide that their last days on earth must be worth remembering, that they must leave no wishes or duties unfulfilled when their time comes, which they know, is not too far away. The film takes us through the emotions of each of these characters as they forge a bond amongst themselves and also try to do those final calls that are very close to their hearts. Funding their dreams is the richest among them all, who realizes that even all his wealth is not going to save him from fate. While they still remain active and continue to pursue their most ardent wishes, it is evident to us that they have also resigned to their fate. That is when they receive a beacon of hope in the form of someone who has seen people around him fight and even win the battle against terminal illness.
The best thing about the movie is that it proposes no magic cure, no spiritual remedy; not even some hospital in the USA which can do a one-surgery treatment to give them back their lives. Terminal illness is shown in its stark reality without sugar coating the facts. The message is loud and clear that no medicine is as powerful as the human spirit and the will to live life to its fullest. While we have all heard about names like Lance Armstrong who fought and won against terminal illness, this film gives us names of people closer home, people whom we can identify with, who have fought with undying spirits. Not all of them could win, but they did live life with hope and courage, doing what they like to do best. That, in very simple terms, is what Anbulla Kamal tells you.
You are told very early in the film that the four protagonists are terminally ill. There descends the heavy pall of gloom and impending death. That hangs over the film like a dark cloud all the way. How much ever the director tries to make things colorful and cheerful by taking us through the development of their friendship or through their attempts to get all their wishes fulfilled, the film constantly carries a gloomy mood, which makes it weary for us after a point of time. The heavy emotional content weighs down anything presented in the form of entertainment, even the songs and the bright locations.
One wonders whether the quality of dubbing has anything to do with this. Jayasuriya has been given space in the script for comedy, but dubbing in the local Chennai flavor for him seems grossly overdone and destroys whatever little fun it would have brought. The only silver lining in the cloud is the rather beautiful message of hope and courage which is given out citing examples whom we can relate to. And, Kamal Haasan makes a one-scene appearance. Taking a theme that deals with terminal illness and impending death and making a cheerful entertainer out of it without ridiculing the seriousness of the ailment is a tricky balancing act. It was once executed beautifully by Hrishikesh Mukherjee in Anand. The director of Anbulla Kamal could have taken a cue from there.
The film has some good music, but as said before, it gets subdued in the big shadow cast by the central theme. The opening remix of ‘Yeh dosti’ from Sholay is, however, an exception. All the performers have pitched in with good portrayals, but no one really stands out. Camera has tried hard to capture some colorful frames and has done fairly well.
Anbulla Kamal is a film that delivers a very beautiful message on life; like Rocky Balboa said ‘ain’t nothing over until it’s over’. But, the theme of illness and impending death elbows out the more cheerful parts on friendship and life, which makes the film a heavy and rather gloomy experience. Obviously, the treatment could have been different. And, why was the film named Anbulla Kamal; just because Kamal Haasan appears in one scene! Isn’t that a bit misleading?

Uyirin Idai 21 Tamil Review

Starring: Sangamithra, Thilakan, E L Indrajith
Direction: E L Indrajith
Music: E L Indrajith
Production: E Kalaivaanan

Many years back a scientist placed dying people on a delicate weighing balance and measured the change in weight at the instant of death and came to a conclusion that the human soul weighs 21 grams. Now, whether the existence of the soul has been scientifically proven or not, its weight has been ascertained and the fact has now been used as the curiosity evoking title of a Tamil movie.
One would wonder whether this movie is an interesting intellectual take on the existence of the soul, afterlife and some other such uncertain concepts. Please be assured, if there is anything in the movie that is worth being curious about, it is only the reason behind this rather odd title. Everything else is as run-of-the-mill as you have seen in Tamil cinema over the past few years. A gang of dons, infighting, groupism and gangs within the gang. The rivalry goes from push to shove and before you know the sickles are out. There is betrayal, double crossing, killing, shouting and a struggle for power, all faithfully put in to make what is an aspiring gang war story which should end up showing the birth of a criminal from the shadow of another. In the end, the director seems to want to say that criminals are like banana plants, they never go down without making sure that another one is on its way up.
If you want to know the meaning of mediocrity, you should watch this film. It looks completely out of place in our times where film making is thoroughly professional. It looks like a half baked attempt at putting together a full length feature film with oodles of violence without fully learning the trade of filmmaking.
The script is amateurish, the lighting seems deliberately dark and dank throughout without proper reason, dialogues are unnecessarily over the top, characters are jukeboxes of weird sounds, and violence is gory. Every scene in the movie is a test of your patience.
The movie has been made by a set of film institute students. Their enthusiasm and confidence is not to be criticized. But, they still have a lot to learn before coming out as quality filmmakers, which they might emerge as, in the future. But, this time, it is a lesson learnt the hard way for them. The only bright spot in the entire affair is performance of Thilakan as an ageing don, his presence is commanding as ever.

Ra Ra Review

Starring: Udhaya, Ponvannan, Shreya Basu
Direction: Sandelyan
Music: Srikanth Deva
Production: U Keerthika

It might not be in the league of Madras to Pondicherry but despite its strange little title, Royapuram to Royapettai as a movie doesn’t fail you in many counts. For one, the title is delightfully suggestive of the movie’s story. And then the actors play their parts almost flawlessly without further ado. Add to that an unpretentious story and a near cliché less narrative; you get nothing less of a wining combination. Here’s one more small-timer movie that does not solely depend on the star power but only on the strength of its story and the vigor of its actors’ performance.
Royapuram to Royapettai is a simplistic love story about two people with background that is so disparate, it’s seemingly impossible for them to unite in marriage. But if they give up, where is the story for us? So they do, not before trying their best leaving no stone unturned to convince the hard-nosed, orthodox father, often conning him into believing lies about the background. Although the story reeks of good old masala movies, the director has consciously stayed away from being typecast.
Udaya is from an orthodox family, whose father Ponvannan lives by Thirukkural and the conventional principles dictated by his Brahmin clan. When Udaya falls for Shreya Basu who hails from a fishermen village, no less, all hell breaks loose. However, the couple decides to play it cool and win over the orthodox father’s heart. Do they do it is what Royapuram to Royapettai is all about.
As you can see, the script has immense potential for comedy and it’s being fully exploited. For instance, the scenes where Ponvannan is invited to the girl’s house and everybody pretends to belong to a Brahmin household. Their crude Tamil peeps in between their put up Brahmin accent and you end up smiling without a choice when the actors put up an earnest performance. And the comedy seems quite natural and not contrived. In the same breadth, when Shreya Basu’s family tries and learns Thirukkural to appease the likes of Ponvannan, it’s side-splitting.
Although Udaya as the unfortunate youngster who falls for a girl whose family is totally unlike his, delivers his role as is required, it’s Ponvannann who takes the cake for donning the role of a tough, orthodox dad with a dark past. The Thirukkural fanatic who also dictates terms at his house is also a mellow man at heart. He after all wants the best for his children. None of these emotions can be brought out this effectively by anyone other than Ponvannan. Shreya Basu is a cutey pie but she will need lessons in dialogue delivery if she wants to stick around for longer.
First half of the movie revolves in comic indulgence. Scenes of Udaya’s falling in love with Shreya, the meet up of the families and so on and so forth keep the pace of the movie. Director Santilya has efficiently laced comedy and drama and it works to an extent. Srikanth Deva has turned to melody here and the song featuring Thirukkural is a winner.
Royapuram to Royapettai is a family entertainer to put it in plain words. It has everything going for it – excuse the slackening pace during the second half and the negligible clichés – for a neat commercial entertainer, and it might not be a bad idea to spend an afternoon over the movie.