After a brief and a 'not so successful' stint as an action hero, Sundar C has once again decided to wield direction after 6 years with "Kalakalappu". Being his home production and his first directorial venture after a hiatus, he has carefully chosen a full length comic scrip which is often considered to yield a minimum guarantee at the box office and moreover he enjoys a proven track on that.
As thin as a "MacBook Air", the story has hardly anything serious to offer in terms of content, except that it was peppered with comedy masala throughout and towards the end there was an overdose of it. The story is about two brothers (Vimal and Shiva) and their effort to resurrect their family run hotel business (Masala Café). A group tries to grab the café from the duo, meanwhile they get embroiled in an imbroglio with yet another group which is after a treasured set of diamonds. Added to this the lead pair have the responsibility to win the hearts of their sweet hearts and Vimal has an additional responsibility to negotiate with his sweet heart's ruffian uncle (Santhaanam).
The script fitted to a tee for all the comic elements to be embedded at the right place. The casting was also apt. The cast comprised of a long list of names along with the lead pairs of Shiva & Oviya and Vimal & Anjali. Santhaanam, who has now become an inevitable ingredient for a movie to have a minimum guarantee, was in his elements. Though he was introduced post interval, he made the most of the opportunity given to him.
Among the lead, Shiva scored big time, typically with his dialog delivery, body language and timing. Vimal had underplayed his role as the role demanded the same and had little to offer in terms of acting. The 2 heroines added to the glamor elements.
Among the supporting cast, Ilavarasu, John Vijay, Panchu Subbu and the actor who portrayed the role of a constable (who loses his mental balance towards the climax) were there to do justice for this comic script.
On the downside, the movie was a bit slow in the first half with hardly any laughs. There were too many songs thrust into the script and at least a couple of them were totally uncalled for and could have been easily done away with. There was also an archaic feel on the proceedings and sometimes it felt like watching a stage drama wherein the comic elements would be forced. However, the script gathered pace and heat towards the climax, largely due to Sundar's packaging and managed to touch the finishing line with a fair amount of ease as it was a comedy riot towards the end.
The technical departments such as cinematography, editing and music took a backseat, with music being the one which comes under heavy criticism as there was not even a single hummable number.
Overall, this movie can be enjoyed by keeping your expectations and common sense at an all time low. A warm welcome to director Sundar C after a hiatus.
Verdict: Average - worth a watch!
Rating: 2.5/5
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