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Archive for February 2014

Written by Hariharan Anbazhagan in , , , , , , , ,


Thegidi (Deception) - Almost Thrilling!




Let me think of a mind blowing investigative thriller that has hit the Kollywood screens after Myskin’s “Yudham Sei”…. the sour truth is that there ain't any till now! “Thegidi” which had a good pre-release buzz partly due to the backing of the coming-of-age production house (Thirukumaran Entertainment) and the name that was purely Tamil which had many Kollywood enthusiasts googling for its meaning was touted to be an intelligently and tautly crafted thriller!


Before placing it under the microscope, let me tell you that there are not going to be any spoilers and hence you can proceed reading the review without much fuss! The story revolves around a young detective Vetri (Ashok Selvan) who is tasked to “shadow” a few individuals by his employer (a detective agency). He obliges and then later realizes the quagmire that he has been worked into and when the element of deception kicks in, the truth begins to dawn on him revealing a few predictable twists!


The movie’s biggest strength was its length (2 hours). Though there were some unwanted songs in order to establish the romantic interludes between the lead pair, it was quite convincingly justifiable for us to invest our time even in the middle of scratching our heads with the prediction of who is the black sheep.


The movie had its own share of loopholes as well. A detective falling for a trap that is quite dumb and sharing his workplace secrets with his roommate as if like sharing his cubicle politics were the biggest farces. Apart from that the movie had nothing itchy. The first half was gently paced in order to push the viewers to a threshold where we are all set for a thrill and then when some of the revelations are made, we would soon be able to connect the dots.


Music by newbie Nivas was a bit over-the-top at times. Especially the BGM tends to announce its presence too often when the dialogs are in full swing!!


The cinematography had some neat visuals and some eye-catchy ones during the song sequences.


The performances of the lead pair was decent, but Ashok needs to learn to be a bit cheerful. His grim reactions throughout the movie was a dampener. Kaali as Ashok’s room mate made his presence felt with a natural charm. Jayaprakash as the cop was in his usual elements.


Debutant director Ramesh has tried his best to present a novel form of fraud through an investigative thriller that was quite logical. If only he had invested a little more time in order to seal the loopholes and fine tune his screenplay, this would have been an awesome one! Anyhow, I don't have regrets watching it!


Verdict: Worth a Watch!

Rating: 2.5 / 5

Written by Hariharan Anbazhagan in , , , , , ,


Bramman - Creates Misery!



If ‘Subramaniapuram’ brought out the director in Sasikumar, ‘Sundarapandian’ gave him the lead to take on the mass roles. Sasikumar from then on has been keen in nurturing that image and as a result he has to face the wrath of a slew of misses as well, with the latest being ‘Bramman’ directed by debutant Socrates, who also happens to be a former assistant to director Kamal Hassan!

This is my figment of imagination of what might have been the conversation between Sasikumar and director Socrates prior to starting this movie, at the time of story discussion:

Socrates: Sir, I've got an excellent script on friendship and bonding!
Sasi: Wow!! You have indeed chosen the right keyword for me to listen to your story… carry on buddy!
Socrates: The story is….
Sasi: Hey c’mon buddy, you told me that it is about friendship, then why should I listen to it?
Socrates: So shall we go for the shoot?
Sasi: I have some more recommendations… Since I am nurturing a mass hero image, I need a barbie doll like heroine who may or may not know acting but she should be dumb. Secondly there should be at least 2 duets for me in foreign locations, I don't mind a couple of fights, a couple of comedians including Santhaanam and of course an introduction song that shouldn't reveal my weakness (dancing)....
Socrates: ???!!!!
Sasi: Is it a yes or a no…. dont think that I’m exploiting you since you're a newbie….
Socrates: No sir… absolutely not…
Sasi: Let’s go!

The first half was nothing but stereotypical introduction for a happy-go-lucky guy who happens to be the hero. Of course he has not got a regular job, but leases and runs a theater that showcases second runs. When he is faced with a challenge, he has to go to the city to reclaim his life. Then comes the twists and turns where our senses were not permitted to even murmur some basic logical questions.

The movie had nothing except a few banters from Santhaanam. Let’s wish for Sasi to realize what’s going on with his career as a hero and in my opinion he should stick to direction at least for sometime before regaining his senses!!

Verdict: Forget it!

Rating: 1 / 5

Written by Hariharan Anbazhagan in , , , , , ,


Ahaa Kalyanam (Wow Marriage) - Behind Royal Nuptials!



The first thought that came to my mind while watching this Tamil remake of the Hindi movie “Bandh Bajaa Baaraat” was how slyly the entire team has tried to fit the plot of this movie into the Tamil ethos and I should say that they were almost successful in selling an essentially ‘non-Tamil’ concept to the more ‘upmarket’ Tamil audience. By ‘upmarket’ I don’t mean the elite and affluent class, but people who are open to embrace experimental neo-noir be it with a commercial wrapper or sans that!

The movie attempts to make a decent rom-com with a plot that involves two wedding planners (Naani and Vaani) who run around to earn a name for themselves, then fall apart due to their differences and then predictably reunite at the end after realizing that neither of them can’t be without being dependent on each other. The structure for the plot comes right out of Hollywood’s tried and tested oven for rom-coms, but coated with an Indian (Bollywood) masala.

How many Tamil marriages in Chennai are happening the way that was depicted in the movie? Well I agree that slowly the famous ‘Sangeet’ function is becoming a vital part of the upmarket (here I also mean the more affluent) Tamil weddings as well, but it might only be a handful. At the same time I also agree with the concept of the movie that this lucrative business sector have to be much more organized by transferring the powers from the hands of the age-old contractors to the so-called “wedding planners” who claim to make things happen by leveraging their expertise in conducting a marriage in a much more grand and peaceful manner as it meant to be.

There were many complaints with the plot as it was just placid and had little leeway for any subplots or twists, but at the same time there was more than enough room for melodrama, but thankfully the director has settled with a colorful narrative that just about escapes from being labeled as naive with a few laughs here and there.

Songs by Dharan were hummable and some were jazzy enough to croon along, especially the one which bore the lyrics of all the famous punch dialogs from Tamil movies, thanks to lyricist Madhan Karky!

Last but not the least, this is also marks the debut for the famous Bollywood production house, Yash Raj Movies in Tamil. Hope they soon master the nuances of Tamil cinema that is believed to root from simple down-to-earth stories unlike their Bollywood counterparts that are more jazzy in their plot and appeal!

Verdict: Average

Rating: 2.5 / 5

Written by Hariharan Anbazhagan in , , , , , , , ,


Ithu Kathirvelan Kadhal (This is Kathirvelan’s Love) - Can’t be loved!



If Udhayanidhi Stalin’s debut movie OK OK has prompted him to don the hero’s cap for a second time, then he has to blame none but himself, as he was just a supporting cast in that movie with Santhanam and director Rajesh doing the heavy lifting, the former did it on screen while the latter fueled the engine from behind the screen. This time with his second movie IKK, as a hero his weakness has been well exposed with not only a lamentably rehashed story but a tired-looking Santhaanam who is running short of tricks and who was the savior for him in his debut movie.

IKK’s story was riddled with far too many sub-plots that did not help the screenplay to even nudge forward and infact hampered the pace time and again with a bunch of tackily composed songs by Harris Jayaraj that had some brilliant visuals in foreign locales. A guy meets girl story was attempted to be narrated in a comic way which is a safe bet for any small time hero who likes to make a mark, but this one was right off the track and was aimless.

On top of everything, there were cliches like the heroine repelling the hero who is chasing her all the time and then when she realizes that he has come to the town for a cause she flips her feelings in a second and falls for him and then gets ready for a song. A ‘seasoned’ heroine like Nayantara falling for such a petty role cannot be termed as ‘surprising’ but can only be termed as destiny as it is with the case of other heroines in any other part of the Indian film industry.

In a nutshell, this one was long, boring and without any substance!

Rating: 1.5 / 5

Written by Hariharan Anbazhagan in , , , , , ,


Pannaiyaarum Padhminiyum (Landlord and Padhmini) - A Long Bumpy Ride!




I enjoyed the short film with the same name which was crisper with a neat presentation and perhaps earned debutante director Arun Kumar a berth in Kollywood to set afloat his directorial venture into a feature. But has he taken into account the perils of making a feature film out of the script from its shorter counterpart is the bone of contention.


PP narrates the tale of an aged landlord (Jayaprakash) who has an obsession for a Fiat branded Premier Padmini car for reasons unknown. He engages Murugesan (Vijay Sethupathi) as the driver as he doesn't know to drive a car. From then on the bumpy ride in the story takes a placid and boring drive on the national highway about how the landlord learns driving and woos his old-lady love (a charmingly worked out old-world romance between Jayaprakash and Tulasi). There are certain subplots that encompass some forgettable moments about how circumstances force the landlord to part away with his obsessive vehicle, a half-basked romantic episode between Murugesan and Malarvizhi (Ishwarya Rajesh) with lazy interludes that just go through the motions and a whimsy bus driver who threatens to tarnish the brand name of the vehicle in the village.


Credits have to be given to the director for taking the road less traveled and for the mise en scène that was pulled off, thanks to the dexterous work of the art department. The village ethos, landlord’s house, the car…. all bring in a sense of nostalgia and makes one smell that period of time in which the story takes place… though no specific time has been mentioned, one would easily identify that period and can associate oneself with it. But the buck stops there as the story has been expanded beyond its elasticity thus making it lose steam even before it tries to take off.


The foremost flaw lies in the lack of establishment of the reason for the landlord’s obsession towards the vehicle. If that is forgivable then how can one make sense of the driver also being obsessed with the vehicle…? Also in due course the vehicle forms the center part of the film which was expected, but for that to remain as such, the audiences need to be drawn towards the narrative with at least a character sharing a sort of intimacy with the vehicle for a proper reason. In fact I would rate the yesteryear Rajinikanth starrer ‘Padikathavan’ to have established a better intimacy between the driver and the car (Lakshmi) when compared to this one where the central character is the car. Because of this blunder, the movie plundered into the deep without a trace of impact in the scenes that proceeded. All we ended up was with a half-hearted attempt that had some artistic visuals and decent music.


Performances from the main characters were good, especially Thulasi as the landlord’s wife looted the screen space, while Vijay Sethupathi and Jayaprakash were also equally impressive in their performances. However, an advise to Vijay Sethupathi would be to put his versatile image on track as his versatility is drying up with respect to choosing roles and consequently his Kollywood vehicle would soon be slowing down the lane. Balasaravanan as ‘Peedai/Peruchali’ evoked some laughter which was short lived.


The movie can be enjoyed on television as there is every possibility that this would get a slot in some premier TV channel for the forthcoming festivals or special occasion.


PS: Also there were a gang of girls seated behind my row, who were really enthusiastic to pass comment for every scene that was supposed to pull an emotional string or two. That was irritating at times but the comments were largely enjoyable, but nevertheless made the experience a bit too farcical at time :)


Verdict: Below Average


Rating: 2 / 5

Written by Hariharan Anbazhagan in , , , ,


Drishyam - Mind Game!


This is my first Malayalam movie review and I want to jot down my thoughts quickly on the refreshing genre that has propped up in Indian movie history that is bound to stay for a while if leveraged effectively. Even after getting good reports for the movie, I was lethargic to watch it as I am not familiar with the language and that is because when I want to watch a movie, I will make sure that each and every dialog is clear in order for me to understand the subtle nuances in movie making. That’s precisely the reason why I try best to avoid movies other than Tamil without subtitles. But I was able to understand the language fairly well enough as it resembles Tamil in every sense and above all I would have missed a finely crafted thriller.

Drishyam is a family thriller where George Kutty’s (Mohanlal) family gets entangled in a quagmire, where there is very little way out. George Kutty with his presence of mind and rationale outwits the legal system and battles successfully in order to save his family from the wrath of his detractor. Not sure if I can sprinkle any more spoilers here, so I believe that less said is well said.

The script was fabulously woven, the trap for the thrills were laid initially without making much fuss and the links were well connected - full credits have to be given to director Jeethu Joseph. Another great aspect of the movie was that the script was absolutely believable. The questions that pop up in our mind every now and then get answered then and there. There were no loose ends in the script.

The performances were rock solid from everyone, from the leads to the junior artist like the old tea stall owner. Everyone pitched in with their two cents to make this a successful one! It’s a well known fact that Mr.Lal is a great actor, with this one he has not only redefined that, but has etched out his name in the hall of glory. Well done ‘Laletta’!! Also the wicked constable, Shajon was awesome, not to forget the performance of ‘Asha Sarath’ as IG Geetha, who was apt for the role where she had to blend sentiment with brevity as her role demanded that.

BGM by Anil Johnson created the mood for the thrills and the songs were also hummable.

Cinematography by Sujith kept us glued to the screen and there were no rapid movements on screen as it was expected to be for thrillers and that is also thanks to the editing department headed by Ayoob Khan.

This movie is a must watch for not only Mohan Lal fans like me, but also for anyone who wants a taste of good cinema and a well executed script!!

Verdict: Awesome

Rating: 4 / 5

Written by Hariharan Anbazhagan in , , , , , ,


Rummy - Reshuffled unto continuum!




Directed by debutant Balakrishnan, Rummy was pitched as a romantic thriller with a multi-cast show led by the dynamic Vijay Sethupathi. But after watching the movie I realized that it was a period drama where Vijay Sethupathi was silently sidelined and reduced to a supporting artist whereas his co-star Innigo Prabhakaran took the lead. There’s nothing wrong about that but what went wrong was the screenplay that had almost everything predictable.


The tale is set in the late eighties of Pudhukottai district. The story follows the lives of two youngsters, Sakthi (Innigo Prabhakaran) and Joseph (Vijay Sethupathi) who get united as roommates when they choose to pursue their education in a college in the nearby town. Predictably each find their partners and to top all the cliches there is this old-school village head who wants to banish every lover in his village and these girls chased by our guys happen to be the daughters of the village headmen. No prizes for guessing what would ensue when love meets conflicting old age thoughts of sanity and women being abated of their rights! The director seems to believe in reinventing the wheel of women being empowered and revolutionizing the system with blood and violence.


Though I would buy his concept of revolution and the violent manner in which that was achieved, the predictable and tedious way in which the story was unfolded made way for quite a yawn. The director in fact has chosen the apt canvas to narrate such a tale where the strata of society that was depicted and their superficial beliefs were brought out well, but at what cost? That is the bone of contention. There were love stories but no romance, there was some comedy but no laughter, there were some thrills but no unpredictability, there was sorrow but no sentimental draw and there was violence and blood but no impact. To top it all, the movie took its own time to unpack its sack of little thrills that proved to be a melodrama at the end!


The movie’s forte was Imman’s melodies - ‘Kooda mela kooda vachu’ was my favorite and the BGM was also fantastic. Cinematography had its two cents to offer and that proved to be a lot as well, especially watch out for the scene towards the climax where the villain’s henchman being killed in a bed of straw - the angle and the ambiance says that the director has some promise.


Performances from the lead as well as the supporting cast seemed to pass muster. Ishwarya Rajesh seems to be the one who caught the eye and had her chemistry with Vijay Sethupathy in place. Soori as a comedian was a let down once again. He has nothing to offer in terms of the so-called entertainment value and also in terms of supporting the narrative.


The director seems to have some potential, but he should have invested more time in carefully crafting his narrative for a much more engaging fare. Lets wish the newbie some good luck as all is not lost!!


Verdict: Below Average!

Rating: 2 / 5