Movie Audit
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Anjaan
-A MAss Entertainer
Chennaites Independence Day schedule for this year probably said, 1) attend flag hoisting 2) go watch Anjaan. The theatres were buzzing with people, tiny flags pinned to their chests, eagerly waiting to watch Lingusamy’s latest flick. Anjaan, as expected is a typical masala movie with all the necessary action, romance and drama to make it one the biggest hits of 2014. So without any further ado, the movie follows the story of Krishna who has come to Mumbai to find his brother, Raju (played by Suriya). He learns that his brother is one of the most feared gangsters of Andheri, popularly known as Raju Bhaiwhose best friend and partner in crime is Chandru (Vidyut Jamwal). Together, they rule a major part of Mumbai’s underworld. Raju is in love with the Commissioner’s daughter, Jeeva (Samantha) who shuns her police father for him. However things take a bad turn when Raju and Chandru get in to the bad books of one of most dangerous Dons of Mumbai, Imran (Manoj Bajpai). Both of them are mercilessly killed by Imran’s men. Now, Krishna sets out to find his brother’s killers and avenge his death. This movie delivered a good performance by the star cast. Suriya is just super in his double roles as the innocent Krishna and the bad boy Raju. Samantha singlehandedly increased the glamour quotient of the movie. Vidyut Jamwal bagged a role that required him to do a little more than action this time and he has done it well. The movie had peppy music numbers and some great action sequences. It also had its share of deadly punchlines that were pretty nice for a change. However, this was one of those movies that went on and on and on. At one point of time, somebody in the hall screamed ‘kill the villain already!’ Then just when Suriya caught the villain by the collar, a group of people sitting in front of me got up to have a 20 minute long fight and I thought the movie might have got over by then. But no, Suriya was still listing out all the reasons for which he was going to kill the don. Something else that was really out of place was the fact that everyone in Mumbai, from top gangsters to senior policemen knows Tamil. Well, namma amma will be really happy to know this. Summing it up, the movie is a mass entertainer for the weekend. Take your family along and have a good time.
By Priyanka Parthasarathi
VELAI ILLA PATTATHAARI
-A CELEBRATION OF DHANUSH
Picture a lot of posters all over the city, the trailer going viral on the internet, and screaming fans lined up outside the theatre an hour before the screening of actor Dhanush’s 25th film. Yes, the excitement and expectations for “VelaiIllaPattathaari” (aka VIP) were high, to put it mildly.
The film revolves around Raghuvaran (Dhanush) who is an engineering graduate who has been unemployed for four years, and is constantly reminded of his unproductivity by his father (played by Samuthikirani), a direct contrast to his doting mother. He faces perpetual comparison to his overachieving younger brother who is successful in the IT industry. Enter Shalini (Amala Paul), his beautiful neighbour and sparks fly. The story takes twists and turns, showing us how Raghuvaran manages to make something of his life with hefty hurdles stacked against him every step along the way. Although the film tends to get a little predictable here and there, it manages to deliver it beautifully without a dull moment.
This movie belongs to Dhanush from the start. His ability to make the audience laugh and then cry in the next minute, keeping us entertained throughout is absolutely impeccable. He has delivered one of the best performances of his career without a doubt, truly doing justice to his 25th film. Amala Paul is a delight to watch on screen, although her role leaves her little scope to truly perform. Amitash Pradhan as the film’s “villain”, if you will, makes a promising debut.Vivek deserves a special mention for his flawless comic relief. The music by Anirudh Ravichandar is catchy and has you humming the tunes even after leaving the theatre. Director Velraj deserves a pat on his back as he proves his skills in his very first directorial venture.
Where the movie hits the right notes is in its simplicity. Facing parental and societal pressure to get a job andlead a stable life is something everybody can relate to. Watch “VellaiIllaPattathaari” for Dhanush and his stunning performance, for some laughs, tears and some epic entertainment well worth your time and money!
By Priyanka Rajagopalan
Maan Karate
-Karate chop your way out of this one
The basic plot is a safe, tried and tested formula. A good-for-nothing idler from the streets finds his calling and must beat all odds to win. Except that this movie applies this formula in the most nonsensical way possible!
A group of co-workers finds a mystical yogi who magically gives them a newspaper from the future. They use the news as a shortcut to get rich, which involves getting a certain Peter (Sivakarthikeyan) to participate in and win a boxing tournament. Willing suspension of disbelief stretched to the breaking point! The fact that Peter does not know the first thing about boxing, and is smitten with Yazhini (a highly annoying HansikaMotwani) only adds to the “fun”. Peter manages with a special “maan karate” technique but then come a few plot twists.
The punch dialogues make you want to punch yourself for watching this. The chemistry between the lead pair is nothing to boast about and the narrative becomes too emotional and draggy towards the end. Sivakarthikeyan tries his earnest best to lend character to an otherwise characterless film. HansikaMotwani has lost oodles of weight but is desperately in need of acting lessons; her emotional scenes, in particular, need a lot of work. The supporting cast is rather bland and make the narrative all the more slow. Editing could have been better; a lot of unnecessary scenes could have been cut out.
The high point of this film is the music by AnirudhRavichander. The songs are quirky and catchy, and have been filmed quite nicely, for an otherwise killjoy movie. Watch Maan Karate if clichés and Sivakarthikeyan appeal to you, and please leave your brains behind at home.
By Sanjana Gautham
KALYANA SAMAYAL SAADHAM
– A quirky departure from the quintessential romcom
What are the ingredients of a perfect marriage? Love, trust, and according to the movie… the husband’s manhood. KalyanaSamayalSaadham explores the controversial topic of stress-related erectile dysfunction, amidst the setting of the Big Fat Tamil Wedding.
Raghu (Played by the capable Prasanna) and Meera (played by the talentedLekha Washington) are both engineers who belong to conservative Tamil families. When the parents believe that they are an ideal match, the couple gets engaged. But their alliance is so much more than just an arranged marriage. They get along like a house on fire, their chemistry is right out of the movies, their respective families and friends are very compatible. But the plottwist strikes when on Meera’s birthday, Raghu makes a discovery that shatters his pre-marital world : He is impotent and cannot perform in bed. But Meera becomes his strength, and supports him through it all, as they get through the wedding preparations, the judgemental relatives, the tension that mounts on them, with their love being put to test time after time.
KalyanaSamayalSaadham pits the traditional values of a typical Tamil wedding with the modern day romance of a young couple. The movie is filled with innuendoes and puns which make it an extremely fun watch. The cast and crew have to be appreciated for delivering a plot that revolves around such a sensitive issue with such finesse. Prasanna and Lekha perfectly compliment each other, and play their roles of the to-be-wed couple to perfection. By making their love story into an endearing and cute one rather than a dramatic sobfest, the film is a welcome departure from a typical Tamil film. It dares to explore controversial themes, it is bold enough to deliver subtle adult humour, and you leave the theatre wishing the movie never ended.
By Priyanka Rajagopalan
Thirumana Ennum Nikka
-A MARRIAGE MADE IN…..WHERE?
From a distance, Thirumanam Enum Nikkah looks like a promising film. It starts out well, progresses interestingly and then abruptly turns random and senseless. This pattern repeats throughout the movie, giving us some really nice scenes amidst a lot of random ones.
Boy and girl meet on a train, boy saves girl’s reputation, establishes himself as a gentleman, breaks into a song. Boy and girl go home, can’t stop thinking about each other, meet up a few more times, and (very) slowly fall in love. Except that their religions are a problem. Or so they think.
Here’s where the randomness comes in. The lead characters lie and hide so much, leading to some scenes and storylines that should have been viciously cut out, to the point where the lack of necessity makes you want to weep in frustration. Especially because the possibility of a happy ending is always tantalizingly close and then gets snatched away. There is no proper continuity, scenes end just as something concrete is about to happen and the next scene comes, showing what the aftermath is, without giving you enough time to guess what has transpired. There is a villain, who isn’t all that villain-y. The climax, especially, is a little confusing; I was wondering why the credits had started rolling when it didn’t seem like the movie had ended. But that’s the pattern this movie follows. It leaves a lot to your imagination, not going into specifics where needed.
This is a film that promises you an inter-religious big fat Indian wedding extravaganza in its very title, but does nothing of that sort. The TamBrahm household and Muslim customs are a little too stereotypically portrayed; it’s textbook. Some parts get too preachy and cause you to zone out.
That said, there are quite some adorable moments between the lead pair that die-hard romantics might like. The chemistry between Jai and Nazriya is amazing. Jai is not up to his usual standards but Nazriya is absolutely adorable and effortless. The music is the high point of this film, the songs are very pleasant and quite nicely picturised, making it entertaining to watch. All in all, Thirumanam Enum Nikkah is one of those movies where you wish you had the power to make a few tweaks, change some scenes and edit out some storylines.
By Sanjana Gautham
