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Movie : Endhiran


Language : Tamil , 2010

Genre : Sci-Fi

Director : Shankar

Cast : Rajinikanth , Aishwarya Rai

Well , what can I say . It has been a long time since I blogged , and am happy to be back with a movie very close to my heart . It does not get any bigger than this.. India’s biggest director , biggest superstar and the world’s most beautiful woman , with the country’s best musician …

Endhiran , starts off with a scientist Vaseegaran ( Rajinikanth ) , creating a humanoid robot called Chitti ( Rajinikanth ) , aiming to deploy such robots in the Army to help the forces . Things seem to be smooth , until Chitti is injected with an emotions module , which makes him similar to any other human being . Chitti then falls in love with Vaseegaran’s fiancée Sana ( Aishwarya ) , and falls into wrong hands , what happens henceforth is what Endhiran is all about.


Movies of this genre definitely warrant creative liberties . But the director has taken the term to new levels altogether . With Chitti talking with mosquitoes , helping Sana with her medical exams , shooting bullets from his fingers , this packs a punch in every sense of the word.


What will make this flick appeal to all , is the sheer magnitude of the project itself. Technically superior to any other Indian movie ever , this is one hell of a ride. Family audiences will devour the no holds barred entertainment on screen , lap it up twice , thrice and over and over again.


Comedy seems to be a bit of a letdown here , with Santhanam not doing much to set your ribs tickling with laughter . It is Chitti’s artificial intelligence , with some witty dialogues which make the viewer smile and laugh at times . Sample the scene where he teases a police constable who questions him for driving a car without a license .


The plot is not quite complex and sticks to Shankar’s fairly simple and straightforward style of storytelling . Nothing much to confuse the viewer , who is busy dropping his jaws in awe at the brilliance which unfolds on screen . Nothing to tear your brains out , a simple plot is what makes this one tick , and tick like a clock running at the speed of light , in typical Robot terms .


Negative characters are quite a few , with Danny Denzongpa playing the scheming Scientist with an eye on Chitti , hoping to turn him into a weapon of mass destruction . Sabu Cyril makes a guest appearance as a link between Danny and a global terrorist conglomerate .


However , the Robot Chitti is the darkest character . Scenes where he lusts for Sana highlight the extreme negative aspect of the character .


Acting by Rajinikanth , is something which is a big deviation from his usual movies . The gross looking hair , thanks to long hours spent in the process of creating Chitti , the solemn looking scientist Vaseegaran , does not offer the Superstar much scope to showcase his acting skills. He comes up with a subdued , yet dignified portrayal . Full marks here .


Sana , played by the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai , is a major driver to the plot , even though she does not have anything much to do on screen . She looks like a zillion dollars , and radiates beauty like never before , amply helped by some stunning costumes and truly exquisite locales for the dances. Looking at her in the “ Kaadal Anukkal “ song , almost made me fall in love with Mrs. Junior B . And am sure I was not the only guy in the audience , whose heart skipped a beat watching her blaze the screen with her Goddess like looks.


Santhanam and Karunas play Vaseegaran’s bumbling assistants , with an unexpected change of character . Danny Denzongpa does decent justice to his role as the villain , but I felt this fine actor of yesteryear could have been used better .


However , it is Chitti who steals the show , especially in the second half . How his character and mindset changes in no time , calls for applause . He carries the plot on his silicon shoulders , and it is no small burden , my friend . There are so many things that could have gone wrong in the movie , but Chitti’s antics overshadow these flaws . An absolute treat to watch .


The best thing about this would be the special effects and technology used . Scenes of such epic proportions , like the one where hordes of Rajni come together to form a Robot Army blasting everything in their path , has taken Tamil , rather Indian cinema to places never seen before . A definite pat on the back to Shankar’s vision and confidence to pull it off.


On the flip side . Few scenes could have been done away with , as they add NIL value to the plot and story . And for a diehard Rajni fan , it would come as a small disappointment , as this lacks the legendary Rajni stamp , to a large extent . Not many punch dialogues , not many unique mannerisms , as expected by the fans .

I never imagnied in my wildest dreams , that Rajinikanth would run away from a baddie who tries to rape his girlfriend . That's something Rajini "can't" do..

Something which would dampen the expectations to a small extent , but these are covered up with spectacular scenes on screen . I had to stop myself from jumping like a maniac , when a giant Robot consisting of many Chitti’s rises from the ground and stands in inimitable Rajni style and kicks a truck in its way , like David Beckham blasting a free kick into the goal post .


Music by Rahman is definitely not his best , but is pretty good no doubt , supported by stunning sets and huge production values in the song sequences . The background score could have been better and can be termed as average at best .


Shankar deserves maximum credit for his impeccable vision and guts to embark on a project of such proportions . And he has pulled it off , friends , using the Silicon Singam to maximum effect .


Some scenes will strain the vocal chords of fans , especially after the debacle of his earlier "Kuselan". The one where Chitti saves Sana from being raped , after charging himself with electricity in the middle of a train track , or the one where Rajni the Robot appears as God incarnate , in a sequence where Sana objects to loud music. These are signature Thalaivar moments . But as a Rajni devotee , I wish there were more of these . But I felt Shankar has taken this for a larger audience across geographic locations , and maybe that’s what made him cut down on the “Macho-Rajni” factor to some extent.

Shades of the classic vintage Rajni in the second half , reminiscent of Alex Pandi , will go down well with Tamil cinema fans

I will go with 3.5 / 5 as a normal movie watcher and 2.5 / 5 as a Rajni devotee . Decide which category you belong to . It does not matter , because even if you are not a Rajni fan , you have every reason to watch it. Because , you can either hate Rajni or love Rajni , but you simply cannot ignore him . Endhiran is a must watch , at least once , for its technical brilliance , if not Rajinikanth’s magic on screen . Mind it !!


Verdict : 3.5 / 5 ( Must watch )

PERAANMAI ( TAMIL , 2009 )

Director : S.P. Jhananathan

Cast : Jayam Ravi , Vadivelu , Roland Kickinger , Urvasi

My Deepavali was kick-started with this movie , and let me make this very clear that if this movie is going to be any indication about my Deepavali weekend , I think this is probably one of the worst ever.

Peraanmai revolves around a group of College Girls who attend a NCC Training Camp , in some far-off hill station place . Dhruva ( Ravi ) is an Forest Instructor / Officer , who has come from the Tribal Area and passed through the system to make a name for himself , and this caste issue is subject to frequent humiliation by his superior and the girls.

The girls are under the constant watch of a Nun played by Urvasi . It is very well established early in the movie that certain girls , 5 to be precise , are least interested in working with Dhruva , thanks to the caste issue. And they resort to all sorts of silly pranks to humiliate him.

Ironically , at the end of the Camp these very 5 girls are selected by Dhruva to venture into the Forest for a whole day under his guidance. What happens when a freak accident leads to a series of events , is what Peraanmai deals with.

The opening sequences show a Rocket all set to be launched by a Space Agency , and as a group of scientists point out , this rocket would aid India in its agricultural research . Further as the movie progresses , we realize that a group of foreigners land in the jungle to destroy the Rocket with a missile. And Ravi , as always gets his share of bashing up , this time under the pretext of saving the country.

The story and script definitely oozes with so much potential and it would have been much better if this was given better treatment. The first half is easily one of the most horrendous bit of comedy I have ever come across. The Director clearly establishes the 5 girls' dislike for Dhruva , very early in the movie. But why for God's sake does the audience have to be subjected to torturous sequences which repeatedly show the girls playing out their never ending schemes to defame Dhruva.

Scenes like these clearly choke the viewer and you just begin to think about exiting the Cinema hall. No wonder there was a mini-exodus from the Theater not even halfway into the movie. the first half is so shoddy you wonder if this movie was made by the same Director who made that beautiful movie "Iyarkai". Nothing short of torture , this is the worst part of the movie , and drags on for long , thanks to a few misplaced songs.

Post-interval , things somewhat fall into place , when the 5 girls and Ravi are stranded in the forest , and realize that a group of 16 foreigners are in the jungle , to destroy the rocket . The portion between the pre-interval sequence and a the initial portion of the second half manage to keep you interested , but later on you can't stop feeling choked again , especially when Ravi and the 5 girls decide to confront the mini-army themselves , heavily inspired by some seriously ridiculous dialogues from Dhruva.

Screenplay is extremely poor , and the pace could have been sustained easily if a majority of the silly pranks were edited. The second half is somewhat better as far as the pace is concerned.

There is nothing in the movie , which makes the audience connect to the characters. In my opinion , a movie should have at least one character whom the audience can relate with , and that enriches the whole experience. In this case , you just cannot stop laughing at the sheer obscurity of the characterization , especially those of the girls and the superior Officer.

There is some hint of a brief romance between Dhruva and a girl called Ajitha . This too is shot in the shoddiest manner , and the love scenes evoke unintended laughter from the audience. Especially the sequence where Ajitha steals Dhruva's pistol , is dragged beyond reasonable limits and truly tests your patience.

Acting by Jayam Ravi can be described as mediocre at best . He does perform well in some scenes but in many portions , thanks to some horrendous characterization , irritates you with pathetically written dialogues . The girls all overact happily , adding to the audience's woes. Only the character of Ajitha seems to have even tried to act . Wonder what the Director was thinking about the characterization.

The comedy track by Vadivelu seems grossly out of place , and have not we seen enough of him playing the bumbling Hostel warden ? Urvasi comes up with a decent performance in a brief role. The Superior Officer is another classic case of overacting.

Music by Vidyasagar is least pleasing , and the placement of the songs does not help either. I mean , how can anyone just break into a dance , almost semi-nude , in a waterfall , when hardly half an hour has elapsed since their jeep plummeted into destruction , and you are stranded in the middle of a Forest area ? This as they say , happens only in India :(

The foreigners.. Ah , such a terrible bunch when it comes to acting and dialogues , with a mixture of British and French and American accents , all led by the giant sized Anderson , played by Roland Kickinger , another import from Hollywood.

The second half I thought , would have some credibility , but towards the end of the movie it is nothing but all boom boom stuff , with guns and bazookas blazing all around. The action scenes are so pitifully shot , you just begin to wonder who actually is firing at whom. And Dhruva , a Forest Guard seems to be an authority on weapons , ranging from Land-mines to The latest machine guns . Beats me. And the girls , whom we are made to think of as bumbling pranksters , are finally shown to be people capable of handling technology such as Radar , Rockets , Passwords etc. Probably Kollywood's answer to Charlies' Angels ? Wonderful , the audience are not fools ,Sir.

The movie has so much potential , with a strong storyline and script and even though I do appreciate the makers for trying out something new , it does fall flat on it's face. A classic case of potential being wasted.

I will go with 2 out of 5 for Peraanmai , and that too merely judging its potential and not just the actual outcome. Frankly speaking , with all that women power trying its best to come to the fore , coupled with shabbily filmed action sequences , and an overdose of patriotism , it was like watching a Kollywood action version of Chak De India . Much better was expected from the Director of "Iyarkai". This one is a big disappointment.

My Deepavali is off to a poor start thanks to Peraanmai.

Verdict : 2 / 5 ( Poor )

MOVIE - UNNAI POL ORUVAN ( Tamil , 2009 )

Director : Chakri Toleti

Cast : Kamal Haasan , Mohan Lal , Lakshmi

Well , what can I say ... What do you expect when you get a movie with the stalwarts of Indian Cinema coming together... A scorcher .. and a scorcher is what you get folks.. Ladies and Gentlemen , Unnai Pol Oruvan ( UPO ) , the remake of " A Wednesday " brings together Kamal Haasan and Mohanlal.

UPO portrays the events which unfold on one fateful day in the city of Chennai. The entire movie revolves around Kamal Haasan , who threatens to blow up bombs which he has placed in different spots. He deals with Chennai's Police Chief , played by Mohanlal , upon whom the duty to save the city is vested upon .

Brilliantly shot , UPO is an absolute treat for cinema lovers.. Although the movie remains faithful to the original movie , certain subtle changes have been made to make it more of a Tamil oriented movie. UPO shows what can possibly happen when a man representing the common public is so disgruntled by certain aspects of the Country , especially when extreme threats are posed to National Security.

I don't feel the need to elaborate any further on a simple story . The story is definitely an innovative one , and although it does belong to the "anti-establishment " genre of movies , if I can call it that , this movie is not a preachy one with a dozen punches about Deshbhakti etc thrown in .

UPO certainly pretty much sums up the sorry state of affairs in today's world , especially the Terrorism aspect . There are certain similarities at least concept wise to movies based on vigilante-justice , however UPO does not preach it in any way. A very simple plot sometimes forces the Director to normally resort to unwanted means to bring in the audiences , and thankfully the Director does not do any of that in UPO.. No songs , no item numbers , no separate comedy track . It is just a clean , honest and well intended jibe at today's world , especially India , which bears the brunt of terrorism from across the border.

The screenplay does appear to sag just a little bit in the first half , but it definitely grips you from the beginning. Not much of unwarranted scenes , and this helps in keeping the viewer hooked to the proceedings on-screen.

UPO is a fine example of how you do not need a comedian to make the viewers laugh. The witty dialogues are enough to bring out a chuckle from the audiences. Watch out for the scene where an actor / wannabe politician , asks Mohanlal for extra security . That was such a direct shot at the Illaya Thalapathy Vijay , and this scene had the theatre in splits. It is moments like these which provide some humor , a break from the more serious sequences which constitute the bulk of the movie. However it is the serious moments which linger even after exiting the Theatre...

UPO is one movie , which requires the audience to pay close attention and relish the finer aspects of film making. The reference to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks are evident in a few parts of the movie. The references to vote bank politics and other such things are all well portrayed.

UPO practically covers every problem which the country faces , right from Terrorism which is the crux of the movie , to Inflation , in that wonderfully shot scene where Kamal picks up a tomato which has fallen in dirt . Even though it touches upon so many problems , it does not come across as a preachy , documentary kind of movie at all. Another standout scene has to be the one where Lakshmi , who plays the role of Tamil Nadu's Chief Secretary , tries to pass on the responsibility of dealing with the situation to Mohanlal.

Acting.. Well do I really have to comment on this aspect ? Mohanlal , as the Police Chief is an absolute delight to watch . Lalettan , India's best actor after Kamal, simply shines in all sequences , and is a picture of dignity and Straightforwardness throughout the movie. He has obviously enjoyed playing the role and the theatre went mad when he said " Not only Kerala , Tamil Nadu is also my Nadu "..

The supporting cast too have come up with good performances to backup Lalettan and Kamal . Lakshmi is absolutely natural as the Chief Secretary and other characters like the Police Inspectors Sethu and Arif , the Cigarette wielding TV Reporter , have all added value to the movie. Not forgetting that imitation of the voice of the Tamil Nadu CM Karunanidhi , whom we only get to hear over the phone :)

Now .. The Ulaga Nayagan himself.. an amazing performance as always from undoubtedly India's BEST ACTOR EVER .. Portraying as simple a character as the Common Man , might be easy when you think about it. Believe me , it is a very tough one. And when you realize how every emotion , ranging from Anger , to disillusionment with the system , to grief , needs to be portrayed all together , I can't think of anyone who fits the bill more than Kamal Haasan. He has underperformed his role to perfection . And those clever dialogues in that brilliant voice of his , man , what an actor :)

Background music is nothing great to be honest . But the songs which were released , were amazing stuff , from Shruti Haasan , who makes a very impressive debut as Music Director in UPO. I would have been delighted if the songs were played in the background , but sadly we don't get to hear them that frequently , except in a few places.

Cinematography and other technical aspects are excellent as in most Kamal films , as he has impeccable standards which he sets for his movies. In my opinion , the dialogues are the best thing about the movie. "Brilliant" is an under-statement , as far as the dialogues are concerned.

Finally comparisons with " A Wednesday " .. Well , all I can say is if you have seen the original then this one probably loses out on the novelty factor when you watch it , cos the Director has remained faithful to a massive extent , and thus the "josh" is tough to experience , but the superb and clever dialogues definitely make up for it. But if you have not seen the original , am certain you shall love UPO.

Overall I shall go with 4 out of 5 for this excellent movie .. not only is Kamal's character the " new face of terror" , it also represents the new face of Indian cinema.. Bold , innovative , and delightful.

P.S . Am sure many people will not notice this when you watch the movie. But I beg you to watch out for this.. The stand out moment is a scene where Mohanlal watches his men dress up in protective gear and then says " These are the latest bulletproof vests.. Thanks to Mr.Karkare ". That dialogue is simple , yet magical for those who really experienced the trauma of their fellow citizens , when the dastardly attacks on Mumbai and other places happened. And in certain ways , it makes the movie appear as a tribute to those unsung heroes who laid down their lives fighting for us .. You and me.. The common man.. Unnai Pol Oruvan..

VERDICT : 4 / 5 ( Excellent )

MOVIE -- NINAITHALE INIKKUM ( TAMIL , 2009 )

Director : G N R Kumaravelan

Cast : Prithviraj , Karthik Kumar , Priyamani , Shakti , Bhagyaraj

Now , how many movies have we seen , based on college nostalgia , meeting up old college friends at a reunion etc ? This is another movie added to that genre , which pretends to send you down memory lane reminding you of your college days when you watch this movie. At least , that is what this movie pretends to do , but in reality , seems half-baked.

The movie is almost entirely based on a flashback , when Shiva ( Prithviraj ) , visits his College for a function 8 years after he left college. Shakti and Prithviraj are best friends . Then there is Meera ( Priyamani ) , who happens to be Shiva's love interest . Vasu ( Karthik ( Evam ) ) is shiva's bete-noir in college , and both always have an excuse to bash each other . Now , through a series of events , Priyamani and Prithviraj get separated romantically , thanks to an evil plot schemed by Vasu. Let me stop with the story here , as there is nothing much more to be written about it.

This movie inspite of it's good intentions , made me yawn . It is largely due to the numerous songs thrown in , when they are completely unwarranted . The story too has the least bit of novelty , and seems to be a half-baked mix of Mystery , Romance , College Drama etc. Sadly , what turns up is hardly delectable fare.

Quite a few scenes , even though well intended , fail to keep the viewer engrossed in the proceedings. The Director chooses to bombard the audience with an overdose of melodrama at regular intervals , mainly through the character of Bhagyaraj , who portrays the role of Shakti's father. Dialogues hardly make any impact at all , and are met with laughter from the audience , thanks to their sheer silliness . Cliche ridden at the outset , the dialogues hardly add any value to the movie.

The so called "comedy" scenes in the movie seem to be Directed by some 3rd Grade School student. God , have not we seen enough Classroom humor ? a Professor lamenting about his bunch of unruly students .. The ridiculous scene in which there is an attempted spoof of "Kaathal Kondein " , is so badly taken , it actually makes you laugh at the stupidity unfolding on-screen , rather than at the actual comic factor. And there is another horrendous attempt at Comedy , when Prithviraj and his friends go to watch a movie , only to be unknowingly caressed by eunuchs , which they don't realize until the lights come on ... countless movies contain this scene , and you simply cannot digest it any longer .

The fight scenes however are well shot , and thanks to the intensity portrayed by Prithviraj and Evam Karthik , they stand out. Songs are absolutely unwarranted and only a couple of songs are worth listening to . Add to it the obnoxious background score , which sounds amateurish to say the least. Oh , speaking of songs , wonder who choreographed the sequences . Shoddy dance steps .. I generally never tend to focus on Dance sequences at all when I watch movies , but there were some preposterous dance steps in this one which made me take notice , and the rest of the audience along with me , who had a good laugh at the choreographer's expense.

Acting is probably the saving grace of this movie. Prithviraj has come up with a very good portrayal of the tempered Shiva , who is aggression personified . Evam Karthik is the best among the lot , even though he does not have as much screen space as I would have liked , but still comes up with an excellent performance in a role which offers limited scope. Priyamani has nothing much to do. Shakti tries his best at acting , but , son , sorry to say this , but you gotta hone your skills even more , especially when you are teamed with people like Prithviraj who is an established Malayali actor , and Evam Karthik , who is easily a fine performer. Bhagayaraj resorts to melodrama , but I guess that is his trademark , and comes up with a dignified performance , even though some of the dialogues which he uses generate unintended laughter from the viewers.

Screenplay is this movies' Achilees Heel. Every scene seems to be extended beyond reasonable limits , and add to it some unwanted sequences , amateurish humor , and you have one of the worst first-halfs I have ever seen . Too slow , you just cannot wait for the Interval , so you can stretch and relax a bit , after being subject to such stupidity on screen. The second half is by no means good , but I guess anything is much better when compared to the ludicrous first-half. The second half shows some element of credibility , and there is a twist towards the end , which might surprise you , and comes as a welcome respite.

Melodrama , unwanted songs, horrid humor , and silly dialogues--- These are the elements which pull down the movie the most. There are some excellent moments though , thank God. But very few in number sadly. The movie definitely has it's heart in the right place , but I only wish it could have been executed much better.

I will go with a rating of 2 out of 5 for this movie , which is a remake of the Malayali film "Classmates" , which many people say is an excellent movie , and apparently has none of the elements which pull down "Ninaithale Inikkum".

VERDICT --- 2 / 5 ( Hardly Average ).

MOVIE - KANTHASWAMY ( TAMIL , 2009 )

Director : Susi Ganeshan

Cast : Vikram , Shriya Saran , Prabhu

Now , the amount of hype that this movie generated , was way beyond reasonable limits. The grandiose Audio launch function , the innovative trailer concept etc , made people think that this movie was gonna be interesting , to say the least. But sadly , as things turn out , it is anything but interesting.

Kanthaswamy tells the story ( ? ) of a CBI Officer , played by Vikram , who tries to do a modern-day Robin hood , the guy who steals from the wealthy , and passes on the money to the poor and the needy. The movie is based around a Temple of the Lord Muruga ( Kanthaswamy ) , on whose premises , there is a tree upon which people tie a piece of paper , with their wishes. Now , these wishes are mostly requests for money to help their families and the like. The people of the village think these wishes are granted by the Lord Himslef , but in reality Kanthaswamy and his bunch of dedicated Officers , try to solve all the people's problems.

The story has the least bit of novelty , as this is a tried and tested concept. The Director tries his best to do something different , with the protagonist in the guise of a Superhero. But this attempt falls flat on its face , BIG TIME.

I admit I did not harbor much expectations from this movie , going by the promos . But , I am sure it was not unfair on my part to expect atleast a decent movie , if not a life changing one , like the promos hyped it up.

Absolutely , nothing positive about the movie. It is nothing but a lengthy ordeal , inflicted upon innocent viewers. And the love angle between Shriya and Vikram , gosh , such a terrible waste of time to be honest.

The movie tries to outdo its capacity , and the Director assumes an overdose of creative liberty , and sadly the viewers are at the receiving end. It is one of those movies , which appear to be path-breaking , but after 3 hours and a few odd minutes , it was my head that was broken into pieces. It almost gave me a headache , especially the songs.

All that talk about this being an unique movie , is nothing but bull crap. Absolutely nothing new in it , in any aspect. The Director seems to be trapped in his own world of juvenile Superhero stuff , crossed with over the top romantic interludes , and as is the case with most Tamil movies , helluva fights , and mindless songs thrown at the audience when least expected.

The Screenplay is nothing much to write home about. It takes it's own sweet time to unravel a seemingly simple concept , which eventually ends up being a pile of senseless scenes all mixed up together to offer a lethal combo , which leaves the viewers pissed , to say the least. God knows why Susi Ganeshan tries to introduce characters which do not add any value to the proceedings whatsoever.

The cinematography and art design might be one of the very few good things about the movie . It is very colorfully filmed , especially the songs. But then , the songs themselves are nothing short of sheer torture. Not only because they are thrown like rocket missiles at the audience , but the highly mediocre nature of the music. Songs like "Meow Meow Poonai " seriously need to be blanked out , and I advise anyone reading this blog , to carry a pair of Cotton buds which you can happily use when the songs play. Devi Sri Prasad , was all ecstatic at the audio launch about the songs , but , boy , such a horrible mess in the name of music. And the background music sounds like it was composed by some lunatic , and does not blend at all with the scenes.

Chiyaan Vikram's acting is nothing great to be honest. No doubt one of India's best actors , this role just did not work out for him. Shriya does what she is best at .. exposing , and nothing else. Her expressions are nauseating especially in some horrendous scenes like the one in which she tears apart ger dress and accuses vikram of raping her. Scenes like these were met with wild laughter from the audience . Prabhu tries his best to portray a Police Officer who tries to solve the case , but appears to be caught in his world of deadpan expressions.

I don't want to waste any more time talking about this movie. I will go with 1.5 out of 5 , for this sorry excuse of a movie . Stay away. Even if you have nothing else to do , please do not watch this.

Verdict : 1.5 / 5 ( Poor )

KANCHIVARAM – MOVIE REVIEW

KANCHIVARAM ( TAMIL , 2009)

Director : Priyadarshan

Cast : Prakash Raj , Shreya Reddy

Frankly speaking , my opinion about Priyadarshan has changed after this movie . He had always come across as a person who makes cheap Bollywood entertainers. I knew he had made some brilliant films , but I never had the opportunity to watch them..

“Kanchivaram” is set in the year 1948 , only a few months after India's Independence. It shows the story of Venkatam ( Prakash Raj ) , one of the town's best silk weavers . The movie highlights the neglected lives of these weavers , who produce some of the costliest and finest silk sarees , but do not have the money to make some fine clothes for themselves , thanks to the attitude of the businessmen.

Venkatam is married to a beautiful young lady ( Shreya Reddy) , and they have a daughter child Thamarai .Venkatam makes a vow to dress his daughter in a silk saree , during her marriage . The entire community is shocked , as Venkatam simply does not have the money to afford such a huge gift for Thamarai. What happens next follows the rest of the story... Will Venkatam succeed in fulfilling his promise ?

Remarkably picturized in a rural ambience , Kanchivaram portrays the emotional turmoil of Venkatam , as he reminisces about his past , when traveling as a convict from Madras to Kanchivaram.

The movie is definitely one of the finest Tamil movies made this decade. The Director has done a splendid job , treating such a delicate storyline , with utmost care . Venkatam's fixation towards Communism is easily the best part of the movie , something which drives the story forward , ensuring that the movie does not become something like a father-daughter flick.

The movie is one of those rare Tamil flicks , which thankfully don't succumb to formula driven concepts , with half-dozen songs thrown in. It is a very mature movie , and focuses more on characterization rather than trying to bring audiences to the theaters.

Acting by the support cast , is excellent , and all the cast members have done justice to their roles. Right from the Communist Revolutionary to the Silk Merchant , to the Police constable whose Hat Emblem gets dislodged , everyone adds value to the movie.

However the best thing about the movie , has to be Prakash Raj playing the role of Venkatam , the Silk Weaver . One of India's finest actors ,he brings so much life into the movie , with an underplayed and subdued role , which he has played to perfection. This is one character which takes you for a ride across varying emotions. The happy joyful new father , who promises to get a silk saree for Thamarai .. the sorrowful son who loses his father , the fierce orator during the Communist uprising , Prakash Raj has done a commendable job , as always . This is the Prakash Raj I wanna see , not someone playing the stereotyped villain in some B-Grade Telugu movie...

Thankfully , there are no songs in the movie except one soulful rendition by the ladies when Thamarai is born .

Cinematography is the strong point which drives the movie . Every frame is so natural and rich , making the movie a visual treat in every sense of the word.

However , the screenplay could prove to be the movie's drawback. The problem with the movie is that , the actual story could have been made into a movie running for half an hour , but it has been extended to an almost 2 hours long flick . Not boring definitely , but you will surely feel that the movie could have been a lot crisper. No issues anyway , as am used to slow movies. But , this wont go down well with the mass seeking audience . The climax sequence sums up the hardships of the weaver , in a beautifully executed last few frames. But people in the audience were making a mockery of this wonderful scene.

I will go with 4 out of 5 for this fine movie . I would have gone with a straight 4.5 out of 5 , only if the movie had been crisp . This movie is very strongly recommended for serious movie lovers , but is a definite no-no for people who want to have a good time in the theaters.

VERDICT : 4 / 5 ( EXCELLENT)

YAVARUM NALAM (TAMIL , 2009)

Director : Vikram Kumar

Cast : Madhavan , Neetu Chandra


" Yavarum Nalam " , is another attempt at trying to scare the living daylights out of the audience.

This is the story of Manohar (Madhavan), who with his joint-family moves into an apartment 13B , in a huge building . The large family has enough fun and frolic together. But later on realize that all is not well . Manohar realizes that the images unfolding on a soap opera " Yavarum Nalam ", reflect the immediate future of his family. And when things start getting nasty , he feels the need to put an end to this.

The movie then follows his attempt at finding out the reason and truth behind eerie happenings like his image getting distorted in his mobile phone , the lift not working only when he sets foot in it , the milk getting wasted etc...

The movie does not succumb to the usual horror cliches like blood spill all over the
place , women clad in white with long hair etc. The movie is a sensible attempt at trying to scare the viewer. Using the concept of the idiot-box , which we are all addicted to , the Director tries to spin a web of horror , but manages to just make the mark.

The movie does have its share of scares , but they are very few . You do realize 20 minutes into the movie , that this is not the usual horror flick , and is something much better. But then , this movie is made as if its supposed to scare you , and sadly , it did not scare me.

The characters are normal everyday people , especially Manohar's family , who look like they will suffer a nervous breakdown if they miss their daily quota of soap operas . But then , they hardly help in the movie's progress.

Although the logic of the movie sounds a bit far-fetched , we always have to provide some leeway for the horror/thriller genre of films. But then the novel concept of using the TV as a base to drive the scares , almost ends up falling flat on its face... especially towards the second half , whose logic I guessed long ago. I knew it would be about a past murder , waiting to be avenged... sadly , it came true , and I did not need a TV to tell me that.

Screenplay is probably the biggest drawback of the movie. I was ashamed , to be frank , to almost fall asleep on at least 3 or 4 occasions , in what is supposed to be a Thriller . The movie could have been cut down by at least 20 minutes , and the 2 songs in between hardly serve any purpose. The intelligent plot , is badly let down by some unwanted sequences , which test the patience of the viewer.

Acting by Madhavan is nothing great , but he is his dependable best as always . Playing the role of Manohar the man who loves his family and is willing to go to any length to save his family , this is not exactly the greatest role he has played so far , nor does it offer any scope for extraordinary acting . However he has come up with a fine job , nevertheless. The rest of the cast come up with decent performances.

But I felt , the real hero of the movie has to be the man behind the camera P.C. Sreeram . This legendary cinematographer has taken this movie to completely new heights , technically. The camera plays with the viewer all through the movie , and helps a lot in sustaining the dark mood.

There are many flaws in the movie. How does only Madhavan manage to notice the connection between the serial and his family , when its staring them in the face all the way ?? And have not we had enough of the "death being avenged" stories in our movies ?? And what was the need to include a song in the middle of the movie ?? And the dialogues are very plain and ordinary , and seem to be written by a novice. Better dialogues could have made the performances appear much more alluring.

Overall this movie could have been much much much better . Such a novel attempt , has just managed to make the mark. Thankfully , things fell into place before I felt like running out of the movie hall.

I will go with a generous 3 out of 5 for "Yavarum Nalam ". It could have easily been a 4 out of 5 , only if it did not move at a snail's pace in many places.

VERDICT : 3 / 5 ( Above average and worth a watch )

NAAN KADAVUL – MOVIE REVIEW

NAAN KADAVUL (Tamil,2009)

Director : Bala

Cast : Arya , Pooja

This movie had been delayed for a long time , and increased curiosity levels to an all time high. It has finally hit the screens thankfully , and the best part is , it has justified all the hype and massive expectations surrounding it.

Bala , who gave us gems like Sethu, Pithamagan, Nandha has yet again proved why he is still considered a force to reckon with , in spite of the long time delays associated with his projects.

“Naan Kadavul” starts off with some beautifully filmed sequences in the Holy Town of Kasi. A father , heeds the words of astrologer , who tells him that his son will be a bane to the family , as his stars are not proper. Unable to live with such a burden , the father takes his son to Kasi , and abandons him there . 15 years later , the father returns to Kasi , hoping to locate his son , and persuade him to return to his native town MalaiKovil in Tamil Nadu.

His son , has now turned out to be an Aghori Sadhu. These people are extremely unique , and their ideals are beyond the comprehension of normal people like us . Rudra (Arya) agrees to return home , on the orders of his Spiritual Guru. What happens when Rudra returns to his roots , forms the rest of the story.

Contrary to all expectations , “Naan Kadavul” is not all about Rudra alone. We then realize that the temple town of Malai Kovil , is home to a huge and disgusting beggary racket. In fact this forms the major part of the story . These beggars are controlled by the ruthless Muthalali , the crooked villain , who manipulates the lives of these beggars , and makes a tidy fortune everyday , from their earnings.

The movie focuses largely on the helpless lives of these poor beggars. Later on in the movie , Hamsavalli (Pooja) a blind beggar , is forced to join this racket. There is no story as such , to be frank. If you are expecting a straight tale to unfold on screen , you are in for a shock. Somewhere down the line the characters of Rudra , Hamsavalli and the beggary racketeer all collide , culminating in a stunning climax.

The movie has been painstakingly filmed. The effort which has gone into making the movie is obvious right from frame 1 . The lives of the Mystical Aghori Cult of Kasi has obviously been subject to some intense research . I myself had extensively browsed the Internet to read about the cult , a few weeks before the movie came out. The ideals of these people are portrayed in an excellent manner , albeit only for a brief period , as only the first few sequences are set in Kasi .

Venturing out to make a movie on such a distinct concept is a huge achievement in itself , and Bala's touch is evident all through the movie . He belongs to the rare breed of Directors who believe in making serious , realistic movies.



What I really liked about the movie was the secondary significance of the actual story . The beggars pathetic lives is given priority , and the story in itself , takes a backseat. The magic of the movie lies in the fact that despite the absence of a functional plot , the movie keeps growing on the viewer. The emotional turmoil of these poor souls , makes for some very disturbing viewing.

Technically , every aspect of “Naan Kadavul” is top notch . Each frame , be it the opening frames of the Holy Town of Kasi , or the town of Malai Kovil is so rich in every detail. The close up sequences of the Bhaang smoking Rudra , muttering Sacred Chants or the portrayal of some seriously disabled beggars are all filmed brilliantly.

Music by Maestro Illaiyaraja is another highlight . Be it the vintage style of “Pichaipathiram” or the high energy “Om Shiva Om” , every song is classic Raja Sir . His songs blend so well with the storyline, and as with all of Bala's movies , there are no unwanted songs thrown at you.

Screenplay is as fast as lightning. Even with the lack of a concrete storyline , the movie grips you , thanks to Bala's magic.

However , the best thing about “Naan Kadavul” has to be the acting. Pooja is brilliant as the blind beggar , with a divine voice. She is easily one of Kollywood's most beautiful heroines , and even sans make up , there is something special about her . She shines in a completely de-glamorized role. The climax scene in which she bares her heart , in completely tattered clothes is easily one of the best scenes of the movie.

Arya as the Aghori Sadhu Rudra is superb . This is easily the role of a lifetime , and Arya has proved his worth . He smokes Bhaang at will , shouts at his father , pushes his mother in anger when she tries to touch him. Easily one of the most unique characters to grace the silver screen , the sheer energy which he brings into his role deserves accolades. The role fits him to a T . The long beard , the flowing mane and those piercing eyes will make everyone sit and take notice of this young actor , who deserves to be lauded for accepting such a different and complex role.


But , the real stars of the movies are the beggars . Some of them are completely deformed and will definitely strike a chord with the viewers. In fact there is a small,deformed beggar kid , whose cheekiness made the entire theater burst out laughing . Bala simply does not stop at showing how physically appalling these beggars are , but also goes one step ahead in bringing out their humane emotions .

These beggars too are humans like us . If you are expecting a documentary like portrayal of these poor souls , you are going to be surprised . The movie does not have a separate comedy track like all of Bala's films. There are some truly hilarious moments , in which the beggars poke fun at themselves . They are resigned to their fate no doubt , but the subtlety of their characters , is so beautifully brought out. Yes, the scenes involving the beggars makes the movie very disturbing overall. But they also provide some comic relief from the dark mood . Watch out for the scene in which Tamil Actors , especially MGR are spoofed in the Police Station... Rib-tickling !!!

Overall the movie leaves the viewer completely disturbed after watching it . This is not an entertainer , mind it. Bala's movies always ensure that you are made to feel bad about something in the movie. This one is no exception . The plight of the poor beggars is very disturbing . And add to it some serious violence , portrayed by Arya , especially towards the latter stages of the movie , it is not a movie for the weak hearted.

This is easily one of the best Tamil movies to hit the screen , for a long time . And coming from Bala , I expected nothing less .

However , am sure that the movie will not go down well with a sizable portion of the movie-going audience. Those who want to go to a movie just to be entertained , will be disappointed. Those ignorant to the problems faced by the lower strata of society , will hate it even more.

This is for a very mature audience , and strictly not for die hard fans of so called “actors” , who are given some mindless sobriquets , whose movies they make these days, can hardly be termed “watchable”. Thanks to Directors like Bala , Tamil Cinema still holds its head high.

A very disturbing film , this will easily go down as one of the classics of Tamil Cinema . Watch it to appreciate some truly brilliant performances from every single cast member , be it the Mystic Arya , the ruthless villain , or the cheeky little beggar . But more than anything else , watch it for Bala's magic. He is evidently the man with the Midas touch .

I will go with 4.5 out of 5 for Bala's “Naan Kadavul” , a movie to be seen and truly appreciated. A must – watch . Congrats Bala Sir , you have done it again !!!!

VERDICT : Uber ( 4.5 / 5 )

DASAVATHAARAM - REVIEW

DASAVATHAARAM (Tamil,2008)

Director: K.S.Ravikumar

Cast : Kamal Haasan,Nagesh ,Napolean,Asin,Mallika Sherawat,Jayaprada

Alright , alright !!! I know this movie has been reviewed a million times and you might be tired of reading a lot about this movie , and will probably not read it again. But it just struck me , 5 months after I had seen it , that I had not reviewed this movie , which is one of India's biggest films ever made. So read on..

Kamal Haasan decided to embark on one of cinema's most daring adventures ever .. 10 roles in one movie. Not just small changes in the costume and get-up , but complete full-fledged characters.

The movie starts off in the 12th century AD , where we witness a conflict of religious ideals. An idol of Lord Vishnu is immersed in the ocean , and the movie portrays a series of events , which are a direct result of the immersion , based on the "Chaos Theory" , which claims that everything in the world is related. Most of you might have seen the movie already , so I wont talk about the plot any longer.

The movie starts off brilliantly and keeps you interested for sometime. But somewhere down the line , you begin to get a bit bored. The plot is seemingly complex , but in essence it's rather simple, and just relates the series of events which unfold. The problem I had with the movie is that , it is excellent in some places , but down-right poor in other parts.

The movie is huge , and we all know that it is tough to piece together ten completely different characters into one single cohesive unit and make it look interesting. The Direction is very inconsistent and is messy in many sequences.

Technically the movie is very good and the Director has used technology effectively. The music is pretty good , and thankfully the songs are not thrown in at unwanted places , and gel nicely with the storyline.

Now onto the acting ... Kamal Haasan is undoubtedly India's best actor and the versatile legend has put in immense effort in the movie. The acting is brilliant , and all ten characters which he portrays are very convincing. The character of Govind Ramasamy the scientist is the main protagonist and forms the crux of the movie. I admit not all 10 characters appealed to me. The Japanese Master character is of no relevance to the storyline, and does not do much , except mumble some dialogues . Same issues with 1 or 2 more characters , who have been added just to complete the number of 10.

Balram Naidu , as the Investigating officer is simply superb and provides much needed humor to the movie. He is easily one of the best things about the movie.

Krishnaveni Paati as the old lady is very convincing , and I wonder how the brilliant actor managed to modulate his voice to suit the character.

Kalifullah is one of the characters which I did not appreciate much in terms of relevance to plot , but definitely played to perfection.

Avtaar Singh , again does not do much , but the acting is very convincing.

Christian Fletcher however is a very important character and Kamal Haasan does a fine job, reminiscent us of Hollywood action.

The US President is the character which is easily the best in terms of pure acting . This is because all the other characters are new to the audience and we have to lap it up , no matter what. However we all know the character of George Bush , and it is almost impossible to make him appear convincing . but the ever dependable actor gives us an almost accurate portrayal of George Bush.

Rangaraja Nambi is the best thing about the movie. Although his character appears very briefly in the first few scenes, the acting is top notch.

Now the one aspect of the movie which haunts me even now. The character of Vincent Poovaraagan will stay in your minds for a long time. Such an intense portrayal of a Dalit, this is easily the most powerful character in the movie , not in terms of the plot , but sheer brilliance in characterization. The dialogues are extremely good and I just loved the sequence in which Vincent and P.Vasu argue. This is where Kamal takes the term " RAW ACTING" to a new level...

Asin has nothing much to do and appears convincing in the 12th Century sequence. But later on she becomes irritable , always screaming " Aiyo Perumal Perumal !!" and frankly speaking she is the worst thing about the movie.

Mallika Sherawat has been roped in for obvious reasons. Napolean and Nagesh have done well in their brief roles.

The screenplay is poor and inconsistent. Although it is very tough to pull off such a grand project successfully , the movie could have been much better.

I will go with 2.5 out of 5 for "Dasavathaaram" , a movie which definitely had lots of expectations around it , but sadly fails to meet them . However it has to be seen for the huge effort that has gone into making this gigantic movie . As a huge fan of the "Ulaga Nayagan" I admit that this is not his best performance till date. But still , please do appreciate the brilliant acting and the hard work which he has put in. Mr.Kamal Haasan , take a bow !!

VERDICT : Watch it for the effort. ( 2.5 / 5)

SAROJA - REVIEW

SAROJA ( Tamil,2008)

Director : Venkat Prabhu

Cast : Prakash Raj , Jayaram , Shiva , SPB Charan, Premgi Amaran , Vaibhav Reddy

Alright , let me make a few things clear about my review of "Saroja" . We all know that this is a rip off from "Judgment Night". However , my review is going to be completely independent of "Judgment Night" , as I have not seen that movie.

Saroja is the daughter of a rich businessman , Vishwanath (Prakash Raj) , in Hyderabad. She gets kidnapped and her dad launches a hunt , with the help of his police friend ACP Ravichandran (Jayaram) . Meanwhile , we have a group of 4 friends , completely different characters , Ganesh ( Premgi) , Ajay ( Shiva) , Jagapathi Babu ( Charan) , and Ram Babu (Vaibhav) who are on their way to Hyderabad from Chennai , to watch a cricket match. They happen to stumble upon a factory where Saroja has been held captive. What happens when they decide to rescue Saroja from the gang leader Sampath and his men , forms the rest of the story.

The movie is very unique as far as Tamil Cinema is concerned. It does not follow the traditional formula techniques. Instead it dares to be different as it tries to come across as a mix of the thriller and comedy genres. The humor is excellent and blends perfectly well with the storyline. Thankfully, there are no separate comedy tracks , very unlike the Tamil movies being made these days.

The movie is basically about the kidnap and eventual rescue of Saroja , but I don't think it would have been right to make it a pure thriller.alone It would not have gone down so well with the audience , if the humor was done away with.

The acting is pretty good. Although brilliant and versatile actors like Prakash Raj and Jayaram have done an excellent job in "Saroja", the quartet of friends steal the show completely. The bonding between them is very natural and there is no exaggeration in the characterization. Like I mentioned earlier , these are 4 distinct characters , and we have a good time watching them react to rather sticky situations , especially in the rescue sequences.

The humor is very refreshing and does not rely on vulgar jokes to make us laugh. The dialogues are nothing great , but it is the comic timing which keeps us smiling throughout the movie.

Being a Tamil movie , we have a few songs thrown at us when least expected. But the music by Yuvan Shankar Raja is fairly decent. the background score too blends well with the story.

If there is one thing about the movie which I liked the most , it has to be Premgi Amaran . This man comes across as someone who has the least self-respect , but in a funny way. His mannerisms will keep us laughing through out the movie.

There are a few predictable scenes , and a few cliches too. For instance the climax looked too good to be true , so the Director decides to throw in a predictable twist towards the end.

This is not a great movie , nor does it aspire to be one. In essence it is only a cat-mouse chase in the form of a thriller , but manages to keep us interested thanks to the humor and fairly decent screenplay. Not quite pacy , but not slow either. Watch it with a group of friends and you will enjoy it a lot.

The references to other Tamil movies will go down well with anyone with a decent knowledge of Tamil cinema. The Volkswagen mini in the beginning , with the "Karakatakaran" music in the background , the " Evalavo panrom" dialogue from Vijay's "Azhagiya Tamizh Magan" , Premgi's attempts at spoofing "Sivaji" are all to be enjoyed.

My verdict for this movie will be 3 out of 5 . As I said , this is only a cat-mouse chase in the form of a film , but has to be seen , for the screenplay and humor. And I give my verdict , without considering the "Judgment Night" rip-off factor .

Verdict : Worth a watch . ( 3 / 5)

GUNA - REVIEW

Guna (Tamil,1992)

Director: Santhana Bharathi

Cast: Kamal Hassan , Girish Karnad,Janagaraj

I had seen this movie a long time ago, when I was very young. Over the years I have managed to catch it in bits and pieces , on TV. But this is the first time , I watched the entire movie , as a grown-up and mature individual. And I loved it ...

The story is based on Guna (Kamal Hassan) , a mentally disabled person , who is put up in an asylum, under the care of a Doctor(Girish Karnad). There is only one person in the world whom he cares about,Abirami.We never get to know or see the real Abirami.She is just a lady always in Kamal's mind and he believes Abirami is an angel and will marry him.

Guna was an expert at breaking locks and Janagaraj engages him to break open the locks of a temple's treasury and burgle it.It is here that Guna sees a beautiful lady , Roshini and assumes her to be Abirami.After a rather interestingly shot series of events Guna and Roshini end up in Kodaikanal where he takes care of her in a rundown church.Meanwhile the police and Roshini's family caretaker are on the lookout for them.

This movie was made in 1992 and is considered to be one of the finest ever in Indian Cinema.Unfortunately the movie bombed as it is much ahead of its time like Kamal's "Aalavandhaan".Though the story is not at all complex the audience is still not mature enough to appreciate the beauty of this classic.

Guna's selfless love for abirami will stay in your mind for a long time thanks to one of Kamal's best performances EVER. This is a very serious character and there is not a single moment in which you are not overwhelmed by his phenomenal performance.The movie does not have any cliched or predictable scenes ,very unlike the movies made in the early 90's and is the perfect example of a "progressive movie".

Kamal's amazing acting is well supported by the other actors.Janagaraj,Girish Karnad,Roshini have acted finely.Roshini's character changes toward the end ,from trying to get rid of Guna and eventually falls in love with him.

The plot is very unpredictable ,like Guna's character.You never know what he has in store for you.There were only two things which I didn't appreciate much.The police sequences towards the end are made to look rather childish and SPB as the cop is irritable with his dialogues ,which he barely manages to mumble aloud and ends up coughing throughout.Roshini's caretaker is the only cliched character.However these are very minor faults in a movie and you will not find them boring you as the rest of the movie is simply amazing ,to say the least.The music by maestro Ilayaraja is brilliant.The most famous and beautiful sequence is the evergreen "Kanmani Anbodu" song.

Kamal's potential as an actor is widely known and I am not fit enough to describe the stalwart of Tamil cinema.His acting in this movie will remain a benchmark in Indian cinema for ever.The scene in which he shouts "Kuruvi ,Kuruvi !!" on seeing a bird being killed made me open my mouth in awe. Solid,nay Rock Solid acting !!

The movie is deservedly at the top of the masterpieces list in Indian cinema.The audience still not being able to appreciate such movies is very disappointing.

My verdict for the movie is 4 out of 5.It has to be simply seen and appreciated and don't blame me if you keep saying "Abirami ,Abirami" after watching it.Blame it on Mr.Kamal who makes it sound so beautiful.

Verdict: Ultimate Masterpiece 4 / 5

P.S.:If you ever get to visit Kodaikanal , make it a point to visit the pillar rocks or Guna caves.This is where cinematic history was created.

MURATTU KAALAI - REVIEW

Murattu Kaalai ( Tamil , 1980)

Director : S.P.Muthuraman

Cast: Rajinikanth , Rati Agnihotri , Jaishankar

One of Tamil Cinema's classics , "Murattu Kaalai" , is still considered evergreen . Released in 1980 , this movie catapulted Rajni to great heights and is considered to be one of his finest movies.

The story is rather cliched , but is acceptable , considering the era in which it was made. There are 2 neighbouring villages , and Kaaliyan ( Rajni) is the best "Jallikattu " ( bull-fighting) player in the vicinity. Kaaliyan also happens to be a rather prominent person in his village , but is very down to earth. Jaishankar holds the same position in the neighbouring village , but is a stark contrast to Kaaliyan . Jaishankar lives an extravagant lifestyle , complete with goondas for sidekicks. Jaishankar 's sister , and Kaaliyan have a brief romance.

Kaaliyan , however is very affectionate towards his brothers and his entire world revolves around them . Jaishankar , decides to marry off his sister to Kaaliyan , with an eye on his land. The marriage almost gets fixed , but Kaaliyan comes to know that Jaishankar's sister wants to split the bond between the brothers. He then calls off the marriage.

What happens after that is rather predictable , and involves a dozen sub-plots , as was the trend in those days. What stands out however is some fine acting by the cast .

Rajinikanth is such a delight to watch . This movie was made much before he was crowned the "Superstar" , and although we don't get to see the trademark Rajinikanth stuff in this movie , he comes up with a very fine performance. Comic timing was his forte those days , and the comedy scenes involving him are nice. There are a few " angry young man" scenes , which highlight his acting potential.

Jaishankar and his sister don't have much scope for acting and are rather monotonous in their performances. Rati Agnihotri as , the young Kannamma , who takes refuge under Kaaliyan , to escape the clutches of Jaishankar , comes up with a decent act . Y.Gee.Mahendra , as Kaaliyan's brother , comes across as a very funny character. He makes you laugh , in almost every frame involving him.

Technically , this film was a trend setter in Tamil Cinema. The stunt sequences , were such a novelty those days. The train fight sequence is worth mentioning , and is brilliantly shot. The locations for the movie are very beautiful , replete with lakes , waterfalls, and lush green fields.

There are some brilliant scenes . The one in which Jaishankar visits Kaaliyan's place to offer his sister's hand for marriage is one of the most hilarious sequences I have come across. Watch out for Y.Gee.Mahendra's body language in this scene. And of course the bull fighting sequences. There is also a brilliant scene in which Jaishankar's sidekick whips Kalliyan's brothers. Kaaliyan's anger is portrayed in such a ruthless manner , by the Superstar.

The songs , composed by Maestro Illayaraaja, are simply amazing. Of particular importance is the "Pothuvaga En manasu Thangam" , number. This is one of the most famous songs till date , and has still not lost its appeal. The song , picturized after Kaaliyan wins the bull fighting contest , is very well shot , with some wonderful lyrics , and will remain legendary forever.

Overall , the movie is decent . The time in which it was made is an important factor. This is such a trend setting movie , and is considered to be a cult. It has been referred to in quite a fewTamil movies , the latest being "Subramaniyapuram". Although it has many cliched scenes and characters , it does not really bore you , except in a few scenes.

I will go with 3 out of 5 , for "Murattu Kaalai" , which remains one of the Superstar's finest movies till date.

Verdict: Vintage Rajinikanth. 3/5

SATYAM - REVIEW

SATYAM

(TAMIL,2008)


Cast: Vishal, Nayanthara, Upendra, Premji


Let me get a few things out of the way at first. I am not a big fan of either Vishal or Nayanthara or any of the members of the cast in this movie. Under normal circumstances I would have given this movie a skip, but staying at home continuously for months together does drive you to the brink of desperation and with this sense of desperation a few of my friends and myself decided to give this movie a try.

The movie is basically the story of a cop who stands up against the system. Yes, we have seen umpteen number of movies with the same theme and hurrah !!! we get to see it again. So damn cool.

I am writing this review nearly a month after having seen it, and the movie is by no means one that you will remember while watching it let alone after leaving the cinema hall. All the scenes are riddled with cliches that we usually find in cop movies. The storyline goes something like this. Vishal is trying to bring to the book corrupt politicians who use the police to kill their enemies in encounters. Nayanthara is a reporter (or something of that sort..I am still trying to decipher what her character was) who is bent on exposing corruption ( I guess). Premji Amaren acts as Nayanthara's sidekick in the movie.

Vishal has a dark past in which he witnesses the dubious deeds of corrupt politicians early in his life and is inspired by a police officer , played by Upendra , to bring the corrupt to justice rather than just doing away with them. In due course of time, Upendra himself disgusted with the functioning of the system decides to take matters into his own hands and starts wiping off the corrupt ministers one by one. One such scene in which he kills a corrupt minister stands out as Upendra actually uses a BAZOOKA to carry out the killing. Wow!!!

And as you might have guessed by now, there emerges a tussle between Upendra and Vishal with the two of them finding themselves on opposite sides of the ring, one abiding the law to bring the criminals to justice and the other using violence to do away with the corrupt. The ensuing series of events form the rest of the movie.

Nayanthara and Premji Amaren are reduced to nothing but gimmicks in this movie.Almost all the comedy scenes involving her make you go up to the screen and rip it apart. The comedy or So-Called comedy falls flat on its face ensuring only catcalls and jeers from the public in the cinema hall. It is that kind of movie that will make you turn to your friend nearby and shake your head sideways. The whole movie is a test of human endurance.

The only saving grace for the movie is Upendra. He manages to carry out his role with elan and the only bright moments are provided when he is on screen. Vishal 's acting is quite sombre given that the script doesn't provide him with much scope. A scene which involves a heated conversation between Upendra and Vishal lifts up the movie for a few moments, and provides a welcome respite from the endless gibberish.

The music is quite OK actually and the songs are well shot, but we eventually end up making an assumption that the music must be as bad as the movie. This is the kind of movie that will make you look at your watch countless number of times until your wrist hurts. The script does not provide anything new and that is the main drawback of this movie. Another thing to look out for is the number of Punch-Dialogues that have been derived from other famous Tamil movies and sufficiently " remixed " enough for the audience to go " There he goes again " (which vernacularly could contain a lot of obscenities added to it) .

Yes, it is possible that I might have forgotten most of what happened in this movie in nearly the one month or so that has gone by, but I can assure you that I was not happy when I came out of the cinema hall and neither were most of my brave fellow comrades who accompanied me on this daring endeavour. I must also add that while booking the ticket online the website kept springing up errors constantly and finally after about a dozen unsuccessful transactions i finally got to book the tickets. I wholeheartedly accept the blame for not reading the Cue.

I go with 1 out of 5 just for the sake of it. Probably because of the OK music and Upendra's good performance.

Verdict: Save Trees. Don't buy tickets to this one. 1 / 5

Well, lets start off the proceedings with a review of Kuselan

Movie: KUSELAN (Tamil , 2008)


Director: P.Vasu

Cast: Rajinikanth,Pasupathy,Meena

This is not your typical Rajinikanth movie . If you are looking forward to a dozen punch dialogues , a handful , or rather , fistful , of fights , you will be disappointed , my friend. The intro scene is the highlight of any Superstar movie. This one is no exception.

The very sight of Rajinikanth , riding on a pegasus , in a Zorro costume , in the desert , to the tunes of "Cinema Cinema" , was enough to send a Thalaivar fan like me into a state of frenzy.

But before his intro , you have to endure a very slow moving and rather boring half an hour.

The movie starts off rather interestingly with certain interestingly shot frames , which show the contrasting lifestyles of the barber and the Superstar.

After this there is nothing much which happens , worth mentioning, and the audience is made to endure unwarranted torture from Livingston and his bunch of homies , in the name of comedy !!

And when Vadivelu decides to join the party , things take a turn towards the worse. Frankly i expected some rib tickling comedy , which Vadivelu is very good at normally. But Kuselan has very few comic scenes worth mentioning.

There are some very well shot scenes which manage to keep the audience interested in the movie. For instance , the one in which Pasupathy tries to meet the Superstar and ends up getting bruised in the stampede

Or, the one in which Vadivelu bumps into Rajinikanth and cant hide his feelings. The bulk of the movie , sadly,is spent in unwanted attempts at comedy.

The sentimental scenes involving Pasupathy and his family , are well intended , but get fairly annoying beyond a certain point.

The acting is very ordinary as far as Meena and the other actors are concerned
But the character of Barber Balu, who is constantly in a tight spot , is played with ease by Pasupathy . Although not as powerful as his act in " Veyyil" , this role by the talented actor is definitely worth some praise.

Ah... The Superstar himself.

Although there is not much scope for displaying the Rajinikanth phenomena which we have been accustomed to in his movies, he underplays his character , with trademark Rajinikanth elan and style.

There are loads of unwanted scenes in the movie. For instance , the voyeuristic Vadivelu ogling at a gorgeous Nayanthara. People will question my orientation if I were to say that I did not like the scene :) . But c'mon guys , this is sooooooo out of place in a Rajinikanth movie.

And P.Vasu 's attempt at self advertising could have been avoided. "Chandramukhi" need not have been re-created in Kuselan.

The music is fairly good . And the lyrics praising the Superstar are truly out of the world , and will be a treat for Rajni fans.

The climax is by far the only good thing about the movie. It is its saving grace. For people who say that Rajinikanth cant act , this will serve to be a perfect "nose cut". The pin drop silence in the theatre during the climax speech was ample proof of this , as a few lines which he delivers frankly would have brought the roof down. The climax is a tear jerker in every sense of the word. And for his fans , who will be able to correlate the dialogues to the Rajni in real life , will truly experience the Rajni magic in the climax scenes.

On the whole , this movie is a huge disappointment . We know this was always meant to be a small role for the Superstar , and I don't grouse that fact. But the movie could have been much better if many scenes had been shelved .

The execution of such a good story , falls flat on its face. I have not seen the original version "Katha Parayumbol" , but am sure the Tamil version is a poor attempt in comparison.

We had promised that there will be no room for bias in our reviews , and Kuselan is a stellar example . Even though we are MAJOR fans of Thalaivar , we will go with 1.5 out of 5 for this sorry excuse of a movie that is Kuselan. Thalaivaaa... waiting for "Sultan".

Verdict : Don't waste your time . Unless you are a Rajni fan. 1.5 / 5