Singam3’ an entertainer that Surya’s fans will love

By Mythily Ramachandran

Durai Singam, the Sub-Inspector from Thoothukudi (Tamil Nadu) is in action again.
‘Singam3’ fits well into director Hari’s template of a mass entertainer-an honest policeman while taking on criminals also finds time to romance with beautiful women amidst breathtaking visuals that transport viewers fancy-free to distant lands.
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Tamil actor Surya returns as Durai Singam,  and the star delivers his role with aplomb, in true singam style. His screen presence is a commanding picture throughout and not even once does he go overboard.  

Singam, the Sub-Inspector from Toothukudi, is deputed on work to the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh to investigate the murder of a senior police officer Ramakrishna (Jayaprakash).

Durai Singam is in pursuit of the suspects and we soon learn that Vishakapatnam port is under the control of Reddy, a goon. Reddy is also hand in glove with an Indian billionaire, Vithal (Thakur Anoop Singh) from Australia in an illegal activity, that Singam unveils.

Singam’s ire is provoked and he charges roaring to make the kill-

Oru Thavaru Seithaal, Athai Therinthu Seithaal, Athu Devan Endraalum, Vida maaten (One mistake made, and if that is done deliberately, even if it is God, I will not spare him).

Hari’s story is, of course, predictable. As long as you don’t question Durai Singam’s invincibility, who with his bare hands flicks off adversaries very easily, you have an entertainer that makes you forget the world outside.

The fast pace of narration and breathtaking visuals by cinematographer Priyan prop up the film. Anushka Shetty playing Singam’s wife Kavya and Sruthi Haasan, as an investigative journalist in love with Singam, lend glamour, designer clothes et all.

What slows down the fast pace of the story is comedian Soori as Singam’s constable and his dry humour. Soori’s style of beating people has repeated again and certainly does not tickle you in any way. It’s getting annoying actually. The jokes fall flat on their face.
Another thing lacking was a really powerful antagonist. Vithal’s character could have been written better.   

‘Singam3’ is a mass entertainer and a Surya show all the way.
Of course, the star lives up to his image.

‘Enakku Vaitha Adimaigal’ a light-hearted story

By Mythily Ramachandran

This is not a story about finding love, but about coping with life after a break-up.
Directed by debutante Mahendran Rajamani, EVA dwells on the lives of four friends, in particularly about Krishna, (Jai) who has been ditched by his lover, Divya (Pranitha) for another man.
Krishna contemplates suicide and he informs his close buddies over the phone of his intentions. 

How do they react? Are they able to stop Krishna from ending his life?
As long as you don’t take EVA seriously it’s a fun ride. EVA also does not pretend to be otherwise.

Why is a good actor like Thambi Ramaiah reduced to a joker in film after film?
Here he plays Jai’s counselor and his mannerisms are a repeat of what we have seen in earlier films. His scenes barely provide humour. 

EVA is a time-pass.  Take your friends along. There are many laugh aloud moments.  Not all jokes are clean, though! 

‘Bogan’ a fast paced thriller is a good watch

By Mythily Ramachandran

Any ideas who a Bogan is?’

In Tamil, it refers to a person addicted to the pleasures of life.
And, that best defines, Aditya (Arvind Swamy), belonging to an erstwhile princely family of south India. Booze and babes are Aditya’s  twin pleasures and he enjoys life like no other.

So what does this ‘Bogan’ do for a living?’
He pulls off heists without even pressing a trigger. His modus operandi is unique. 

Aditya has learned an ancient Indian science of the siddhars (Shaiva saints of yore) who had the ability to swap their bodies with another. He uses this technique and mesmerizes people into committing a robbery. While he drives away with the bag of loot, it’s the employee at the jewelry store and the bank manager who are hauled up by the police.  

However, the bank manager’s son, IPS Vikram (Jayam Ravi) is not going to rest till he proves his father’s innocence. With that begins a cat and mouse game between Vikram and Aditya.
Vikram finds evidence enough to arrest Aditya and puts him behind bars.

Is the story of ‘Bogan’ as straight as that?
Not really.
Not one to give up, Aditya swaps his body with that of Vikram’s. And in the guise of Vikram's physical self,
Aditya walks out of prison. leaving behind the real Vikram trapped inside Aditya’s body and in prison. 

Now begins round two of the cat and mouse game.

‘Bogan’s first half is engaging. It's racy screenplay and new concept keeps you hooked.
Director Lakshman also has woven in a romantic story around IPS Vikram and Mahalakshmi (Hansika Motwani) his fiancée.

Arvind Swamy and Jayam Ravi lock horns again after ‘Thani Oruvan.’ But the likeness stops there. 

The story is completely different and the two actors are challenged in the second half as they juggle between the characters of Aditya and Vikram.
Swamy’s versatility as an actor comes to the fore again. Ravi matches step with him in a brilliant performance.

Stunt scenes deserve mention especially one action sequence from the first half of the story, where Ravi chases a criminal. You watch in awe.
Lending good support to the story are young actors, Varun, Akshara Gowda and Nagendra Prasad as Vikram’s subordinates.

‘Bogan’ entertains, though the last seven minutes gets a bit exaggerated.
And, we hear that Bogan 2 is on the cards too. 

Jomonte Suviseshangal’ an endearing family drama

By Mythily Ramachandran

Satyan Anthikkad, the master story- teller of Malayalam cinema returns with a family drama that warms up to you with its bond of a father and son.

The story is not new and different versions of the prodigal son rising to the occasion have been narrated before, yet ‘Jomonte Suviseshangal’ wins your heart with its natural performances put in by a cast that sits snug in its roles. 

‘Jomonte Suvisheshangal’ is scripted by Dr. Iqbal Kuttipuram, a homeopathy doctor in UAE, remembered for his scripts for Malayalam hits, ‘Meghamalar,’ and ‘Diamond Necklace.’
Here he brings in a nice blend of good humour and family emotions, (without getting melodramatic) and the dialogues hitting the right note.

Anchoring the story in its place are the lead players, the charismatic Dulquer Salmaan,  (that smile of his always bowls you over) and veteran Mukesh with his mature performance.  

Vincent (Mukesh), a business tycoon of Thrissur is a widower living with his extended family of two sons and two daughters. His youngest son, Jomon (Dulquer Salmaan) with his easy going attitude towards life seems to stick out like a thorn in the happy household. Jomon is yet to clear his MBA, but has no qualms about blowing up his father’s money on a bike that costs 18 lakhs. Jomon carries the tag- irresponsible and unreliable.

Bad times pull down Vincent’s business and overnight he loses his home and everything. When the rest of his children guilt trip Vincent, Jomon steps in and takes his father with him to Tirupur. Jomon is managing a business in Tirupur with his friend (Jacob Gregory) and hopes to salvage things slowly.
Do things go as planned by Jomon?

The effective casting makes the different characters relatable. And they are not painted in all black or white. Vincent, a shrewd businessman does not hesitate to strike a deal at a funeral, but he is not a complete shark either. Having climbed up the ladder from the lowest rung, he takes his loss in his stride and from a Benz car gets to riding a bicycle with the same ease.
Jomon is that kid brother who can be annoying often, yet you can’t stop indulging him. If Jacob Gregory’s Mustaq exploited his friendship with Jomon, it does not take him long to turn over a good leaf and become Jomon’s trusted partner. Not to forget the ever faithful friend of Vincent, Raavunni.

While the story gets predictable in the second half and there seems to be a hurry to tell the tale, it’s the father-son bond that holds the film upright. The warm chemistry shared between Salmaan and Mukesh is the mainstay ere. Mukesh delivers the right measure of emotions. Salmaan keeps pace well with Mukesh and a delight to watch in every scene.

Anupama Parameswaran as Catherine and Aishwarya Rajesh as Vaidehi in their brief space deliver a good performance. It’s a relief seeing Tamil actor Manobala play a role that is not his stereotypical comic self from Tamil cinema where his thin frame is always the butt of ridicule. Innocent who is a regular in Anthikaad’s films keeps the chuckles going.

Watch ‘Jomonte Suviseshangal’ with your family, a neat drama made without the frills of action and inane romantic scenes.

                                                                 

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Vijay Sethupathi plays a mass hero in ‘Rekka’

By Mythily Ramachandran

If Tamil actors Vijay and Surya and many others can play the super-hero why not Vijay Sethupathi?

Tamil film ‘Rekka’ directed by newcomer Rathnasiva brings out this element of the versatile actor Sethupathi who has won hearts by his portrayal of the ordinary man with great ease.

Sethupathi plays Siva from Kumbakonam whose main job appears to be uniting lovers, even if it means abducting the bride from the wedding mandapam. 

When his path crosses with that of David, (Harish Uthaman) a much- feared goonda, Siva is left with no option but to abduct Bharti, (Lakshmi Menon) the daughter of a gangster leader from Madurai.
Oh not again! I can hear some of you say that. 

Be prepared for Siva’s larger than life character who sends, flying goons in large numbers with a flick of his hand and mind you without even a scratch on himself, all the while holding onto Bharti's hand. 

As for Bharti, she is the loosu ponnu (dumb girl) and Lakshmi Menon plays it to the hilt.
Which woman would walk off with a stranger on her first meeting with him? Only a loosu ponnu!
And, when Bharti conveys this to her mother, her mother tells her to say goodbye to her grandmother before she leaves.
How much more preposterous can this get? 

The flashback story does little to move your heart. The good moments, however, are the scenes between Siva and his father. Director K. S. Ravikumar. Ravikumar as Siva’s father is wonderful.
You feel sorry for a wonderful performer like Kishore wasted in the role  of Selva. It’s time Harish Uthaman looked for a changeover from his villain roles. He is another actor who can do better than play the growling antagonist.  

‘Rekka’ lacks logic but then Sethupathi’s fans are not going to complain. 

   

‘Remo’ is another mass entertainer 

By Mythily Ramachandran

Sivakarthikeyan’s ‘Remo’ made a lot of noise over his appearance in this film as a nurse but beyond that look, there is nothing much in this romantic comedy.  

Siva (Sivakarthikeyan), an unemployed young man is an aspiring actor who ends up using his acting skills to win the love of his heart. 

Directed by debutant Bakkiyaraj Kannan, this story sits snug into the template of a Tamil mass entertainer. Targeted at people of all ages, ‘Remo’ with a love story at its core is served with doses of action, (there is a villain obviously, the fiancé) and sentiments to woo children and family. Not to forget laughs. 

So hero, Siva, after experiencing that aaha moment when cupid strikes his arrow decides to win Dr. Kavya’s (Keerthy Suresh) heart. So what if she is already engaged to a doctor and is not even aware of Siva’s existence, the hero is determined to make her fall in love with him. As nurse Remo he gets quite close to Dr. Kavya.  

‘Remo’ appears to be telling Sivakarthikeyan’s fans that it is ok if you are uneducated and in love and it doesn’t matter to what extent you go to win the heart of your woman. You can bug her until she becomes yours. 

Sivakarthikeyan as Remo looks quite stunning so much that his close buddy desires to hug Remo. There is even a rowdy (Yogi Babu) in love with Remo. Remo is irresistible to the old men recovering in the hospital where she works. 

Lacking good writing and with a run of the mill story, ‘Remo’ joins the ranks of films that are easily forgotten.  

Aandavan Kattalai’ entertains with a simple story  

By Mythily Ramachandran

Tamil director Manikandan is back with another entertainer that while tickling viewers also send home a few points on the existing system in society. 

Manikandan had explored the effects of globalization on two little slum boys, in his debut film, ‘Kaakka Muttai.’ Now he takes on a story that reveals the hurdles in procuring a London visa or for that matter even a simple Indian passport.  

Gandhi, (Vijay Sethupathi)  debt-ridden, leaves his home near Madurai and arrives in Chennai to get a London visa so that he can bring home the proverbial pot of gold. His friend Pandi (Yogi Babu) accompanies him with the same London dreams.

When a travel agent suggests that a married status on their passport application form will increase their chances of getting a visa, Gandhi, much against his wishes, mentions a name of a fictitious wife, Karmegha Kuzhali. However, during the visa interview, a simple honest answer leads to the rejection of Gandhi’s visa, while Pandi’s London visa comes through.

Gandhi finds work in Chennai in a theater company and when his employer, (Nasser)  decides to take him to London for a show, his married status comes in the way. And, to undo one lie, Gandhi is caught in a mesh with lawyers who have no qualms of distorting facts further.

The screenplay written by Arul Chezhiyan, Manikandan and Anucharan dwells on Gandhi’s travails, told in an engaging and humorous manner.
The comedy is not in the face forcing you to laugh. Humour is drawn from the daily humdrum of life, be it at the travel agent’s office; or in the exchange between Karmegha Kuzhil and her mom; or the family court where couples seek a divorce.
I particularly enjoyed the scenes with Gandhi's two lawyers. Actors George and Nandhini were wonderful.

‘Aandavan Kattalai’ is not only about the protagonist’s journey- the supporting characters leave an indelible impression.
Nesan, the Sri Lankan refugee living incognito in Chennai, who comes up with solutions to solve Gandhi’s predicament, reminds you of that friend who gets you into trouble without intending to. Aravindan plays this role with conviction. Yogi Babu keeps the laughs coming. Rithika Singh after impressing us with ‘Iruddhi Suttru’ emphasizes again that her debut performance was not just a flash in the pan. Sethupathi carries his Gandhi effortlessly and is a treat to watch. Give Nasser any role and the veteran does justice to it.

Without shouting hoarse over a social message, Manikandan stresses the importance of avoiding middle- men, like agents and touts and instead follow the direct procedure for procuring a document.

Go for ‘Aandavan Kattalai’ and take your family too. It’s a clean and fun film.  And, believe it or not, there was not a single duet or song, though composer K’s background score sometimes came in the way of some dialogues.  

‘Thodari’ a damp squib

By Mythily Ramachandran

You board this train expecting it to be an interesting journey with director Prabhu Solomon and team, but it turns out to be a big let -down.

The GT Express departing from Delhi is on way to Chennai. And, it takes a long while for the train, sorry I mean the story, to pick up steam.
To begin with, the inane comedy revolving around the pantry car manager, (Thambi Ramiah) who is the butt of jokes among his team of workers, does little to tickle you. Ramiah’s delivery and expressions are the same that you have been seeing in film after film.

Poochiappan (Dhanush), one of the pantry attendants falls in love with Saroja (Keerthy Suresh) a young woman accompanying a well -known star. Saroja is her touch up artist. After initially rebuffing Poochiappan, who makes passes at her, she falls for his trick when he tells her that the noted lyricist Vairamuthu is his friend. Saroja aspires to become a singer in the industry and believes that she can sing well. She hopes Poochiappan will help her by putting in a word to Vairamuthu.

Love brews but unlike Solomon’s earlier films, ‘Myna,’ ‘Kumki’ and ‘Kayal’ this love story lacks a depth. There is nothing that makes you feel for the lovers except towards the end when the train in the absence of a driver is hurtling towards an imminent catastrophe.

While a rescue team is working on saving the passengers on the train, there is a commentary on politicians. There is a dig at the media too for sensationalizing news, but these scenes are sloppily presented.

‘Thodari’ seems to have thrown all logic to the winds. Dhanush dances and sings and even fights people on the roof of the train which is racing at a high speed.

Harish Uthaman’s character as a black commando, picks a quarrel for no reason with Poochiappan which seemed far-fetched. And, why the dialogue between the two over who is better- a Tamilian or a Malayali.

Poor characterization, a weak script and the two hours plus duration pulls ‘Thodari’ down. What saves the film is Dhanush’s casual performance. The star does not disappoint as Poochiappan.

Keerthi Suresh’s also deserves a pat for her cute portrayal of the naïve Saroja. The scenes where she wants to sing to show Dhanush that she has the potential to become a singer will leave you in splits.  

Kattappanayile Hrithik Roshan: A fun film that sends across a few points too

By Mythily Ramachandran

A lot can go wrong when parents try to realize their failed dreams through their children. 

Malayalam director Nadir Shah’s film, ‘Kattappanayile Hrithik Roshan’ is all about that.
Shah on his second outing, (his debut was the multi-starrer, ‘Amar, Akbar, Antony’), succeeds with a film that entertains besides driving home few messages.

Surendran, (Siddique), an ordinary labourer in Kattappan, is a crazy fan of yesteryears Malayalam actor, Jayan. He aspires to become an actor but his failed dreams are burdened on the shoulders of his little son, Kichu.

Kichu (Vishnu Unnikrishnan)'s dark complexion goes against him, to begin with. Besides, the little boy is just not interested in acting. But who is listening? Clearly not his father who even lands him with an injury while training him to ride a bicycle in the hope of getting a role.  

Kichu becomes the butt of jokes in the neighbourhood, until one day, an unexpected stroke of luck brings him that very chance to work in a film when a director visits his school.Kichu plays a thief and his perfectly executed role makes him a celebrity of sorts in Kattappana. 

Subsequently, Kichu is offered only this one role in every film that comes his way. Kichu, however, aspires to become a star on the likes of  Bollywood’s Hrithik Roshan.

Nadir Shah takes a dig at the typecasting of actors in the industry. He points fingers at our obsession for looking good and judging people on the basis of one’s looks and fair complexion.

When the beautiful and glamourous Ann Mariya (Pragya Martin) moves into the neighbourhood, she is every young man’s heart-throb, including Kichu, who misinterprets her hand of friendship for love.

Is suicide the answer for unrequited love?
Not when there are several others in our lives, who truly care for us. Sadly many fail to acknowledge them like Kichu who does not see Kani’s love (his neighbour’s daughter) for him. 

The first half of the story is fun, peppered with several comic lines and delivered by Salim Kumar and Dharmajan Bolgatty. I particularly loved Kumar’s conversations with his hearing impaired wife. The actress was wonderful in the brief space she occupied. Bolgatty as Kichu’s friend kept the chuckles coming.

Siddique is great as a fanboy. The emotional moments as Kichu’s father dreaming big for his son have a touch of finesse.
Pragya Martin and  Lijomol Jose lend good support with their portrayal of Ann Mariya and Kani. 

Walking away with honours is Vishnu Unnikrishnan, script-writer making his debut as an actor with this film. Unnikrishnan’s Kichu wins hearts with his simplicity and earnest dreams, even as he battles with an inferiority complex and the onus of his father’s dreams.