Muran

This psychological thriller starring Cheran and Prasanna in lead roles entertains

Said to be inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Strangers on a train,’ Rajan Madhav’s ‘Muran,’ brings two strangers together while on a road journey. Nanda (Cheran) is a promising guitarist who has signed his first film and is returning home. Enroute, his car breaks down thanks to a rowdy group of young men travelling alongside him. Arjun, a business tycoon’s only son and an arrogant playboy gives him a lift. Little does Nanda realize that his life will not be the same anymore, what with Arjun, who has a penchant for adventure and wild thrills. Initially Nanda is not keen in participating in such fun, but Arjun with his charm and easy banter manages to get Nanda to join him in such activities. As the story unspools, viewers learn about Nanda’s unhappy marriage. You also learn about Arjun’s past and his relationship with his father. And just when you start feeling that Arjun is not that bad after all, comes a new twist in the tale with the death of Nanda’s wife in a car accident.  Rajjan Madhav’s debut work keeps you engaged till the end.
Plus Points: Cheran and Prasanna walk away with the honours. Prasanna excels in his role as a real prick. Cheran impresses with his subtle performance. Playing his love interest is Haripriya who does a neat job. Music by Sajjan Madhav is good.
Minus points: A tad too long, the film could have done with some editing.
Camerawork: Padmesh’s camera is cool.
Verdict: Watch this psychological thriller for Prasanna, who  matches Cheran  step by step creating the perfect tango. 

Ra Ra

‘Ra Ra’ with all ingredients of a typical Kollywood masala fails to tickle your palate

Here is a recipe for a Kollywood masala.
First, open the film with lungi clad long haired goons walking in quick purposeful strides brandishing, yes you got that right, an aruvaal.
Next, introduce the hero attired in bright costumes with a group song. Dress up the extras, (I am obviously referring to the women),  in short outfits, better actually in those school pinafores with rising hemlines and let them shake their hips to a cacophonous number.
Third, a must ingredient, is a comedian. He is usually the hero’s best friend and ally in distress and gets to deliver those inane dialogues. Make them as crass as possible if you want to elicit roars of laughter from viewers.
Four, stir in a good dose of songs, one when the hero and heroine accidentally meet and lock eyes, another when they take off to fantasy land, a third when they are separated, a fourth sees them rejoicing together with family holding hands. Is there any dearth of situations?
Five, tip in the spice container a bit as you mix in suspense and drama with a little secret tucked away and just waiting to tumble down towards the end. Your brew is ready.
Well, Ra Ra,’ refers to Royapettah Royapuram and  has all these ingredients in good  measure, tweaked anew with references to Thirukural. In the acting department, Udhaya needs to work hard. Shwetha Basu makes a pretty arm candy. Ponvannan stands out among the cast. A good actor like Aadithya has been wasted. 


Verdict: With unbelievable and illogical situations, (for instance the idea of tying up the old Iyer couple), this film takes the audience’s intelligence and time for granted.

Vaagai Sooda Vaa

A simple story sincerely told. With brilliant visuals and refreshing music, Sargunam’s second outing is a must watch

With Vimal in the lead once again, Sargunam takes you on a trip to the sixties when the radio ruled instead of the idiot box and the net was unheard of as people waited for the snail mail to arrive.
Veluthambi (Vimal) arrives in a little known village of Kandeduthaan Kadu, home to a community of brick makers. Velu’s dream is to get a government job. His plan is simple. As suggested by his father, he hopes that this teaching experience will earn him a certificate and ultimately lead him to his dream job. But from the word go, he falls prey to the children’s pranks. And try as he may, he is unable to lure them to his class.  Neither are their parents keen on their education. They would rather have them help in making bricks. Ruling over this illiterate community and exploiting them is the land owner. Seems like an old plot? Not really. For the difference lies in Sargunam’s treatment of the script. His characters are believable be it Velu or Madhi, the tea seller in love with Velu, or her father who derives a thrill stumping people with his mathematical riddles and of course the bunch of mischievous children. Nor does he rush through the plot. He lets the characters grow gradually and imprint themselves in the minds of the viewer.  Shot realistically with attention to little details, the director proves that one can still create a good piece of art, sans big stars, sans verdant locales, sans glamour, sans revealing costumes and that comedy can be healthy and humorous sans double entendres. Not to forget that there are few people who rise above material needs to follow their heart.

Plus Points: Vimal acquits his character brilliantly. With his naïve expressions and attired in neat costumes of yore, the role seems tailor made for him.  Supporting him is debutant Iniya as the love struck Madhi. She shows plenty of potential.  Cute is her impromptu jig for a song. Another plus point is the casting. Thambi Ramiah as Madhi’s father and the child actors leave a mark.

Minus Points: Sadly Bhagyaraj as Velu’s father fails to impress.

Cinematography: Om Prakash’s camera defies the notion that only lush and green can be breathtaking, Panning an arid landscape in hues of brown and orange, he has captured landscape and sky most beautifully leaving the viewer speechless.

Music: On his maiden venture M. Ghibran's music is refreshing, with rich notes and lilting melody that lingers long after.  

Verdict: ‘Vaagai soda vaa,’ leaves you with a warm good feeling. Not a film to be missed.  

I Am Kalam

No, this is not an autobiographical tale of the former President of India. But a tale that inspires a little boy, Chottu to dream big. With a widowed mother and an infant sister to support, Chottu works in a dhaba run by kind-hearted Bhatti, much to the chagrin of his co-worker, Laptan.  A quick and intelligent learner, Chottu impresses Bhatti with his tea making skills and his compassion for a sick camel that he restores to good health. Yet, deep inside, Chottu yearns to go to school like the Prince of the haveli next door. Chottu is fascinated by his uniform and the neck tie.  Motivating him further is Abdul Kalam’s address on TV. Modeling himself on the former President, Chottu gives himself a new name, ‘Kalam.’ On one of his visits to the haveli-turned resort serving foreign tourists, Chottu meets the Prince. Friendship blossoms between the two as they share joyous moments together and learn new skills too. The Prince teaches Chottu English and how to knot a tie, while the latter teaches the Prince Hindi besides climbing trees and camel riding. Not to forget the gifts the two friends exchange. Chottu after a visit to his village brings a kada for the Prince who in turn is ready with his present, a set of books and a neck tie for Chottu. Adding company to this twosome is Lucy, a French tourist (Beatrice Ordeix). Lucy helps the Prince with his French lessons and promises to take Chottu to Delhi. The kill joy however in Chottu’s life is Leptan, who loads him with chores. And in a fit of jealousy, he even burns Chottu’s books.  Yet, Chottu never once loses hope nor the ability to dream. That’s what this story is all about and the need to educate the less privileged.

Plus Points: The two child artistes score over the adults with their splendid performance. While it brought home the national award this year for Harsh Mayar as Chottu, Husaan Saad played the role of the Prince to the hilt.  The scenes with the two boys are really cute, especially the way they hail out to each other, with bird calls. What a change to see Gulshan Grover, the eternal baddie in a good role as Bhatti.  And he stands out with his understated acting.  Good work also by French actor Beatrice. Pitobash, (remember him in ‘Shor in the City’) impresses as a young man idolizing Big B. There is clean humour too.

Minus Points: Can’t think of any.

Camerawork: The sands of Rajasthan look appealing through the lens. There is a beautiful scene when an entire group of onlookers join in an impromptu jamming session led by Beatrice followed by Chottu. Another scene captures the desert sands at night under a moonlit sky, as Chottu weeps by the side of his camel. A poignant moment.

Verdict: A hit at international festivals, this cute story of a little boy’s dream touches the heart with its innocence, perseverance and humour. A film for the family. 

Bombay March 12 (2011)

This Malayalam thriller questions the innocence of a Muslim in the wake of bomb blasts. Sensitively told and realistically shot, it touches a chord with the audience.

What’s in a name? Plenty if it is Sameer or Shahjahan. You could be misconstrued for a terrorist and be handcuffed without any warning by the protectors of law.  Babu Janardhan’s debut film, ‘Bombay March 12, 1993’ set against the backdrop of the 1993 bomb blasts of the city is just that. 

Sameer, a Corporation sweeper in Allapuzha is viewed with suspicion by the police. Married to Abida with a little daughter, Sameer lives with his aged in-laws and cares for them like a son. Trouble starts when he is picked up by the cops from the hospital while attending to his ailing father-in-law. Thereafter his life takes a beating, when Abida believes in what the rest think, that he was responsible for the death of her brother, Shahjahan, an IT professional. As the true identity of Sameer unfolds, you travel in flashback between Alapuzha, Mumbai and Pochampally, learning more about this Hindu priest, Santhana Bhatt from Kasargod, who converted to Islam.

Plus Points: This is not just another film on terrorism depicting Muslim community in poor light but a sensitive story on the travails and insecurities of being a Muslim in India. Convincingly told, this racy narration gently prods the audience to think. The subtlety with which Mamooty portrays his two characters, that of Sameer and Santhana Bhatt, speaks volumes of his acting prowess.  Roma as his wife Abida   shows she is capable of serious roles, deviating from her usual bubbly self. Unni Mukundan, (last seen in the Tamil film, Seedan) slips into the character of Shahjahan, well.  Sadique as Abida’s father is good. Certainly a script that deviates from the mundane.

Minus Points: With too many flashbacks and narration back and forth, you are sometimes left trying to figure where exactly the story is heading. 

Camerawork: The hurried pace of Mumbai and the lackadaisical life of Allapuzha are well captured.

Verdict: Clearly a much better script than Karan Johar’s ‘My Name is Khan,’ that dwelt on how the world views Islam and the perils that accompany a Muslim surname. 

180 / Nootrenbadhu

This romantic story emphasizes on living each moment to the full instead of losing out on today’s joys while fretting about the morrow.

AJ (Siddharth) an NRI arrives in Chennai where he finds joy in making others happy, be it while delivering newspapers with the delivery boys or lending a hand to the ironing vendor and even spending time playing carom at an old age home.  Vidya, (Nithya Menen) a photo-journalist impressed with his attitude befriends him. Little does she realize that she is falling in love with this man of whom she knows very little. But when she opens her heart to him, AJ decides it is time to leave town. No, it’s not one of the run of the mill romance flicks. This cute and fresh story from duo writers SUBA and Jayendra holds your attention in the first half pulls at your heart strings in the second half and keeps you guessing towards the end. 

Plus Points: Nootrenbadhu is  a welcome break from those Madurai based stories spilling with blood as well as those rural scripts packed with kuthu songs and arresting visuals. In this urban flick the characters are real and their fears human. Siddharth as AJ delivers. His chocolate boy looks endears him to the audience and he emotes well, though at times, you feel he could have done better.  The onscreen chemistry he shares with Priya Anand (as Renuka) is great. Supporting the story are  Nithya Menen and Sricharan (last seen in M3V) with their performance that is not over the top. Technically the film speaks of style and class with respect to each shot. Some images linger in your thoughts, especially the scene in Varanasi, where a little boy performing his father’s rites is more engrossed with his toy car. 

Minus Points: If only more care was taken with respect to Nithya Menen’s wardrobe, she could have appeared slender. The film could have done with slick editing.

Music: Shareth’s music comes as a fresh breath of air. 
    
Camerawork: Visuals realistic meeting the demands of the script.

Verdict: Do watch 180. There is cute love, entertainment, clean humour and an underlying message on life’s uncertainties.  It’s a good start for ad film maker Jayendra.

The Alamelu

Avan Ivan (2011)

A tale of two stepbrothers who are into petty thieving, this cocktail from Bala fails to quench your thirst for good cinema

Kumbudren Samy (Arya) and Walter Vanangamudi (Vishal) are stepbrothers who follow the family business, petty thieving. Kumbudren is adept in his trade unlike Walter, whose heart beats for dance and acting. They both look upto the erstwhile zamindar, Highness (G.M Kumar), who basks in the former glory and with his kind nature commands the respect of the people.  Actually there is nothing much to write about in the first half of the film, where you are introduced to the characters and their idiosyncrasies. Enter a villain, RK, in the role of a cattle smuggler and there is bloodshed and revenge, the final concoction for the cocktail. But does it make a better drink?

Plus Points: Just like all Bala films, his characters live on the fringes of society and deviate from the usual. So is the case here with the stepbrothers. Vishal in his role as the squint eyed Walters is remarkable. Kudos to Bala for revealing to us the actor Vishal.  Arya is a perfect foil to Vishal lending support with his easy acting. G.M. Kumar delivers a good performance. And so does RK.

Minus Points: The narrative lacks a thread of continuity. And what was the story about, you can’t help asking yourself as you leave the hall. The women in the film can be ignored. Ambika and Prabha Ramesh as the mothers of the two stepbrothers are too loud and cantankerous. And the love interests of the two brothers played by Janani Iyer and Madhushalini, mere arm candy. Janani however makes an effort. The police force is once again ridiculed for its inefficiency. Have we not had enough of this?

Music: Yuvan’s music does not linger in the mind either.   

Camera work: Breathtaking visuals. 

Verdict: Touted as a comedy, this story seems to be ridiculing the viewer’s intelligence and time instead. Where is the Bala of Sethu, Pithamagan and Naan Kadavul? Evan Ivan? 
This is however a Vishal film all the way. 


The Alamelu