"Chekka Chivantha Vaanam" has finally hit the screens amid much expectations and fanfare. Well the response wasn't surprising after all the project is helmed by Mani Ratnam, the director par excellence. The weekend got off to an exciting start courtesy of the performance of our Men In Blue who defended the Asia Cup title in style. If the trailer is any indication as to how CCV would be, then it's likely to be the icing on the cake after Team India's triumph.
The film unfolds with a failed assassination attempt on Senapathi (Prakash Raj), the most powerful crime lord in the city & his wife, Lakshmi (Jayasudha) on their way back from the temple. This spurs their three sons into action who frantically searches for answers as to the mastermind behind the assassination. Their eldest son, Varadan (Aravind Swami) was a hot tempered impulsive individual who took care of the empire in the region. Their second son, Thyagu (Arun Vijay) had his own business in Dubai while the youngest, Ethi (STR) did his operations in Serbia. With the help of Varadan's friend suspended Inspector Rasool (Vijay Sethupathi), they come to the conclusion that their rival, Chinnappadasan (Thiagarajan) might have orchestrated the attack. At around the same time, Senapathi succumbs to a heart attack & this results in a power tussle between the brothers for supremacy over the empire.
Mani Ratnam is undoubtedly one of the finest directors that this country has seen but it's been a while since we have seen a movie that is worthy of his caliber with "Aayatha Ezhuthu" being his last venture that I thoroughly enjoyed along with "Raavanan" to a certain extent. I wasnt particularly fond of his subsequent releases like "Kaatru Veliyidai", "OK Kanmani" & "Kadal", as I felt they were average at best. However, he has more than made up for it with CCV which is a crime thriller as well as family drama that focused on various aspects of human emotions. Since most of us have watched numerous gangster movies like "Sarkar" etc., the story as such would come across as rather straightforward & even the twists were quite predictable (atleast for me). But what makes this movie damn good is Ratnam's excellent screenplay & the thought that has gone into the character framework as well as interpersonal dynamics making sure that each actor got adequate screen space. However, with the exception of Jyothika & maybe Jayasudha to a certain extent, none of the other female artists had a significant part to play which was kinda surprising as Ratnam is always known to have strong female characters in his movies.
Just as in any Ratnam's flick, the technical aspects were brilliant which included Santosh Sivan's mesmerising visuals & Sreekar Prasad's slick editing. Another huge factor that elevated the viewing experience was AR Rahman's awesome music & exceptional background score. Among the artists, everyone has done their parts brilliantly but the pick among the lot was Vijay Sethupathi who never fails to impress irrespective of the project. Aravind Swami continues to surprise with his grey shades, STR with his screen presence, Arun Vijay with his suave style (though I felt Fahad would have done a better job) while the others like Thiagarajan, Mansoor Ali were ok. As for the ladies, Jyothika impressed while the rest were fine.
Verdict: Without a shadow of doubt, CCV is undoubtedly Mani Ratnam's best in the past decade. It is expected to cross 30 C over the weekend in the TN market alone & is definitely on its way to becoming a blockbuster. The story as such wont surprise many but you can rest assured to be thoroughly entertained coz of the engaging screenplay. In short, dont miss it!!!
Rating: 3.5/5
Regards...Ben
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