Bigil review: "Step aside Messi & CR7, Ballon d'Or belongs to Vijay!!!"

Whenever a Diwali or Pongal comes along, we have the A lister movies hitting the screens hoping to cash in on the festive vibe. This time around it was Vijay & Karthi vying for the top honours with Lokesh & Atlee respectively. After I had watched Lokesh's highly commendable "Kaithi", it was time to shift attention to Atlee's "Bigil". As I had mentioned in my previous review, I did find the trailer pretty entertaining & was eagerly looking forward to it. The question is whether that expectation was a hoax like the Twitter #DhoniRetires???

Michael Rayappan (Vijay) is the leader of the masses who is based in a slum in Chennai. He was always at logger heads with a rival gang headed by Daniel (Daniel Balaji) as the latter repeatedly tried to endanger his life. One such attack resulted in his friend, Kathir (Kathir) getting paralyzed for a sustained period of time. Incidentally, he was also the coach of the Tamil Nadu women's football team & requests the Association to consider Michael as his replacement as he was a star player in his heydays before destiny charted a different path for him. But will Michael be able to gain the trust of the girls especially since they held him responsible for their coach's condition???

Atlee burst into the industry like a breath of fresh air with "Raja Rani", but since then I have found his movies to be pretty ordinary. Incidentally, all of those movies featured Vijay making this his third on the trot. This is undoubtedly the most mediocre among the lot, as I just couldn't understand whether he took any kind of effort to script this along with S Ramana Girivasan. There are surely whistle worthy scenes which would make the fans go gaga but they are far & few. The second half which is a packaged as an inferior cousin of "Chak De" among other inspirations, barely manage to keep us engaged. However, I do acknowledge the fact that they had tried to incorporate women empowerment into the proceedings & managed to succeed in it to a certain extent. If at all Atlee was sensible enough to trim down on the excess flab & made it into a full fledged meaningful sports drama, then this would have imparted a whole different viewing experience. 

On the technical side, G K Vishnu visuals were fine though the manner in which game was shot left a lot to be desired. A R Rahman manages to lift the mood with his BGM & also with the 'Singapenney' track that he had rendered with Shashaa Tirupati. With an inconsequential script, there is precious little that Vijay could do but even then he does manage to carry the movie on the basis of his star value. As Michael he did his part aptly while as his father, Vijay's body language wasn't convincing in many sequences after all merely having a husky voice & dyed hair doesnt suffice. Nayanthara was ok though you cant help feel that she was wasted. As for the rest of the cast, Yogi Babu & Vivek tickles the funny bone while the rest were average.

Verdict: As expected, it had a bombastic opening at the box office & has closed in on the 150 C mark. But wihether it continue its march towards a blockbuster status remains to be seen. With regard to my opinion, I found it to be pretty mediocre & hope that Atlee makes a much more sensible movie with SRK, who is desperately trying to strike gold. In short, if you are a fan check it out or else dont bother!!!

Rating: 2/5

Regards...Ben

Kaithi review: "Lokesh rocks this Diwali with a cracking thriller!!!"

The festival of lights is here & as I pen this review, the sky is lit up with fireworks going off like crazy. As one would expect, we have a plethora of movies hitting the screens to the extent that we are spoilt for choice. The Tamil film industry had two major releases in the form of Atlee's "Bigil" & Lokesh Kanagaraj "Kaithi" with my eyes firmly on Thalapathy's flick. But on the insistence of my friend, I decided to check out Karthi's movie first. Hmm, so was it the right decision after all the trailer of "Bigil" looked way more entertaining???

Special Task force officer Bejoy (Narain) & his team had confiscated a huge consignment of cocaine worth 800C. In order to ensure that the kingpin of the drug mafia is brought to justice, they decide to hide the evidence until further official assistance reaches them. However, the mafia had their informant in the police force who kept them updated about the latter's plans. To make matters worse, he laces the drinks of the task force who were celebrating the success of their mission. Since Bejoy didn't consume drinks, he stays alert but the injury that he had sustained during the mission meant that he couldn't take his unconscious colleagues to safety. Would he be able to out think the mafia & if so, how???

This is Lokesh's second venture after his impressive debut in "Maanagaram" & he has just reaffirmed his class with yet another cracking script. Being a festival season, makers usually invest on mass entertainers to cash in on the hysteria that a superstar would create on the 70mm screen. But Lokesh managed to marry mass with class so effectively that neither the fans are disappointed nor the others. I absolutely loved the manner in which each & every character is given importance irrespective of which side he is on. Thankfully there is no unnecessary flashbacks or song sequences, but still we get to know about the protagonist & the pain that he had to suffer over the years. Sathyan Sooryan's cinematography was immaculate especially since the whole story happens in the night & the manner in which he has adjusted the lighting deserves special praise. Sam C S's BGM was top notch & the stunt choreographer, Anbariv deserves a pat on the back though it is over the top at times (kinda expected after all they have to play to the galleries), but loved the 

It's been quite a while since I have seen Karthi in a role that made effective use of his skill set. Dilli certainly belongs to that category & this is undoubtedly one of his career best performances. The way he emotes with his eyes is absolutely brilliant & this role puts him in pole position to sweep quite a few awards. Similarly, Narain had fallen off the radar with infrequent & insignificant roles, but Bejoy will bring him back to the limelight just like how "Anjathe" boosted his career about a decade back.  Dheena was likable, the little girl was good while the rest of the cast did their parts aptly.

Verdict: This is undoubtedly one of the best Tamil movie in recent times which has everything that the audience could ask for. However, there is no denying the fact it is a tough task when you are up against a star like Vijay. So the initial collections might not do justice to the movie, but you can rest assured it is an engaging thriller that will leave you pleasantly surprised. In short, don't miss it!!!

Rating: 3.5/5

Regards...Ben

Asuran review: "Vetrimaaran packs a punch as usual!!"

The Nobel Prize for Literature for the previous two years were announced on Thursday & as expected there was a huge furore over the choice of Peter Handke. His insensitive statements about the Serbian massacre of 1995 & apologist leaning towards Milosevic, the perpetrator of the genocide made him a rather infamous personality among the masses. However, his influence in contemporary fiction was undeniable & just like his fellow Nobel laureate, Olga Tokarczuk he has also written scripts & screenplay for movies. This just emphasizes the point that the contribution of novelists is immense in the film industry & even Vetrimaaran’s latest venture “Asuran” is based on the novel ‘Vekkai’ by Sahitya Academy winner Poomani. Strangely the movie had a rather low keel release as I barely came across much talk about it even in media. Though I didn’t even watch the trailer, I was more than eager to check it out after all the Vetrimaaran-Dhanush duo has always weaved magic.

Set in the 1980s in Kovilpatti, Sivasami (Dhanush) is a farmer on the run with his son Chidambaram (Ken Karunas) after the latter had killed Narasimhan (Aadukalam Naren), an influential landlord. It all began with Narasimhan who belongs to an upper caste tries to acquire their land adjoining his property to setup a cement factory. This essentially leads to a scuffle between the families & when Sivasami tries to pacify the situation with the help of the panchayat, he gets humiliated. Infuriated with the manner his father was treated, Murugan (Teejay Arunasalam) decides to teach Narasimhan a lesson. But little did anyone realize that it was going to change all their lives forever.

As in the past, Ventrimaaran treats the audience with a compelling drama which is crafted exquisitely & supported by a solid cast. He gives us an ample view as to how the poor struggle to hold onto their piece of land which is worsened further with the caste system in play. But the icing on the cake was when Sivasami advises his son about the power of education stating that though the powerful might be able to snatch their land and money, education will always reign supreme. As always, Vetrimaaran has nailed it when it came to the cast as each & every artists seemed perfect for the role they portrayed. G.V Prakash also deserves praise for the impactful BGM while Velraj’s visuals captures the rustic terrain & the night scenes exquisitely.

Whenever Dhanush has collaborated with Vetrimaaran, he has given a thumping performance & it’s no different this time as well. His restrained act as the frail middle aged individual in his appearance, gait & mannerisms was impressive. Manju Warrier is an artist par excellence & she proved it yet again in what was a perfect Tamil debut for her. Her portrayal of Pachaiyammal, kinda reminded me of her Bhanu in “Kanmadam”. Both Ken & Teejay were excellent & the rest of the cast have also done their parts impressively.

Verdict: With a favourable word of mouth, the movie has grossed close to 30 C in the  Tamil Nadu box office which is Dhanush’s career best as far as first week collections are concerned. It is the quickest Vetrimaaran movie to date, but you can rest assured that the quality still hasn’t deteriorated though it might not appear as content heavy as some of his previous ones. I presume that might be coz he stuck with the novel as close as possible. Anywaz don’t hesitate to watch this!!!

Rating: 3.5/5

Regards…Ben

Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy review: "Engaging period drama!!!"

The Men in Blue got off to a winning start in the first Test of the Freedom series & seems poised to reclaim it yet again unless the Proteas batsmen are able to weather the storm. As most of you would be aware the trophy is named in honour of Gandhiji & Mandela,both of whom played key roles in the freedom struggle. The freedom that we enjoy is the product of millions of nameless or faceless patriots & one such individual happens to be Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy. Despite a keen interest in history, I had no clue of such a patriot & when the trailer of it came out with an enviable star cast led by Chiranjeevi, I was more than eager to check it out. 

The First War of Indian Independence in 1857 had commenced & our battalion incurred huge losses which dented the confidence of the soldiers. Jhansi Rani (Anushka Shetty), one of the main leaders of that rebellion boosts their self belief as she narrates to them the valour of Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy (Chiranjeevi) who had stood up against the British a decade back.  The Rayalseema area was ruled by a group of regional rulers known as Polygars of which Narasimha Reddy was the prominent one among them. As the British Empire continued to squeeze the poor with hefty taxes, Narasimha initiates a rebellion & in due time, the other Polygars also becomes part of the movement. What subsequently follows is how this brave warrior challenges the might of the Empire.

Surender Reddy is a relatively well known in the Telugu industry as he got quite a few movies to his credit like “Kick”, “Race Gurram” etc. However, his latest has to be his most ambitious project to date as it was made on a canvas as expensive as about 300C. This magnum opus is bankrolled by Ram Charan, which has his father as the protagonist based on the script by the Paruchuri Brothers, the veteran writer duo. They deserve credit for penning an entertaining drama that builds momentum as it leads to an engrossing latter half. The last half an hour was just exciting especially the climax which many might say was over the top but did give me goosebumps. The makers have made sure that they brought in the best of talent from various industries & ensured that it appealed to a wider audience due to the familiarity in the star cast. However, when something like that is attempted there is invariably the trouble of many characters ending up being poorly etched as is the case here with only Sudeep, Jagapathi Babu & Tamannaah given some credible screen space. The screenplay handled by the director himself could have been much better in the first half as there were quite a few sequences that could have been chopped off. Rathnavelu deserves praise for the cinematography while Julius Packiam’s BGM elevated the mood of many sequences.

It’s been a while since we have seen Chiranjeevi in a meaningful role & boy!!! he more than made enough for it with a superlative performance here. His screen presence was exceptional & it still goes onto show that the Megastar still has it in him if an apt script comes along his way. Another person who really wowed me was Tamannaah as I have never seen her in any meaningful roles. She absolutely nailed her part along with Sudeep who impresses with his ability to mix slyness with patriotism. Each & every member has done their parts aptly, but you can’t help feel that Big B, Vijay Sethupathi & even Nayanthara to a certain extent could have been offered meatier roles.

Verdict: Dussehra holidays & positive word of mouth meant that the movie cashed in impressive numbers at the box office with close to 130C until day 5. However, to break even it would still need a lot more footfalls across the globe. As far as my opinion goes, it’s an engrossing drama which is powered by Chiranjeevi’s thumping performance & a solid support cast. In short, definitely give it a try!!!

Rating: 3.25/5

Regards…Ben

War review: "Visual orgasm!!!"

On the eve of Gandhiji's 150th birth anniversary, the audience were treated to two big banner movies that had hit the screens across the globe. One of which was ironically named "War" which was exactly what Gandhiji had vehemently fought against over the course of his life. Incidentally, it featured Hrithik & Tiger , two of the most handsome hunks in the film industry. With the talent that both of them are blessed with in terms of shaking their leg and flexing their muscles, we can rest assured of a paisa vasool extravaganza. But more often than not, such action flicks barely has a credible story to narrate. So does this also belong to the same category & if so, can the charisma of the main leads gloss over its shortcomings???

Kabir (Hrithik Roshan), the hotshot RAW agent had gone rogue & the Govt decides to eliminate him before matters worsened further. Since he had mentored some of the finest agents that the nation had, the mission to take him down was entrusted upon his ace student Khalid (Tiger Shroff). But the question that everyone had was what made a loyal patriot like Kabir move onto the dark side???

The project has been helmed by Siddharth Anand who has quite a few flashy celluloid creations to his credit. However, none of them were quite off the top drawer though it would be fair to admit that most of them were entertainers like "Bachna Ae Haseeno" & "Bang Bang". With Yash Raj Productions bankrolling the project, the production values are through the roof with exotic locations, swanky cars & exciting action sequences being created. So this brings us to the query that most are eager to know, does it have a worthy storyline? Well Siddharth doesn’t have anyone else to credit or blame for the script as he has penned it with Aditya Chopra. There is nothing that could be termed as inventive or a fresh take on a oft narrated tale, but it still manages to capture our attention primarily coz of the earnestness of the protagonists. I also enjoyed the twist that they had planted towards the latter half since I didn’t quite expect that. On the technical side, as opposed to a solo female lead there were four action directors on board & quite a few of the sequences were impressive especially the bike chase & the Mission Impossible inspired plane stunt. Benjamin Jasper deserves applause for the scintillating visuals while the minimalist song tracks barely captured our attention.

It’s been quite a while since we had seen Hrithik is a stylish avatar & as expected, he doesn’t disappoint. He has always been a fine actor but his choice of movies has been suspect & the time gaps that he chooses between his movies are way too long for his own benefit. Surprisingly this is his second movie of the year after “Super 30” which had performed well at the box office. He has done a fine job in all aspects & shared a palpable chemistry with his co-star, Tiger. The younger Shroff was always brilliant as a dancer & in action sequences, but he invariably came up short when it came to emoting on camera. However, he has performed much better here & manages to match Hrithik in quite a few scenes especially towards the end. As for the rest, Vaani Kapoor barely had much screen space while the others were barely noticed.

Verdict: As expected, it has set the box office on fire & broke the opening day collection records which were held earlier by “Thugs of Hindostan”. So will it also end up in a similar manner??? Well I certainly don’t think so as this is way more entertaining & is a treat for the eyes. It surely provides what the audience expects from such kind of a movie & seems poised to become a profitable venture. In short, it’s a pairing that everyone wanted to watch (I surely hoped so) & they deliver what the trailer promised!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Regards...Ben