It's been a while since I have penned about movies from other regional languages & it wasn't because I had stopped watching them, but only a few among them managed to get my attention. It has been a mixed bag be it Shankar's pathetic "Indian 2" or Pa Ranjith's "Thangalaan", that I enjoyed though it struggled at the box office. The latest list of movies that I had watched was more of the same, so which were the ones that gave me my time's worth.
Meiyazhagan: "An endearing blend of nostalgia & self discovery!!!"
There might not be many who wouldn't have watched Prem Kumar's "96" & hence when it was announced that he was back with his latest flick that was bank rolled by Jyothika & Suriya's '2D entertainment', the expectations were quite palpable. As in his directorial debut, Prem has also penned the script for this which is essentially about nostalgia & self discovery in a nut shell.
The movie unfolds in 1996 (quite a coincidence) in Thanjavur where Arul (Saran Shakthi/Aravind Swami) & his family is forced to leave their home due to property partition. It left a deep scar in him to the extent that he never went back to visit his beloved town & relatives. However, on the occasion of his cousin sister's wedding he decides to head back despite the reluctance. At the event, he meets up with an extroverted individual (Karthi) who seemed a relative that knew him really well & absolutely worshipped him, though Arul could not quite recollect him. The interaction between the two on that night was a trip down memory lane & that is essentially what this movie is about.
If one has to talk about the story as such, there isn't much to say to be honest. But Prem's command over what he wants to convey that touches upon the past and the effect that it has on one and the people around him is both organic and soulfully picturized. There are quite a few sub plots & as such it stands as separate events without any connection, to the point that it felt like an unnecessary addition of run time. However, Prem's motive of making Karthi's character mention all of this does have a purpose & it is essentially about celebration of goodness in all walks of life that has a peculiar way of coming back to the people concerned. Another major positive was Govind Vasantha's music & BGM that gelled with the mood with the stand out being the track, 'Yaaro Ivan Yaaro' rendered by Kamal Hassan while Mahendiran Jayaraju's frames were also fine.
The main USP is undoubtedly the unusual casting of Karthi & Aravind Swami, with both getting characters that were diametrically opposite to each other (along the lines of Karthi & Nagarjuna in "Thozha"). Aravind definitely had the tougher role and he was impressive with the way he expressed the various emotions that the character goes through. Karthi's was endearing as the loud bindaas innocent individual, which is something that he excels in. The rest of the cast doesnt have much to do but all the female artists did their parts well be it Sri Divya, Swathi Konde & Devadarshini.
Verdict: Yet another winner from Prem that should do well at the box office, who continues to prove that when it comes to nostalgia, there is not many that could do it as well as him!!!
Rating: 3/5
Lubber Pandhu: "Well crafted layered sports drama!!!"
Cricket is an emotion & a religion in India, and that has inspired quite a few to makes sports dramas based on it. Being a movie buff & a sports aficionado, sports dramas has always been one of my favourite genre (if not, 'the most'). Last week saw the release of Tamizharasan Pachamuthu's "Lubber Pandhu" which belonged to the same genre & that was ample reason for me to check it out. It turned out to be the right decision.
2011 is a year that none of us who are cricket lovers would forget & incidentally, Tamizharasan also begins his story from the same year. Anbu (Harish Kalyan), a talented all rounder is called to play for the once celebrated local team 'Jolly Friends'. However, despite the support of the captain, Karuppaiya (Kaali Venkat), Anbu was disheartened by the inferior attitude meted out to him by many of the other players primarily due to his caste & their egos due to which he leaves mid way through the innings. The opposition, "Sachin Boys" had their star player, Gethu (Attakathi Dinesh) unleash a blistering knock but the match gets interrupted when Gethu's wife, Yashoda (Swasika) intervenes & warns the villagers from involving him in further matches due to his apparent disregard in family matters because of his love for the game. Both Anbu & Gethu might have left the field on that day, but their paths were destined to cross & the impact that it has on their personal lives is what this movie is about.
This is Tamizharasan's directorial debut for which he has penned the script as well which is packaged as a sports drama and touches upon various aspects such as caste discrimination, egos, relationship dynamics & inclusivity. Success is at times denied despite the talent at their disposal because of people being consumed by petty issues and it is conveyed in a natural manner. In a way it reminded me of Jayakumar's "Blue Star" which had a more pronounced political tone but over here as well, it has touched upon some critical points with a hint of humour. As such the focus might be on the two male protagonists, but Tamizharasan has written the female characters really well & at times, I felt they were better. The technical aspect was done neatly be it Dinest Purushothaman's frames or Sean Roldan's music, all of which has complimented the story perfectly.
Both Harish & Dinesh have done utmost to their roles, but their female counterparts, Swasika & Sanjana Krishnamoorthy were equal to the task. The last time I watched Harish's performance was in "Parking" which was also about ego clashes & just in that flick, I was impressed with his performance over here as well. Equally impressive was Dinesh while Swasika & Sanjana did full justice to the meaty roles provided to them. Even the rest of the artists such as Bala Saravanan, Kaali Venkat, Devadarshini etc have done their parts aptly.
Verdict: It will also go down as one of the most appreciated sports dramas in recent times!!!
Rating: 3.25/5
Devara: "Lacked authenticity despite Jr.NTR's effort!!!"
Among the South Indian movies, if there is one industry that have their noses in front when it comes to grandeur & mass masala entertainment, then it has to be hands down the Telugu industry. One director who has aced that is Koratala Siva & hence his latest flick that saw the entry of Saif Ali Khan & Jahnvi Kapoor with Jr NTR in the lead was more than ample reason to check it out. However, I was aware of what I was getting into & the question was whether he had pushed the envelope too much.
Incidentally, this movie also unfolds in 1996 where the Govt is in talks with the law & order forces over concerns about the threats to the Cricket World Cup. The people in question where Daya & his brother, Yethi, and the efforts of the police to track down their whereabouts led them to the Red Sea villages in the Ratnagiri mountains. This is where they learn about Devara (Jr NTR), the leader to one of the four villages who was determined to curb the smuggling activities that happened in the region more than a decade back. It invariably meant that he had created numerous enemies in the region which included Bhaira (Saif), who was the chieftain to the adjacent village. So what was the connection of these villages to the main issue?
In terms of the story, the manner in which it is build up felt interesting though there were shades of other movies/series in some of the elements. But by the time, it is into the second half, it gets tiresome with the question in the end that was supposed to have made us sit up with anticipation lacking the punch that the makers would have hoped for. On the technical side, Ratnavelu's frames were top notch & Sabu Cyril's art direction was good but Anirudh's music & BGM lacked the impact that was expected. However, the VFX did not have the authenticity & at times, reminded me of the scenes happening within a swimming pool / warehouse.
It is a Jr NTR show & he has done a fine job as the protagonist be it in the action or emotional segments. However, the second role was written poorly and the same applies to Saif as well who did have the appearance and performance for it. None of the rest of the cast deserves a mention as they did not have anything significant to do.
Verdict: Apparently, it is going strong at the box office but for me, it falls well short of expectations!!!
Rating: 1.5/5
Regards...Ben
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