tamil reviews

AANMAI THAVAREL MOVIE REVIEW Starring: Dhruvah, Shruti, Sampath, Dharan Direction: Kuzhanthai Velappan Music: Mariya Manohar Production: Kamal Nayan Films that delve into the actual nature of crime, the machinations of those involved in it, the virtual industry that is built around it, are very rare. Most films tend to go on a path where the hero’s saga of courage is more focused upon. Aanmai Thavarel is one film that attempts to portray the crime more than anything else and that makes it stand out. Based on the woman trafficking nexus, Aanmai Thavarel follows the kidnapping of a young urban lady from a prominent public place in the wee hours of the day. The script traces the path that the ‘professional network’ takes in moving the victim rapidly away from the location, following what it seems like a well sketched plan that will leave even the police dumbfounded. At the same time, the script also shows how the police move in its trace for the victim; knowing where to knock for the right kind of information. But, political and administrative borders hinder fast movement of the investigation. How it all culminates? Is the girl retrieved? Or does she become just another ‘sold product’ taken up in an auction? At first, congrats to the team for coming up with such a bold subject. The standard of execution of the plot in AT puts the film at a higher level. The director has a clear focus, to show the way in which crime and police operate, and he succeeds in most parts. The most interesting portion of the film are the kidnapping, subsequent movement of the victim, simultaneous tracking by the police and the final bidding process where the woman is put up for sale. These portions have been shot and edited at a tempo that keeps you riveted to the proceedings. The police investigation mechanism especially is interesting. However, this good film is not without its pitfalls. The initial portion where there is a bit of romance between the hero and heroine does not impress much though one can understand that it is necessary for subsequent movement of the story. Thus, when you think that AT is one film that does not believe in unjustified hype or build up of its characters, comes the rather pompous introduction of a police officer. Things look very cinematic here. But, subsequent portions involving him are well shot and salvage proceedings. The biggest let down however is a bomb explosion from which a character inexplicably escapes unscathed and the climax fight which stops below mediocrity. With all these shortcomings Aanmai Thavarel is still an interesting product which looks at film making from a different perspective. The debutante director shows skill that belies the fact that he has not apprenticed under anyone formerly. He must also be commended for keeping the film free from vulgarity, even while dealing with such a subject. But, cast and performances could have been a shade better. The hero looks out of place and needs to work a lot on his emotions and reactions. Sampath is his usual intense self. Other technical aspects of the movie hold up well with the standards set by the script. Aanmai Thavarel comes with a message. Crime has its roots deeper than we imagine. No matter how much the police or other forces try to curb it, crime will be part of our society. Our safety has to be guaranteed by none other than ourselves. In other words, ‘take care’. Verdict: Compelling account of contemporary crime

MAAVEERAN MOVIE REVIEW Starring: Ram Charan Teja, Kajal Agarwal Direction: S.S. Rajamouli Music: MM Keeravani Production: Geetha Arts The blockbuster from Andhra Pradesh is finally in town. It has been a while since we first heard about Magadheera and the great things it has done at the Telugu box office, and it also has been a while since its dubbed Tamil version was announced. In fact, we were expecting it around Pongal. The Chiranjeevi heir’s first mass blockbuster released in Tamil this Friday. This is a season where dubbed Telugu films seem to be finding increasing possibilities in the Tamil market, tracing back to the success of Arundhathee. Now, we in fact have more than one dubbed Telugu feature in our theaters at a time, Nagarjuna’s Vambu is the other Telugu film doing rounds in Chennai theaters currently. So, how good or otherwise is Maaveeran or Magadheera? Is the big hype of being one of the all time big hits in the Telugu justified? Starring Ram Charan Tej and Kajal Agarwal, Magadheera is about reincarnation, revenge and love that transcends rebirth! Why reincarnation and associated astrological concepts play such huge parts in Telugu blockbusters, you might think, recalling that even Arundhathee had run on a similar premise. But, Magadheera is very much different from Arundhathee or any other film of the same genre. The director has not tried to create an aura of cosmic wonder or thrill around the story. There is also no black magic and dormant evil powers that are awaken by some stray incident. Instead, the director, S.S. Rajamouli, has narrated the story in a fairly straightforward manner, resorting to a flashback when required. The beginning of the rivalry between Ram Charan Tej and Dev Gill goes back 400 years, a time when Ram was a warrior chief in a king’s army, Dev was a man with royal connections and Kajal Agarwal was the princess. Dev wants the reigns of the kingdom and also the princess’ hand. One wonders whether he wanted the latter because it would automatically lead to the former? But, the princess is in love with the warrior! Perfect settings for political heist to happen. The throne is usurped and great injustice is done to people who never meant any ill to happen. It takes 40 years for the wronged to be reborn and seek justice against the traitor. There is great scope for action, heroics, romance and sentiments in such a plot and the director has used it extremely well. Poor handling could have made this plot look archetype in current times, but the director puts the pieces together and delivers a final product that has got enough tempo, twists and turns to keep you from thinking about the logical relevance of such a story. Yes, there are instances where the cinematic liberties have been stretched a bit too much for one’s liking (like the bike stunt, or the remnants from the 400 year old kingdom that are untouched) and there are also occasions where it is blatantly apparent that there is an attempt to promote Ram Charan Tej as the next Megastar (in the scene where Chiranjeevi himself appears and there is an exchange of plaudits between the two). But, they can be overlooked because of the standards set by the final product. More than the actual plot, it is the quality of the making that deserves mention. Be it the stunts, the songs, the battle sequences, the period portion, the effort is evident in all these areas. The art work in the flashback might be a bit of a letdown, but it still manages to hold good to the requirements of the plot. Music, by Maragadhamani, also adds value to the film, and the director has placed the songs intelligently. Ram Charan Tej has shown his commitment to the craft through Magadheera. Though not the complete performer as yet, the hard work he has put into dances, stunts and horse riding shines through in many places. Kajal Agarwal looks and feels different from the actress we have seen in Tamil, but she too makes an impression. Dev Gill looks menacing as the scheming villain. Overall, Magadheera is a film that is built on a premise which is neither unique nor holds too many surprises. The usual ‘cosmic’ kind of aura that is built around such reincarnation films is also not there. But, a consistent tempo, crisp making and dedicated performances make this film watchable, even enjoyable, if you are willing to forget or overlook the reincarnation thing. The one thing that could stop one from enjoying it is the nativity factor. Somehow, it does not feel like a Tamil film. Dialogues, by K. Bhagyaraj, have tried hard to mask this, but it just keeps popping up time and again, which makes viewing a bit uncomfortable. Verdict: Romance, revenge, reincarnation – typical masala – watchable – conditions apply!

KANDEN MOVIE REVIEW Starring: Shanthnoo Bhagyaraj, Rashmi Gautam, Santhanam Direction: A. C. Mugil Music: Vijay Ebenezer Production: TCS So you thought our movies are getting novel with their indigenous stories and delightful performances? Not so much. Kanden is strictly old-schoolish romance, but not particularly in a nostalgic manner you would want any old-school romance to be. It’s your regular boy-meets-girl, boy-falls-in-love and will-the-boy-marry-the-girl-after-the-obstacles kind of story. Not that we have a problem with such stories, but there’s a thin line dividing the ‘treading the beaten path’ exercise; that makes it either to make it exciting or insipid. It requires a lot of expertise. Director C Mugil has attempted to bring about a romantic caper with good-looking cast, peppy music and eye-ball-grabbing cinematography thrown in for good measure. He has almost got it right but for the basic problem his exercise is facing. His script is just not as sprightly; not as full of beans as the movie’s music. Or say, the actors who have tried their best to come up with endearing performances despite the lack of the indispensable twists and turns in the story. Kanden is the story of Vasanth, who sets out to meet a girl of his dreams lest succumb to his rich grandfather’s threat of ‘arranged-marrying’ him. Meet he does and its love at first sight for him. And as the love matures, he has to pull out all the stops to make his dream girl love him for he has lied to her and that lie is the basis of this love/relationship. Vasanth, played by Shanthanoo Bhagyaraj, is your regular chocolate boy who meets his dream girl in the most stereotyped way. He plays blind to earn the sympathy of Narmada, played by the perky Reshmi Gautam. You either have to be as daft as a brush or a Tamil film heroine to fall in love with someone sympathizing for their physical disability – that too at the first meeting. Shanthanoo’s beatific smile sits comfortably on his lips and on the character’s shoulders almost convincing us about the strength of his character. But as the movie progresses, we fail to connect with the character and hence Shanthanoo’s Vasanth is left in limbo despite his earnest efforts. The movie’s glam-quotient is Reshmi Gautam. She shows streaks of brilliance every now and then, lighting up a few scenes with her demeanor and smile. She seems to be the one who knows what she is doing onscreen and has the potential, provided she makes smart choices. Kanden seems to take ever to lumber towards the interval the least. Santhanam’s presence and his usual antics could do very little to brighten up the movie’s proceedings in the first half. As a result, you end up wondering where the movie is headed to. As if to patch it up, the Shanthanoo–Santhanam combo works well enough to keep you hooked. On the upside, the movie has some really peppy songs. Thanks to debut music director Vijay Ebenezer’s two songs ‘Unai Kandene’ and ‘Eno Nenjam’ manage to make you hum long after the movie is over. The fact that they are shot beautifully in stunning locations also play up to the success factor of these songs. But otherwise, Kanden simply doesn’t manage to stand out in terms of anything else. It’s just another uninspired version of a candy floss romance that fails to impress. Verdict: Candy(floss) gone bitter!

AZHAGARSAMIYIN KUDHIRAI MOVIE REVIEW Starring: Appukutty, Saranya Mohan Direction: Suseenthiran Music: Ilaiyaraja Production: P. Madhan First thing that has to be said - Azhagarsamiyin Kudhirai has no hero or to put it in a better way, the story is the hero of this film. Penned by renowned Tamil writer Bhaskar Shakti, this movie is directed by Suseenthiran who charmed us with his earlier ventures Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu and Naan Magaan Alla. Produced by Escape artists and distributed by Cloud Nine movies, the promos and the quirky image of actor Appukutty had us all curious. Rural flicks have become a staple today and it no longer bears the cult status. But AK despite being set in a village is nothing like what we have seen before. It is a movie that has its story built around characters, superstitions and faith in God. Mallayapuram is a village where a ‘thiruvizha’ happens every year to bring rains to the dry village. The most important necessity for this function is a wooden horse on which the deity is placed and taken for a parade. All of a sudden the wooden horse gets stolen. At the same time, Azhagarsami (Appukutty) loses his horse, his only means of livelihood and is frantically searching for it and comes to Mallayapuram. What happens next? Do they get their respective horses back? These questions are answered in this movie. This movie, like every other rural flick, has several characters and the regular ones at that- loud mouthed women, respectable men, serious yet sarcastic cops, young couple in love and many more. But the things that make them different are their characterization and the way they are associated with the story. They are not unwanted or stereotyped but are given a delightful and bold make over by the writer. Best example for this would be a woman who beats up her husband for cheating on her by sneaking away with another woman barring the usual rural tales where we have women sitting in the corner crying and willing to take back her despicable husband. There is an undercurrent of situational humour running throughout the movie that is intelligent and heartwarming. There are several scenes that stand out for this factor and the director also takes a dig at certain atrocities in a remarkable manner. When the village headmen go around door to door collecting tax, they walk up to a house where a young boy is reading his English book and the moment they enter, he recites the Kattabomman dialogue, “Nee enathu maamana allathu machaana… Naan etharku unaku vari kudukka vendum” and acts as if he is reading it from the book. Subtle and situational, it embarrasses the village heads and has us in splits. Another instance is when an old lady feigns deafness in order to avoid paying the money. AK is replete with such lovely moments. On the performance side, all the characters are memorable and have performed well but it is Appukutty who walks away with top honours. He is adorable as the curly haired plump man who is in despair and is desperately searching for his runaway horse. Prabhakaran who plays the character of a young man Ramakrishnan has delivered a noteworthy performance. His lover Devi played by Advaitha looks every bit a village belle and shines in almost all the scenes. Saranya Mohan plays Azhagarsami’s fiancée Rani and does the needful. Her role is more of a cameo. Though she tries hard to look like a villager, wearing mismatched old sarees and blouse, her sweet face and neatly threaded eye brows don’t convince us of her being a village girl and that is a bit of a dampener. Her romantic track with Azhagarsami is pleasing and sweet. The director has totally shunned the superstitions that villagers believe in this film. In one scene where the village head, after hearing the news that his son has married against his wishes, screams that it is never going to rain in the village for his son has committed a crime by marrying a girl not belonging to their caste and it starts raining the very next moment. Here, the director creatively and symbolically conveys that superstitions are never true and that it should get washed away in the rain that very moment. Music by Illayaraja fits perfectly with the movie’s plot and none of the songs are forced in. ‘Poovakkelu’ sung by Shreya Ghoshal and Karthik is a radiant melody but it is ‘Kuthikira Kuthikira’ that gives us the goosebumps. Cinematography by Theni Easwar is an added advantage and the beauty of the village is brought out to the fullest. The director must be praised for having his heart at the right place and making the movie entirely realistic. AK is supported by a strong story, stronger dialogues and great characters but it might fail to work with all kinds of audience. Some sequences, especially post-interval disengage and will work for audiences who have the patience. It is not your regular commercial cinema - racy with foreign locales and stunts nor is it a rural story filled with blood, gore and tragedy. It is a simple heartwarming and realistic film which has us smiling as we walk out of the theater. It is one of those movies where content is the king and deserves praises for just that. Verdict: A charming and happy rural tale which is fairly engaging.

ENGEYUM KADHAL MOVIE REVIEW Starring: Jeyam Ravi, Hansika Motwani Direction: Prabhu Deva Music: Harris Jayaraj Production: Kalpathy Agoram Set against the beautiful backdrop of Paris, the world capital of love, Engeyum Kadhal directed by Prabhu Deva and produced by A G S Entertainment, pivots around LOVE, a theme which could be relatable to a wide section of the audience. The film languorously opens up with the Engeyum Kadhal number with Prabhudeva’s slow motion movements criss-crossing the various lovers in Paris and the introduction of his lead characters. EK is about the rich hero Kamal (Jeyam Ravi) who works hard for 11 months and relaxes for one month in a year and what happens when he meets Kayal Vizhi (Hansika) in one of such sojourns. As the name suggests, it is love love and love everywhere and Prabhu Deva has used this premise to tell his story and the three major components which help him in this undertaking are pleasing cinematography, vibrant music and uber-chic costumes. Nirav Shah takes us round the breathtaking France and other overseas locales in an enjoyable fashion and Nalini Sriram’s costumes bring about the rich and the trendy look of the lead characters in a fine manner. Harris Jayaraj’s mostly mellifluous numbers are also one of the key positive contributing factors to EK. Having said that, EK almost appears like a musical with a song being thrown in every now and then and Nenjil Nenjil, Nangai and Thee Illai emerge winners from the group. Although Prabhu Deva has such major supporting features by his side, he has failed to utilize them to the fullest. The intentions may be worthy but the execution is frivolous. This is a clear case of a weak content failing a movie despite support from other departments. The screenplay is given a short shrift by the director and EK goes south in the engrossing scale too. The love between the lead characters is very shallow and EK never makes you invest enough emotions in its characters. EK is also plagued by feeble characterization. The premise of the film may be soaked in love but the reason why the lead pair falls in love with each other appears very flimsy and lacks depth resulting in a flat and abrupt climax. Added to that, there is no chemistry between Ravi and Hansika. In the name of comedy Raju Sundaram is irksome and Suman is completely wasted. And the boy who is shown to have a crush on Hansika is a caricature. The lip sync of the heroine is not in tune and the voice of the dubbing artist is highly pretentious. There are not many redeeming factors which makes the two hour and five minutes film seem much longer than its actual period. Jeyam Ravi looks smart and scores well in the dancing department. It is also interesting to hear him take a dig at his own voice and the ticket checking scene in the train is delightful. But unfortunately such patches of goodness are far and few in between and the film fails to connect. Verdict: All glitz, no substance

VAANAM MOVIE REVIEW Starring: Str, Anushka, Bharath, Vega, Santhanam Direction: Krish Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja Production: Cloud Nine Movies (Dhayanidhi Azhagiri) Prolific Telugu director Krish comes to Tamil bringing with him his critically acclaimed Vedam as Vaanam with an ensemble cast of STR (Silambarasan), Bharath, Anushka, Vega, Saranya, Prakash Raj and others. Vedam had given Krish an admirable name to reckon with in the Telugu industry and for his debut in Tamil, the director has chosen the same premise which explored the various layers of human emotions, adhering largely to the original. Vaanam follows a multi narrative format, which is fairly new to Tamil cinema. The product is about how the lives of five completely unrelated individuals from different places converge at one point cascading in a transformation of their persona and the ensuing corollary. The refreshing factor about Vaanam is it has eschewed the standard DNA of commercial flicks and Krish’s authority on the narrative comes to the fore with this delectably mounted product that tugs at your heart strings. The characters in Vaanam are very ordinary, relatable mortals with their respective grey shades. Krish has not attempted to aggrandize them and they stand before you immaculately unornamented with their blemishes. STR as cable Raju, Bharath the rock star, Anushka the commercial sex worker, Saranya the helpless mom of an abducted son and Prakash Raj on the look out for his lost brother are the axles around which Vaanam hinges. The screenplay is intelligently woven around these characters and Krish builds his narration in a neat pattern not losing steam or our attention anywhere. Although dialogues by Giri provide a significant value, it dazzles when Anushka insulted by policeman Radha Ravi says “we sell our souls unrobed but you guys do that with all your robes on” (naanga thuni avuthu velai porom, neenga thuniyoda velai poreenga) or when she jocularly says that while for other jobs, experience is a big plus but in flesh trade, it is just the reverse. Giri’s caliber as an effective dialogue writer is revealed when STR in a choked voice states that truth needs courage and lies do not. And mind you, Vaanam is replete with such gems. All the artists have performed well and have equal screen presence. But the finest moments, of course, belong primarily to STR who reiterates that at the hands of a good script and a director, he can walk away with all the acting honors. The testimony to this is the scene when he snatches the money bag from Saranya and the vicissitude of emotions that play on his face that toggles between greed and conscience. And the scene at the police station when Anushka wonders if his love was true, the profound expression on his face is noteworthy. Anushka, the foul mouthed sex worker oozing oodles of oomph meets the sensual demands of her character but sans vulgarity brings tears while pleading to the doctor to save her friend saying that she is ready to sleep with him innumerable times. Bharath delivers a subdued performance and Prakash Raj is his usual best. While Vega, Soniya and Jasmine are adequate, Saranya, Santhanam and VTV Ganesh have delivered a natural and neat portrayal. The scenes with VTV Ganesh are enjoyable and when he talks about standing in front of director Shankar’s house with Rahman as company is hilarious. Santhanam as STR’s friend is his perfect humorous foil. Anushka’s transgender friend Karpuram and Saranya’s father-in-law are impressive. Under Yuvan Shankar Raja’s music, the opening song ‘Who am I’ showcases Bharath’s dancing skills which is youthful and peppy. The latest youth anthem ‘Evandi Onna Pethan’ is well picturized and STR’s adeptness with his feet and Nirav Shah’s brilliant camera work in the number are noticeable. Although ‘No money no honey’ is enjoyable, it does not add value to the film’s progress in any way. Nirav Shah’s cinematography is appreciable and the angles and lighting sensibilities up the production value of the film. The different type of lighting at the lodge is just an example. With his tight frame composition, Editor Anthony is impressive. Even though Vaanam is alluring in most aspects and travels linearly on the attempted track, the cinematic feel of the climax is a placid wart. The track ‘No money no honey’ is apparently forced and brings down the tempo of the film. Director Krish makes his impactful debut with a different narrative format that holds the attention of the audience. Vaanam is succulent with diverse complex human emotions from deceit to greed to rage to remorse. The film has a plot that can find patrons among wider variety of audience as the theme of humanity is much a catholic one that transcends barriers. Verdict: An intelligent fare with substance

KO MOVIE REVIEW Starring: Jiiva, Ajmal Ameer, Karthika Nair, Piaa Bajpai, Prakash Raj Direction: K. V. Anand Music: Harris Jayaraj Production: Kumar,jayaraman Subtitles: Rekhs Click, click, and click! You might wonder why the review is starting with a meaningless piece of literature, but well, it is a tribute to the star of this film - the camera. Director KV Anand who was previously a photo journalist has made this film amidst high expectations and with extreme care. It has every ingredient of an entertainer - a juicy premise, a good star cast, foot tapping music and of course interesting foreign locations and the director’s love for making stylish and flamboyant films. Ko is the story of the entwined lives of an adventurous, honest, astute photo journalist Ashwin (Jiiva) and an aspiring young politician Vasanthan (Ajmal). Renu (Karthika) and Saro (Piaa Bajpai) are Ashwin’s colleagues and fellow journalists who also get sucked into Vasanthan’s political aspirations and election campaigns. Does Vasanthan achieve his goal? What does he do to achieve them? Ko answers these questions. The director has aptly mixed intelligent and commercial cinema in Ko. The film making is nearly flawless and excels in places where he brings in slice of life incidents to invoke humor. The way the photo editor always finds a fault with Ashwin’s pictures despite them being good is an example. The events that hold the film together are fresh and albeit a straight forward story, it offers some interesting twists and turns that makes the audience eager for more. Another commendable aspect is that both the heroines actually have a role to play and are not mere glam dolls. Jiiva as Ashwin once again proves that he is a versatile actor. The body language and obsession of a photographer to click pictures are brought out well by Jiiva and we wonder if anyone else would have done this role as well as he has. Among the others in the lead cast it is Piaa with her comic timing who scores a tad higher than Karthika and Ajmal. Her small yet meaty role gives her scope and she has a good screen presence. She shows her prowess in the scene where she gets emotional knowing Ashwin loves Renu and not her. Karthika has very expressive eyes and looks good in saree but her costumes in the song sequences could have been better. Ajmal is a perfect choice to play an aspiring politician - his looks, build and dialogue delivery elevates the character he plays. Special mention to Bose Venkat who makes a huge impact with his acting and proves that one doesn’t need big roles to make a mark. He shines in the scene where he makes some revelations to Jiiva. He mouths strong and sensible dialogues that will evoke applause from the audience. All these five actors have managed to overshadow the performances of seasoned artists like Kotta Srinivasa Rao and Prakashraj. Jagan who plays the role of Ajmal’s friend has a mix of humor and seriousness in his dialogues that makes us think and laugh at the same time. Dialogues are one of the strong points in the film. Songs which are already chartbusters have been picturised well and are a feast for the eyes and the ears. Yennamo Yedho, Amali Thumali and Venpaniya are visual treats from cinematographer Richard. Surprisingly, Aga Naga which features several celebrities like Tamannah, ‘Jeyam’ Ravi, Harris Jeyaraj etc doesn’t live up to the hype it garnered. The special phantom camera used in the climax is a good effort and Peter Hein’s stunt together makes it more gripping. Art direction in the opening bank heist, set in backdrops of a hotel in Pondicherry, needs a special mention. Colourful and insightful photographs that make an appearance as the credits are dished out is creative. On the downside, the narration of the film is a bit slow and at times has songs cutting into the interesting narrative, making the audience impatient for the scenes to resume. The Venpaniye song in the second half of the film is misplaced and is an example for what is said above. The movie spans for over 2 hours and 45 minutes which might also prove to be a dampener, though there are no scenes in the film that is unimportant. Cinematic liberties are allowed but the director has slightly overdone it. The very beginning where Jiiva does somersaults in his bike to capture photos is an overdose of cinematic liberty. The most admirable aspect is the fact that despite the slumps in narration, the film manages to engage and has us hooked to the proceedings from the word go and carries us to an interesting and intelligent climax. The twist in climax is the biggest plus. Overall, Ko impresses, entertains and is likely to click with all kinds of audience. Verdict: A stylish commercial entertainer!

MAPPILLAI MOVIE REVIEW Starring: Dhanush, Hansika Motwani, Vivek, Manisha Koirala Direction: Suraj Music: Mani Sharma Production: Sun Pictures After a lull in Tamil silver screens owing to World Cup Cricket, the summer season begins with the Suraj-Dhanush combo Mappillai, whose last outing Padikkadhavan impressed quite a few. Expectations surrounding Mapillai are high primarily because it is the remake of Rajnikanth’s yester year hit of the same name and his real life son-in-law plays the role essayed by the superstar himself with consummate ease in the past. Secondly Dhanush, after establishing himself as a versatile actor in Aadukalam, is stepping onto a mainstream commercial venture once again and thirdly the humor quotient associated with Suraj and Dhanush concoction also aids in augmenting the anticipation levels. Story wise, Mapillai adheres mostly to the original premise but Suraj has added a few and deleted some portions from the old to suit to the current times. An established and a proven template already lies in front of the director and all that is required from him was to retain the original magic and add pizzaz to the proceedings. Having chosen to remake a hit and that too of a superstar film, Suraj has to bear the burden of comparison. It is only but natural. To sail through this, it is evident that he has relied heavily upon the caliber and capabilities of Dhanush and the talented actor has not let him down. In fact it is Dhanush’s nonchalant performance and screen presence that takes the audience through the happenings. The false compliance when he first meets Manisha, the look on his face when he checkmates her in the climax and the scene where he lectures Hansika in the mall are a few samples. Vivek as the ardent Namitha fan with coiffured hair attempts at comedy but annoys for the most parts with his accent and logorrhoea. Thankfully, as JP, he makes up for his quirks and provides the necessary laughter that was intended. Mapillai suffers from weak characterization especially of its lead character Manisha Koirala and this cannot be pardonable as the main premise itself is the confrontation between mother-in-law and son-in-law. There is no zing or fizz in the altercations between the duo which is where the epicenter of the film rests. One cannot but stop remembering the brilliant performance of late Srividhya and her body language. Manisha as Rajeshwari provides a frail foil to the effervescent Dhanush and this evinces an indifferent reaction from the audience. It is like a lopsided match. To top it all, the lip sync of both Manisha and Hansika does not match making it difficult to relate with the characters. Rohini dubbing for Manisha has done a good job but Manisha mouthing the dialogue should have brought out more power emoting them. Hansika makes her debut and the girl looks plump and cute and excels in midriff exposition. The costume designer has done a good job and Manisha’s sarees and accessories are stylish reflective of her opulence. Mapillai opens up with the comedy track of Vivek, Sathyan, Balaji and cell Murugan and its lengthiness tires. There are many logical loopholes. While Suraj can take umbrage under the mainstream cinematic lenience for few scenes, for some he cannot. An entire village unable to handle Dhanush because he is the son of a thasildar and Manisha very quickly accepting Dhanush meekly as her son-in-law are a few samples. There is no mention anywhere about Manisha’s husband. Mapillai is sprinkled with such foibles. Some dialogues from Dhanush’s previous film have been used with a twist like ‘onnai parthale pidikkanum, paakka paakka pidikka kudadhu’. The climax scene though illogical evokes humor especially with the gymboy Gemini Ganesan and the dialogues spoken by Asish Vidyarthi who is wasted in Mapillai. Music by Mani Sharma is peppered with the aroma from Andhra and ‘ready readya’ number is passable but the remake ‘Ennaoda Rasi’ falls below expectations. Suraj has attempted a remake of super star’s film but has only been half way successful in his task. Verdict: This Mapillai entertains in parts