Category: Tamil OTT Film Reviews

Posted on

Thaai Kizhavi: A spirited tale of feminism with a massy touch

Sivakumar Murugasen’s story has shades of both Balagam and Ram Prasad Ki Tervi. The unraveling of family secrets as well as the greedy acts of family members have a distinct familiarity. Having said that Thaai Kizhavi is an entertaining movie with a relevant message on a woman’s financial independence. Radhika Sarathkumar as the matriarch/godmother figure has an absolute blast embracing the character’s whacky nature with gay abandon. Her presence can be amply felt even in the scenes which don’t feature her.

Director and writer: Sivakumar Murugasen

Starcast: Radhika Sarathkumar, Bala Sarvanan, Munishkanth etc

Genre: Comedy/drama

Producers: Sivakartikeyan, Kalai Arasu, and Sudhan Sundaram

Production houses: Passion Studios and Sivakartikeyan Productions

Music: Nivas K Prasanna

Cinematography: Vivek Vijaykumar ‘

Streaming site: Hotstar

Running time: 2 hours and 24 minutes

Thaai Kizhavi with Sivakartikeyan as one of the producers has made solid profits at the box office along with positive critical reception. Radhika Sarathkumar has been rightly hailed for her killer act in spite of not having a lot of screen time. There is no denying that Thaai Kizhavi gives a major deva ju of some old films. The angle of selfish sons is a done to death trope. At the same time the movie has a freshness too and this essentially comes from the theme of a woman having her own autonomy. The rural atmospherics makes the main difference.

Thaai Kizhavi’s story in brief is about Radhika’s Pavunuthaayi. Pavunuthaayi is a strong matriarch living life on her own terms. The villagers are very scared with some wishing for her death too. Things take a dramatic turn with Pavunuthaayi getting bedridden. Celebrations start with many enjoying. This includes her own family members praying for her death. But the revelation of the mother stashing gold somewhere changes everything. This is the plot in a nutshell.

A strong aspect of Thaai Kizhavi is the characterization of Radhika coupled with the veteran actress performance. The badass nature of Pavunuthaayi has come out in a solid manner. Its deliberately massy and not for all but Radhika’s conviction makes it hugely enjoyable. Though Radhika is mostly bedridden after a point her presence is still amply felt. A major credit for that goes to writer and director Sivakumar Murugasen.

The odd ball characters with the rural quirks take a while to sink in but once the plot settles down, they are hugely enjoyable too. A special mention must be made of a drunkard villager who threatens his deity Karuppan on becoming a Sai devotee if his prayers aren’t answered. His scenes have chuckle worthy moments. A mention must also be made of Munishkanth’s Pennycuick a forty-year-old desperate for marriage. His reasons for wanting a partner and how he eventually finds someone gives the movie some of its best moments too.

The legendary Kamal Hassan is an omnipresent figure in the way his songs has been used. It spans across different eras, and this includes the one from Vishwaroopam too. The interval block with Vishwaroopam’s title song and the frantic manner in which the mother is taken to the hospital is an absolute hoot.

From mid second half the movie turns into a story of curated change. This can be seen in the way one of the sons has a change of heart. All it takes is one scene inside an ambulance. This transformation feels more manufactured than organic. Having said that Bala Sarvanan sells this moment, an emotional number by Nivas K Prasanna also helps. The second half also has a shift in terms of how the viewers see Pavunuthaayi. In the beginning we are given an impression of her being a desi Shylock. She threatens about disrobing a woman if she doesn’t pay. But the second half presents a different facet. Especially a woman character talking about how the matriarch encouraged her to be financially independent.

The climatic speech of Radhika Sarathkumar serves as a perfect conclusion to the movie’s core feminist theme. The dialogues related to financial independence have a solid punch. The movie also does a good job in normalizing re marriage particularly in the rural context. This has come out well through the montage of Pavunuthaayai encouraging her daughter to start life afresh after a difficult first marriage.

Posted on

Made In Korea: A charming tale of resilience and womanhood

Made In Korea perfectly fits the definition of a sunshine movie. A couple of subplots are rushed through, but the emotional core coupled with the performances make this cross-culture worth watching. Priyanka Arul Mohan as Shenba delivers a strong act and her scenes with Kim Young-Oak gives Made In Korea its best moments.

Starcast: Priyanka Arul Mohan, Kim Young-Oak, Park Hye-Jin and others

Genre: Comedy/drama

Director and writer: Ra. Karthik

Music: Hesham Abdul Wahab

Producer: Sreenidhi Sagar

Production Company: Rise East Entertainment

Cinematography: Prasanna Kumar

Running time: 1 hour and 51 minutes

Streaming site: Netflix

Ra. Karthik’s Made in Korea can be easily termed as a spiritual sequel to Vikas Bahl’s Queen. Just like that film here too the heroine gets dumped and has to navigate a foreign country. In both the movies the female protagonists re discover themselves and become stronger individuals. Keeping aside the similarities Made In Korea is very much its own beast. The uniqueness majorly comes from the Korean cast especially Kim Young-Oak a familiar name for those who have seen Squid Games. Through her character and the on-screen friendship with Priyanka Arul Mohan the movie celebrates the theme of womanhood.

Made In Korea primarily focuses on a Tamilian girl Shenba (Priyanka Arul Mohan in an author backed role). Shenba is hugely fascinated with the city of Korea thanks to binge watching K Dramas. Her dream is going to Seoul, and this does come true but not in the happiest of circumstances. How Shenba navigates the different challenges eventually finding acceptance forms the core of this movie. An important subplot connected to Shenba’s journey is Kim Young-Oak’s elderly woman.

A strong aspect of Made In Korea is the depiction of Shenba’s challenges. Her struggles with the language in particular have moments of understated humor. The entry of Park Hye-Jin as a vlogger and a growing bond between the two is filled with warmth. However, the movie’s biggest strength are the scenes between Priyanka and Kim Young Oak.

Initially the viewers are given the impression of Kim Young Oak being a bedridden lady who needs to be fed. However, the movie soon springs a surprise with an important revelation. There is a reason for the character pretending to be bedridden and this is revealed at a crucial juncture.

The theme of womanhood comes out in a striking manner as Shenba also grows into a more confident individual. The scenes between Priyanka and Kim Young have a good balance of emotions and humor. Apart from womanhood theme Made In Korea gives an important life message too. This is explored through the quote “Where you think it ends, it begins”.

The transformation journey of Shenba is a good example of how we should move forward whatever the setbacks. Of course, the movie has a feel-good treatment. This may not work for all nevertheless the importance of message cannot be denied.

The background score by Dharan enhances the emotional scenes. The music of Hesham Abdul Wahab is pleasant going perfectly well with the movie’s tone. Both the upbeat and mellow numbers do a good job in capturing Shenba’s transformation. Prasanna Kumar’s cinematography is of a good order as well. He captures the different shades of Seoul effectively through his camera.

Priyanka Arul Mohan as Shenba springs a very pleasant surprise. She captures the different nuances with an understated but thoroughly effective act. Kim Young Oak makes her presence amply felt especially in an important confrontation scene with the son. Park Hye Jin as the vlogger who becomes an important part of Shenba’s life is good too. He brings in the required warmth making the viewers wish that they come across a friend like him.

As far as the flaws are concerned a subplot of Kim Young oak and Shenba opening a restaurant has a rushed treatment. The same applies to the track of a music band which needed more fleshed out writing.

Final word: Made In Korea is a good watch for fans of feel good/optimistic cinema and the central message.

Posted on

Test: An intriguing character study exploring the themes of morality and ambition

Much like its title Test plays out like a five-day test match in the beginning portions gradually building up the tension and the conflict points, however it hits a sixer with a crucial twist and the second half in particular plays out like a roller coaster.
  • Starcast: R Madhavan, Nayanathara. Siddarth, Meera Jasmine and others
  • Genre: Drama/thriller
  • Writer and director: S Sashikanth
  • Additional writer: Suman Kumar
  • Producers: Chakravarthy Ramachandra and S Sashikanth
  • Cinematography: Viraj Singh Gohli
  • Music: Shaktisree Gopalan
  • Production Company: Y NOT Studios
  • Streaming site: Netflix
  • Running time: 2 hours and 26 minutes

Characters with grey shades always make for fascinating on-screen characters, the reason being many of us have a grey area within us. More often than not a person being good or bad depends on how you react to the circumstances. Sometimes even the purest person can become evil due to an inability to cope with the challenges.

Test directed by S Sashikanth begins with an interesting quote. “A hero will sacrifice the person they love to save the world, but a villain will sacrifice the world in order to save the person they love.” this quote perfectly sums up the core theme of Test. The three protagonists are often pushed to their limits forcing them to choose between morality and self-interest. The plot of Test primarily focuses on three characters from different paths of life, but their journeys get intertwined. Arjun Viswanathan (Siddarth) is a major batsman going through a professional crisis. He is almost at the end of his career. There are huge rumors of him retiring during an important test series against Pakistan. In order to save his career Arjun resorts to media manipulation forcing the selectors to play him. On the other hand, you have R Madhavan’s Saravanan and Nayanathara’s Kumudha. Sarvanan is an MIT scientist struggling to get his project on alternative energy approved, he is also drowning in debt. Kumudha on the other hand is longing to become a mother through the procedure of IVF, but it isn’t happening due to certain problems. As the plot progresses all three characters face life alternating scenarios where their integrities are put at test.

As already mentioned, the movie Test plays along the lines of a five-day test match. A majority of the first half is devoted to establishing the different hurdles faced by the characters. Director S Shashikanth along with Suman Kumar slowly build up the simmering tension particularly the dynamics of R Madhavan and Nayanathara. Towards the end of the first half the movie gets into a thriller mode with the backdrop of match fixing and a crucial change in the character of Sarvanan. From here the graph of the movie becomes more interesting.

R Madhavan and Nayanathara share a magnetic chemistry

A strong aspect of Test is the psychological insight that the director and the writer have given exploring the motivations of the primary characters. This can be particularly felt in the character of R Madhavan. There is an interesting juxtaposition here. Saravanan is someone who is working on a groundbreaking project which could benefit the humanity however he doesn’t have the privileges of Siddarth’s Arjun. The survival struggle of Saravanan and Arjun’s fight for legacy raises interesting questions.

Test also benefits immensely from the on-screen chemistry combined with the performances of Madhavan and Nayanthara. Both the actors share a magnetic chemistry whether it is some of the lovey Dovey moments or the more intense ones when their marriage starts to crumble. R Madhavan as Saravanan delivers a truly scintillating act. The way he goes from loving to slowly grey and eventually psychotic is brilliant to watch. A major reason for the second half turning out the way it does is due to his outstanding act. R Madhavan is truly aging like fine wine proving his versatility with wide range of characters. A specific portion worthy of mentioning here is a slap scene featuring Saravanan and Kumuda. A wide range of emotions are on display ranging from frustration, concern, instant guilt and then regret. This portion itself is a perfect example of why R Madhavan is one of the best actors working in the industry today. Nayanthara as Kumudha also delivers a strong act. The way she portrayals the dual shades of her role the motherly concern for her students by becoming their cheerleader at the same time the grey shades too is a sheer delight to watch.

A lovey dovey moment between R Madhavan and Nayanathara

Siddarth as Arjun though could have done with more intensity. His act is more internalized and does suffer somewhat from weak writing. Having said that Siddarth also gets into his groove when the stakes become very high, and Arjun goes through an emotional upheaval connected to the missing son. Meera Jasmine as Arjun’s wife does a fine job too. The confrontation scenes between the two actors strike the right emotional cord. Having said that here too the writing could have been much better. The subplot of India and Pakistan test match feels like more of an add on and doesn’t add much to the proceedings.

Siddarth as Arjun

The music by Shaktisree Gopalan is a major speed breaker. The songs don’t add much value to the proceedings. However, the cinematography of Viraj Singh Gohli is of a good standard. A particular mention must be made of his work during the emotional scenes.

Final word: Watch Test if you like complex human dramas and of course if you are an R Madhavan fan

Posted on

Maharaja: Vijay Sethupathi and the non-liner storytelling elevate a standard revenge story.

The movie also deserves appreciation in how it portrays a rape survivor who wants to confront her attacker telling him in clear terms on how she isn’t going to live in shame.

  • Starcast: Vijay Sethupathi, Anurag Kashyap, Sachana Namidass, Natarajan “Natty” Subramaniam and others
  • Director and writer: Nithilan Swaminathan
  • Producers: Jagadish Palaniswamy and Sudhan Sundaram
  • Production Companies: Passion Studios etc.
  • Cinematography: Dinesh Purushothaman
  • Streaming site: Netflix

Some movies are elevated through a gripping screenplay more than the plot. Nithilan Swaminathan’s Maharaja is a very good example of this. On the surface it is about a father who wants to catch the perpetrators who have caused mayhem in his simple life, what makes the movie engaging though in spite of the gruesome violence is the back-and-forth narrative along with the intricate setting that throws in a lot of clues making the viewers think.

Contrary to the title Vijay Sethupathi’s Maharaja is no king nor is he some business magnate. He works in a saloon. The life of this Maharaja revolves primarily around two things. One is his work, and the other is the daughter Jyothi (Sachana Namidass). Jyothi is a spirited teenager with dreams of being an athlete. It may sound bizarre but both of them worship a dustbin by the name of Lakshmi. We are told that this dustbin had saved Jyothi’s life. In an outlandish turn of events Maharaja goes to the station to file a case about a missing dustbin. The cops take him for a crazy guy and try to throw him out of the station, but Maharaja doesn’t budge constantly saying that he wants the dustbin back. Eventually the police agree to look into the case as Maharaja offers a huge amount of the money. What starts off as a simple case unravels many secrets leading to many twists and turns.

Vijay Sethupathi as the doting father

A strong aspect of Maharaja are the police station scenes where Vijay Sethupathi pleads to the cops about the missing dustbin. Yes, the scenarios may appear ridiculous but the earnestness with which Vijay Sethupathi repeats the story is amusing and moving at the same time. Although the viewers are laughing there is an undercurrent of tension too.

Vijay Sethupathi Maharaja talking about the missing dustbin

While the investigation is going on Nithilan Swaminathan introduces the viewers to another important character played by filmmaker and actor Anurag Kashyap. Anurag Kashyap is also a common man called Selvam. Selvam is a loving father to his daughter Ammu but there is a dark side to his life unknown to the wife. Initially the viewers wonder how this man is connected to Maharaj’s life but the director has connected the dots expertly. The police characters lead by Natarajan “Natty” Subramaniam have also been written fairly well. They start off as a bunch of opportunistic cops but end up developing a conscience towards the movie’s end.

Anurag Kashyap as the other father who has secrets of his own

It goes without saying that Vijay Sethupathi is the backbone of Maharaja. In the police station scenes, he leaves you in splits, at the same time his portrayal of a desperate father touches an emotional chord. Anurag Kashyap’s lip sync does take some time getting used to, but he brings in the required menace, at the same time there is a major reveal related to his character in the climax, this humanizes Selvam and Anurag’s breakdown deserves distinction marks. Among the rest Sachana Namidass shines in one intense confrontation scene.

Some portions of Maharaja though could have done with better writing. Case in point Mamata Mohandas as the PTI teacher Aasifa.  She is a mother-like figure to Jyoti. The bond needed more impactful scenes for the viewers to feel the motherly love of Aasifa, another problem with the movie are the gruesome scenes of violence involving the women. Particularly bothersome is a scene meant to establish the villainy of Selvam and co. The close-up shots make it nauseating.

Posted on

O2: A Strong Cautionary Tale For Humankind

Nayanthara is one of those few actresses who has struck a perfect balance between doing glamorous roles and also strong female parts. She has always experimented with different kinds of genres. The results haven’t always been on point but that hasn’t stopped the actress from taking risks. O2 directed by GS Viknesh is one such film. The director juxtaposes the concept of two maternal figures, one being Mother Nature and other is Nayanthara playing a widowed mother Parvathy.

The film begins off with a bird’s sorrow as her chicks are being killed due to deforestation by human beings. From there we go to the home of a seven year old boy called Veera. Veera suffers from a life threatening disease called cystic fibrosis. He is heavily dependent on the oxygen cylinder for breathing. From the very beginning Veera is used to represent the repercussions of tearing down the natural resources. A hope comes for Veera in the form of a corrective surgery. Parvarthy makes a quick decision to go ahead with it. The mother and son are joined by more characters as they travel by bus to Kochi for the surgery. These characters include a corrupt cop, an ex-MLA, inter-caste lovers etc. In a horrible twist of fate they get trapped within the bus, the nature unleashes its anger in the form of a horrific landslide. The rest of the film plays out as a claustrophobic thriller. Nothing more about the plot can be revealed.

It is not easy to make a thriller/drama set mostly in a single location. It needs enormous talent from both the director and also the actors to hold the audience’s attention. But director GS Viknesh does a good job in keeping the audiences engrossed. He makes you feel the wrath of nature.

GS Viknesh is also immensely aided by the acting talent of Nayanathara. The actress is in splendid form. She shoulders the weight of the film effortlessly. There are many shades to her character. She is someone who can be unapologetically selfish, self-serving and also violent too. Nayanathara sinks her teeth into the role and makes the audiences root for her. Just like mother earth Paravathy will also go to any lengths to save her son from danger. The parallel between these two maternal figures has been brought out brilliantly by the director.

Rithivik as Veera holds his own. He is particularly impressive in the high-octane emotional moments. Among the rest Bharath Neelakandan is terrific as a vicious cop.

The cinematography by Tamizh Azhagan is perfectly in sync with the narrative.  He does a commendable job in capturing the claustrophobia. The audiences feel that they themselves are in that situation.

The scenes where we see the fight for oxygen also strikes a chord. The reason being many lives were lost in the second wave of Covid due to the limited supply of oxygen.

The only bits that rankle in the film are those involving the inter-caste couple. They don’t add much to the film.

In a nutshell O2 is a largely gripping thriller that leaves you thinking.

Posted on

Saani Kaayidham: Keerty Suresh Scores An A Plus In This Engaging But Problematic Revenge Saga

Arun Matheswaran’s Saani Kaayidham is an amalgamation of two strong influences. One is Shekhar Kapur’s Bandit Queen and other is Quentin Tarantino’s films. Much like Bandit queen here too the director mixes up caste and violence on women. The scenes of revenge on the other hand remind you of the Tarantino’s films. There are multiple shots of the villains being stabbed and tortured. The film is definitely not for the faint hearted. The story of Saani Kaayidham isn’t particularly new but what makes it engaging are the performances of Keerty Suresh and Selvaraghavan. Arun’s direction is at his strongest when he deals with the dynamics between these two. The direction in the revenge portions is less sure footed but more on that later.

Keerty Suresh and Selvaraghavan play half-siblings (Poni and Sangaiyah) respectively. Both of them have faced trauma beyond measure due to an unjust tragic event. Poni works in the police department but that doesn’t stop the upper caste men from raping her. Their excuse for raping her is the husband who stands up to the upper caste men. After being let down by the court and police she sets out on a journey of revenge with her half sibling Sangaiyah. The rest plays out like a cross between Bandit queen and Kill- Bill.

The basic theme of Saani Kaayidham is how a woman always becomes a soft target when men face humiliation and fight in their own worlds. This aspect has been brought out strongly by the director.

In the initial portions we see a strained relation between Poni and Sangaiyah. But once they get together the dynamics slowly change. There is an undercurrent of emotions that come to the surface. This entire process has been well developed by both the writers and the director.

Both Keerty Suresh and Selvaraghavan deliver outstanding performances. After Mahanati it looked like the actress in Keerty was lost. But here Keerty makes more than a strong comeback. She makes you feel the loss of Poni with her terrific acting. She expresses a lot through her fiery eyes. Keerty also gets to perform some action scenes and also punch lines that are generally reserved for men. Needlessly to say she rocks it.

Selvaraghavan also fits effortlessly into his role. He is the perfect foil for Keerty Suresh’s Poni. His role is comparatively more understated but the actor makes sure that the audiences don’t forget him.

The one major drawback of Saani Kaayidham is the excessive violence. It gets nauseating after a point. The vigilante justice is a trope which has been seen in many films, the presentation of the vigilante justice in this one is similar to what we have seen in other films of this genre.

As an audience you get the feeling that the director is glorifying the violence. Agree that Poni deserves justice for what she has undergone but that is no excuse for the blood curling violence that the director employs.

Another issue with the film is the lack of sufficient family scenes between Poni, her husband and the child. Addition of some family scenes would have given more emotional heft.

The villains are all one dimensional as expected. They are mere cardboard cutouts than flesh and blood characters. At the beginning the villains are shown to be very powerful but by the end they are reduced to being powerless.

In a nutshell, Saani Kaayidam is engaging but would have worked more if the director had taken a different approach.

Posted on

Jai Bhim: A Hard-Hitting Drama that Holds A Mirror To Society

Before dissecting Jai Bhim it is necessary to give a huge round of applause to the pair of Surya and Jyotika for producing a film of this sort. Director T.S Gnanvel uses Surya’s role of a firebrand lawyer to talk about the horrors of custodial torture and the deep- seated rot in our criminal system. The role of Surya is based on the real life lawyer Chandru who fought for the downtrodden. The director makes sure that the actor’s star power doesn’t over power the narrative. It also helps that Surya blends in with the narrative. He delivers his lines with absolute conviction and makes you believe that he really believes in them.  The breakthrough performance though comes from Lijo Mol Jose as Sengani.

The film begins off in the year 1994. You have a couple who belong to a tribal community called Irulas, it is a tribal community in Chennai. They are living a life of dignity and have dreams of a successful future. One day theft happens in the president’s house and Sengani’s husband Rajkannu (Manikandan) is framed as a thief. From here on we see the open showcase of police brutality, atrocities and the game of power that crushes the marginalized. The scenes of the police atrocities are blood-curdling but they still need to be watched for the way it showcases the reality. The other important members of the cast include Prakash Raj and Rao Ramesh. Prakash Raj on one hand is the righteous police officer who becomes an ally for Surya later on; Rao Ramesh on the other hand is the lawyer who will go to any lengths to protect the evil police officers.

The best part of Jai Bhim is how the director builds up the characters of the couple. There is no big rush to introduce the character of Surya. As a result you journey with these characters and when tragedy strikes your heart goes out for them. However, the issue here is not confined to the couple only. The bigger picture is how so many men and women of that community are subjected to all this. Their only fault being born as Irulas.

There are many scenes in the film which shake your conscience. A scene which deserves a particular mention is the opening act. You see the police officers literally segregating people based on caste. This scene sets the tone for what is to follow.

Sean Roldan’s music tells a story of its own. The songs are not mere fillers but they move the story forward. The best example of this is the song which is used to establish what the character of Surya stands for.

Jai Bhim has also got some subtle humor. Most of this comes from MS Bhaskar who plays a Brahmin lawyer. His character is of someone who subscribes only to faith and has no ideology. We mostly see him pass comments on the proceedings. Some of his comments raise chuckles.

The cinematographer SR Karthir also deserves appreciation for the way he captures the atmospherics of both the court scenes and also the Irula village.

The biggest achievement of Jai Bhim is how T.J Gnanavel is successful in achieving the balancing act. He is able to do equal justice to the characters of both Sengani and Chandru.

Out of the rest Rao Ramesh makes a meal out of his negative role. He is successful in making you hate him. His scenes with Surya elevate the courtroom proceedings.

By the end of Jai Bhim you will clap for the real life Chandru and want to find out more about him.

Posted on

Tughlaq Durbar: A Fun Political Satire

Delhi Prasad Deenadayalan’s Tughlaq Durbar is an interesting political satire which looks at what if our politicians had a conscience and it stopped them from doing something wrong. It is this twist which makes Tughlaq Durbar different from other ones of this genre. The debut director is in control for most part in the way he handles the subject, it also helps that Vijay Sethupati is in good form after some indifferent performances in Uppena and the recently released anthology Navarasa.

Vijay Sethupati plays Singaravelan aka Singam. He aspires to be the next counsellor of his area. Singam is born during a political rally and he grows up thinking that he’s destined to be a politician. He does everything in his power to win the trust of Rayappan (Parthiban). Singam slowly rises in the ranks of the party and goes on to become the trusted aide of Rayappan. The twist comes in when Singam has an unfortunate accident which leaves him with an unusual condition. Singam starts experiencing events where his conscience takes control, as a result he is not able to do anything wrong. As the story progresses we see him Singam fighting with his split personality and struggling to take control of his life. What makes Tughlaq Durbar work is how the director uses the theme of the dual personalities in Singam. He uses this theme to look at the inner battle of Singam and how Singam eventually grows a conscience. Politics here isn’t that important. Another good thing is that it doesn’t use Singam’s condition to mock him or have easy laughs out of it.

Parthiban as Rayappan is another character that makes Tughlaq Durbar an entertaining watch. The scenes between Vijay Sethupati and him are a major highlight of Tughlaq Durbar.

Out of the subplots the track of Singam’s friend Vasu (Karunakaran) works well. The friendship between these two comes as natural on screen.

Lastly Sathyraj’s cameo towards the end is well placed. Satyaraj’s cameo helps the film to end on a high.

What would have made the film better though is the treatment of the female characters. Rashi Khanna as Kamatchi is just there for sake of it. The love story could have been far better etched; however one good thing about the love story is that Kamatchi doesn’t return back to Singam just because he develops a conscience. The sister played by Manjimma Mohan also had the potential to be better. She is mostly there to ponder on what the hell is going on.

Watch Tuglaq Durbar for the duo of Vijay Sethupati and Parthiban.

Posted on

Maara: For The Wanderer Within You

Dhilip Kumar’s Maara is one of those films which need patient viewing. The reasons are – one, the pace, two, the concept of magic realism. It is good that the film is released on Amazon and not in theatres.

Inspired from Dulqer Salman’s Charlie it tells the story of Maara played by Madahavan as discovered by Paaru played by Shraddha Srinath. Paaru is a restoration architect and a relentless romantic. When she goes to Kerala for an assignment she comes across some paintings by a person called Manimaaran/ Maara. Impressed by his art she tries to know more about him. Since he is elusive she tries to know about him through the real characters he drew. What follows is a stunning visual imagery mixed with the charm of Madhavan. Apart from being a painter Maara is also a wanderer who touches people’s lives. However, he is not a wanderer just for the sake of it. There is a larger purpose for it.

The first thing that strikes you about the film is the heavy influence of Imtiaz Ali and also Sanjay Leela Bhansali to an extent. Just like Imtiaz Ali’s films here also you have the concept of finding yourself and also the right atmospherics. You can also see the influence of the poet Rumi who himself is an inspiration to filmmakers like Imtiaz Ali.

Two things stand out most in Maara. One is the fantastic cinematography by Dinesh Krishnan and the art direction by Ajayan Chelissery. The painted roads, the ageing houses and the grass peeping out of the walls are all done well. Everything is aesthetically very good and works well for the camera. The art direction is equally well complimented by Dinesh Krishnan who captures the beauty of the landscapes and the created set designs.

As regards to the main plot it is definitely a ‘Feel Good’ story. Maara is jovial, friendly and empathetic to people irrespective of their status. In short a Good Samaritan. Among his interactions with people my favorite one is that of sex worker Selvi played by Abhirami. It reminds you of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya. The character of Madhavan itself is written well and the actor plays it with his trademark charm. He shines in both the light moments and also the emotional scenes. One of my favorite lines of Maara is “they will only remember the reason why you died and not you.’’ He says this to a girl who tries to commit suicide. The supporting cast also works well. Mouli as Velliya is particularly impressive as the person who brings up Maara. He plays his part with a perfect mixture of cuteness and strictness. His love for Meenakshi and the pre climax scene when he finally meets her leaves you emotionally moved.

The biggest problem with the film is the character of Paaru played by Shraddha Srinath. It is written very loosely and on top of it the actress doesn’t help her cause either. In fact you feel happy that Madhavan has only one scene with her and that too at the end. Her battles with the family have also not been dealt convincingly enough. They are forgotten midway through. Also you don’t see a single scene where Paaru is doing restoration work as she is supposed to do.

The pace of the film is also a major villain. It is only at halfway point that you get a sense of what the director is trying to say, that too only for niche audience. For the rest it will go over their head.

Posted on

Maara: For The Wanderer Within You

Dhilip Kumar’s Maara is one of those films which need patient viewing. The reasons are – one, the pace, two, the concept of magic realism. It is good that the film is released on Amazon and not in theatres.

Inspired from Dulqer Salman’s Charlie it tells the story of Maara played by Madahavan as discovered by Paaru played by Shraddha Srinath. Paaru is a restoration architect and a relentless romantic. When she goes to Kerala for an assignment she comes across some paintings by a person called Manimaaran/ Maara. Impressed by his art she tries to know more about him. Since he is elusive she tries to know about him through the real characters he drew. What follows is a stunning visual imagery mixed with the charm of Madhavan. Apart from being a painter Maara is also a wanderer who touches people’s lives. However, he is not a wanderer just for the sake of it. There is a larger purpose for it.

The first thing that strikes you about the film is the heavy influence of Imtiaz Ali and also Sanjay Leela Bhansali to an extent. Just like Imtiaz Ali’s films here also you have the concept of finding yourself and also the right atmospherics. You can also see the influence of the poet Rumi who himself is an inspiration to filmmakers like Imtiaz Ali.

Two things stand out most in Maara. One is the fantastic cinematography by Dinesh Krishnan and the art direction by Ajayan Chelissery. The painted roads, the ageing houses and the grass peeping out of the walls are all done well. Everything is aesthetically very good and works well for the camera. The art direction is equally well complimented by Dinesh Krishnan who captures the beauty of the landscapes and the created set designs.

As regards to the main plot it is definitely a ‘Feel Good’ story. Maara is jovial, friendly and empathetic to people irrespective of their status. In short a Good Samaritan. Among his interactions with people my favorite one is that of sex worker Selvi played by Abhirami. It reminds you of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya. The character of Madhavan itself is written well and the actor plays it with his trademark charm. He shines in both the light moments and also the emotional scenes. One of my favorite lines of Maara is “they will only remember the reason why you died and not you.’’ He says this to a girl who tries to commit suicide. The supporting cast also works well. Mouli as Velliya is particularly impressive as the person who brings up Maara. He plays his part with a perfect mixture of cuteness and strictness. His love for Meenakshi and the pre climax scene when he finally meets her leaves you emotionally moved.

The biggest problem with the film is the character of Paaru played by Shraddha Srinath. It is written very loosely and on top of it the actress doesn’t help her cause either. In fact you feel happy that Madhavan has only one scene with her and that too at the end. Her battles with the family have also not been dealt convincingly enough. They are forgotten midway through. Also you don’t see a single scene where Paaru is doing restoration work as she is supposed to do.

The pace of the film is also a major villain. It is only at halfway point that you get a sense of what the director is trying to say, that too only for niche audience. For the rest it will go over their head.