Nadodigal - a magical journey!

I watched this movie yesterday and I couldn't help but write this. This movie starts where the other films finish. We have seen countless movies where a couple's friends move heaven and earth to get them united. And, this movie starts there and explores the aftermath. The entire movie is based on one line: a friend in need is a friend indeed.



Image courtesy: Indiaglitz.com

This film is a excellent example for a great success when the story is good and a script that does justice to the storyline. Sasikumar as Karuna has done a real good job as the protagonist who along with his friends Pandi and Chandran try to unite his childhood friend Saravanan with his lady-love Prabha much against their parents' wishes! Pandi becomes hearing-impaired and Chandran loses one of his leg while Karuna loses his lady-love in their efforts to unite the lovers.

Then comes the irony! The lovers decide to separate within a few days of their marriage as they realize that they are incompatible with each other. What the friends decide to do after hearing this news forms the climax. The climax explores the failure of fleeting relationships in this ultra-modern fast-paced world. The movie has an engaging screenplay, keeping you guessing on what would happen next. Its not your run-of-the-mill predictable formula movie! All the actors in the movie have done justice to their characters. The one who stands out the most other than the main cast is Chandran's father who displays an unwavering optimism through the adversities.



Image courtesy: Indiaglitz.com

To think that one of the heroines Abhinaya who plays the sister of Sasi kumar and Chandran's love is hearing-impaired is unbelievable. I found this out only after the movie and never once during the movie did I doubt that she is deaf and dumb. She deserves a standing ovation and the director Samudhrakani and Sasi Kumar deserve an applause to have helped her enact this wonderful performance. Ananya as Nallamma, Karuna's love plays the village belle role with ease and poise.

The subtle screenplay with comedy interspersed in unexpected frames make this movie an enjoyable watch. This movie gives us the hope that good cinema is still around.Tamil cinema these days has become bold enough to cast ordinary looking people who are close to our lives in characters that seem very real. There is no unrealistic heroism or idealistic situations in this movie. The movie was as close to reality as it can be and yet had the magical quality of good cinema!

Music by Sundar C Babu is engaging as well. The song "sambo siva sambo.." is like a war cry and stays with you even after the movie is over. The background score is good too without overpowering the screenplay. Vaali's lyrics for the song "Ulagil entha kaadhal udanae jeyithathu.." touches your heart as immediately as you hear Hariharan's voice singing it.

This movie is not a commercial entertainer but, there is something for everyone in it!

Verdict: Must watch!

Vaaranam Aayiram - A tribute to all the dads in the world!

Warning: Girls who go to watch the movie, go at your own risk!!

Surya. This guy makes you fall in love with him. Through out the movie. He amazes you in all the stages of life! As a son and as a father! Its a poignant movie about father-son relationship seen through the eyes of the son! All credit goes to the actor and the director of the movie!

Surya is synonymous with dedication and it shows through out the movie. He has managed to live the characters he has played. As a father who wants the best for his son, Surya plays the role of Krishnan , a cool father for his generation. He will make you wish that all fathers were like him! .. a father who lets his son chase his dreams!

Simram plays Malini, w/o Krishnan and mother of Surya played by the actor himself. Its a nice comeback role for her and you can say she can give a lot of contemporary heroines a run for money! The love between the seniors is shown very touchingly.. the way they dance to their son's song and afterward the father gently massaging his wife's feet.. lest they hurt! Sigh! Makes all the married couple wish to be in the same love at that age!

Sameera Reddy as Surya's first love,Meghna has done her job.To look nice! So, does Divya Spandana as Priya , Surya's love after Meghna dies! Divya had more scope for performance as a person with unrequited love for a person who didnt acknowledge her existence till he needed her! She has done justice to her role!

Surya has given a riveting portrayal of a drug addict when he loses his ladylove Meghna to the Oklahoma City Bombing!The way he shows the suffering of a drug addict desperate for a shot is chilling... would make any punk kid wanna avoid drugs! The father advises his son to channelize his feelings into a positive energy as against wasting it on destructive habits like drugs and booze! The message is loud and clear, Mr.Director!

Credits should be given to Surya for his efforts to live the characters he has played. He must have gone through heaven and hell to change his physique to suit the age of the character he is playing. You never feel a glitch when Surya's character grows from a teen, to a college-kid to a drug-addicted adult to a middle-aged army-man. And, so is the transition of the father's character as a college-kid to a middle-aged father to an old man with a prodigal son! I am a sucker for a guy with a guitar and a man in uniform! and, Surya has managed to floor me in this movie as both!

Harris Jeyaraj has done a commendable job with the songs and the background score! All the songs are haunting and melodious and they manage to stay in your mind for a long time.. The song "Nenjukkul peidhidum maamazhai..." is my fave! But, then.. I like the other songs too ;-) The song lyrics are also good!

This is a movie where everything has fallen into place.. where nothing has gone wrong.. much like the Indian Cricket team's performance these days! ;-) Surya has jus raised the bar for performance by a Tamil actor and Gautham Menon has jus given his masterpiece, a tribute to his father!

My husband said that he was able to relate to a lotta emotions that filled the movie as he is a father to our son while being a son to his father! This is not an entertainment movie... this is a movie for the movie-lovers and to all the fathers and sons who enjoy their father-son relationship! Hats off to the Vaaranam Aayiram Team esp to Surya and Gautham! I am gonna watch the movie again, jus for Surya! ;-)

Dasavaatharam - It unmasks the hypocrites!!

I am amazed at the hypocrisy of the Times news group. I read the review they had given for Dasavathaaram which was totally biased. They are saying that the "avtars" Kamal has taken in the movie are comical...They must be outta their mind!! C'mon!! Give credit to an actor who has taken the pains and risks to experiment on something he is good at!! Compare the Dasavaatharam review with the review for Om Shanti Om!! Such hypocrisy?!?! What has ShahRukh done great in his films?? He doesn't even have the guts to try new storyline, a gut-less loser who sticks to time-tested, cliched scripts.

Have you ever seen any South Indian filmstar in the prime of his career turn to Small Screen to make money?? NO!! Have you ever seen any South Indian Film Star so consumed with his ego like Shah Rukh Khan?? Bollywood heroes are so insecure that they have to do shows on small screen to keep reminding public of their existence!! Times of India will eat its own words!! May Shah Rukh keep making crappy movies!! May Kamal keep up the good work!!

My review of the movie:
Its an awesome movie!! The climax fight is spectacular. One wont realize that the fight is between 3 characters done by the same actor!! There is Kamal's achievement!! They could have happily done away with Asin's character, but for the need for a commercial element. All she says in the movie is "Perumale..!!" The musical score by Himesh Reshammiyya is bad except for one song.."kallai mattum kandal.." Back ground score by DeviSri Prasad is good!

The characters of Vincent Poovaragan, Balram Naidu and Krishnaveni Patti done by Kamal stand out!! The love scene in the last scene was totally unnecessary! One cant imagine such feelings when a disaster like Tsunami is happening in the background!! What was K.S.Ravikumar thinking?!? Its fast-paced but for the scenes involving Asin.

What was the need for Tamil Subtitles if they dont translate NaCl as salt?! Kamal explains George Bush dat NaCl is sodium chloride, but who will explain the masses that sodium chloride s jus plain salt?!I am sure many people wont understand the link between Tsunami and the movie if they dont know NaCl is nothing but "Uppu"!! Its definitely not a movie for the C-class and its worth a 'dehko'!! Applause to "Sagala kalaaa vallavan"!