'Sillunu Oru Sandhippu' from debutante Ravi Lallin explores, the topical theme of love among teenagers and how ones' life progresses after the all the puppy, lovey-dovey moments. Ravi Lallin has packed the film with various opinions on love and marriage-hood. With a young but small cast, can Ravi Lallin deliver a convincing and entertaining film, that too in the popular genre of love and romance, with a rather poetic title?
Vimal, a favorite among Tamizh cinema directors for rural and semi-rural based roles, makes an attempt to change that image with a cool, foreign-return character. His attempt, sadly goes in vain, due to his struggle in imbibing the body language and dialogue delivery senses of a typical city-slicker, and that too, someone who comes after spending a lengthy time in the United States ! Its very evident that he is very uncomfortable in such roles and its even more appalling to see him play a teenage-school student ! What was Ravi Lallin thinking ? There are two heroines in the film, and they are Dipa Shah and Oviyaa, respectively. The former takes the bigger piece of the cake, in terms of screen presence. She was adequate for her role, but her character was poorly written and lacks depth and originality. Oviya, has an extended-cameo type of role, and appears once in a while. The rest of the cast such as Manobala, Charu Haasan, Ashwin Raja, Velmurugan and etc had nothing much to do, and most of them lack substance in their performances. But the blame should fall on the director for writing such poorly-etched characters.
The technical work in the film was just average and there's nothing much to shout about. P.Ganesan did a decent work in the costume department, making the characters look good on screen. Dhilip Subbarayan's action choreography was not bad and he must be commended for choreographing it, in a manner which suits Vimal's style and mannerisms. R.D Vijay's art direction was minimal but suffice, especially for the props used as house decors and for the class room setting. Suraj Kaviq's editing was just plain ordinary. Rajesh Yadav and Aaro's cinematography was simple. The shots of Ooty were pleasant to the eyes and the color tone used throughout the film, was suitable for the script. S.M Faizal's songs were just below average. Since Ooty served as the backdrop of script, all the songs were picturized in the cool Ooty region. "Adi Aathi" the only hummable number was picturized on Vimal and Oviya, in montage sequences, depicting their developing relationship during their teenage days. The song appears another time, during the latter part of the film, and is again shot on the same pair, but with more dialogue portions and some unnecessary picturization done in Malaysia. "Bussey Bussey", was literally shot with the bus being used as the backdrop, with the addition of glamorously-clad item girls. "Min Miniaye" is a montage song with some dance choreography in between, and was shot on Vimal and Dipa Shah, this time. "Yaayum Yaayum" is a situational-cum-dream song, shot on Vimal and Dipa Shah, with the heroine being subjected to some glamorous portions.
Ravi Lallin's script was very amateurish and shoddily written. The characters lack depth and originality, as mentioned earlier, and its unbelievable to watch Dipa Shah perform a heroine character so rooted in Tamizh culture, which is such an out-dated idea ! Also, boos to Ravi Lallin for the inclusion of crass and distasteful comedy portions, which borders vulgarity, where female characters are shown in unnecessary angles, for no apparent reasons ! The director had some messages which he wanted to convey, but it was done so, in a very preachy manner, which was too boring and lame ! The screenplay lacks cohesiveness and some of the sequences stick out like a sore thumb and did not gel with the overall storyline. As said earlier, the characters look too caricaturish and none of the artistes had a decent role to play !
'Sillunu Oru Kadhal' is a poor product, with nothing new and fresh to offer.
Ratings: 1.25/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
Vijay Adiraj, a veteran of television shows and drama serials, makes his splash on the big screen as a director, with a script which was borne out of an idea, he came across 14 years back ! He goes for the safer route by employing a very young and new cast, aided by veteran character artistes and good technicians. Touted to be a smart thriller, did this 'Puthagam' made us turn its pages, in excitement ?
Starting off with the lead, actor Sathya, the younger brother of Arya, finally makes his screen debut through this film. He passes muster with a decent performance, though there are evident sequences in the film, where he tries to ape his more-popular brother. With more experience, Sathya can climb up the ladder, but definitely he has a lot to catch up, especially in the emoting and dialogue delivery. The pretty Rakul Preet Singh, makes her debut as a leading lady in Tamizh cinema, after her small role, in the decent, gritty thriller, 'Thadaiyara Thaakka'. She looks more comfortable in her role and got her lip sync (dubbing done by Renuka Kathir) right, but her final output needs more conviction. Sanjay Barathi (the son of actor-director, Santhana Barathi) and Vignesh of 'Kadhalil Sodhapuvadhu Eppadi' fame, delivered sincere and honest performances. Jagapathi Babu was nonchalant in his role as the cool private detective, and aided by a less-convincing Rachana Maurya. There's a big gang of seasoned artistes such as Suresh, Aishwarya Rajesh, Manobala, Santhana Barathi, 'Thalaivasal' Vijay, 'Crazy' Mohan, Delhi Ganesh, Uma Padhmanabhan, Fathima Babu, MJ Shriram and etc, enacting important and minor roles in the film. All of them lived up to the expectations and most of them would have just cruised in their roles, with ease.
The film carries decent work on the technical front. Gita Gurappa's audiography was spot on. Dhilip Subbarayan choreographed decent stunt sequences, which suited the characters performing those sequences, be it the nervy Sathya or the composed Jagapathi Babu. G.K's art direction was simple and neat. His detailing for the bachelors' apartment, the middle-class home interior, club settings, television channel office suits, everything was just fine and good enough for the script. Kevin's editing was flawless and he made sure that the progression from one scene to the other, was smooth. One person, who must be credited for making the film look colorful, is the cinematographer, J.Laxman. He has brought out the colorful and fun-loving life of the youngsters and at the same, maintained a dark-look theme for the more serious portions. Also, he has portrayed Rakul in a very pretty manner, through his lenses. His camera-movements, especially for the action sequences are noteworthy.
James Vasanthan's music was passable, but not good enough to hold our attentions, thoroughly. "Kondaadathaan", is a typical youngster's opening song, which had quite a few cut-shots and picturized in theme parks and a few Chennai landmarks. "Mella Pookudhe", is a typical James Vasanthan melody, which was picturized on the lead pair, romancing around a majestic looking building, in Thailand. Rakul was looking pretty in the sarees, which were designed by S.Subbarao. "Italica" is a dull and lame club song, shot with the item girl Rachana, performing in typical, night-club settings, which had decent lighting. "Say That You Love Me" was shot on the sandy and picturesque beaches of Pattaya, Thailand on the main lead artistes of the film. The final song, "Money is Funny" was shot in a music-video style, picturized on all the artistes involved in the film, with a stage and LED-screen as its backdrop, showing currencies of various countries. The song appears during the end-credits and has also some bloopers, inserted in it. The background score was a tad decent enough for the film.
Vijay Adiraj's intention was to make a taut and neat thriller. Though the intention was honest, the execution was far from being flawless. A thriller needs to be engaging and be crisp in the length of the film. But 'Puthagam' drags a lot in the first half, which makes us wonder, where is the film heading to. The suspense and thrills only begin just before interval, making us to endure all the unnecessary comedy and sentimental portions, which looked more suited for a normal television serial. Though Guhan Sreenivasan's dialogues are quirky and smart in some portions, the film had plenty of lengthy dialogue sequences, which extends the duration of the film, even longer. A knock-on effect of being a veteran of the television circle, Vijay ? Though it was cheeky of Vijay to add a small twist in the end, the audiences could have already lost interest in the film, due to its uninteresting narration. The final twist does hint us of a potentially exciting sequel, but the question of will it be worthy or not, depends on the improvisation skills of Vijay.
'Puthagam' - A flawed attempt in making a racy, crispy and taut, commercial thriller.
Ratings: 2/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
After a very long gap of 11 years, the master story teller and an auteur among the contemporary Tamizh cinema directors, Mani Ratnam has delivered a straight Tamizh film, with no whatsoever simultaneous, side-by-side Hindi production. 'Kadal' was one of the most eagerly expected projects in Tamizh cinema, due to brand 'Mani Ratnam' and also of the excellent cast and technical crew working behind the film, including Mani's personal favorites such as Sreekar Prasad, Rajiv Menon and A.R Rahman. So what's the impact of the 'Kadal's waves on us ?
Starting off with the lead pair of the film, debutantes Gautham Karthik and Thulasi Nair were very much natural and perfect. It is something truly unbelievable that Gautham's father, Karthik and Thulasi's mother, Radha made their debuts together in Bharathiraja's 'Alaigal Oivadhillai' 32 years back, and now their offspring are making their respective debuts under Mani Ratnam, and that too in a coastal based film ! Gautham was truly remarkable in his performance and it is hard to believe that this is his first film ! Apart from possessing good dancing and action-based skills, Gautham, scores big in the emotional quotient as well and has performed very maturely. This chap definitely has a big and promising career in Tamizh cinema. Thulasi was lively and chirpy and has good dialogue delivery sense. More coaching can do wonders for her career, as well. The other lead 'pair', the two veteran Arjun and Arvind Swamy were impeccable in their roles. For a change, Arjun dons a character of truly black shades and pulls it off with ease. Its pretty evident that he enjoyed doing the role, and 'Kadal' will definitely be an important film in his entire career. Way to go, 'Action King' ! And what a comeback from Arvind Swamy. His charming and sincere performance is the actual scene stealer. With a variety of emotions on display, Arvind Swamy proves why he is an all-time favorite of Mani. 'Kadal' surely belongs to these two, gentlemen ! Lakshmi Manchu plays a small role, and though it was a good performance, her presence was wasted. The film has a big star cast such as Ponvannan, Somasundaram, Singampuli and etc doing small roles, and all of them were natural and authentic for their roles.
When it comes to a Mani Ratnam film, technical aspects have always been top-notch and it follows with 'Kadal' as well. Eka Lakhani and Sai's costume designing was perfect and kudos to them for the well-done research on the background of the fisher folks from a particular dialect-speaking region. Everyone looked their part and credits must definitely go to Eka and Sai. Tapas Nayak's sound designing deserves appreciation, especially for the stunt scenes and sequences involving the sea side area. Action choreography by Kanal Kannan and Kecha Khamphakdee of the Jaika Stunt from Thailand, was well choreographed.The fish market fight sequence and the climax fight sequence on the storm-hit boat are the main highlights. Shashidhar Adapa, who works for Mani for the very first time, has done a brilliant job with the set work. The dilapidated church, the fish market and the boat set which appears in the climax, were too good to be true. Truly brilliant ! Sreekar Prasad's editing was flawless as usual, and as a veteran of Mani's camp, his work complements the narrative setting of Mani Ratnam. Rajiv always reserves his best for Mani and in 'Kadal' some of the shots were just too beautiful and magical. The dark blue- storm skies, the dry and barren sandy seaside, the beautiful beach, everything was simply superb. Rajiv's specialty is his slow, poetic and soft cinematography with no tinges of glariness and blazing color tones and he applies the same to 'Kadal' as well. Exquisite work, indeed !
A.R Rahman is back after a three-year gap in Tamizh cinema (the last of his Tamizh score was for 'Endhiran'). The songs are typical Rahman, where one needs to spend time listening to them over-and-over again for liking it. "Chithirai Nila" is a slow, melody number which was used sparingly in the film, in accordance to situations, usually for some particular scenes. "Adiyae" is a refreshing song from Rahman which blends folk and jazz in a Christian gospel-type song. But the picturization was little awkward as it suddenly springs out like a dream song and the choreography by Brindha, reminds us of the evergreen "Nenjinile" song from 'Uyire'. Some might find it as weirdly picturized song, but it was definitely a different attempt. "Moongil Thottam" is a soothing , romantic number, picturized on the lead pair. The beautiful images of the crystal-clear sea, dark forest, pristine beach and etc complements the camera movement. A song on the ranks of "Pachai Nirame" in terms of visual ! "Elay Keechan" was shot in a lively manner, with full dance and vigor. The coastal areas and the fish market set was captured well by Rajiv, and the rain portion in the end, brings more charm to the song. "Nenjukkule" was shot in montage style amidst dialogue sequences between the Gautham and Thulasi. "Anbin Vaasale" appears during the end credits, with cuts between the sequences of the lead pair getting back together and Arvind Swamy being featured in a lively church procession. "Magudi Magudi" appears during the opening credits, and also in the middle of the film, with plenty of montage sequences being used. The background score was good but there are no standout pieces, as one can listen in previous collaborations of Mani and Rahman.
Mani Ratnam has joined hands with writer Jeyamohan and adapted his novel into a screenplay. The story, a major part of the screenplay and dialogues, all belongs to Jeyamohan. Mani handles only the direction department and made some contributions in the screenplay writing as well. Usually, we get to see characters of grey shades, which presents us different dimensions, in a Mani film. But in 'Kadal' Mani has split the white and black from the grey and gave it each to the two important artistes, Arvind Swamy and Arjun, respectively. The main focus of the film is the battle between "good and evil", which is between Arvind and Arjun here, but it gets to be played in the form of the protagonist Gautham. As the film moves on, the focus swings from the personal battle between the duo and of Gautham's travails and love-life. As the focus shifts back-and-forth, the length of the film gets a tad too long and the pace gets even more slower, especially in the second half. Also, the actual crux of the film is the personal duel between Arjun and Arvind Swamy, and sadly this angle was not exploited to good use. A few questions were left unanswered/unexplored, which should have been rectified. The dialogues are steep in Christian vocabulary and one might find alienated if they are not accustomed to such terms or phrases and the dialect is an added challenge to us. There are lots of subtle but hidden themes/symbols sprinkled throughout the film, and only those who pays close attention, can identify them. Mani does not spoon-feed every single explanations on the "whats" and "whys" of the film, and only by good analytical skills, one can comprehend the true essence and meaning of some of the sequences and also to admire the directorial skills of Mani Ratnam.
'Kadal' might not be in the league of some of Mani's classic films but its still "A Mani Ratnam Film". One does not get to see regular mainstream cinema at its best, with high-quality, glossy outputs and fantastic execution of a script.
Ratings: 3.25/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
A very interesting attempt, 'David' is the first "direct" Tamizh film of Bejoy Nambiar, the former assistant to Mani Ratnam and the director of the critically acclaimed Hindi flick, 'Shaitan'. Shot in Hindi and Tamizh, 'David' is an intriguing tale, depicting two characters of different backdrop, era, and characteristics but connected by one single element, which is the name of David and a message attached to the name. Multi-narratives are a rare breed in Tamizh cinema, and kudos to Bejoy, for attempting to make one. The Hindi-version has an additional storyline, making it as three protagonists, but Bejoy plays safe with two in Tamizh. With two powerhouse performers in Dr. 'Chiyaan' Vikram and Jiiva, did Bejoy nail it ?
Starting with Dr.'Chiyaan' Vikram, this film must have been a welcome relief for him, as he has enjoyed doing the role of a bride-punching, liquor-guzzling (that too through a funnel !), notorious, fisherman. He was endearing and charming in his portrayal throughout his episode and his relationship with Tabu was wonderfully written and picturized. An excellent performance from 'Chiyaan' after a very long time. Jiiva on the other hand, was the exact opposite, with a very serious but energized portrayal. He displays the correct level of intensity and expressions needed for the emotional scenes and proves once again that he is one of the best performers in Tamizh cinema, among the younger breed of leading heroes. The other best role in the film was of Tabu's and what nonchalant, and matured performance from her ! She simply sizzles as 'Frenny', the friend cum adviser of Vikram. Deepa Venkat's dubbing was okay for her but still it takes out the originality of the character. Isha Sharvani, was angelic and sweet as the deaf and mute girl and was very apt for the role of 'Roma'. Lara Dutta comes out with a neat and composed performance and got her pronunciation right for the lip-sync. Saurabh Shukla is a scream in his role, whereas Nassar was as good as always as the devout Christian priest. The rest of the cast such as Rohini Hattangadi, John Vijay, Nishan, Prahlad Kakkar, Shweta Pandit, Sheetal Menon, Sunder Ramu, Manish Jha, Sathish Kaushik, Rubi Chakravarti and etc all were very apt and performed realistically in the film. A big cast, but wonderful performances from all. Bejoy should be lauded for the characterization of all the roles, enacted in the film, which were well written.
One will look forward to a Bejoy Nambiar film for the technical finesse, and Bejoy does not disappoint us. All technicians involved in this project are some of the best in the industry, and Bejoy has used their capabilities to good use. Ameira Punvani and Falguni Thakore's costume designing was very apt for each era and characters involved in the dual-story lines of the film. The look for both Jiiva and Vikram was perfect. Stunts were very well choreographed by Javed Aejaz and what makes the stunt sequences authentic, is that the fights for each lead protagonists imbibed the characteristics of the protagonists, be it the drunk Vikram or the angry Jiiva. Well done, Javed ! Rajeevan's production design was very natural and authentic. The props for each setting, be it Mumbai or Goa, were very much original and his presentation made it look believable. Sreekar Prasad's sharp editing kept the pace of the film bearable and nearly avoided being too languorous. Ranganat Ravi's sound designing was also spot on, with the necessary minute sounds, well implemented in the film. The film definitely belongs to the two very talented cinematographers, R.Rathnavelu and P.S Vinod. The former's picturization was very exotic and pleasing to the eyes, with perfect lighting and the appropriate 'sunny' tone of the Goan episode. Whereas, the latter's Mumbai shots were gloomy, dark and gritty in nature. The fight sequence was fantastically shot, with brilliant lighting and color tone used for it. Both cinematographers showed their expertise in their respective episodes, and it was indeed a very smart and creative move by Bejoy to employ different cinematographers each episodes.
One of the highlights of the film is the soundtrack and the eclectic-mix of the artistes involved, gives different shades to the whole album. Nonetheless, the soundtrack is a trend-setter and warrants repeated listening, for one to appreciate the music. But sadly, the songs were just used sparingly in the film and is woven into the flow of the screenplay, which cut shorts the length of a song ! "Vaazhkaiye" by the Bramfatura duo, is the opening song and also serves as the theme music of the film. It was picturized in , covering the climax sequences of both story-lines. "Maria Pitache", composed by Remo Fernandes, was shot on Dr.'Chiyaan' Vikram brawling with fellow drunkards, in a set resembling a Goan hut cum bar setting. "Machi" by Modern Mafia, is a montage song, shot in a first-person perspective technique, on Jiiva's daily routine as a guitarist. "Theerathu Poga Poga" is a lovely song composed by Maatibaani, shot on Vikram, Nishan and Isha having fun together. R.Rathnavelu's lighting and camera movement was good for this song. "Iravinil Ulavavaa" is a catchy song composed by Prashant Pillai, which was shot beautifully on Vikram and Isha, in a "boatride-under-the-moonlight" scenario. "Manamey" is a thumping song, full of percussion beats, composed by Prashant Pillai featuring Tao Issaro. As mentioned earlier, P.S Vinod's cinematography was brilliant in this song which was shot on Jiiva taking on a bunch of guys. The rain effect was put to good use, with minimal lighting and apt color tone. "Kanave Kanave" by Anirudh Ravichander is a beautiful, soothing melody used in both story-lines and was placed appropriately in the screenplay, but was used minimally, sadly. The "Light House" track by Remo Fernandes was used throughout the Goan episode as a background score and not to forget, Mikey McCleary's background score, especially for the Mumbai episode was brilliant.
First things first. Bejoy Nambiar is a director of substance and it is evident in his narration and directing skills. He somehow magically makes an ordinary scene to look extraordinary, powerful and gripping with his narrative skill. The Vikram-Tabu sequences were handled with high-level of composure and maturity and is a delight to watch for its casual treatment ! There is a deep and philosophical message, underlying in the script, which is revealed, post the inner-battle of the lead protagonists and the screenplay by Bejoy Nambiar and Natasha Sahgal was not bad. But what spoils the film, is the heavy-dubbed feel we get, while watching it. A majority of the artistes involved in the Hindi version is retained for the Tamizh version and the dubbing was awful in most of the scenes. The poor dubbing spoils the originality of the film. The dialogues by Manikandan.G and Venkat Subbaraj was of no help as well, as it lacks the depth in creativity and sounds plain simple. Though the film looks fine if you go scene-by-scene, the overall story-telling was a letdown, as there's not much connectivity between the two story-lines and each track had a different mood and pace to it, which might test the patience of viewers. Also, its unforgivable for a director of Bejoy's class to make silly mistakes in detailing. One glaring mistake is the scene where Nishan sings the "Pondaatti" song from the film 'Osthe' at Isha. Mind you, the film came out in 2011 but the timeline of the Goan episode was 2010 ! Such silly mistakes must be avoided as it further spoils the interest of the viewers.
'David' is a unique and interesting attempt from Bejoy, which has excellent technicians who delivered superb outputs in the film, especially the cinematography and music department. But disappointingly, it did not really live up to the expectations it generated prior to the release. A film which could and should have been much better, as it promised a lot, but served pretty less than what was promised.
Ratings: 3/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
It has been a very long wait and big hype with continuous controversies (during the period this review was written), Dr.Kamal Haasan's 'Viswaroopam' saw the light of the day (in certain places, only). Touted as 'Ulaga Nayagan's' most ambitious project, with an huge budget invested for the production of this film, 'Viswaroopam' is the next-level commercial entertainer, and that too from the stable of the classy Dr.Kamal Haasan. Aided by expert technicians sourced from around the world, Dr.Kamal has delivered a top-notch film, technical wise and still proves to the world that, he is indeed the man who will be the pioneer in elevating Tamizh cinema to the next level, all the time.
Coming to the performance quotient of the artistes, Dr.Kamal Haasan needs no review to justify his class and perfection in enacting the roles he undertakes. As the effeminate Kathak dancer, Dr.Kamal Haasan was marvelous with his body language and facial expressions, thanks to his dancing background. His dancing skill needs no introduction, and he executes the Kathak dance movements with complete ease and grace. The transformation from the dancer to an action hero was fantastically portrayed and Dr.Kamal looks totally convincing as an action hero as well, at the very ripe age of 58. He proves again and again that he is the 'Ulaga Nayagan' indeed. Rahul Bose, plays an equally important role as the antagonist of the film, and has nearly as much time space as the protagonist. His body language and composure in playing the role of a terrorist leader, was super good and proves that he is one of the best performers in Indian cinema. Pooja Kumar makes a good debut in Tamizh cinema, and looks confident on screen. Abhirami's dubbing work was in sync with Pooja's look and suits the character well. Jaideep Ahlawat, made use of his opportunity quite well. The rest of the cast such as renown director Shekhar Kapur, Andrea Jeremiah, Nassar, Samrat Chakrabarti, Zarina Wahab, Miles Anderson, James Babson were appropriate for their roles but had very little time space in the film. Some of the dubbing work for a few artistes among this list, looked awkward and fake, due to the unfamiliarity with the Tamizh language.
When it comes to the technical front, 'Viswaroopam' is one of the best films made in Tamizh cinema. Every department worked their socks off for this film, and the output is visible on the silver screen. The sound department under the supervision of Anand Krishnamoorthi and Kunal Rajan must be applauded for the extensive and detailed work in the film. The script demands such stunning sound recording and with the Auro 3D effect put to use, the audio effects were brilliant. Gautami Tadimalla's costume designing was very apt for the diversely different scenarios and locations used in the film. Kudos to her, especially for the Afghan episodes. Madhu Sudhanan's VFX supervision was good but it could have been better if more budget was allocated for the visual effects department. Ralis Khan and Gage Hubbard's make-up effects for Kamal Haasan and Rahul Bose and Nassar was top notch. Their make-up gave the characters, realistic and authentic look. The stunt choreography was stunningly done in the film and was handled by experts from various backgrounds and country. The scope is very extensive since it covers war-prone backdrop. Also, Dr. Kamal's solo fight sequence in the warehouse was explosive ! A treat for Dr.Kamal's fans !! Fantastic work by Kecha Khamphakdee of Jaika Stunt team from Thailand, Lee Whittaker, Parvez Feroz and T.Ramesh !! Another important work is of the art department's because thhe film must look authentic in order to be convincing and Dr.Kamal's choice of the apt technicians, was a good decision indeed. Lalgudi N.Ilayaraja and Vietnamese Boontawee 'Tor' Taweepasas handled the production and art department, extremely well. The Afghan war-torn and cave-filled landscape was brought out authentically in Chennai studios. A huge sum of money was invested for the art department, and each penny was put to good use. The props such as guns, machinery, bombs and explosives, everything looked original and believable. Boontawee and Ilayaraja should take a bow, together !! Mahesh Narayanan could have handled the editing department better, especially in the second half. The transition from past to present and vice versa was not smooth and the plenty of cut-shots in the end was sloppy and abrupt. But still, his work in the action sequences, was fantastic. This film would not have been possible, without the huge contribution and dedication of cinematographer Sanu John Varughese. His framing and camera movements for the battle scenes were terrific and he has handled the color tone of each episodes very well. The thrilling car chase scene was well shot, but it could have been even better. Also, his time-slicing/time-freezing technique was executed well. Anyway's 'Viswaroopam' will definitely be a milestone in Sanu John Varughese's career. Well done !!
Music by the Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio was adequate. The title track, "Vishwaroopam" was used during Dr.Kamal's first introductory action scene, and it fits in terrifically well for the situation. "Thuppakki Engal" is a lighthearted song picturized in montages, showing the assimilation of Dr.Kamal's character into the Al-Qaeda network and their activities and journeys done and encountered daily. "Anu Vidhaitha" is an emotional song showing the power of destruction and war on the people who resides in the isolated, hilly regions of Afghanistan. "Unnai Kaanadhu" was picturized beautifully on Dr.Kamal's fabulous Kathak dancing skills, which was beautifully choreographed by Pandit Birju Maharaj. The song was shot on Dr.Kamal and his pupils and has the theme of Radha yearning for Krishna's love. The remix version of the title track appears towards the end credits. The background music was very apt, but it lacked the power and arresting-nature, which the movie demands.
Dr.Kamal's film has a global and important message underlying throughout the film. The film is peppered with highly intelligent dialogues, which some of them carrying concealed messages. The screenplay was structured in a non-linear manner, but it lacks a powerful and gripping narration. The action is there to watch, but the intensity was missing. The open-ended climax surprised many, but deters a few from true satisfaction, because of many unanswered questions and gaps left, which could be explored in the sequel. Dr.Kamal's intention has been to merely entertain the audience and he has succeeded in it. But hardcore fans of his might feel disappointed and unsatiated with the film, which leaves them craving for more, in order to come to a conclusion, of being satisfied or not. Many characters have very little space and time in the film, leaving the majority of the film focusing primarily on Dr.Kamal, Rahul and Jaideep's characters. Also, the dubbing work for some of the characters was a out of place. The direction by Dr.Kamal was good. Though the film is not on par with Dr.Kamal's previous directorials such as 'Hey Ram' and 'Virumaandi', it is worth watching for the effort of Dr.Kamal in making intelligent commercial entertainers
'Viswaroopam' - the standards of commercial cinema has been raised once again by Dr.Kamal. An engaging watch for regular cinema-goers. Part 2 is definitely essential for a thoroughly, complete satisfactory feel for the die-hard fans of Dr.Kamal.
Ratings: 3.5/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
