ARANMANAI MOVIE REVIEW

Sundar.C, known for his slap-stick and sit-com based movies, is back with another offering but this time its in tune with the current flavor of horror comedy genre. Packed with the usual commercial 'masala' elements such as dance, comedy and action, can Sundar.C pull of another hit with a huge cast and a significantly higher budgeted, 'Aranmanai' ? Will the mix of horror and comedy be in a right proportion ?

Coming to the huge cast list, almost every frame in the film has more than 2 artistes involved and its a constant riot. But its an out-and-out female-centric film and the main lead roles are played by Hansika Motwani and Andrea Jeremiah. Hansika Motwani's second half show was decent enough for this film. She's surprisingly convincing as a village belle and looks bubbly and pleasing. Her screen presence is good as she keeps our attention well. Her lip-sync is getting better but still there's plenty of room to improve. Andrea Jeremiah fits the sensuous role perfectly, and her voice is an added advantage to her character, especially in the transformation scenes. Its definitely a good performance from her, but she somehow her character doesn't sink in to the proceedings easily. Sundar.C plays himself the most important male role and is functional in that role. Santhanam keeps us in splits, though not all of his one-liners were chuckle worthy. The big cast of the film includes Vinay Rai, Raai Laxmi, Kovai Sarala, Manobala, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Saravanan, Chitra Letchumanan, Santhana Bharathi, Swaminathan, Nithin Sathya, Aarthi, Ganesh, Akila, 'Kadhal' Dhandapani, Meera Krishnan, Alwa Vasu, Yogi Babu, Soundar, Gowtham, Raj Kapoor and etc. Though most of them were all over the screenplay, their relevance and importance to the script is a big question mark.

The film's technical aspects needs special mention, for their inputs. Vasuki Bhaskar's costume designing for the female leads are noteworthy, and all character's costumes blends in well with their respective characterizations. The film is loaded with VFX and computer graphics and the teams from Prasad EFX Group and Sinthu Graphics, deserves special mention. The final climax scene is completely ruled by the VFX, especially with the river water sequence and the solar eclipse effects. The color tone gave the climax a perfect look and its a visual treat indeed. Kudos to them ! Action choreography by 'Thalapathy' Dinesh was over-the-top, especially for the climax sequence, although Sundar.C's introductory fight scene was decent. Art director Gururaj deserves appreciation for his splendid work ! The whole film is based on the huge palace set which was erected and its completely filled with apt set properties. The set-work brought out the look needed for the film and aptly complemented the horror element of the script. Also, his work for the other village festival and etc sequences were rich in detailing. A feather in the cap for Gururaj ! Editing by N.B Srikanth was okay but he could have trimmed the length of the film, which runs unnecessarily long. U.K Senthil Kumar, a veteran and firm favourite of Sundar.C is the cinematographer for this film and his work was functional, but the climax sequence stood out, especially for the scenes involving the river. 

The songs of the film is scored by Bharathwaj and frankly speaking, the songs were just pretty boring and lukewarm. "Kaththi Parvakaari" is the opening song for Vinay Rai and Andrea Jeremiah. Its like a mini-road song, which has all the rural hot-spots in it. The lush greenery and colorful art work by Gururaj, especially with the colorful village festival like set properties, deserves mention. "Petromax Lightu" is a typical dance song, involving Santhanam, Nithin Sathya, Sundar.C, Vinay Rai, Andrea Jeremiah and Raai Laxmi. The indoor scenes were well captured and the song's idea stems from the song "Maama Nee Vaama", which featured in Sundar'C's classic slap-stick comedy, 'Ullathai Alli Thaa'. "Sonnathu" is a female melody shot on Hansika Motwani and Vinay Rai and also had all the typical village locations such as paddy fields, water dam and rural homes as its backdrop. "Unnaiye" is a situational song, which sounds like a typical Rama Narayanan 'Amman' film songs and has a huge Hindu festival as its backdrop. The splendor and richness of the event was well captured on camera and also incorporated plenty of VFX in it. There are cameo appearances from singers Manicka Vinayagam, Dr.Sirkazhi G.Sivachidambaram and Sivashankar Master. The background score is handled by Karthik Raja and his work was functional and fits the horror based sequences, well. 

The story by Sundar.C reminds us of other Indian horror flicks, such as 'Manichitrathazhu', 'Chandramukhi', 'Yaar', 'Muni', 'Kanchana' and etc. Its not a very novel attempt, but Sundar.C and S.B Ramadoss' screenplay tries to keep us waiting for the outcome and potential twists and turns, though the proceedings were pretty much, predictable. One must admit that though the film may entertain quite a few, there are plenty of obvious loopholes and unanswered questions in the film. The film tries to pick up some speed in the second half, especially one the the surprise is revealed during the interval junction, but is hampered by some dull songs and comedy tracks. Venkat Ragavan and Sundar.C 's dialogues were pretty ordinary too, apart from some efforts in the one-liners for Santhanam. Some visuals might be a turn-off or little disturbing for those who are young aged but other than that, 'Aranmanai' isn't really a scary flick. Sundar.C's direction sufficed the needs of the script, although the Rama Narayanan's 'Amman' film-like climax, was over-the-top. 

'Aranmanai' - Unmajestic and run-of-the-mill kind, bearable horror-comedy !


Ratings: 2.5/5 STARS

BY:TAMIL

MAAN KARATE MOVIE REVIEW

Man of the moment Sivakarthikeyan, basking in continuous success streak, is back hopping around in 'Maan Karate'. His highest budgeted film thus far, the promotions and marketing has been top-notch, especially when you have an A-list director, A.R Murugadoss in the fray as a fellow producer and the main story writer. Hansika for the glam and Anirudh for the music, can 'Maan Karate' cement Sivakarthikeyan as a saleable actor ?

Sivakarthikeyan has been steadily rising the steps of stardom and 'Maan Karate' happens to be the next level for him. There's a complete changeover for him, especially with his appearance and looks. He has been given the designer costumes, a trendy hairstyle and props to look dashing on screen. His dancing skills has improved exceptionally well, with more grace and style. Performance wise, there's nothing exceptional, though. He has repeated the 'Ethir Neechal' act once again, as the 'underdog' template is there in 'Maan Karate' as well. His comic timing and spontaneity is his trump card, and he does it with ease and elan. A good entertainer, with impressive timing and sense of humor, but can he survive the test of time ? Only time will decide ! Hansika Motwani plays the quintessential Tamizh glam-doll heroine role, of being pretty, glamorous and cute. She does a pretty job with her lip sync, especially when the language is not something she has a grasp of. Vamsi Krishna as the antagonist has a rather tepidly written role and sharing the same scenario is writer Shaji as Sivakarthikeyan's coach. Satish makes us chuckle with one or two of his dialogues and Soori makes a cameo appearance as a hyperbolic boxing referee, and leaves his mark. Sayaji Shinde, Rajesh Gopalan, Vinu Krithik, Preethi Shankar, Ashwathi Ravikumar, Ravi Prabakar, Swaminathan, Arun Roja, Yogi Babu, Vikramathithyan, Tejaswini and etc makes up the rest of the cast.

'Maan Karate' has a superior technical qualities as opposed to Sivakarthikeyan's past flicks. First of all the costume designers, Sathya N.J, Vasugi Bhaskar and Sayaam (Chandigarh) have done an excellent job in giving the hero a good changeover with trendy costumes, and not forgetting Hansika, who looks appealing in the songs. Dhilip Subbarayan takes care of the action choreography and in this film, it is all about boxing. The bulk of the action work takes place in the climax, and it was a decent work from Dhilip. Not too much of an exaggeration but nothing extraordinary, at the same time. But still kudos for him for choreographing apt moves for Sivakarthikeyan. Sreekar Prasad's editing was spot on, especially with the smooth flow of the film and he made sure the film retained both the fantasy and commercial elements, perfectly. Debutante art director, S.Raja Mohan does a pretty eye-catching work, especially with the boxing arena erected for the climax portion. The appealing set gave the film a very glossy and rich look. M.Sukumar, known for his expertise in capturing rustic and jungle atmosphere beautifully with his lenses, impresses us with his cinematography in a typical commercial potboiler such as this, too ! His lighting was brilliant, which gave the film a very glossy and rich color, but the first few minutes showcased his talent once again, with pristine shots of waterfalls and the green forests. 

Anirudh Ravichander handles the music and the young chap is in full form, with this 'Maan Karate' album. Most of the songs are chart-toppers and are sensational hits with the youth. "Royapuram Peter" is the opening introductory song for Sivakarthikeyan and is a pure mass type of song. It was shot in and around the slum-like urban areas and the fish market, to project Sivakarthikeyan as a "mass" hero. "Maanja" had a very colorful look with bright and eye-appealing colored attires for the lead pair and backup dancers, and was shot in and around Pondicherry's attractive neighborhoods. "Un Vizhigalil" was the best shot song, which was also shot in Pondicherry, but in the empty and deserted streets, during the dead night. But M.Sukumar made the location look like a place in the fantasy world, with his brilliant lighting work and the color tone used against the lighting. A visual treat, indeed ! "Darling Dambak" was shot in the picturesque fields of Punjab and featured Hansika in a glam avatar. The visuals were catchy here too, especially with the misty feel. "Open the Tasmac" is the groovy gaana song, sung by the gaana legend, composer Deva himself. The song had a simple yet colorful set by S.Raja Mohan, resembling a street and shops and once again highlighted Sivakarthikeyan's improving dance skills. Do check out the special appearances by Anirudh and A.R Murugadoss in the song ! What's more impressive is Anirudh's background score in the film, which actually elevates the mood of the scene by several notches. His groovy and interesting musical touches adds more zing and peppy elements to the proceedings of the film. 'Maan Karate' is certainly another step higher for Anirudh !

A.R Murugadoss takes the credit for story writing and his former assistant K.Thirukumaran debuts in this flick, while taking in charge of screenplay and direction. To put it bluntly, 'Maan Karate' is nowhere near what was promised through the promotions and exaggerated expectations created before the release. The screenplay is just a plain sailing all out, which in other terms we could say "lazy writing", perhaps ? The first half of the film has no implications whatsoever on the film's theme and is just a hodgepodge of boy-gags and contemporary youth jokes, structured according to Sivakarthikeyan's style. What's less impressive with the making, is the manner in which Sivakarthikeyan has been unnecessarily hyped to be somewhat, a big commercial star. There's nothing wrong in being a star, but Sivakarthikeyan's USP is his boy-next-door charm and the down-to-earth sort of appeal, which made him a fan favorite so quickly. But 'Maan Karate' crushes those elements and make us wonder, "Why, Siva ? Why ?". The love segments are just downright silly and lame and the direction seems to be even more lazy. Only the last 30 minutes, seem to have some sort of seriousness, and now everything seems to be overtly melodramatic and 'life-or-death' sort of scenarios, which reminds us of Sivakarthikeyan's not so long ago release, 'Ethir Neechal' all over again ! R.Senthil Kumar's funny dialogues provide some respite, but gags alone does not make an wholesome entertainer, wholesome ! The boxing match sequences, involving Sivakarthikeyan, are just prime examples of farcical writing ! 

'Maan Karate' - Vijay's super-hit 'Badri' seem like a classic, now !


Ratings: 2.5/5 STARS


BY:TAMIL

BIRIYANI MOVIE REVIEW

With expectations comes great responsibilities. For Venkat Prabhu though, those responsibilities are meant to be light at heart, no matter how huge the hype is. The fifth from the 'Venkat Prabhu Brotherhood', the expectation was generally high, due to Karthi being in the cast and also for Yuvan Shankar Raja's blockbuster music, which ironically is his 100th milestone film. Produced by Studio Green, can Venkat score another super-hit, following the blockbuster success of 'Mankatha' ?

Karthi, who has been facing a career crisis with continuous flops, bounces back with a refreshing and likable portrayal. Venkat has exploited the charm factor of Karthi's and turned him into a smooth-talking, girl-magnet playboy. He wins over his legion of girl-fans with his naughty smile and good looks. He has adopted an apt body language for the role, and his dialogue delivery was spotless. More brownie points for him in terms of dancing and fighting skills, as he has shown marked improvement from one film to another. A sigh of relief for Karthi, indeed ! His partner Premgi, was at his usual best and underplays his capabilities, by allowing himself to be ridiculed all the time and be the butt of jokes. It works well for the movie and his character is the perfect foil for the hero. But typecasting will catch up with him, sooner or later ! Hansika Motwani looks ravishing and seems to have a good hold of her character. There's a big contingent of supporting casts such as Nassar, Jayaprakash, Sampath, Prem, Ramki (a good comeback - the man still looks the same !), sizzling & hot Mandy Takhar, Madhumitha, Subbu Panchu, Uma Riyaz Khan, Shanmugasundaram, Nithin Sathya, Sam Anderson, Aadhavan, Badava Gopi, Tharika, Vijayalakshmi and etc. And there's even cameo appearances of Venkat's boys such as Jai, Aravind Akash, Vaibhav, Mahat, Ashwin, Vijay Vasanth and etc. That's some star-casting, atypical of Venkat Prabhu films !

The film carries excellent technical outputs from all the technicians involved. Vasuki Bhaskar's costume designing plays a big role, in projecting the characters in a very urbane manner, while not losing the essence of the each characters. Very good job ! Silva, who also scores his 100th assignment with this project, has handled some high-octane action sequences. The car chase sequences have been very well handled and executed, while the climax fight sequence, shot in an construction site, takes the cake among all the fight sequences. Production design by Videsh is at top-notch quality, with plenty of detailing for all of the set works. The interiors of posh hotels and also of different types of homes, were well set up. The outdoor sets such as the roadside biriyani stall and etc, were very real-like and natural. Fantastic output from Videsh ! The film would not be as good as it is without the editing duo of Praveen K.L and Srikanth N.B. They have experiment with different cutting patterns, and has done meticulous work in many sequences, especially with the opening title card and also for some song sequences. They keep the story tight and gripping but at the same time, did not lose the fun elements to their scissors. Venkat's regular, Sakthi Saravanan cinematography is a big plus-point for the film. The glossy look and rich colors, with perfect lighting, brings out the joy and fun factor of the script. His Steadicam usage is commendable and adds more zing, to the action sequences. 

Yuvan Shankar Raja reserves some of his best for his cousin Venkat and 'Biriyani' is no exception. The soundtrack is a big hit and complements the script, perfectly like hand in glove. "Biriyani" title track fits perfectly as the mood-setter and has clever editing works by Praveen and Srikanth, who presents the title credits by infusing some scenes of the film, in a graphic novel style. The pick of the album, "Naah Na Naah" was shot on a beach-house party atmosphere and involves most of the star casting. The setting was glittering in glitz and glamour and has some cheeky comedy portions, interspersed. "Pom Pom Penne" had elaborate set works, such as Moulin Rouge and Mary Poppins-like setting. The lighting by Sakthi Saravanan adds more glamour to the richly produced song, and Karthi proves his mettle in dancing. "Mississippi" is the sultry song shot on Karthi, Premgi and Mandy Takhar, who was simply irresistible with her sexily choreographed dance moves ! Some light-hearted moments are there too, thanks to Premgi. "Run For Your Life" comes as a situational song, where two drastic sequences were interspersed together. One is of a clubbing scenario featuring Malaysian artistes Psycho Unit and the other, the high-octane chase sequence. Brilliantly edited by Praveen and Srikanth ! "Edhirthu Nil" is the emotional climax song, shot on the hero and other important characters, making a daring, action plan. Yuvan nails it in the background score department as well, with complementary sound effects. 

Venkat Prabhu's USP is his screenplay, and with 'Biriyani' he has managed to maintain the suspense element until the very end, by keeping the cards close to his chest. He has a very clear picture of what he wants and how he wants it from his technicians and his artistes, and that delivers most of the final output wanted. As always with Venkat, he infuses humor in the most unwanted and gravest of situations, which sometimes results in a crackling, comedy portions. Venkat has given most of the important characters, a good detailing and depth, with their identities and mannerisms. The dialogues, though are not family-friendly and incorporated lots of double entendres, which would find reception among the youngsters. For those who was expecting a different attempt from Venkat, they might find it a little tad disappointing, because the run of events, featured in the screenplay will definitely remind us of Venkat's previous ventures like 'Mankatha' and 'Saroja'. Also, some of the proceedings are a wee-bit farcical and out-of-place, but as promoted, its a Venkat Prabhu 'diet' after all and why care of logic in the first place ! And as it is always, don't forget to watch the fun and funny bloopers in the end !

'Biriyani' - A hearty meal, for those with the correct expectations !


Ratings: 3.25/5 STARS

BY:TAMIL

SINGAM II MOVIE REVIEW

Sequels are a pretty pain-in-the-ass for most director, as there will be the omnipresent expectations and heavy pressure, due to the success of the first installment. What more when it has one of the most important artiste of the film industry as its protagonist. Director Hari has taken the daring plunge in coming up with a sequel to his 2010 blockbuster, 'Singam' starring the smashing Suriya in the titular role. The first installment did end up with a promise of a sequel, and finally Hari has indeed delivered one. Will this be a springboard for Suriya to regain his place in the blockbuster arena after two under-performed films in '7am Arivu' and 'Maattrraan' ?

With the majestic and awe-inspiring larger-than-life persona and screen presence, Suriya shoulders the weight of the entire script on his well-built shoulders. His passion and dedication in living the role of Duraisingam, is evident with his strong and powerful emotions, dialogue delivery and expressions, especially with his eyes ! The actor handled the pressure with relative ease and he performs even meaner and power-packed. His cinematic role as a police officer, brings great stature and respect to the khaki uniform he donned. A raw and powerful, inspiration perhaps ! Suriya has proved big time, that he is capable of handling commercial, 'masala' protagonist roles with conviction and the necessary oomph factor. Way to go, Suriya ! There is a long, long list of ensemble cast, atypical of Hari's films. International artiste, Danny Sapani plays the main antagonist role and aided by veteran Rahman and Mukesh Rishi. Danny's role was projected off well initially, but peters out towards the end. Rahman and Mukesh, play the quintessential commercial cinema villains, to 'perfection' ! Anushka and Hansika Motwani charms in their respective sequences, though the latter has a more meatier role here. Vivek, who rocked as 'Erimalai' in the preceding film, has a limited screen timing, but still delivers the goods. The current 'Comedy Superstar' Santhanam, never fails to rock and he continues his fine form here as well with some side-splitting comedy portions, especially when he does a Suriya and Kamal Haasan in the film ! Radha Ravi, Nassar, Rajendran, Mansoor Ali Khan, Manorama, Vijayakumar and etc, etc, etc, performed their roles to a T, in limited and inconsequential roles.

Sai and Perumal Selvam's costume designing was apt for a commercial pot-boiler like this, especially for the lead pair in the songs, and for the rest of the character artistes, as well. 'Rocky' Rajesh and Anal Arasu's stunt choreography was well suited for such loud and larger-than-life films, which is a little low in terms of logic and common sense. Suriya performs with great energy and vigor, which actually helps us to overlook the flaws of the choreography. Editing by V.T Vijayan and T.S Jay, was efficient and neat, though the second half was a little prolonged, except for the abrupt ending ! K.Kathir has done a brilliant work with his production design. Most the sets looked perfect, especially the small town jails and lock-ups, interiors of the character's homes or the colorful but simple sets for the song sequences. Job, well done ! Priyan has tried some roving camera tricks here and his camera doesn't seem to rest at all ! However,there are no fantastic or outstanding visuals from him and his works were mostly functional, except for some action sequences.

Devi Sri Prasad, who has been retained for the sequel, has performed badly with his scores and almost all the songs are below average, for current standards. "Vaale Vaale" is the opening song, shot in a boat and around the port of Tuticorin, with a special appearance from a rather flabby-looking Anjali. The song also has some minor shots, featuring the vigilante work of the protagonist. "Puriyavillai" is a montage song for Hansika Motwani, who develops a crush for the masculine protagonist. "Singam Dance" is a peppy club song, shot on Suriya and Anushka and has colorful blue-themed sets by Kathir and good lighting from the cinematographer. "Kannukkulle" also follows the same style, with a more simpler sets. "Achamillai" and "Vidhai Pole" are situational songs, praising the histrionics of the protagonist, shot in montages. The background score is unimpressive, with loud and familiar sounds most of the time !

Director Hari's successful films, have one thing in common. A racy screenplay. From the word go, Hari did not stop for a single moment, and has scripted a screenplay which is full of power-packed action sequences, which were very convincingly played out by Suriya. What differs between 'Singam' and this sequel, is the lower importance given to the other commercial elements of a 'masala' film. Sentiments, romance, and comedy portions were evenly proportioned in the first half, but the sequel highlighted more and more of the brain and brawn of Duraisingam, rather than the other elements in/surrounding him. The antagonists roles, especially of Danny's was ill-written and lacks the necessary counter-effect to the heroics of the hero. Though the duration of the film, especially the second half is a little draggy, Hari keeps his scenes, tight and short, which gives us the impression of a speedy story telling. Some continuity factors were not properly ironed out, and raises a few questions pertaining to logic. The ending was handled in a very abrupt and rushed manner, it spoils the good-ride one was enjoying all the while !

'Singam II' - A near-perfect 'masala' concoction. A thoroughly enjoyable film, but strictly for commercial enthusiasts. A powerful and kingly show from Suriya !


Ratings: 3.25/5 STARS

BY:TAMIL

THEEYA VELAI SEIYYANUM KUMARU MOVIE REVIEW

Sundar.C came back to the limelight as a successful director with 'Masala Cafe' after his ill-fated decision of becoming a lead actor. Now he's back with another ensemble young cast in 'Theeya Velai Seiyyanum Kumaru' and also with a different city backdrop. Can Sundar.C maintain his grip in the box-office with his enviable track record of churning out hit comedy movies ? 'Masala Cafe' did kick-start, but can he follow suit with TSVK ?

For Siddharth, it would have been a piece of cake enacting the loser role of Kumar. But its interesting to see him do a complete comedy film, which could be the first in his career, thus far. Nevertheless, an easy and comfortable job for him. Hansika Motwani, is not far behind and she too delivers a convincing performance, with apt expressions and neat comedy timing. Not to forget, she looks a million bucks in this film, and is perfect for the role of a quintessential Tamizh audience dream-girl ! The man Santhanam, was just too good as Mokia, and his ever-present, rocking dialogue delivery and comedy timing was there, to deliver the actual USP of the film. We just wonder, how this guy can go on and on, with his antics in nearly all the important films of a calendar year, and yet never fail to evoke laughter ! The biggest asset of the film is the big cast which has RJ Balaji, Ganesh Venkatraman, Devadarshini, Bosskey, Aishwarya Menon, Chitra Letchumanan, Manobala, Nalini, Veena Kumar, Vidyullekha Raman, Sri Ranjini, George and Vichu Vishwanath, who all chipped in with their comic antics, which further enlivened the screenplay. Besides that, there were cameo appearances from Vishal Krishna, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, John Vijay, Karunakaran and Khushboo Sundar, which further spiced up the humor quotient.

Khushboo Sundar takes care of the costume designing, and she has done a wonderful job, especially with the main characters of Siddharth, Hansika, Santhanam and Ganesh, who were looking great ! 'Thalapathy' Dinesh's stunt choreography was functional and sufficed the need of the script. Gururaj's production design was simple, yet neat and his art work for the a song sequence was well handled. Praveen K.L and Srikanth N.B's editing was smooth but sadly the songs were just unwanted breaks in the film's screenplay. Gopi Amarnath's cinematography was fresh and cool on the eyes, with cool color tone and well picturized song sequences. His lighting is a must-mention, as well.

C.Sathya's musical score was easy on the ears and pleasant to listen to. "Melliya Saaral" is a short song, which was used as the heroine's introductory song, which was shot in a posh office setting. "Azhagendral" is the pick of the lot among all songs, which was well shot in a rural temple setting, which had a celebratory marriage backdrop. Not to forget, Hansika was smashing in the sarees ! "Kozhu Kozhu" was shot on the lead pair in Japan, and had backdrops of harbor, railway stops and city center. "Enna Pesa" had more scenic locations of Japan, with beautiful snowy mountains, and spring-filled blossoming trees of postcard worthy gardens. "Lovekku Yes" is another popular track from the song, which had different and colorful sets by Gururaj and efficient lighting from Gopi Amarnath. "Thiruttu Pasanga" is an end-credits song, which featured nearly all the artistes from the film, dancing on a graphic-filled backdrop, and good editing from the editors. 

The winning element of the film, is the screenplay by Sundar.C developed with a team consisting Srinivas Kavinayam, Prabhu Dass, Karunakaran and Nalan Kumarasamy of 'Soodhu Kavvum' fame. The urban setting was well used for the script and Sundar.C never leaves any open space or gap in the screenplay, and the jokes starts to come in thick and fast, scene by scene. The second half plays an even faster tempo, with lesser songs. Sundar.C's directorial skill should be applauded, for he has handled the film expertly, which should be credited to his experience of handling such humor-filled comedy films, in his long career. Besides that, he has used the services of Nalan Kumarasamy once again for the dialogues department, along with Venkat Raghavan, who came up with side-splitting one-liners, especially for Santhanam, who uttered them nonchalantly. A bonus plus-point for the film is the clean and family-friendly jokes, with no double entendres or loud slapstick comedy. Some sequences were well conceptualized, keeping in mind of the contemporary urban audiences' taste and connectedness element.

'Theeya Velai Seiyyanum Kumaru' - a clean, jollyfull entertainer. Sundar.C is definitely back in action !


Ratings: 3/5 STARS

BY:TAMIL

SETTAI MOVIE REVIEW

'Delhi Belly' was a rebel amongst films which got released in the year it was done so. It was a truly different attempt and the profanity-laden film was a smash hit. Now, director R.Kannan, whose previous, 'Vandhaan Vendraan' is an absolute dud, tries to adapt the script to Tamizh cinema, in 'Settai'. Now that's a very tricky and tight rope to walk, as Tamizh cinema is notorious for shunning brazenly themed films. But R.Kannan has managed to somehow make it work, to an extent of even getting a 'U' certificate for the film ! Now, that's an eye-opening worth attempt. So is the 'Settai', truly naughty in nature ?

For Arya, this film should be a cake walk, as there's nothing challenging for him to do so. But its somewhat weird to see him have this disinterested and insipid performance throughout the film. There's no zing to his performance, and whatever emoting made, were just customary. His compatriots though were much better. Premgi Amaren, has a 'different' role this time, as he gets to be more subdued, compared to his previous roles. There must be a reason, why Santhanam is now titled as "Comedy Superstar". He is the real saving grace of the film, as he packs in all his usual punchlines, and being in a adult comedy film, he was definitely in his comfort zone. But as you get to see more and more of him these days, his jokes are getting to be predictable. Nevertheless, he still brings the chuckle out from us ! Hansika Motwani, was apt for her role as the glamorous bimbo, but has little time space. Anjali gets to play the better character of the heroines, and though she is a good performer, she does not look comfy in that polished, modern look. Deepa Venkat's dubbing for her was a good changeover for the character, but someone else would have pulled off an even more convincing performance. Plus, she really needs to keep her shape, checked ! Nassar proves that what experience means as an actor. His composed and cool performance as the antagonist, is a treat. The rest of the cast such as Subbu Panchu, Ali, Manobala, Pradeep Ghabra, Chitra Letchumanan, Suja Varunee, Nakshatra Nagesh, Sayaji Shinde, Balaji and etc sufficed the need of the script.

Deepali Noor's costume designing was a treat. All the characters looked their role, perfectly and more importantly, showed off the nature of the characters, themselves. Silva's stunt sequence was well choreographed, especially the climax shooting and chase. Videsh does a very good job in the art department, with the intricately detailed, yet simple sets for the film. The bachelors' room, the half-furnished post apartment, the hotel room, and song sets were well erected and looked authentic. Leo John Paul's editing is slick, as he keeps the duration of the film crisp and also maintaining the pace of the screenplay. The climax shooting sequence was a nicely edited. P.G Muthiah's cinematography was clean and neat. His color tone was apt for each sequences as the screenplay travels, and his lighting works out well, especially for the bachelors' room sequences, which brings out the natural look and feel. Also, the slow motion effect for the climax shooting portion, was well handled by the ace cinematographer.

S.S Thaman's music score for the film is decent and pleasant. "Laila Oh Laila" was picturized on the triumvirate of Arya-Santhanam-Premgi, who were present on a set of a song shooting. Neetu Chandra does a hot, special appearance here. And the song storyboard progresses into Santhanam, dreaming of dancing along with Neetu, but of course, 'intervened' occasionally by the other two. The camera movement and editing work complemented each other, in this song. "Arjuna Arjuna" was picturized on Arya and Hansika, in a half-furnished posh apartment, set. The pristine white, ambiance is a feast for the eye, and P.G Muthiah has captured the good color tone of the set work, such as blue and monochromatic colors. The slow motion effects, coupled with some wide angles, were put to good use as well. "Neethaandi Osthe Ponna" was shot on Premgi, in a wacky costume, gate crashing at his ex-lover's wedding function. The brightly-lit stage setting, brings out the fun factor of the song, which has some quirky lines. "Poyum Poyum" was shot on Arya and Anjali, romancing in the beautiful, natural landscapes Swiss mountains. The cool ambiance complements the song, and there are plenty of shots of beautiful lakes, highlands, and valleys. "Agalaadhey Agalaadhey", whereas was shot on Arya and Hansika, dancing in and around city streets of Switzerland. The archetypal street alleys, city landmarks and a couple of foreign dancers are all there, and funnily the song reminds us of Arya's "Thathi Thathi" number from 'Boss Engira Baskaran'. The theme song, which is inspired from the original, "Bhaag D.K Bose" of 'Delhi Belly', appears towards the climax and during the end credits. There is a cool remix of "Ponaal Pogattum Poda" song, which is a replacement of the "Saigal Blues" number appearing in 'Delhi Belly'. The background score is apt for the film, with some quirky sounds, edited into the score.

 Off-color humor theme has not been tried out in Tamizh cinema before. The crude, toilet jokes have been deemed to be impervious for Tamizh audiences. So, it is a risky experiment for R.Kannan in adapting Akshat Varma's story and screenplay into a Tamizh film. But what we get to see, in the end is a tamer version of 'Delhi Belly' with the adaptation being handled by three heads, which are R.Kannan, G.Dhananjayan and John Mahendran. They have toned down much of the original's content, while retaining most of the sequences. The adult jokes were the actual highlights and USP of the original, hence when you tone down the content, you get a lesser intended impact. But still credits to R.Kannan, for handling the necessary toilet humor sequences, such as when Nassar gets to inspect the apparent 'diamonds' for the first time, well. It did bring out the intended effects. But its bewildering to notice some inexplicable creative decisions taken by the team. Why is the film set in Mumbai (with a posh Tamizh newspaper office !), when every character speaks Tamizh, in the first place ?! The first half of the film moves in a dull pace, but picks up in the second half, thanks to the crackling dialogues spewed by Santhanam. Though the dialogues were handled by John Mahendra, who does a fairly neat job, Santhanam deserves a big share of the credit, since he was in charge of the dialogues of the comedy portions.

'Settai' is mischievous in sporadic moments, but does not have the unabashed dirty 'spirit' of 'Delhi Belly'. A 'domestic' version of a 'wild' product.


Ratings: 2.75/5 STARS

BY:TAMIL

ORU KAL ORU KANNADI MOVIE REVIEW

'Oru Kal Oru Kannadi', was eagerly anticipated solely for a single reason  - the combination of Rajesh and Santhanam. They've rocked in their previous two hits 'Siva Manasula Sakthi' and 'Boss Engira Baskaran'. Both films' comedy tracks have eventually become cult classics and the expectations on this combo to repeat it again in this film, was big. Also it is the entry ticket of popular producer and distributor Udhayanidhi Stalin as a hero into Tamizh cinema, which is an interesting aspect as we don't get to see producers turning into heroes. The expectations soared high when a short teaser trailer was released, which was amusing and humorous to the core. Added to that, Rajesh is teaming up with Harris Jeyaraj this time instead of Yuvan Shankar Raja who gave him chart-busting tracks 'Siva Manasula Sakthi' and 'Boss Engira Baskaran'. Is this a hat-trick for the Rajesh-Santhanam duo?

Udhayanidhi Stalin who makes his debut here, has chosen very wisely. He chose a script which was easy going and a good starter for his acting career. As expected from debutantes, he did have his flaws here and there, with ordinary dance moves and some expressions not being performed to the fullest, but still he did a decent job. His appearance on screen was pleasant and neat. His emoting skills are decent but certainly he should do much better in his upcoming films. His innocent, yet naughty personality was apt for the role and he should be patted for making a decent entry into Tamizh cinema. Hansika Motwani is a perfect choice for the heroine's role and kudos to both Udhayanidhi and Rajesh for choosing her. As Meera, she was looking lovely and her expressions, her body language, her comedy timing, and the lip-sync for Savitha's dubbing, everything was near-perfect. No mistakes, no over-acting and no letdowns. Job very well done! Saranya Ponvannan shows her histrionics in comedy and its a welcome relief to see her in comedy roles, a throwback to her "Veettuku Veedu Looty" television serial-days. The scene where she goes comes back to home only to realise that her loved ones' were looking for her was a joy to watch. A lovely and beautiful veteran, she is. The others in the cast like Azhagam Perumal, Sayaji Shinde, Uma Padhmanabhan, Swaminathan and delivered what was expected from their minor roles. Sneha, Arya and Andrea made cool and refreshing cameo appearances. But the whole movie belongs to one man and its none other than Santhanam. A total SCREAM and a ROCKING performance from him!!! As usual, he is at his best with his witty one liners and the movie is replete with it. His expressions, dubbing and dialogue delivery, everything was oozing in comedy and he deserves to be called the current King of Comedy in Tamizh cinema. Many scenes are testimony to this but the highlights are the in-flight sequence, the attempt to save the hero from committing suicide, and also the "Adiye Kolluthey" scenes. Santhanam carries the film on his shoulder and he has proved that he is indeed a very, very bankable star in his own rights.

The technical department in the film carries simple and neat work. Stunt choreographer Rajasekar basically has nothing to do other than the one small chasing scene and art director Jacki's work was limited due to many real locations being used throughout the film. Jacki's work of the interiors of the hero and heroine's homes was simple. Nalini Sriram's casual costume for Udhayanidhi made him look very presentable on screen which is vital for his boy-next-door role and Priya Manikandan's costumes for Hansika was very chic and credit goes to her for making Hansika look lovely on the screen. Vivek Harshan's editing was neat but he could have trimmed some portions as the movie was a little long, stretching to nearly 3 hours. Balasubramaniem's cinematography was very breezy and cool and it was a commendable job by him to shoot in live locations with popular artistes and also for showing Hansika beautifully on screen. Harris Jeyaraj is the other asset to the film. His song reflected the mood of the script which is being simple and breezy. "Azhage Azhage" was pictured in the deserts and harsh lands of Jordan and it involves simple choreography and cinematography. Hansika's costumes was eye-catching. Following the same trend is the "Akila Akila" song which was also shot in Jordan but in urban atmosphere. "Adada Adada" was done in montage style and it was the best-placed song in the film and mostly shot in real locations such as streets and malls. "Venam Machan" is the most favourite track of the masses and it has been a long time since Harris came out with a foot-tapping dance number. For the first time, Santhanam appears and dances throughout the song along with Udhayanidhi and it has simple and catchy choreography by Dinesh. Another typical catchy number of Harris is the "Kadhal Oru Butterfly" number. It has a mixture of montage plus choreographed sequence with the latter part having the choreographer Dinesh himself dancing to the tunes. Once again simple and catchy moves from him.


Rajesh's script is a very pretty thin one, which is the same as his previous films, where the story and logic are not to be searched for, but what makes the film enjoyable is the feel good, light-hearted screenplay along with the fantastic comedy portions. 'Oru Kal Oru Kannadi' shares certain similarities with his previous films such as the drinking sessions, comedic mother of hero, friendly banters and repartee and also Santhanam. Yet, Rajesh still manages to keep us engaged with the film, thanks to his witty dialogues and the chemistry he shares with Santhanam. He does brings in the twists and knots at the right time which gets us hooked on to the screenplay. Though the romance portion didn't really work out well and the angst of Azhagam Perumal's character towards Saranya's character was not well etched out and convincing, it still doesn't matter much as the logic and sensitivities are not bothered here. Enjoyment and fun was expected and that is what was delivered.

Is it okay for us to say Rajesh and Santhanam scored a hat-trick? Its not only okay, but OKOK! A movie to be watched with your best buddies around you.


Ratings: 3/5 STARS

BY:TAMIL

VELAYUDHAM MOVIE REVIEW

'Ilayathalapathy' Vijay is back to his forte, that is mass masala commercial cinema. Nothing surprising about that but the surprise factor here is the director of the film M.Raja who had only done films with his brother 'Jeyam' Ravi as the lead hero in Tamizh so far. There was no hiding that this film is a pucca commercial movie from all sides involved in the film and nothing novel was expected nor promised by the film crew. The only additional attraction is that, this is Vijay's highest budgeted film.

Vijay who's last was the decent off-track 'Kaavalan' is back to what he does best. He has a wonderful screen presence and a bundle of energy and joy. He excels in all departments with laid-back dialogue delivery, cute comical expressions, angst and fire in stunt sequences and flawless dancing skills in the songs. Good to see him experiment with different hairstyles in the "Maayam Seidhaayo" number. All his usual acts, checked. Genelia D' Souza and Hansika Motwani are two dolls used in this film and the former has the meatier role. Not to say Hansika has lesser screen presence, but Genelia's role has more importance to the script and Hansika just being an additional attraction. Genelia as a journalist was decent though her dubbing was out of sync at certain times. She was gorgeous in her simple and sweet wardrobe. Hansika's role as a bubbly village girl was a little bit odd but she has good timing and expressions, thanks to her experience as an child artist. Santhanam was very humorous with the not-so-loud and simple comedy tracks. It was not among his best but it certainly raises laughter, especially with his terrific comedy timing and besides that, some comedy portions were done by Suri and Paandi. Saranya Mohan was cute and homely and she too did what was expected. As usual there are many character artistes in this film as how it was with M.Raja's previous film. MS Bhaskar, Pandiarajan, Manivannan, Sayaji Shinde, 'Parotta' Suri, 'Black' Paandi, 'Kadhal' Thandapaani, Singamuthu, Vyapuri, Raaghav, Abhimanyu Singh, Vincent Asokan, Ilavarasu, 'Crane' Manohar and etc,etc all were part of this film and each of them had a couple of scenes between themselves.

Technically the film has some decent work. VT Vijayan's editing was flawless and he made sure the film had all its "ingredients" checked and at the same time, there was no unnecessary dragging in the film. Priyan's cinematography captured the action sequences well, especially the harbor fight and the climax fight and not to forget the train 'battle' scenes involving a helicopter as well. Stunts were choreographed well and in a simple manner and credits should go to both 'Stunt' Silva and 'Anal' Arasu and Silva's work in the harbor fight sequence was the best. Milan's sets were cool and trendy, especially with the songs. The usage of colorful and intricate sets, elevates the joyous mood of the songs and film. Vijay Anthony is a big asset to the film as his music contribution has helped the film to reach audiences faster. All the songs in the film are good numbers and will remain in the charts for quite some time and his background score too was not bad, either. "Chillax" and "Maayam Seidhayo" had wonderful sets, especially the former one. "Molachu Moonu" stands out as the pick of the lot in the film and will certainly be one of Vijay Anthony's best songs ever. It was well picturized by having all 3 lead characters, in the lush,green and cool Kashmir. "Sonna Puriyadhu" is the grandest song ever shot on Vijay and the director should be appreciated for maintaining a colourful and grand scenario throughout the song with hundreds of dancers and set work. "Rathathin Rathame" was in-tune with the story and delivered the necessary sentiments required for the film. The director and costume designer could have come up with a more novel and original idea for the costumes of the 'super-hero' alter-ego of Vijay. The costume was copied from the popular gaming series "Assassin's Creed".

This film can be labelled as M.Raja's most commercial film ever. The script is meant as a tribute and was developed based on the one-liner of the Telugu film "Azad" which was developed by him and his late-friend Thirupathysamy who directed "Azad". The Telugu film was a remake of Amitabh Bachchan's "Main Azaad Hoon" which in-turn was inspired by an old Hollywood film, "Meet John Doe". M.Raja made sure that all the necessary elements were not left out in order to project Vijay as, not only a mass hero but as a super-hero as well. There was no dull moments in the film and the pace of the movie was kept stable throughout. The placement of the songs were smooth,the comedy portions were not boring, the sentiments were not too cliched and the intended message was delivered appropriately. The train fight sequence was a bit over-the-top considering they have used the services of veteran Hollywood stunts coordinator Tom Delmar. Surprisingly there were no punch dialogues in the film used by the protagonist. Vijay meanwhile reiterates his real life political stand in a certain scene. What makes us a little surprised is that, after a lengthy high-octane action scene, we are usually accustomed to assuming the film is about to end but here M.Raja continues the screenplay and reserves the most sentimental scene for us and builds up a emotion-filled climax for the protagonist who finally, delivers a motivational message for the audiences.

Vijay has a another commercial entertainer and a sure shot winner, at-least for his fans and M.Raja has used all the elements required and made available to him, in a very effective manner. There is nothing new story wise as the concept and theme is as old as the hills and Vijay himself had done it in his previous films. What works in this case is that, there were no false promises made and what was delivered, is what was expected of originally, from the director and the lead artist.


Ratings: 2.5/5 STARS

BY:TAMIL

ENGEYUM KADHAL MOVIE REVIEW

Engeyum Kadhal, was a much expected film from the stable of Prabhu Deva, thanks to the publicity of Kalpathi for promoting it as a romantic flick armed with the super success of Harris Jeyaraj's fantastic album score for the film. This film has been shot lavishly in Paris which gives it a cool and urban feel to the film. Plus, the presence of a young and fresh pair of hero-heroine, Jeyam Ravi and Hansika Motwani adds more attractiveness to the film. Do Prabhu Deva deliver this time after the super-flop Villu? Unfortunately it's a big NO!!

Performance wise, hero Jeyam Ravi has done a neat job as the cool, rich entrepreneur. He oozes composure and freshness in his character and thanks to Nalini Sriram's costumes, he looks smart and handsome. His dialogue delivery and modulation was also up to mark. His dancing prowess was also well used in the film. Hansika Motwani who was supposed to be debuting with this film, has done a cute job or should say a much better performance than in Mappilai. Her bubbly talk, cute expressions and exuberant emotions are a treat to the eyes and Nalini Sriram once again picked out the suitable clothes for her as well which really reflects her character. Besides that, Savitha Reddy's dubbing has complemented Hansika well. Suman was totally wasted and Raju Sundaram with his buffoonery act was irritating except for one particular scene where he tries to put together the water soaked cellphone. Prakash Raj in a 2 scene cameo was absolutely hilarious.

Talking about the technical department, Prabhu Deva has some of the best of the industry in his disposal. Three major factors which are the USP of the film is the cinematography, costumes and music. Neerav Shah has done an absolutely brilliant job in capturing the beauty of Paris, Greece and New Zealand. Be it the old monumental buildings or the new urban settings, everything looks so fresh and beautiful, thanks to his amazing angles and color tone chosen for the movie. Nalini Sriram, as mentioned earlier has dressed the lead characters very aptly and they reflected the mood of the film and complemented well to the surroundings of Paris. Harris Jeyaraj has done a terrific job with his musical score and all his songs has a certain mood and feel to it which caters to a wide section of audience. Not only that, all the songs have been picturised very well. The title track was well picturised with several shots edited well by Anthony. Lolita and Nangai has excellent dance moves by Sridhar, whereas Nenjil Nenjil and Thee Illai has beautiful backdrops behind. The background score is very light and lilting as well which really keeps the mood of the movie intact. Kanal Kannan's stunts could have been toned down little bit and Anthony did a decent job with the editing.

Although the film carries excellent work technical wise, it really fails to capture the heart of the audiences because of the poor story or should say no story at all. The blame either falls on the story writers, Ravi Chakravarthy & A.C Mugil or on Prabhu Deva for his screenplay. The real backbone of a romantic film will be the depth of the love story between the lead characters. In Engeyum Kadhal, this aspect is totally missing and the audiences do not sympathize or empathize with the struggles of the lead characters. There are some cute scenes like ticket checking scene in the train, the birthday outing and etc but they are far in between and that alone will not hold the story together. Prabhu Deva should know that script is the backbone of a film and all the other aspects only helps the script to be elevated into a higher degree.

Final verdict, Engeyum Kadhal is a poor product from Prabhu Deva and AGS and the only saving grace are the songs, cinematography and costumes. Jeyam Ravi, hope you make amends with Aadhi Bhagawan.

Ratings: 2/5 STARS

BY:TAMIL

MAPPILAI MOVIE REVIEW

Dhanush kick starts the summer releases of Tamizh movie releases for the year 2011. Among the huge bunch of young heroes in Tamizh cinema, he is one of the most profitable and hot in the trade, whether critics or viewers like it or not. Most of his recent movies were successful or at least managed to recoup back the cost of production. His last flop was Parattai Engira Azhagu Sundaram and that was way back in 2007, 4 years ago !! Over the duration of all these years, Dhanush has really improved and matured a lot as an actor and the recent classic Aadukalam was a testimony to this statement. Coming back to this Maappilai, it is the second time Dhanush is joining hands after the success of Padikkathavan and this time it is a direct remake of his father-in-law's super hit classic. It is a great pressure for Suraj to remake a Superstar's film and that too with the real life son-in-law of Rajnikanth, so comparisons are bound to happen. Judging by the final product, it looks like Suraj has let us down with a below average film which only sparkles in bits and pieces.

Coming to the performance, Dhanush is the pivot of the whole film and he has excelled in his character. Be it the bashful and temperamental guy in the flashback or the soft-natured boy next door personality in the current track, he did a commendable job. It is evident that he has grown into a very good actor (and it was cheeky by Vivek to say that in the movie itself!!) and his comedy timing was fantastic. Not only in comedy but he oozes class and calmness when the scene demands of his character and he had brought out those expressions effortlessly. Be it his marriage hall-intro scene or his confrontation scenes with Manisha Koirala, he pulled of the job well. The biggest disappointment in the film is of course no one else other than the veteran Manisha Koirala. A favorite among the elite directors, Suraj should be given the thumbs down for giving her a poor character which looks only like a dumb caricature in the end. How can he create such a weak characterization for a great performer? The true essence of the original was the interesting and intense confrontation scenes of the mother-in-law with her son-in-law and this movie fails to create even 10% of the zing the original had. Besides that Srividya was too good in the original with her voice modulation and body language. Hansika Motwani has nothing to do other than look like a mini-Kushboo and muster a few dialogues. Vivek with his bunch of friends such as Cell Murugan, Sathyan and Balaji evokes laughter in some scenes and tires us in certain others though the veteran comedian rocked in the second half of the film. Manobala as usual makes a clown out of himself, though the "Yen Uchi Mandayile" episode was hilarious. Ashish Vidyarthi, another talented actor was also wasted here.

Technical wise the film has nothing much to boast about. The editor should have done a better job in cutting down some unnecessary scenes. Mani Sharma dished out average songs with Aaru Padai and Ennoda Raasi being the pick of the lot but the songs picturization were poor although Dhanush has danced really well. Too bad Mani Sharma is churning out the same type of fast beat "thullal isai" songs and even though he can deliver really good melodies (songs of Shahjahan & Youth) and his background music was too loud and clichéd.

Suraj has to take the blame for coming up with a low in quality masala film and how in the world he can take the credit for story when everyone knows this is a remake?? Although he did come up with funny and naughty one-liners for Dhanush especially in the second half, the overall script was bad with many loopholes and also short in logic, particularly the climax (though it was funny).

Final verdict is Suraj made a pretty bad remake of the original Maappilai and it only sparkles in bits and pieces. Without Dhanush, it would have been a total time waste.

Rating: 2/5 stars

BY:TAMIL