Vijay Vasanth, one amongst the big bunch of Venkat Prabhu's 'Chennai 600028' boys, who does the occasional cameo appearances in Venkat's film, is back in the limelight with a lead role. This small budget thriller 'Yennamo Nadakkudhu', directed by a newbie P.Rajapandi is a home production of Vijay Vasanth's brother, V.Vinothkumar of Triple V Records. Can Vijay Vasanth make a decent mark, after the poor outing in 'Mathil Mel Poonai' ?
Vijay Vasanth benefits from a good characterization provided by the director. There's the rustic element based on the geographical background of his character, yet there's the benevolent aspect to his character, which makes his likable and acceptable as a hero. He has definitely improved a lot as an actor, and there's more composure and conviction in his portrayal. But there are some niggling issues, especially in the romance sequences, and he could work out his body language, for the action sequences. Mahima Nambiar, who previously did the Samuthirakani starrer, 'Saattai' makes a decent outing and has a pivotal role to play. Saranya Ponvannan is a treat to watch, especially with her animated expressions and North Chennai slang, which she delivered to the T ! Rahman as the main antagonist is passable, as well as the others in the cast such as Prabhu, Thambi Ramaiah, Sukanya, Azhagam Perumal, Ashwin Raja, Namo Narayanan, Vincent Selva, Sounder, Thirumurugan and etc, who holds the movie together, with neat performances in convincing roles, with good characterizations.
Dakshayini's costume designing was simple and apt for the script, though her work is limited due to the timeline of events in the script, in which the bulk of the events, happen in a single day. M.S Jayakumar's art designing sufficed the needs of the script. The climax portion, which required a good dose of construction based props, was well executed and the detailing of the lead pair's houses, should be noted too. K.Ganeshkumar's action choreography was good, but the chasing sequences in the climax, could have been toned down to reduce the unnecessary heroism element. Also, a more realistic approach would have worked for Vijay Vasanth's image and body language, wherein a more stylistic action choreography, handled in the film would have suited an action hero, pretty well. Praveen K.L and Srikanth N.B duo handled the editing department, and as always, their fast paced cutting pattern, gave the film an extra lift, and the taut screenplay keeps the attention of the audience, quite well. Cinematography is by A.Venkatesh, and his work is commendable, especially with the action sequences, which had tight close-ups and the climax chase sequence, which was well shot.
Premgi Amaren, scores the music for the film and it fits the mood of the script. "Aagayam Vizhigiradhe" appears during the opening credits. "Ora Kannu" is the pick of the lot, and has plenty of sequence shots, well edited and put together by Praveen K.L and Srikanth N.B. In-spite of the plenty of cuts, the song has a smooth transition from one scene to another and had the indoors and outdoors, especially the beach as the locations. "Meesa Kokku" has a temple festival like atmosphere and is a dream sequence between the lead pair and includes the hero's mother ! Saranya Ponvannan makes her appearance, throughout the song and has also sung her portions. "Vaa Idhu Nethiyadi" was picturized on Prabhu, in a flashback sequence, which had the typical dance routine, shot against a festival backdrop, reminiscing the 80's style. "Money Money" was the best shot song in the film and featured Raju Sundaram as the main dancer. The song was shot in a dance club-like atmosphere with the atypical color lighting and sexily dressed female dancers, with some nice camerawork by A.Venkatesh and the trademark cutting pattern by the editor duo. Premgi's background score, works well with the film and there are traces of Yuvan Shankar Raja-inspired score, here and there.
Written and directed by P.Rajapandi, the film makes an interesting watch, thanks to the abundance of twists and turns, which comes at a rapid pace in the tense climax portion. The director has played his cards well, and arranged the screenplay appropriately, so that the climax will keep the audience on their seats' edge. The film does not lag much and has a pretty straightforward screenplay, with no unwanted meandering. G.Radhakrishnan's dialogues are okay and fits the need of the script, but some comedy dialogues, mouthed by Ashwin and Thambi Ramaiah, were chuckle-worthy. P.Rajapandi has handled his artistes quite well, especially with well written roles, which had clarity in it. But the film slackens in certain places, especially with the placement of songs, and the lead scenes of songs, which were quite dull and boring. Some minor loopholes and gaps are there in the film, but P.Rajapandi covers it up, with a fairly engaging screenplay, with a no-nonsense approach. A little more finesse in the execution, and this film would have been much, much better.
'Yennamo Nadakkudhu' - Well handled, small-budget action-thriller !
Ratings: 2.75/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
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
'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
