Vetrimaaran's production company Grass Root Film Company, has produced this medium budget flick, interestingly titled as 'Poriyaalan', meaning an engineer ! The film's plot is based on civil engineering projects and the protagonist plays a civil engineer (Vetrimaaran and Dhanush, seem to be on the same wavelength !). Written by Manimaran, who previously wielded the megaphone for Vetri's 'Udhayam NH4' and directed by debutante Thanukumar, can Vetrimaaran produce a quality output ?
Harish Kalyan looks comfortable and at ease in essaying his role. But he lacks screen presence and charisma to hold our attention, which he should improve, if he's to do more protagonist roles. Rakshitha/Hasika/Anandhi (hope she zeroes a name, very soon !) looks demure and fits the bill. She has a pleasing personality and comes out with subtle performances. With better directors and scripts, she can go places. Achutha Kumar was functional was the atypical Tamizh cinema villain, whereas its veteran artiste Mohan Raman, who surprises us with a terrifically nonchalant performance ! The rest of the cast includes 'Delhi' Ganesh, Naren, Mayilsamy, Ajay Rathnam, 'Munnar' Ramesh, Udhayabanu Maheshwaran, 'Crane' Manohar, Bava Lakshmanan and etc.
'Tiger' Babu's action choreography may seem to be functional, but it just did not suit the personality of Harish Kalyan, and gives out an exaggerated feel, which definitely, is a turn off. G.B Venkatesh's editing is slick and he keeps the pace of racy, especially in the second half, bar some unwanted songs and stunt scenes. R.K Vijay Murugan's art work sufficed the needs of the script. His set properties were very apt, especially for the middle-class homes depicted in the film. R.Velraj is in charge of cinematography and though the ace cinematographer tries his best to come up with good visuals, the quality is obviously missing. The songs look lackluster and even his forte of night shots, look dull.
M.S Jones' music is below average and none of the songs, manage to stick with our minds. "Porappu Erappu" is the introductory song for the protagonist and the song has a celebration theme, with low-cost flats, as its background. Gana Bala makes a cameo appearance in this song. "Kan Rendum" sung by G.V Prakash Kumar and Saindhavi, is a melody shot on the lead pair and has full of montage sequences, which doesn't really leave any impressive impression on us. "Yedhedho Sila" is another melody shot on the lead pair and this romance track was shot on the backwaters of Alleppy, Kerala and has its famous houseboats, as a venue. "Haryana Devathai" is an item number, which was unfortunately, very boring. The background score was overwhelming and often drowns the proceeding of the screenplay. M.S Jones, should be more careful with his rerecording and try not to overdo his work.
Manimaran's story is a very simple thriller plot line, which has the typical scandals and scams being the main theme. The screenplay was neat and plays safe by incorporating all the commercial elements into it, but the story picks up pace in the second half and the detailing is worth mentioning. We get to see the other side of civil engineers, real estate projects, brokers & agents and all the hanky-panky issues of that side of the world, which we might not know. Though the film is filled with realistic approaches, the negative points of the film, brings down the thrill quotient. The film lacks energy and strong characterizations. The characters have a basic sketch about them, but other than that, the characters lack depth and is pretty insipid. Mohan Raman's character was a surprise exception ! The romance, comedy and song sequences really pulls down the momentum of screenplay but Manimaran tries to keep us engaged with some poignant touches here and there, especially in the manner the protagonist faced and managed his love affair, once it becomes an open secret. The dialogues are crisp in those portions, but the execution in the direction department by Thanukumar is not up to mark. The film has a good content and subject matter but it faltered in the making.
'Poriyaalan' - A B-grade thriller, not going right !
Ratings: 2.25/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
"A movie without a story" - No one else can come up with such quirky caption in Tamizh cinema, if not Radhakrishnan Parthiban, for his 'Kadhai Thiraikadhai Vasanam Iyakkam' ! After lying low for sometime and occasionally making appearances in film events, Parthiban is back in the directorial seat after the forgetful 'Vithagan' but this is the first time he's not doing the lead role of his own directorial. Known for his out-of-box thinking, can Radhakrishnan Parthiban satisfy the taste-buds of the contemporary Tamizh cinema lovers ?
The lead role is carried by newcomer Santhosh Prathap and he has performed decently, though his characterization marks a striking resemblance to Parthiban's own personality, especially with the dialogue delivery. He is ably supported by other newcomers such as Dinesh Natarajan, Lallu Prasath, Vijay Ram and etc. But the one who steals the show is Thambi Ramaiah, who was fantastic with his comic timing and dialogue delivery. The veteran is simply in top-form here and Parthiban's humorous dialogues keeps it even more engaging. As for the female leads, debutantes Akhila Kishore, Mahalakshmi and former Miss Chennai Sahithya Jagannathan, too had credible debuts and as it always in Parthiban's films' the female leads were intelligent characters with a seductive and sensuous nature. Akhila's performance was accentuated by Suchitra's dubbing for her, whereas Mahalakshmi makes a strong impression. Sahithya has a limited role, but looks confident and natural. Besides them, there's literally a battalion of Tamizh cinema stars who made cameo appearances in the film such as director/actor Cheran, UTV South chief Dhananjayan Govind, veteran artiste Kalaignanam, Prakash Raj, Taapsee Pannu, music director S.S Thaman, producer A.L Azhagappan, director/actor Venkat Prabhu, Vijay Sethupathi, Vishal and Parthiban himself. Meanwhile, Arya and Amala Paul played extended cameos and had more screen timing than the others.
The art direction department is handled by R.K Vijay Murugan and his work complements the needs and necessities of the script, in a big manner. There are many imaginary sequences, which features the Tamizh cinema stars' cameos and R.K Vijay Murugan has come up with a quality output. As for the main story, his work with the interiors of the apartment of the lead pair, shows a good sense of artistry. R.Sudharsan's editing work sufficed the needs of the script, and his editing work suits the narrative style of Parthiban's script. But the second half could have been better, in which the cuts could have been smoother, especially with the transition. Cinematography by Rajarathnam is good, especially with the lighting, which creates a dreamy like atmosphere for the correct sequences. The camera movement too must be appreciated, which adds more fun element to the script, especially under the direction of Radhakrishnan Parthiban.
Parthiban has employed the services of 4 different music directors for the songs and an additional one more, for the background score. "Kaathil Kadhai", scored by singer/musician Alphons Joseph, is the theme track which plays during the opening credits and also appears occasionally, till the second half. "Pen Megam Pole", is composed by Malayalam composer Sharreth and was picturized on Santhosh Prathap and Akhila Kishore, highlighting their intimate and romantic moments. The song, which was sung by G.V Prakash Kumar and Saindhavi, also comes in the second half, during the imaginary Arya & Amala Paul sequence. "Live the Moment" is done by S.S Thaman and appears during the end credits. The song is meant to be like a promotional piece and has an array of another set of stars such as Bharath, Iniya, Iyshwarya Rajesh, Roopa Shree, Shanthnu Bhagyaraj, Srikanth and Vemal. The song, which had a music-video like format with plenty of lighting effects was choreographed by Raghava Lawrence. "A for Azhagirukku" is composed by Vijay Antony, which comes available in the soundtrack. Background score is handled by C.Sathya and it suits the film's mood and complements the presentation style of Parthiban's.
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'Kadhai Thiraikadhai Vasanam Iyakkam', conceived and crafted by Radhakrishnan Parthiban, is a film about film discussion and Parthiban needs to be applauded for daring to attempt on such a hard to execute idea ! The film is littered with Parthiban's brilliant (sometimes corny !) lines and with Thambi Ramaiah at helm, the dialogues have a different shade and dimension, overall. The first half is very much casual and it takes its time to unravel, but Parthiban keeps us glued with his pleasant surprises, writing wise. Since the film is about film discussion, Parthiban has infused metacinema elements in the script, especially in the second half with the Arya & Amala Paul episodes, which gives us an introspective look, on how screenplays and dialogues evolve from paper to celluloid. As promoted by Parthiban, the film has an unpredictable screenplay and that keeps us glued to our seats, waiting for any surprise element from the director. Despite the overflowing creative juice of Parthiban's, the film lacks pace, especially in the second half and a sense of cohesiveness in the screenplay is missing. The abrupt end could be forgiven because Parthiban's message through the film, after all is "Live the Moment" and he literally scripts his story in accordance with the message itself. Overall, 'Kadhai Thiraikadhai Vasanam Iyakkam' is a good comeback from Radhakrishnan Parthiban and the man has shown that he did not lose his creative writing and directorial sense.
'Kadhai Thiraikadhai Vasanam Iyakkam' - A filmy discussion regarding film discussion !
Ratings: 2.75/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
It's the 25th film for Dhanush and the star really needs a hit in Tamizh because his 'Mariyaan' was an average affair whereas 'Naiyaandi' was just one of his worst film's to date. Produced under his own home banner Wunderbar Films, this is the directorial debut for cinematographer R.Velraj and the music is already a blockbuster hit, coming from none other than Anirudh Ravichander. With everything hitting the right notes, can Dhanush pull off a hit with his silver jubilee 'Velaiilla Pattadhari' ?
Being the titular character, Dhanush carries the whole film on his shoulder and he is nearly there in every frame ! Its and out-and-out Dhanush film and he has simply rocked as Raguvaran. You can differentiate his performance between the first and the second half. In the first half, it's all about the actor in Dhanush. The subtle nuances, the impeccable comic timing, the camaraderie with his co-artistes and all the song and dance were just a perfect concoction for him to perform his acting histrionics. The second half was all about atypical Tamizh cinema 'masala' hero, where our underdog rises to the occasion and Dhanush flexes his star prowess by pulling off punch dialogues effervescently. The climax fight sequence was tailor-made for him to brandish his 6-pack and machismo & swag mannerisms.'VIP' is just a bang-on for Dhanush, who was a pleasure with his screen presence ! Amala Paul, plays the cutesy and sweet girl-next-door and looks equally sweet and charming. Savitha's dubbing enhanced the role's nature and Amala's post-marriage release seems to be a good mark in her acting career ! Saranya Ponvannan and P.Samuthirakani were brilliant as the middle-class parents and the chemistry they share between themselves, was beautiful to watch. Debutante Amitash was a little letdown as the antagonist, but you can't blame him much when the hero opposing him is a terrific actor. Vivek brings some laughter in the second half with his dialogues and voice modulation. 'Cell' Murugan, Surabhi, M.J Shriram, Hrishikesh, Vignesh Sivan and etc were good additions to the film as character artistes.
Nagu and Pallavi Singh takes care of the costume department and Pallavi scores in her work for the lovely attires of Amala Paul, who looked simple yet sweet and presentable throughout the film. Action choreography is done by a debutante Hari Dinesh and his choreography style for the film, matched the body language of Dhanush, which shows that he has done his homework, pretty well. The climax fight was well choreographed and it really upped the ante, especially with the trademark flying kick from Dhanush ! R.K Vijay Murugan's art direction was brilliant, especially with the interior works for the protagonist's middle-class home. The set properties were just so apt, it naturally blended and looked very realistic, and the camp-like house on the rooftop balcony was a sweetly executed ! Editing is by another debutante M.V Rajesh Kumar and his work deserves appreciation because the film does not have any draggy moments and it was precisely edited, with only the necessary scenes being kept. The songs could be a spoilsport for some, but in such commercial films, they are a must ! R.Velraj's cinematography complemented the film's script and though there are no outstanding framing from him, the necessity was not there due to the script's simplistic story-line. Yet, there are some beautiful night effect shots and also some rain shots, which R.Velraj really seems to be a specialist in !
The film would have lost half the luster, if it wasn't for Anirudh Ravichander's musical score. The songs were just a treat for the fans and each one of them are chart-busters ! "What a Karvad" was shot entirely on the empty streets and the lighting for the night effect shot was neatly done. Lots of top angle shots were used for this song. "Hey Inge Paaru" is a bit song, which has montages of Dhanush and Amala Paul bonding. "Sunrise Theme" appears sporadically in the film and features predominantly during the birthday party sequence. "Udhungada Sangu" follows immediately and was fully shot on the rooftop balcony, on Dhanush and Hrishikesh with some dancers. The beautiful melody "Amma Amma" sung by Dhanush and the legendary S.Janaki, comes right after the interval and is a fit situational song, with montages of Dhanush and Saranya Ponvannan. "Po Indru Neeyaaga" is another short song shot on the lead pair, but this time it has more intimate and romantic montages, in which a couple of them were beautifully shot in the rain. The titular track, "Vellaiila Pattadhari" was also used as a situational song, which highlights the underdog tag powerfully and was fully shot on Dhanush on construction sites. Finally, the "Smiling with the Pain" theme track appears sporadically in the second half. Anirudh rocks with the background score and the lilting string section portion is fast becoming a trademark of Anirudh !
'Velaiilla Pattadhari' is written and directed by cinematographer R.Velraj and his script managed to strike a perfect balance of commercial 'masala' elements, together with realistic story telling and with a powerful social message. As mentioned earlier, the first half was a very entertaining and breezy episode, with all the light-hearted moments, the songs, the blossoming romance, the comedic episodes and etc. It was almost reminiscent of a Selvaraghavan-type of presentation, minus the crude and in-your-face sort of dialogues and scenes ! The second half was all 'masala' with hero vs villain antics, the powerful punch-dialogues, the stirring emotional scenes, the addition of extra comedians and a dose of relevant and contemporary social message. R.Velraj just nailed it and together with a perfect team of artistes and technicians, the end product was simply a pure commercial film, which one can consider as a perfect, relaxing entertainment. Though the commercial elements are cliched, R.Velraj's writing was very organic and the screenplay has a neat flow to it. Also, the dialogues are very contemporary and colloquial and even the social message scenes were not preachy. The romance track was not overdone and some sequences were very sweet and endearing, especially the birthday party episode. 'Vellaiilla Pattadhari' seems to be a quintessential representation of the perfect 'masala' entertainer !
'Vellaiilla Pattadhari' - A bang on D25, Team V.I.P !
Ratings: 3.25/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
'Goli Soda' made the right noises for the return of the 'Pasanga' boys in their early teenage years, but this time in a totally different world. S.D Vijay Milton, the popular cinematographer takes up the baton of director for the second time after 'Azhagai Irukirai Bayamai Irukiradhu', a film which got released in 2006. Produced by his brother Bharath Seeni, under the Rough Note Production company and distributed by N.Lingusamy's Tirrupathi Brothers, can 'Goli Soda' quench our thirst for good cinema ?
The 'Pasanga' boys consisting of Kishore, Sree Ram, Pandi, and Murugesh have equal screen presence and importance in the film and they have shown complete understanding of their characters and have shown good maturity. Each of them had their own unique personalities, and all of them have pulled it off, effectively. Promising talents ! The debuting girls, Chandhini and Seetha too were very adequate. The former, projecting the sweet and homely character, whereas the latter is the firecracker and actual scene stealer of the film ! Madhusudhan plays the main antagonist role and he is certainly someone to watch out for. Besides that, Samuthirakani's dubbing for Madhusudhan, was very apt and a good choice made by the director. Sujatha and Immanuel Annachi, had very likeable and natural roles, and both of them were good to watch. A.Manoharan, Meenal, Senthikumari, R.K Vijay Murugan and etc filled up the remaining roles, quite well.
R.K Vijay Murugan, who has acted as the second antagonist, is in charge of the art direction as well. Nearly every scene was shot in the actual locations of Koyambedu market and whatever props needed, especially for the "Aachi Mess" setting, was neatly and aptly done. 'Supreme' Sundar's action choreography was raw, gritty and superbly done. The first action sequence, though lengthy, was splendidly shot and executed by the boys and stunt artistes. The climax fight sequence too was edgy and fast-paced, but the first action block, simply takes the cake. This would definitely be one of 'Supreme' Sundar's best works. Adding more zing to these action sequences, is Anthony's editing. His fast-cuts and no-gimmicks approach worked very well for the movie's overall presentation and elevated the raw and gritty look. The film is also very racy and slickly packaged, with perfect running time of just over 2 hours. S.D Vijay Milton's cinematography brings the story forward and his guerrilla technique, with candid shots gives the film a natural and raw look. Nothing looked staged and purposely choreographed at all, and that's the biggest plus, when it comes to the cinematography aspect.
S.N Arunagiri's songs were all shot in montages. Though they don't stand out as brilliant tracks, they do gel well with the theme and mood of the script. "All Your Duty" is the opening first song and was shot on the boys, with their small fun in their limited world. "Killadi" depicted a shopping spree sequence, and "Silusilunu" is about the urge of the boys to earn extra. "Oyyale" was picturized on the boys, girls and Sujatha which showed the boys' next progress in business. "Aaru Adi" was shot as a night sequence, bit song in dim lights. "Jananam Jananam" had plenty of other locations such as Himachal Pradesh, Murudeshwara, Allepy and etc which was essential for the songs, in order to project the boys' separation. "Kadhal Panne" had the guest appearances of 'Powerstar' Dr S.Srinivasan and 'Dancing Sensation' Sam Anderson and had a cinema song-shoot theme, which was shot in and around Koyambedu. The background score meanwhile, is handled by Kannada musician, Anoop Seelin. Although it served the purpose, the score is quite archaic and uninspiring, especially when you have new talents doing great in Tamizh cinema.
S.D Vijay Milton has used Koyambedu, the biggest market in Asia as his base and the lost individuals, dwelling in this ultra-busy place, as his protagonists. The bone of contention of this script, is the non-existence of identities for his protagonists and their struggle and fight in developing and keeping one. S.D Vijay Milton has scripted the screenplay in a nice fashion, where the second half develops slowly and leads into an explosive second half, which holds our attention greatly. And most of the scenes are well crafted and genuinely staged and enacted by good artistes. The director should be applauded for developing characters of flesh and blood and giving most of his artistes, the ample screenplay time and apt scenes, in bringing out the nuances of their respective characters. Dialogues by Pandiraj is definitely a highlight, especially for the humor sequences, which give us the chuckles. What S.D Vijay Milton and Pandiraj, could have avoided though, is the preaching and over-emphasis on the question of identity, which gets repetitive after some time. Also, the director could have parted ways with some of the songs, which does not serve much purpose. Nevertheless, the makers can be proud of their product, which is a commercial entertainer, yet different in making and approach.
'Goli Soda' - Smashingly original and a brave attempt.
Ratings: 3.25/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
A unique set of second timers, coming together after a successful first film is what 'Ivan Vera Maathiri' is all about. M.Saravanan, after the critically-acclaimed 'Engeyum Eppothum' and Vikram Prabhu, after the blockbuster hit of 'Kumki' are joining hands for the first time. Produced jointly by N.Lingusamy owned Thirrupathi Brothers and UTV Motion Pictures, the genre is new for both the director and hero. How do they measure up in their second venture ?
Vikram Prabhu has a good changeover from 'Kumki' to this city-slicker protagonist in 'Ivan Vere Maathiri'. He proves his mettle in enacting the silent, low-key characters and is expressive when it comes to emoting and uses his eyes very well, which is an asset of his. He shows his flexibility in performing action-oriented roles, with this film and maintains a great deal of energy in those heavy, action sequences. But he definitely has to improve the romance segments, in which he reflects stiffness throughout. Good showing ! Newcomer Surabhi, performs well in her debut and fits the role to a T. Her lip-sync is very good, which earns her extra brownie points. But the real revelation in this film is the antagonist, played by Vamsi Krishna. He proves his adeptness in performing such a menacing role, and displays intense portrayal in tied-up sequences, were very well done by him. Also, he's equally as good as an action hero, when it comes to the action sequences. Great going, Vamsi ! The rest of the cast such as Hariraj, Sharmini, Malavika Menon and a cameo by Ganesh Venkatraman, were adequate in their minuscule roles.
The film would not have been as good as it tries to be, without the inputs of action choreographer, Rajasekhar. The action sequences are raw, gritty and power-packed and his assistants should be commended for the daring drop stunts, falling from dizzying heights. This film should stand as one of Rajasekhar's best works, till date. R.K Vijay Murugan's production design was good and sufficed the needs of the scripts. The props for all those outdoor locations, such as construction sites, were well set up. Veteran Sreekar Prasad proves his experience, with the exciting editing of the last 15 minutes, leading to the climax. But, the film's duration is just too long, and a healthy dose of snipping would have done wonders to the film. Tied-up by the director's script, perhaps ? Cinematographer Shakthi, captures some thrilling moments in the action sequences, with his top-angles, complementing the stunt choreography. His camera movements in the construction site sequences, are noteworthy. The color tone of the film, also brings out the right effect, desired. Good job !
C.Sathya works well with M.Saravanan but this time, the songs were pretty average. "Ithuthaan" is the opening song, used as a bit song for a riot situation, happening in a college. "Ranga Ranga" has montages of the heroine, going after the hero and her attempts going vain. Most of the shots were taken in busy streets and in real locations. "Ennai Marandhai" is a love song, reflecting the falling-in-love, from the heroine's perspective. It had plenty of montages featuring the lead pair. "Malaya Porattala" is the typical heroism-themed song, shot on Vikram Prabhu and featuring a couple of dance sequences, interspersing with some montages. "Loveulla" is a fully choreographed song, showcasing the lead pair, reciprocating love for the first time and was shot in and around shopping malls and street-sides. "Thanimayile" is a bit song, featuring in the built-up towards climax. C.Sathya makes up for the average scores, by producing a good background score, which highlights the action sequences and elevates the exciting element of the script.
M.Saravanan, has written a straight-forward script, with no tricks up in his sleeves, in regards to his screenplay. He has incorporated some interesting elements, which builds up the suspense factor, which makes us engaged with the proceedings of the script. The screenplay should have been worked out, since the film drags heavily in the second half. A big contributory factor, is the rather amateurish love sequences, which does not really convince you. M.Saravanan, could have wanted to project the naivety and silliness of the heroine's character, but those scenes simply stretch the length of the film, for no apparent reason. Nonetheless, he should be credited for sketching a convincing pair of protagonist-antagonist. The characters play a motion of tit for tat, which is pretty exciting to watch to. M.Saravanan has a knack for writing smart dialogues, and in this film, Ganesh Venkatraman takes the cake for the best dialogues. The director does have a good sense of script writing and a planned structure for his screenplay. The only thing he needs to loon into, is the prioritization of the elements of his script.
'Ivan Vere Maathiri' - A good watch for those who prefer action entertainers.
Ratings: 3/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
'Thillu Mullu' is a legendary film, directed by K.Balachander and ably performed by Superstar Rajinikanth and Thengai Seenivasan, who made their roles memorable ! And when one is to remake one of the classiest comedy films of Tamizh cinema, it takes a bucket load of guts and dare to do it, and to have Shiva to reprise the role of Rajini's, the stakes just shoot several notches higher. Badri has taken the extremely daunting challenge, by remaking the cult hit. Did he succeed in making any sort of justifications for his actions ?
Shiva, does what Ajith did when the latter donned the role of 'Billa', another role made memorable by Rajinikanth. He made the role as his own, without any imitations of the Superstar. His stoic expressions, with a poker face, is his USP and he plays to the gallery with them. He pulls of his comic portions with consummate ease ! The naughty and quirky smile adds more sheen to both character(s) he portrays in the film. Prakash Raj, dons the role of Thengai Seenivasan's, and he too follows Shiva's way by not imitating the legendary actor, and utilizing his own creativity to the hilt. It must have definitely been a cake walk to the veteran performer. Isha Talwar makes her debut in Tamizh cinema, and is lucky enough to have an easy role to do. A big bunch of comedians such as Kovai Sarala (in her usual loud self), Soori, Sathyan, Manobala, Ilavarasu, Sachu, Monisha, Devadarshini, Ajay Rathnam, Swaminathan, Ashwin Raja and George contribute to the fun quotient of the film. As for cameos, there are Venkat Prabhu, cinematographer Sakthi Saravanan, rapper Blaaze, Bosskey, Valeri Nobbe, and Shivashankar but the grandest of it, goes to the one and only Santhanam, who was in his usual wise-cracking elements ! He takes center-stage in an extended cameo, and happily entertains us, with his one-liners !
The technical department of the film was functional with their contributions, and there's pretty much nothing to rave about in particular. 'Thalapathy' Dinesh and 'Dragon' Prakash's stunt choreography was quite overboard, though it fitted the style and presentation of the overall film. R.K Vijay Murugan's production design was okay, especially with the interior props of the protagonist's middle-class home and the posh bungalow and office premises of Prakash Raj's character. Praveen K.L and Srikanth N.B have done their best, to keep the film racy and not languorous in its pace, though two songs in the second half were absolute speed breakers. J.Lakshmanan's cinematography was adequate, though his song picturization was quite ordinary, considering the brilliant works being showcased in contemporary Tamizh cinema by fellow cinematographers.
M.S Viswanathan and Yuvan Shankar Raja join hands for the first time in composing songs for a film. The legendary latter's two songs have been retained for this film, while Yuvan has composed another set of two fresh songs. The cult opening title song, "Thillu Mullu" had both the composers making a cool cameo, along with Canadian singer Tha Prophecy, in a video song mixed with funny montage clips. "Kai Pesi" was shot on the lead pair, in nice locations with simple building landmarks, and interspersed with funny montage sequences of Shiva day-dreaming of his heroine. "Aaja Aaja" was shot in a Dubai club, and also had scenic views of Dubai, with a glamorous Isha Talwar. "Raagangal Padhinaaru" was also shot in more picturesque locations in Dubai, especially in the desert landscape. The background score was just functional, along with some nice touches of melody, sprinkled in few moments.
Badri has taken the basic thread of Sachin Bhowmick's story and Hrishikesh Mukherjee's screenplay and made a more contemporary slapstick mould of the original comedy film. The film is enjoyable, especially with the funny and wacky one-liners of T.Balaji and Ramesh Vaidhya's. But for those who have watched the original, the unchanged storyline might bore you, since one is familiar with all the twists and turns. Badri has made use of his artistes USP to good use for the film and incorporated all of their pluses into his style of presentation of 'Thillu Mullu'. As mentioned earlier, the crisp film could be even better, if the songs did not play as mere speed-breakers, especially in the second half. Some sequences have been especially inserted into the screenplay, just for the sake of making use of the artistes' performance style and ability. The eccentricity and zany attitude of the original is not present in this, loud and clumsy film, which might be a turn-off for the fans of the original.
'Thillu Mullu' - Badri comes unscathed in his remake attempt but still some classics can be just left untouched.
Ratings: 2.75/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
