Vijay Sethupathi is back immediately after his 'Rummy' with 'Pannaiyarum Padminiyum', the debut venture of S.U Arun Kumar of 'Naalaiya Iyakkunar' fame. Made as a YouTube short film originally, the debutante director has developed it into a full-length feature film, which narrates man's affection with his first vehicle. The short film gained lots of recognition, but can S.U Arun Kumar replicate the same success on a bigger scale, with the same material ?
Vijay Sethupathi, naturally blends into the script and has delivered an earnest performance. He definitely reminds us of 'Super Star' Rajinikanth's image in the 80's period. Vijay makes use of the right scenes, which he can score and score, he did ! He's just too comfortable as Murugesan, the lovable driver chap. Also, he shares a fantastic chemistry with Jayaprakash, which is evident in some of the second half sequences. Iyshwarya Rajesh pairs up with Vijay Sethupathi once again, and if she goes on to choose the right scripts, she's definitely a talent to watch out for. Iyshwarya is breathe of fresh air indeed, among the glut of nonnative actresses. Balasaravanan rocks as Peedai, and he seems to be a natural talent in comedy. His timing and expressions are just perfect enough for the scenes, and he does not over-do his lines, even by an iota ! The next big thing comedy artiste ? Hope so ! The film definitely belongs to the lovely senior pair of Jayaprakash and veteran Thulasi. The cute relationship of an old couple, was so beautifully enacted by both artistes, its definitely not an exaggeration to say that, they must have lived their roles ! Portrayal of mature romance is too few in Tamizh cinema, but this undoubtedly stays as one of the best, so far. Neelima Rani, Mahadevan and etc make up the rest of the cast with decent cameos by 'Attakathi' Dinesh and Sneha.
Moithen handles the costume designing and he has done a nice work, especially with the main lead characters, who resembled their social status and demographic class. Also, it has to pertain to the era of the early 90's, which Moithen did not fail to realize. C.S Balachandar's production design was very apt for the script, because of the nativity the script demanded. The props of a rural village head's home, were the highlights which shows the good background work done by the art director, in correlation with the late 80's and early 90's era. Sreekar Prasad, scores brownie points for his editing pattern, which holds our attention of the characters. But the editor should have dealt with the unnecessarily over-stretched running time, which further slows down the already, slow pace of the screenplay. For a multiple National Award winning editor, his vast experience could have come in handy. Debutante cinematographer Gokul Benoy makes a very promising entry with 'Pannaiyarum Padminiyum'. The way he presented the lovely Fiat Premier Padmini, as a character itself, speaks volume of his talent. Also, the interior shots and the meticulously handled, lighting and top-angle shots used for those shots, were just class !
Music is handled by another debutante, a very young Justin Prabhakaran. His compositions are full of melodies, and he definitely has a good future in Tamizh cinema ! "Enga Ooru Vandi" was sung by kids and has plenty of montages and has the Padmini as the main protagonist and her relationship with the villagers. Gokul Benoy's lens captures the barren landscape, very beautifully. "Pesuren Pesuren" is one of the most well conceived song picturization in recent times. It was shot on Vijay Sethupathi and Iyshwarya, with a funeral backdrop. The setting is of somber mood, we can feel the joy and love of Vijay Sethupathi, captured well by Gokul with plenty of close-ups. "Kadhal Vandhucho" is another song shot on this young pair and has a few montages, with good camera movements. The pick of the lot is definitely, "Unakaaga Poranthene" shot on Jayaprakash and Thulasi. The lovely song had even lovelier montages showing the beautiful relationship between the senior couple. Most of the shots were taken indoors, yet Gokul's camera work does not evoke any repetition. A similar track, "Enakaaga Poranthiye" features as a bit song and was shot on Vijay Sethupathi and Iyshwarya. "Aaraaro" is a pathos song, which highlights the separation of the vehicle from the family. Though Justin did a great work with the songs, he could still improve with the background score. Though melodious, some portions could have had a more mellow touch to it. He's obviously inspired by Raja sir, and he sure can learn a lot from the maestro's rerecording as well.
It is good to see that a young chap such as S.U Arun Kumar has the ability to handle the subject of a mature couple's love for each other, in a splendid manner. Also, he must be appreciated for scripting a subject which has no antagonist or any characters with negative shadows. S.U Arun Kumar handles the intricacies of relationship very well and he definitely extracts the best from his artistes, with his clear vision. The humor quotient is not forced and grows organically, along with the screenplay. Besides that, its nice to see that S.U Arun Kumar is a lover of old-fashion, which has its own poetic charm and essence, which was evident in the way he staged some sequences. But the film is not without its pitfalls. The depth of the film's script, is definitely very shallow and it is an arduous task to turn a 10-minute video into a full-length feature film. Added to that, the film has a slow narration and though it works well for the script, it might bore some audiences, who are lovers of fast screenplay. Also, S.U Arun Kumar could have avoided inserting unnecessary melodramatic and sentimental scenes, which looks forced and acts as mere speed-breakers. A more concise screenplay, would have done more good than harm to the film. But despite all these minor drawbacks, 'Pannaiyarum Padminiyum' is a welcome relief for us and has a feel-good, lovey-dovey element throughout the film.
'Pannaiyarum Padminiyum' - Charmingly and sweetly, old-fashioned.
Ratings: 3/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
'Paandiya Naadu' raised eyebrows and piqued the interest of Tamizh audience when it was launched. Suseenthiran join hands with Vishal for the very first time. An intriguing pairing this is, due to their current form in Tamizh film industry. The former is basking in the glories with the critically-acclaimed 'Aadhalaal Kaadhal Seiveer' and the former, reeling in consecutive flops and poor showing of films. Also, Vishal has decided to take things into his own hands by flaunting a new film production company (Vishal Film Factory) and churning out this flick as its maiden debut. Throw in, the best of technicians and Bharathiraja, this is a very interesting concoction indeed. Can Susee redeem Vishal's flagging career ?
'Paandiya Naadu' is certainly a throwback for Vishal to his 'Sandaikozhi' and 'Thimiru' days. Coincidentally, both those films were based in Madurai and its third time lucky for Vishal, because this performance is easily the best from him thus far. Though 'Avan Ivan' had plenty of struggle and pain, Vishal makes us fall for him and root for his success. He is totally convincing as the shy and mild-mannered Sivakumar. Its a refreshing change to see him shed his action-hero image and immerse into a believable and endearing character. A very well written role and neatly portrayed by Vishal, especially with the transformation in the second half, and the way he carried the stammering issues. The legend, Bharathiraja steals the show, with his terrific performance, and its a real shame that only a handful of directors in Tamizh cinema, had actually utilized his acting capabilities. The veteran just oozes class and moves us with his emotional outbursts and a touching performance in the end. Take a bow, sir ! Though Lakshmi Menon was adequate and convincing in her role, her acting scope was very much limited in the screen timing. Antagonist, Sharath Lohithashwa looks menacing and powerful, and is just the perfect villain for this genre of films. A fantastic portrayal by the Kannada actor. Harish Uthaman, comes close as well, with very commanding screen presence and looks. Soori makes his mark, wherever he was given space and Vikranth does a energy and rage-filled cameo appearance. The rest of the cast such as Somasundaram, literateur Jayabalan, Muthuraman, R.S Amudheswar, Thulasi, Keerthi Shetty, Priya, Soumya Satish, Bava Lakshmanan, the cute 'Baby' Rakshana and etc were befitting of their neatly presented roles.
Vasugi Bhaskar has done a terrific job with Vishal's costume designing, as he looks like a Madurai chap, perfectly ! Malini and Nikila are in charge of Lakshmi Menon's and their work was not bad, either. Rajeevan has handled the production design very well and all the landscape and plot setting looked very apt and authentic. The prop detailing was intricate and very well-researched. The opening sequences are a highlight and also the climax fight sequences, which had very good detailing, in terms of set properties. Anthony's editing was as usual, sharp and precise. Some trimming in the first half would have made wonders to this film, but the feel-good moments will have to be sacrificed, which could deter the reception of general, family audiences. 'Anal' Arasu's action choreography is simply superb, as it is very original and realistically shot. The climax fight sequence, where Vishal uses whatever props he can reach, was very well executed. Action sequences are definitely big highlights of the film ! The backbone of the film, is definitely Madhie's exceptional cinematography work. He made use of the 4K resolution camera very well, and each frame and camera movements, were well measured and carefully shot. The golden brown color tone maintained throughout the film, brings the nativity feel to the script. Virudhu Nagar of Madurai has been shot beautifully and 'Paandiya Naadu' will certainly be one of Madhie's best works, so far, especially with the fantastically shot, action blocks.
D.Imman is certainly having the time of his life, and he rocks again with brilliant musical score for this film, as well. The "Theme Music" was used for the opening credits and also used sparingly as background score. The thumping score, certainly eleveates the mood of the script. "Daiyare Daiyare" is an enjoyable opening song, which had a colorful, funeral 'celebration' as its backdrop. The camera movements and angles are the highlights of this song's picturization. "Yelay Yelay" was beautifully shot inside the ancient temples of Madurai, on Vishal and Lakshmi Menon, and had brilliant natural lighting and color tone, which brought out the earthy essence of the song. The pick of the lot, "Othakadai Othakadai" was shot on Vikranth, Soori and Vishal and was mostly shot in the narrow back-lanes and alleyways of Virudhunagar, with few montages interspersed. "Veri Konda Puli" is a situational song and had plenty of montage sequences, depicting the hero in his new 'journey'. "Fy Fy Kalachify" is a typical dance number, shot on Vishal and Lakshmi Menon, on barren fields, with minimal props. D.Imman, scores big time with the background score as well, with stirring and emotional arrangements. Clean hit, D.Imman !
When it comes to script novelty, there's nothing path-breaking here, since Suseenthiran has taken the beaten-to-death revenge story as his core content. But the treatment and screenplay, developed along with G.K Gopinath, Arun Balaji, Nagarajan and Vijay Anand, wins our attention and interest. The screenplay is packed with well-written, thrilling and suspenseful moment, especially in the second half, and keeps us on the edge of our seats. Suseenthiran should be really applauded for proving that one can still make a decent and innovative new script, based on as-old-as-the-hills type of theme lines. The unpredictability factor, coupled with some amusing scenes in the first half, entertains us pretty much, and Suseenthiran proves that he is a master in handling his artistes and bringing the best effort from them, with perfect conviction. Dialogues, co-written with Suseenthiran's pal, writer Bhaskar Sakthi are a scream in certain scenes and has a no-nonsense approach, with the serious sequences. Another plus point of the film, is the avoidance of over-glorifying of the protagonist and the shelving of needless heroism and a special thank you to Suseenthiran for not taking the audience for granted, by avoiding illogical scenes. The travel in the screenplay is nearly free of jerkiness, except for the needless song, late in the second half, which sticks out like a sore thumb.
'Paandiya Naadu' - Suseenthiran saves Vishal's career and enhances his directorial repertoire. They hit the bull's eye !
Ratings: 3.25/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
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Suseenthiran, who made a promising start with 'Vennila Kabbadi Kuzhu' and followed up with successful films such as 'Naan Mahaan Alla' and 'Azhagarsamiyin Kudhirai', took a beating with his last project, the dreadful 'Rajapattai'. After a two year hiatus, he is back in his forte and has churned out a juvenile love story, with a relatively unknown and young cast and backed by a good script. Will 'Aadhalaal Kadhal Seiveer', be a springboard again for Suseenthiran ?
Santhosh Ramesh makes his debut as a lead actor, and he fits the role of an immature and hasty teenager. He has plenty of scope to improve on every facets of film acting. Timing is a very important aspect which he should improve a lot, if he wishes to pursue acting. Manisha Yadav Suresh performs well as the vulnerable and joyful youngster. Her role seems to be like an extension of her debut role she carried out in 'Vazhakku En 18/9. Better directors and stronger scripts and character writing could bring out better performances from her. The two character artistes, Jayaprakash and Thulasi as the parents of the heroine, were absolutely terrific in their performances as the distraught parents. These artistes brings out the best in them and made use of the scope offered by Suseenthiran, fantastically. It is almost unbelievable to believe that they are actually just artistes and are acting ! Hats-off to both of them. Poornima Bhagyaraj had a strong role as well but had quite limited time and screen presence in this film. Arjun brings a few chuckle as the 'Godfather' of love among the bunch of friends. The rest of the cast such as Ramnath Shetty, Archana Raha, Srinidhi Vasudevan, Anburaj and etc are apt.
D.Venkatesh's costume designing and H.K Suriya Prakash's make-up was very functional and apt, and all the characters looked very natural and realistic. Anal Arasu's action choreography was very realistic as well, since there were no actual fights and stunt sequences. S.Jayachandran's art direction expertise, sufficed the needs of the script. The props of the interiors of homes, were well noticed and arranged, since most of the film are shot in real locations. Anthony's editing was flawless and sharp, as the duration of the film is very crisp, keeping the proceedings neat and tidy. Soorya A.R's cinematography is functional and has captured the pertinent moments very well, with good usage of close-ups.
Yuvan Shankar Raja delivered good numbers in the film. "Mella Sirithal" is the opening track and was shot like a music video, on Marina beach, focusing on the bunch of youngsters involved in the script, with interspersing montages of various couples falling in love. "Alaipaayum" is another montage song, shot on the lead pair and their love escapades, in their daily lives. "Thappu Thanda" is a sensuous song, shot on the lead pair, in a set resembling a hotel room, which was very well designed by S.Jayachandran, with apt color palette, suiting the song. "Nenje Kel" and "Kaadhale" are situational bit-songs, used appropriately, while the final number, "Aaraaro" is a heart-wrenching one, which was shot on a small child in a foster home. The delicate and moments of the child was very well captured by the technical crew of the film. Yuvan sizzles in the background score department as well, and has delivered one of his best works in recent times. The score complements the needs and moods of the script, perfectly.
Suseenthiran has written this story based on an idea, pitched by Lenin Bharathi, who has been credited in the film. The screenplay has been well structured by a team of writers, including Suseenthiran himself, besides Nagarajan and Vijaya Ananth. The first half is a smooth and light-hearted delight, with funny and lively moments, among the bunch of friends portrayed in the film, as well as the blossoming love episode of the lead pair. There are a myriad of characters involved and kudos to Suseenthiran for having a keen eye of detail, and presenting them in an realistic and unforced manner. Also, Suseenthiran must be appreciated alongside C.Clyton for the simple, natural and realistic dialogues, be it for any episode in the film and any characters involved. It takes a lot of hard-work and proper research and some good maturity to handle such delicate but actual matters. What particularly strikes the most, is the nonchalant manner in which the love is portrayed between the lead pair without any gimmicks nor purposely written scene to enforce the love. It takes guts and lots of conviction to deliver such simple episodes, perfectly on the screen and Suseenthiran has done it like an ace ! The only minus one can come up, is the less sizzling and powerful emotional connect between the lead pair. Though juveniles are expected to be like that, a more powerful portrayal could have done more justice to the script. But still, kudos to Suseenthiran for the climax, which leaves a lump in the hearts of all viewers.
'Aadhalaal Kadhal Seiveer' - A brilliant comeback from Suseenthiran ! Concisely and conscientiously, done.
Ratings: 3.25/5 STARS
BY:TAMIL
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