Saguni

My review : Saguni

It has been a very long time since Tamil cinema audience came across a mainstream movie with such loose screenplay, illogicality at its heights & downright silly characterizations. “Saguni” is easily the worst movie of the year so far by a fair distance. To think of the hype that was created before its release the end result is a definite let-down.  

Shankar Dayal is the writer director of this insipid fare. He has tried to make a movie on  the lines of Sathyaraj’s famous political satirical movies of the 90’s like “Amaithipadai” , “Thaaimaman”, & so on. But the difference between these movies & this one is a tight screenplay, sticking onto logic howsoever possible & Sathyaraj was too good in these types of roles that one might not have chance to notice the flaws. Sadly this movie lacks all these.

Karthi is getting typecast in same kind of roles & nothing new to offer after a great start to his career. Pranitha is the heroine duty of whom is to appear in the song sequences. Santhanam too is getting repetitive & at times irritating. Prakash Raj looks disinterested while Radhika too doesn’t have much of a substantial part to play as it was hyped. Kiran & Roja are casted in roles any extras would have done. Much publicized cameos of Anushka  & Andrea are a big letdown.

Nothing much to talk about as far as songs or back-ground score is concerned ( wonder how long the music directors would use rap track with the movie name or hero’s name in their back ground score, very irritating & sounds downright silly) Music director is G.V.Praksah Kumar

P.G.Muthaiah’s cinematography is good & technically movie is glossy & first-class.

It is not a promising debut for the writer- director Shankar Dayal. He should learn first that movie goers are not morons to accept whatever is ditched out in the name of “ Movie “. Rehashing old movies & old dialogues would do no good to his growth whatsoever.

On the whole, “Saguni” is a senseless fare.

Bottomline: give it a miss

1.5/5

Vicky Donor

My review : Vicky Donor

Rarely do the cine-goers come out of the Cinema hall informed, enlightened , entertained & heart warmed , all with the same movie. “Vicky Donor” is one such rare gem , a romantic comedy set against the backdrop of Sperm Donation which is still a proscribed topic in Indian society. That the makers of the movie have succeeded in presenting such a controversial & misunderstood yet medically & legally accepted technique in such a palatable & pleasant manner is an example of excellent film making. It reiterates the fact that conveying a message need not be preachy always.

Written by Juhi Chaturvedi & directed by Shoojit Sarkar “Vicky Donor” is one of the best movie this year thus far. Both Juhi & Shoojit deserve all the accolades due to them. It is a brilliant piece of writing & very casual & restrained direction that has made the movie so appealing. That the viewer genuinely feels blissful at the end of the movie is a testimony to the duo’s brilliance.

Even the educated of people do have misconceptions regarding this noble & scientific technique. It is brilliantly put across when not only Vicky’s not so educated mother & grandmother misunderstands him but even the highly educated Vicky’s wife also has the same level of understanding as them. In the end when she gets to witness the whole bunch of kids , the tears of joy that flows through one’s eye is inevitable.

The movie is not just education & information. It has comedy , emotions , sparkling & witty dialogues , wonderful acting , soulful music , & above all “Paani Da rang ”. The casual banter between the Bengali & Punjabi families about the stereotypes they have of each other is damn hilarious segment. That the writer is a Punjabi & director Bengali helps. There numerous such hilarious moments in the movie. One more which warrants mention is the sequence in which Vicky goes for his first donation.

It is hard think of anyone else other than Ayushmann Khurrana as Vicky. He is brilliant. The effortless manner in which he espouses varied emotions is awesome. He seems to be a natural actor & it is a worthy start. Yami Gautham is yet another stupendous actress that the movie has introduced to Bollywood. She seems to an actress with substance. Annu Kapoor as Dr Chaddha is brilliant. He has used all his experience to optimum use here. All others in supporting cast have done well.

Written , sung  & composed by Ayushmann “Paani Da rang” is an awesome song which is an instant earworm. “Meri Jayeyaan “ is another good number.

Kamaljeet Negi is the cinematographer & he has done a good job. Technically also the movie is good.

It is appreciable that the makers have done a lot of homework on the subject of sperm donation & infertility treatment. But little more research on their part would have made them realise that infertility caused by Tubal blockage ( as the heroine of this movie suffers from) is also not that a bleak one. In-vitro fertilization is a widely recommended & performed treatment for the same. Hence there is no need for adoption (though the current ending of the movie is lyrical & heart-warming) & despondence on the part of the person with tubal blockage as portrayed in this movie.

On the whole, “Vicky donor ” is a brilliant (wonder how many times this word gets repeated in this review..!) attempt which needs to be celebrated & respected.

Bottomline : Brilliant (one more time..!!!)

4/5

Shanghai

My review : Shanghai

Contemporary Indian society is such that the one who is honest & upright is a person who has not got any chance to get corrupted. If given a chance & power all those who preach & vouch for anti-corruption, social equality & just society would fare no better. If you brave enough to confront this bitter truth then you would surely enjoy “Shanghai” 4^th feature film directed by the most promising talent in Bollywood Dibakar Banerjee. Based on the novel “Z” by Vassillis Vassilikos “Shanghai” is a political thriller.

Movie actually tries to satire the current political climate in the country as a whole & most of the Hindi-speaking states in particular. But it also brilliantly espouses the fact that Politicians are not aliens who jump onto the earth from a far away planet. They are just a sample of the larger population as a whole. It is we who make them & make them what they are. They are just a reflection of the society of which each of us are a part of. And the fact is disillusioning & scary but the movie confronts this harsh truth.  

Except the last reel of the movie, rest of the movie is truthful & pragmatic. Cinematic liberty in the last reel does leave a bad taste but director was sensible enough to abstain from following cinematic clichés like chief minister getting convicted, the collector & the part-time photographer being celebrated like superheroes......!!

As a cinema “Shanghai” is the weakest of  Dibankar’s four movies. The tightness of screenplay, mastery over the emotional quotient & invoking the same in the audience are all not to the extent they were there in his previous movies. But this is the first time he has attempted a story of this scale & hence these dilutions are to be expected. First half actually gets over even before you get a hang of things happening around. Second half however is a bit length & also drags a bit. To sum it up, intensity seems to be lacking.

Abhay Deol has done a very good job as an honest IAS officer who conducts the enquiry into the attempted murder of the world renowned social activist. It is appreciable that he was not to do the routine Tamil stereotyping that Bollywood revels in. Emran Hasmi has also done a neat job. Actually he overshadows everyone in the first half but in the second half he does look lost. Kalki as usual overdoes her bit. He needs to understand the value of subtlety & underplay. Prosenjith Chatterjee is top class as the social activist Dr.Ahmedi while Farooq Sheikh lends adequate support.

“Bharath Mata ki jai ” is a rocking number from Vishal-Sekhar duo. Nikos Andritsakis’ cinematography elevates the production values of this small budget movie.

On the whole, “Shanghai” is an interesting watch provided one is willing to swallow the bitter pill.

Bottomline: India shining..!!! :P

3.5/5

Leelai

My review : Leelai

Debutant writer , director, Andrew Louis’ “Leelai” is a breezy romantic comedy on the lines of yesteryear Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan movies. It strictly follows the template of the Hollywood romcoms but comes across as a whiff of fresh air for Tamil cinema where sickle & sexism rules. Though predictable the screenplay is fresh & realistic with enjoyable casual dialogues adding on to the delight. And most importantly the cast & their neat portrayal make the movie a lot enjoyable.

Here the hero is not a saint , he has his flaws , does a lot of dissocial activities but yet he is genuine & unpretentious. Shiv Pandit in this role of Karthik gets his lip sync absolutely perfect for the starters. His expressions , the way he conveys myriad of emotions , his charm , he must be the next one to claim the chair vacated by Arvinth Sami & Madhavan. Not one do you feel that he is not a native for he has absolutely ingrained into the character he plays.

Heroine Karunai Malar starts of as an opinionated , feministic , paranoid college girl who undergoes a personality change of sorts after she falls in love with the stranger. Manasi Parekh who enacts Malar is first class. Like Karthik she also gets her lip sync correct all the time. She lives the role of the urban Tamil Christian software engineer flawlessly. She may not have earth-shattering looks but manages to captivate the audience with her alluring simplicity.

Suhasini Raju gets a good role as a common friend of both the protagonist. She is talented  & has utilised the opportunity very well. Sad such talented people are not getting noticed.

Shanthanam does his sexist routine in the name of comedy. He redeems himself in the parts where he comes as the friend of Malar & colleague of Karthik.

Huge pillar of strength for this movie is it’s songs , music composed by Satish Chakravarthy. “Oru kili oru kili ” is a soothing romantic number while “Jillendru Oru kalavaram” is an enjoyable melody. “Ponmalai pozhuthu” is another pleasant melody. Not only songs , Satish has done a neat job in his background score as well though heavily inspired by the Hollywood romcoms.

Velraj’s cinematography has neatly captured the interiors of the IT company that the lead pair work in. Songs are picturized very tastefully.

On the whole, Andrew Louis has neatly packaged the movie with correct dose of romance &  comedy with a touch of melodrama (thankfully not overdone though had scope for it) , stylishly shot & told.

Bottomline: Love (the) game

3.5/5

Rowdy Rathore

My review : Rowdy Rathore

“Rowdy Rathore” is a clear indication that B-grade is the new Bollywood grade. The trend started off with “Dabaang” , followed suit by many south remakes like “Bodygaurd” , “Singham” & so on. Seeing his contemporaries falling back on to the ever-bankable masala formula , Akshay Kumar tries his hand at the same with this remake of Telugu movie “Vikramarkudu”. It is actually going back to the basics as far as Akshay is concerned for he started off with these kinda movies , changed his track post “” to comedies . Currently following string of flops he has taken recourse in the current trend of remaking south Indian movies, especially considering the success these movies are.

“Vikramarkudu ” was a very crass & crude Telugu masala with extra spice which when was remade in Tamil as “Siruthai” , the crassness & crudity was a bit watered-down , though for Tamil standards it was a bit too much. This Hindi version of the same story is the most refined of the three (despite  Prabhu Deva’s direction..!) with not even 50 % of masala of the original but for Bollywood standards it is one of the most inane movies in recent times.

That the audience would lap it up like they did some of the recent blockbusters in Hindi doesn’t necessarily means that it is a good movie. Movie has male chauvinism, larger than life fight sequences, coarse dance sequences with garish of costumes, uncouth language & ridiculous love plot. Old (older looking) hero & overweight heroine rounds up the misery for the viewer.

Akshay Kumar looks jaded & a far cry from what Ravi Teja & even Karthi managed with this role. His comical scenes irritates while his serious ones make you laugh out loud. Sonakshi Sinha looks heavy & needs a lot to do to reduce her weight as well to develop her acting skills. Nasser is as dependable as ever.

Music is heavily inspired from south songs as does the background score.

Santhosh Thundiyil is the cinematographer , has done his part well.

Prabhu Deva after string of flops in Tamil , has done his second movie in Hindi following his successful remake of “Pokiri” as “Wanted”. He has added his signature elements here & there in the narration, except for that nothing much to write about.

On the whole, “Rowdy Rathore” is an unabashed masala movie without any pretentions. You would either get entertained or would end up with a severe Migraine.

Bottomline: Don’t angry me..!

2.5/5

Ishtam

My review : Ishtam

“Istham” is a remake of the Telugu movie “Yemaindi Ee Vela”. Original didn’t do well in Andhra. One wonder what made the producers to remake it in Tamil. Directed by debutant director Prem Nizar , “Ishtam”  stars Vimal & Nisha Agarwal in lead roles.

The movie tries the explore how  hasty decisions in the name of love might affect not only  the couple concerned but also the family of origin of them both too. The main protagonists of the movie seem to have brought straight from the 80’s era. The “hero of the movie” is a male chauvinist who foul mouths women whenever he gets chance, mistreats an unknown girl for no reason whom he marries after a cheesy romance & dumps her for no valid reason. The “Heroine of the movie” is a gullible small town girl who has come to the city to work , falls prey to the “hero’s” dirty talk & after being foul-mouthed , thrown out of the house & further foul-mouthed , still yearns for re-union with that same scumbag.

Movie is such an insensitive one where there is no role for subtleness or refinement in the treatment of the plot. It is myopic in its vision & strongly opinionated (falsely at that) in its execution which would leave a bad taste for the viewers.

Vimal doesn’t suit in this role of a suave , English spewing , city bred , “IIT” educated , software engineer. He should have worked out on his dialogue delivery at the least which is very pathetic in this movie or best must have tried someone to dub for him. Nisha Agarwal looks pretty & manages to scrap though as far as acting is concerned too. Shanthanam doesn’t do much other then mouthing double meaning dialogues & taking dig at women in every other dialogue of his. Time has come for him to think differently or he would follow suit Vivek & Vadivelu way sooner.

Songs are not that impressive from Thaman.

Shekar Joseph’s camera seems to have developed a special liking for exploring the female anatomy than capturing the wholesome picture.

On the whole, “Istham ” is a movie which is neither modern in its content or its thinking only ends up irritating the viewers no end.

Bottomline : Narrow-minded

2/5

Manam Kothi Paravai

My review : Manam Kothi Paravai 

“Manam Kothi Paravai” is a movie with a message or two.

Message 1 , to Ezhil. Sir, it is time for you to hang your boots. You have lost all your stocks. Follow the footsteps of Vikraman , Rajakumaran & the like who have gracefully stopped torturing the audience after they realized it (“Chennai Kadhal” & ”Kadhalukaga” respectively). In these hard times with petrol rises & all , people are already furious. Why do you want to test their patience further by attempting movies like these. Confusion seems to the predominant  mood of yours when you were making this movie. Still I am not clear whether this is a comedy movie or a serious movie or a serious movie made in a comical manner...!!??

Mesaage 2 , to Shivakarthikeyan. I’ll start with your own famous phrase “ Nalla thane poitu irundhichu” (your Solomon Papaiya mimicry style..:P) Sarcasm , comical timing , humour sense...These are your (only) assets. Why try things that you can’t. When you try doing serious scenes actually audience get confused whether you are really serious or you are spoofing around. Kindly try to create a space for you with what comes naturally to you first & then you can experiment. You have a good number of admirers already , don’t alienate them by attempting such ludicrous roles.

Message 3 , to the producers of the movie (Ezhil is one among them..!). I still can’t make out what made you people invest your (?hard-earned) money in such an out-dated & hackneyed script. If you people have so much of money to invest , there are numerous talent out there with fresh ideas  struggling for investors.

Message 4, to Iman. Yes agreed , your folk song in “Myna” was huge hit. But how long are you going to reprise the same type of songs in your movies time & again.

Message 5 , to Singam Puli & co. Guys comedy is not spitting out rhyming words or being stupid on screen. Already your director has written your role in a stupid manner , why do you people want to make it look more moronic by your silly acts on screen. Sorry , you people were pathetic & not even one person in the audience was laughing at your puerility .

Message 6, to Athmiya. Find the person who mis-guided you to change your career & take up acting. Sorry , your are not good at it. Kindly opt for a career change ASAP for you don't seem to have any future in movies , atleast in Tamil.

Message 7 , to readers of this review. “Manam Kothi Paravai” is an out-dated movie with the makers themselves not sure whether it needs to be taken seriously or not.

Skip is the one word message as a bottomline.

1.5/5

Thadayara Thakka

My review : Thadayara Thakka

Magizh Thirumeni’s debut “Mundhinam Partheney ” was a very good attempt at deciphering the contemporary  romance of the current generation. It was sad that such a decent attempt failed to grab attention of the moviegoers. Unperturbed by the setback Magizh is back with his second feature film “Thadayara Thakka ”. One of the most underrated talent in Tamil Cinema Arun Vijay is the protagonist . It is certain  that he would get his due after this movie.

“Thadayara Thakka” is a slick , stylish & intelligent action thriller without any shoddy moment. Be it the breezy romance , aesthetically shot action sequences or the underlay of tension that one can feel throughout the narration , Magizh scores big. It is very rare these days to see an action movie with as few logical blunders as this one. Action sequences blend beautifully within the narration. Last time we witnessed such an artistically shot action sequences was in “Naan Mahan Alla”  . No wonder stunt choreographer for both these flicks is Anal Arasu.

Movie has a very well etched out characters that grow on the viewers as the movie progresses. That partly has to do with the screenplay of the movie which is very lucid & smooth. Except for few minutes here & there in the second half , pace if almost maintained throughout. There are lots of “edge of the seat “ moments intelligently built-in into the narration. The suspense & the revelation too are done in a graded manner. The final twist in the tale is just an example of the intelligent writer in Magizh.

Arun Vijay is as solid as ever. Rarely does he disappoint. His physique is apt for the role he plays. In such a heavy duty action movie like this he has underplayed his part well which actually magnifies the impact of his character towards the end. Mamtha Mohandas too has a very sweet role although brief one. She is adorable especially in those scenes in which she tries to seduce Arun & her outburst after that with her co-worker.

Vamsi Krishna & Maha Gandhi looks the part. Rakul Preet Singh does decent job in a very significant role with respect to the story & aids in the twist in the tale. Murugadas reprises his “Aadukalam” act one more time & he is a talent to look out for.

Thaman’s background score amply help the narration while none of the two songs make any impact.

Sukumar’s cinematography has a big role in the movie looking suave & stylish. The stunt choreographer, cinematographer as well as the director have collaborated well in presenting the stunt sequences in such an elegant & tasteful manner.

On the whole , “Thadayara Thakka” is two out of two for Magizh Thirumeni & surely this time he would get the recognition as well as the box-office success that he missed out in his former.

Bottomline : Brawny &  brainy

3.5/5