Aadhalal Kadhal Seiveer

My review: Aadhalal Kadhal Seiveer

Suseendran's "Aadhalal Kadhal Seiveer" when you look at the title retrospectively after watching the movie one can understand the director's sarcasm and at the same time the angst he has on the prevailing societal mores. Just about 100 minutes in length Suseendran has handled a subject that is not only relevant but also prevalent in the society. And in the end he has succeeded in pricking the conscience of the viewers. After a long time comes a movie which deeply moves the viewers and remains in the mind for long disturbingly. 

It is okay to have a movie that is short and crisp but movie of this type with it's hard hitting content needs more time for the subject matter to get established and the drama to unfold. Conversely the first half is half-baked with scenes moving at a speed which prevents the viewers from getting acquainted of various characters especially the lead protagonists and their family. Hence first half moves without much impact but succeeds in kindling the interest at the intermission point. 

Second half is brilliant. It takes a neutral viewpoint of how things happen in reality if  one does get confronted with such a situation. Backed by power-packed performance of most of the actors with the male lead Santhosh remaining the weakest link and soulful background score from Yuvan Shankar Raja, Suseendran manages to redeem himself in the second half. Climax especially warrants mention. It is one of the most moving climax in recent times that too ending the movie with a pathos song needs guts and gumption. One has to applaud the audacity of Suseendran in this regard which has elevated the movie to a great deal. That the audience are unmoved till the song is over and the end credits appear speaks volumes about the impact it has made on the viewers.

It is hard for a lead actress to get roles of such substance and scope to perform if not outperform the male lead. Manisha Yadav has hit the jackpot with this author-backed role which she has utilized to her advantage to the hilt. She is brilliant in effortlessly bringing out various shades of her character. She manages evoke ridicule, sympathy, respect and anger in the viewers with regards to her character which is no mean achievement. Though her character seems a continuation from where she left from in "Vazhakku en 18/9" her acting skills has improved a lot. In contrast Santhosh is a pale shadow in front of Manisha, clearly over-shadowed by her. 

Among the support cast Jayaprakash and Thulasi as the tormented parents of the girl are excellent. Especially Jayaprakash's understated performance is outstanding in scenes where a lesser actor would have clearly gone overboard and made the scene melodramatic. Poornima Bhagyaraj doesn't have much scope to perform. 

Yuvan Shankar Raja's music is the soul of the movie. Three more songs in addition to the ones in the album that was released a year back  are there in the movie. The climax song and the background score around the final few reels are testimony to his reputation of being the best with regards to background score among the younger music directors. "Thappu thanda", "Mella sirithal" and "Alaipayum nenjinil" are already huge hits.

Technically the movie is sleek and stylishly shot. Sooorya is the cinematographer and Anthony, the editor.

Suseendran is back with a bang after his lackluster "Rajapaatai". He has taken a topical subject and has presented it in a straight-forward and crisp manner.

On the whole, "Aadhalal Kadhal Seiveer" is a must watch for whole family. It is better to be forewarned than to feel sorry later.

Bottomline: Bitter truth.

3.5/5