Coffee with My Wife

My review: Coffee With My Wife

"Coffee with my Wife" is a neatly written and crisply presented romantic-comedy. Written and directed by Vidyasagar, movie has Anish Tejeshwar and Sindhu Lokanath in the lead. Movie comes out as a surprise for the subtlety in which the director has handled the subject. Refraining from the usual melodrama and contrivances Vidyasagar has handled the project adeptly. 

First half focuses on how the couple get to know each other and after couple of fisticuffs how they fall in love and marry. Immediately after the marriage the controversies begin to crop up culminating in a big fight leading to Sindhu going to her mother's place. Just when you thought it is a routine husband and wife quarrel and patch up story the writer springs in the surprises. From then on the movie is a laugh riot with comedy of errors. 

Vidyasagar has kept the movie lively throughout. Nowhere during the narration does one feel bored. Movie keeps you engaged and brilliantly written witty dialogues make for a enjoyable watch. Anish has done exceptionally well as a doting husband with tempers on the shorter side. Sindhu brings in her experience of couple of years. She looks charming and her histrionic skills have improved by leaps and bounds. Movie has a fresh support cast and they have done their parts to perfection.

"Coffee with my Wife" is certainly the kind of cinema one would welcome in Kannada cinema industry, a pleasant departure from the routine masala fare. Go for it, you would not repent watching it.

Bottomline: Strong and tasty filter coffee.

3.5/5

Kalyana Samayal Sadham

My review: Kalyana Samayal Sadham

It is a rarity indeed to get to see a romantic-comedy that is bold, candid and raunchy at the same time in Indian cinema. In Tamil cinema it is almost a non-entity. So when finally one musters enough gumption and guts to make one, it comes out as a pleasant surprise. From the promos and trailers it would have been  difficult for anyone to fathom the subject matter and more specifically the manner in which it is told.

 "Kalyana Samayal Sadham" from its title one expected a straight forward family oriented mushy and cutesy tale of romance in the pre-marriage period told in a humorous manner. Movie starts off as one would have anticipated expect for the initial few minutes as the title rolls when one gets to hear some explicit narration by a female (the Heroine) told albiet with more of  innocent and harmless fun. Then when the movie veers towards the traditional Tamil Brahman wedding (sigh! don't the movie makers explore others types of wedding as well. One hardly gets to see a traditional Tamil wedding in Tamil movies from the time i can remember) preparatory mode told with good humour one tend to relax and enjoy the happenings. Right when one gets complacently comfortable comes a jolt albiet with good fun from where the movie gets on to a different plane altogether. Then on it is a fun-filled ride of non-stop fun with generous dose of double entendres  (brilliantly written by Arun Vaidhyanathan).  

Prasanna is brilliant in a role that not many would have signed without any reservations. Wonder why such a talented actor is not used that properly by Tamil cinema. Lekha Washington is a revelation. She had aquainted herself well in her debut movie "Jayam Kondan". Here she is too good as a young bride to be, bringing out all the tensions, anxieties, insecurities and happiness of the premarital period. Delhi Ganesh is another brilliant actor who is being used shabbily by Tamil Cinema. Here he gives us a glimpse of what a natural actor he is and how he can be utilized properly. Rest of the supporting cast fit well into the narrative.  

Music by Arrora is good, be it the background score or the songs. "Mella sirithal" is a fine melody while "Pallu pona Raja" is a good situational number. Krishnan Vasanth is the cinematographer and he has done a fine job in presenting the movie stylishly and pleasantly. Movie is a visual treat with each and every frame filled with variety of colour and cheerful faces.  

R.S.Prasanna has written and directed the movie makes his debut. He has taken a simple story woven a screenplay with a fresh perspective filling it with enjoyable and screamy moments. 

On the whole, "Kalyana Samayal Sadham" is a thoroughly enjoyable movie filled with nostalgic moments for all the married couple marking a new genre in Tamil cinema, family adult-comedy. 

Bottomline: Sumptuous feast. 

3.5/5 

Oru Indian Pranayakatha

My review: Oru Indian Pranayakatha

"Oru Indian Pranayakatha" follows the template of a regular feel-good Sathyan Anthikad movie. Seasoned film-maker has directed this movie written by Ikbal Kuttipuram. Movie gives you a masala feel with romance, family sentiments, politics, comedy and morality issues spiced up proportionally aimed at providing a wholesome fare to the family audience which is Sathyan's target audience. He succeeds in this regard. But the connoisseurs of cinema may feel let down by the end result. 

Enjoyable dialogues replete with sarcasm and wit marks the first half where politics and comedy takes the front seat. Fahad Fazal is in his zone throughout this half, keeping the audience in good humour. Second turns senti but still the humour is always kept in the background. Also the makers have kept the mush and melodrama abeyance which is a big relief.

Fahad makes this movie enjoyable to a large extent. If not for him it would have been difficult to sit through. He is terrific as Siddarth, the youth wing leader of a political party that resembles one of the leading parties in the state. Amala Paul is also good in her role. She gets to play a more matured role and she has done it with perfection. The support cast and the casting has been done nicely, deserves mention. Especially the younger versions of Amala Paul's parents are cast well resembling the older actors. 

Vidyasagar's music is a strong support for this movie. His songs are already a huge hit. Pradeep Nair's cinematography is apt for the story and director's vision on the making. 

Movie is tad too long and the sloppy second half reinforces that feel. Also the making could have been a bit more crisper. On the whole, "Oru Indian Pranayakatha" is a one-time watch mainly for Fahad Fazal. 

Bottomline: Average Katha of a contrived Pranaya.   

2.5/5 

Uyyala Jampala

My review: Uyyala Jampala

Almost a decade ago came a movie with all newcomers made by lesser known technicians except for its director with almost nil publicity but ended being one of the biggest hits in Telugu cinema. "Jayam" is the movie and it was remade in most of the other languages too. Though it was a routine rural love story, the simplicity of the story and making as well as the freshness of the cast attracted the audience. On similar lines comes the latest Telugu movie "Uyyala Jampala". 

"Uyyala Jampala" has nothing new as far as story-line is concerned. It is the age old love story between cross cousins who share a love-hate relationship before finally realizing the true love they share just about in time before the female protagonist gets married to NRI groom. Though the story may sound cliched the screenplay makes it an enjoyable fare. Told in a simple lucid manner, movie sails through effortlessly without making any tall claims or having over-the-top cinematic moments. Dialogues are so casual in the rural lingo and the cast which is made of mostly fresh faces make it an endearing watch. 

Raj Tarun as Soori emotes well. He looks every inch  a rural Andhra youth who is naughty, fiery, sentimental and proud as and when the situation warrants. Avika Gor is pleasant looking and emotes well. Only glitch is her lip-sync which goes awry often. The support cast have also done their parts with ease. One often gets a feeling of being part of the village and eavesdropping on the happenings there. Part of the credit should go to the cast and part to the writer-director of the movie Virinchi Varma. 

Sunny's songs and background score is pleasant to the ears while Vishwa's cinematography is beautifully simple. On the whole, "Uyyala Jampala"  is a simple movie with heart making it a wholesome family entertainer. 

Bottomline: Fresh fare for the whole family. 

3.5/5