In the Name of Entertainment

I was quite surprised to see positive reviews everywhere. Have I missed except for the first 10 mins of the movie? I cannot watch it one more time for this ONLY reason. Looks like, Suseendharan who carried Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu quite pleasantly until the climax has decided that its time to join the commercial bandwagon. It is certainly has nothing new to offer. A typical middle class family with an unemployed youth with a sister waiting to get married. A father, who struggles to make ends meet working as a call taxi driver. Desparate coincidence of a group of villain to get interfered in hero's family. Final countdown to climax where hero quenches victory. Very recently, we would have seen a similar tag in 'Polladhavan'. Wonder what made the director to choose the title 'Naan Mahan Alla'.

Karthi, the lead in the movie, has done quite well, although the role does not offer much scope. The run-of-the-mill boy next door character looked out of place and unpleasant. In the first half, he makes the audience laugh with his wit. In the later half, he transforms into a rampaging lion out for revenge. The action sequences in the climax had a liberal dose of exaggeration, but the short comings were compensated by the conceptualisation. In Tamil cinema, there is no need to talk about heroine except in very few cases. Well, I am certainly not talking about the exceptional cases here. Applause for Suseendran for getting the casting right. Especially, the Goondas. Especially the guy who plan's the murder was an outstanding piece of work, in terms of casting. And the big henchman in the city was top notch. After scoring high in the casting department, one wonders why their screen space was reduced.

Yuvan Shankar Raja should be walking away with most of the accolades the movie receives for the mood. His background score is quite brilliant and adds more flavour to the screenplay. Cinematography was pretty decent and nicely done in the busy streets of the city.

The director should probably take up refreshing concepts and handle it in a better way. Just like his earlier venture, Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu which was a welcome and refreshing movie for Tamil Cinema.

Verdict - Mindless in-the-name-of Entertainment

A Romantic ride from Chennai to Madras

Tamil Cinema had History movies as well as period movies but you can easily hand pick them. If you have to take History movies, a few brilliant numbers that strike first are Siraichaalai, directed by Priyadarshan, taking a portion of patriotic struggle in a prison as well as tagging a love story. Also we had many biographies like Bharathi, Periyaar, Iruvar, etc., which again portray about them. If you have to pick real period movies, we have our Hey Raam from our Master Kamal Haasan which was again a research on a truth. In the recent times, we had several 'in-the-name-of-period-movies' like Subramaniapuram and a few others which had very less use of art work but more dependant on Ilayaraja to show case them as a period movie. But Madarasapattinam holds a clear Period tag with appreciable research on Vintage madras.

The story should not be confused as a patriotic movie as marketed or as shown in the trailers. This is purely a romantic story 'PERIOD'. This is a clever take for a period movie. Quite often, when you make a period or a history movie, 99% will fall under patriotism. Yes, even this movie has such scenes but the romance was given more importance and Vijay has clearly conveyed at right situation. August 15, 1947 is THE day for the Indians, but when Paridhi hears about the British will be leaving the town, you could see a sigh! Even in scenes when Indians were eagerly expecting the Independence Day, you could see the lead in search for their love. But, Vijay has also touched many political areas during that time of Madras pretty carefully.

Before I dig the cast, I must appreciate the art director and the whole team's research work for taking us a tour to ancient Madras. The immense hard work in the art direction elevated a big higher with Nirav's magic in the form of camera. Check out the tone of color being used to differentiate Madras from Chennai. Lastly, I saw such a work in Kanchivaram thought it didn't have scope to show the present. Both were sensational throughout the movie. They don't just merely show us the hand pulled vehicles, trams, motor vehicles, etc., but they have concentrated on the tag or the advertisement it carries. Bravo! Adding more to it, they also tried to cover a few political events that happened during that era. We could see Nasser (Wrestling teacher) being an ardent follower of Nethaji, where he still believes that he is alive. And whenever an airplane flies, people started shouting 'kundu poduraanga' to imply the bombing in Madras during 1940s.

Talking about the cast and in particular about the support cast needs a special mention here. Late VMC Haneefa, man, we just lost a brilliant actor! As usual he made us laugh with his remarkable sense of humor and witty dialogues and of course his dialogue delivery. Aarya as Paridhi did a neat role. But the ample scope was put on Amy who carried the movie from the beginning till the end credits. If you know that she dubbed her own voice, she danced, she sang, will you believe? Not just that, her acting was sensational. She did right reactions at right places. The old Amy was magnificent. She had a dignified appearance which she carried very well. Balaji and the other comedian were seriously good in evoking laughter than the so-called Vivek & Vadivelu's irritation screen presence with a separate track for them. The taxi driver did a good role with stressing on donation part again and again. So, the casting was rightly chosen and quite neatly placed by the director.

I seriously had no hopes in the music when I heard GVP. But after listening to tracks pre release time, my hopes were quite decent. I can see maturity in this movie. The love theme was very clever and smart one which elevates the screen. His BGM in other scenes were also quite good and importantly not irritating. First thing that strike me at the cinema hall was the work of the editor Anthony. The screenplay travels from London to Chennai to Madras to Chennai to Madras to London to Chennai. The travel is smooth as a Benz car ride. The connector for the period switch like Sudhesi Mithran to Hindu or the Coovam to the Thames River is top notch! I never felt any jumps in the scene or any disturbance when a switch over is made. Great work in the editing department.

Vijay, the director after remaking scripts has proved that he has got some caliber and stuff. The opening scene seriously made me to think if it's going to be another Titanic but he just erases our thought soon. When you think that he has come to pre interval Lagaan, he comes again and ceases your thought immediately. I am just trying to say that one cannot take these scenes as evidences to equate it to Lagaan or Titanic. Though he still carried Priyadarshan flavor in the movie, I could see a new entry to the group of good film makers.

Verdict - Go for the pleasant romantic ride from Chennai to Madharasapattinam

Review posted @ www.clapsandboos.com

Where is the REAL VAALMIKI?

Raavanan falls for Sita and probably a kind of vice versa as well which makes Raavan, an unexpected love triangle. Well, there must be various country dependant factors in MR’s(Mani Ratnam) mind to carefully adapt Ramayan. But the man who made Dalapathi which is a clear inspiration of Mahabharath, the Karnan episode fails to render something which is of Mani’s standard. Focus is given more on the making rather than the film making, the STORY!

Fresh time, an antagonist is being given a heroism opening which indirectly MR tries to convey the hero of the movie or rather, the mould that he has deliberately done to the epic which is a MYTH. Ramayan as everyone knows is a battle between Rama and Raavana and here MR has tries to portray the other side of Raavan or probably the actual nature of Raavan. One myth or truth which I heard from my grand parents is Raavan was a perfect man and never harass women. Throughout the movie Veera, the Raavanan character never touches the Sita, Raagini. This piece of screenplay I expected it from the beginning and MR does justice to it. So what were the aspects that stopped or interrupted MR’s freedom in film making? I feel MR tried to show the vice versa part which I have explained earlier but you know the freedom struggle to showcase the myth in INDIA J

Where and all I have seen MR’s touch in the movie? First scene that I can remember is the conversation between Aish and Vikram in front of Lord Vishnu who is also an avatar of Lord Venkatesh according to the Hindu mythology. The dialogues were brilliant in that scene and perhaps the only scene where I felt MR’s trademark in dialogues. The person who claimed credits for a master class dialogues in probably the best of MR’s movie failed here with HER sluggish dialogues and unwanted poem in interesting places. Another piece of interesting narrative in a MR’s movie from the others is the scenes that speak for themselves. When we see Vikram with a plaster in his neck, there isn’t a voiceover on the whereabouts of the wound. But with a flashback sequence, MR let the audience to connect the screenplay. The voiceover or the introduction given to Veera is probably what the director wants to mould the actual myth. He desperately wants to portray Raavanan as a good humble and honest person and Raam, has been shown as a clever and cunning person with his own Male Chauvinistic character as that to the actual myth. Here in Raavanan, MR has adapted the play Ramayan with clever spots. The exile of 14 days in the forest, the forest itself, the Bridge connects Raam and Raavanan, Soorpanaka being threatened by the cops that her nose will be cut and the Hanuman character played by Karthik with clear or rather annoying experience of jumping from trees to vehicle and what not?

But why would he want to show the character Raam has too badly? I agree he has a mindset to showcase something contradictory, but shouldn’t they follow with some acceptable evidences? We saw MR in Iruvar, though there was a slight corner favoring MGR, it still remains a cult classic under MR’s cap. The reason behind killing Raavanan’s brother who has come to talk for peace and the torture done by him to a guy who has already lost his arm is seriously sick!

It’s quite usual to make people talk about the cinematography when it has some breathtaking visuals and never seen or impossible to shoot scenes. But I am not saying those weren’t shot poor! Many forget to think the composition of the shots being used. Whenever Raavanan is shot, the shot is made jarring or shaky indicating how mad he is! And also the conversation between two persons was shot in a rotary motion capture just to indicate the raise over. Of course the shots in the initial and the final sequences of the movie were seriously breathtaking visuals and make everyone to talk more on cinematography. Also cinematography talks on the lights as well. From the usual Tamil cinema trend, MR chooses a different track but he has got his own trend to follow which I feel he never comes out of it. MR showed dark light for an introduction of an antagonist and the kidnap is done on a day light! Also MR has done neat justice on the costume as well. Throughout the movie, you could see the black shade in Raavanan’s character and white shade in Vikram’s character. But these costumes explicit their character to the outer nature but signifies indirectly as the narrative goes.

ARR for any movie is a big plus, but the songs were placed in some positions that caused an obstacle to the pace of the movie. They literally acted as a speed breakers as I witnessed a series of speed breakers as if I am traveling in a road where you have 4 schools. I could see 3 songs in a span of 14 minutes. The background score had it bits and pieces from various historic movies from Hollywood but they were still good for the movie.

Though the movie had many interesting parts, I feel that Mani should have either gone for an Iruvar Style or a totally different adoption! This half baked product is something no one will expect from Mani’s caliber. There were many open ended questions about the logical connection in the movie on how Karthik was able to find Sita’s place. Also he could have shown his trademark stress on the screenplay. We needn’t be taught more on Karthik’s character by jumping in every scene and the way he sits. We needn’t be taught on Soorpanaka in the form of Priyamani to be stressed on cutting her nose.

Verdict : Making speaks more than the screenplay! Mani, is it seriously under you belt?

Review posted at www.clapsandboos.com 

Orr Iravu - Indian answer to Paranormal Activity

Orr Iravu initially called ‘ERAA’ comes with a tag ‘India’s first viewpoint film’ also called ‘camera point of view’ movie. Perhaps we have seen and astonished at the recent Paranormal Activity or the classic Blair Witch Project. In the lines comes an Indian answer to Paranormal Activity, Orr Iravu.

Movie starts with a serial and never goes or drags like an usual serial. The momentum keeps going with awesome non linear play. The movie takes break between the reality show and the protagonist’s narration. What I mean by Protagonist is the camera itself. The story is pretty simple and cool about the mystery involved in the death of Nakulan Ponnusamy, a Paranormal Investigator. A dead man narrating his death is something unusual but that’s excellently connected with the help of the reality show in the form of evidences and proofs.

For Tamil Cinema, we have literally drenched on seeing White Ujaala Saree, Fox howling, Blood shed faces, etc., We keep telling ourselves when will we change from these portrayal of ghosts! Well, we have finally a movie of such kind, which really speaks about reality. This is just to stress the fact that the amount of investigation and ground work has been done by the team for talking a movie which is very much lacking in many potential directors. Now days, we hardly see a movie without song, glamour, lip lock scenes, etc., These are just bitter facts about the trend that we have and there are movies like this which needs a welcome.

There are so many things in the movie to be enjoyed. First thing that will make everyone to speak is the camera man! The hero himself has handled the camera and this is an excellent work. Beautiful usage of natural lights and thoroughly maintained the realism throughout the movie. Another thing to be loved is the narration and dialogues. We have very less cast in the movie and most of the play was occupied the camera himself. I started enjoying the dialogues when Nakulan started to feel from the moment he walked out of Anand’s house after collecting his assignment. He takes us a ride along side with him explaining how he enjoyed things as he sees. There were witty dialogues and teasers kept then and there. Lovable haunting back ground score. If I had to name one horror movie in which I enjoyed and literally haunted by the music, I would say ‘Rosemary’s Baby’. A background score for a movie earns full marks when it buzzes your ear after several hours of the movie. Rosemary’s Baby’s BGM score haunts me even now! But now I have watched Orr Iravu. Period. Well, it’s not just the BGM alone, there are 3 brilliant men behind the scenes as well as in the scenes, the directors of this paranormal thriller. Handheld camera shoot is probably the toughest work for the editing department. But Hari has made it look so smooth and pleasant without any abrupt jumps. The directors of the movie have done a remarkable job by keeping the audience engaged every minute. It’s seriously a roller coaster experience, as the movie makes you yourself what will happen next? Thought it’s quite evident that Nakulan will die, it’s quite commendable job to make the audience engaging even though they knew what’s gonna happen at the end.

Verdict – A must watch for the brave attempt and a roller coaster experience!

Review posted @ www.clapsandboos.com

And the name is Ilayaraja

This article doesn’t talk about the great work of the Maestro and one cannot summarize praising his works in a single article as the MAN has achieved something that easily touches the sky. This article is about the Love, the Madness, and the Respect I have for the Genius ‘Isaignani’ Ilayaraja.

Sir, I feel privileged to live in your era. I can proudly tell my grand children that I lived in the period where one of the world’s greatest composers lived. I can even tell them the magic you have in your music, which is always unique, and I am sure your music will still haunt them and their future generations to come. And I also wish you be there at their period as well. And that’s probably one of the reasons why I don’t want your birthday come every year!

Sir, every individual will feel happy when they have a unique identity. Of course, I am no exception. But I will feel happier if someone addresses me as Ilayaraja’s Fanatic. Likewise Sir, everyone will definitely feel flying high when someone praises him or her. I will fly high when I hear people wishing you, praising you, talking about you and even when your name is heard. The happiness at that moment is seriously incomparable Sir and I feel standing tall and punch my cheeks when people chant you.

Sir, I was not born Atheist. But I practiced atheism as I grew. But still, I worship you Sir! These are not just phrases, I mean it Sir. And I am sure there are a lot of atheists turned into theists after 1976, with your divine music! My bad luck Sir, I was born a bit late in the 80s to get converted. I never had the habit of chanting Mantras or prayers Sir, but these vanished when I heard your Thiruvasagam. Do you know Sir, since the age I can recollect and remember, no single day I have been without listening to Janani Janani Song from Thaai Mookambigai. I seriously don’t know Sir, whenever I hear this song, I tend to forget everything what I am doing and dedicate myself to the song. Is it because of your divine voice Sir? Likewise how many songs should I name Sir? If one talks about getting Goosebumps whenever they hear a song, I think it’s solely belong to you and the magic in your voice! I couldn’t even imagine if someone can be in a normal state of mind when they hear ‘Poovar Senni Mannan’ from Thiruvasagam. This particular song haunted me for years and even now Sir.

Sir, why didn’t you go to Bollywood Sir? I have no other cheap thoughts but honestly Sir, if you were at Bollywood, I couldn’t even imagine the number of laurels and awards and honors that you would have got! Is it because of the fact that you were doing close to 50 films a year Sir? Sir, I would like to stress that statistical fact that a year consists of 52 weeks. I know Sir, during 80s and early 90s, you did 40+ movies a year and 99.9% turning out to be chartbusters and evergreen hits. Or is it because the musicians in Bollywood couldn’t match your pace Sir? I remember what SPB told in your concert Sir. When you went to Bombay for composing Thalapathy songs, the musicians and technicians over there couldn’t play for your composition and politely told you not to come to Bollywood. Is it true Sir? I know Sir, apart from all these things, the love you have for your mother and your motherland is the kernel factor. Still Sir, I am very angry on the awards and honors you got Sir. I was thinking Sir, a MAN who has 800+ movies with everlasting evergreen numbers, has got just 3 National Awards and no international awards? Later I came to know the rules and criteria for the National Awards Sir. They cannot give 40+ awards for Best Music Director in a year isn’t it?

How many singers have you introduced Sir? How many directors and how many music directors you have introduced sir? More than that, how many lead heroes earned name because of your song Sir? Will Tamil Cinema remember actors like Mohan, Murali, Ramarajan, etc., sans Ilayaraja? Music be it in any form, the technicians will pick at least one of your song as their favorite and difficult composition.

‘Pudhu Raagam Padaippadhaaley Neeyum Iraivane’ isn’t it Sir? How much have you explored in music Sir? How many ragas have you introduced and invented and redefined? Recently, you composed a song with just 3 swaras ‘Sa’ ‘Ri’ ‘Ga’. I am truly amazed! I don’t know proper music Sir, nor I have learnt carnatic. But still your experiments surprise me and make me astonish. I am just trying to imagine what will happen to people who learnt proper music. How many renovations have you made from your own songs? And how many music directors said you are their inspiration! Retuned songs from Paa and Cheeni Kum made Bollywood to praise your great evergreen hits! How many dimensions have you given to a single song? You did something, which no other music director has ever done. You went to Hungary and Budapest and did Symphony. Doing a Symphony is something a lifetime ambition and dream for many music directors but you surpassed everything Sir.

Finally, as Odysseus says in Troy, If they ever tell my story let them say I listened to great musicians. Let them say I lived in the time of Ilayaraja!

Morning Walk!!!

It’s Sunday night 10 o clock and we just returned from Chola Sheraton after having a decent dinner with the gift coupon valid Rs 2000 but we ended paying additional 3200 as the bill amount! Goodness a buffet costs 800 but it had quite a lot menu items. So, I searched for my mobile to keep alarm at 4:30 AM. Everyone at my home was in a shock and the first question was “Are you planning to watch any movie? It’s not even a Friday and what’s special?” I got pissed off! I said ‘I am planning to go for jogging and walking’. Everyone laughed wickedly! This time I didn’t even turn on my monitor because this stupid facebook and orkut always ask me to sit in front of it. So it’s snoring time!

Morning Raaga started to play in my mobile!

Shivah shakthya yukto yadi bhavati shaktah prabhavitum
Na chedevam devo na khalu kusalah spanditumapi
Atas tvam aradhyam Hari-Hara-Virinchadibhir api
Pranantum stotum vaa katham akrta-punyah prabhavati

Now you know why I never turn off or snooze the alarm signal! I took my mobile to the hall and let it play and started to brush my teeth! I went and changed to sporty fit. Citibank round neck Tee, Tracks and the new-born Nike Shoe J with Nike socks. I know I will sweat like a pig even if it’s early morning 4:30 hence I took a handkerchief and I stole 20 rupees from my dad’s wallet! All set ready! I opened the door and I didn’t wake anyone at home and went down! I loved climbing down the stairs and I kept watching my new-born shoes all the way! I open the main gate and something stopped me! I forgot my ‘vappaati’ my mobile! My baby has got an application called Walk mate and it’s quite amazing as it counts the number of steps and sets me a goal for everyday! By default the goal set was 10000 steps a day and I thought it’s quite easy to achieve. So I went back and took my mobile and started Walk Mate! Baba counting starts!!! I just crossed my street walking and I didn’t want to jog because of stray dogs! Counting showed 45. I was calculated 10000 in the mind and I don’t have 45 in my fingers :P. And now the running begun!

Oru sooravali kalambiyadheyyyy

Siva thaandavan thodangiyadheyyyy

I ran, jogged, ran, jogged but never stopped. May be because of the new shoe and I didn’t want to stop and I felt very comfortable and I never looked straight instead my eyes focused my shoes always! I started from 13^th Main road, crossed Karthik Tiffin Center, crossed KFC, still I didn’t stop, crossed Santhosh stores, crossed LKS Jewelers, Crossed Hi Style, Reached Blue star signal, now I am trembling a bit but I didn’t want to stop and I continued, crossed HSB and reached Ayyapan Temple! I know I shouldn’t stand or take rest and hence I continued walking slowly. Let’s see what does the walk mate shows? 857, Holy EFFFFFF!!! Now I valued the walking and I know it’s not an easy thing to achieve 10000. I entered Anna Nagar tower and the time was around 4:50.

Anna nagar tower is not the old one anymore. It has been renovated superbly and they are yet to fully open the park to the public and still some renovation work is going on! Early morning 5:00 had quite a decent crowd and but I couldn’t even see a single youth except me! All I could see fall over 50s and 60s. I never say anyone running or jogging and everyone were walking! So after coming from a long jog I decided to walk for a while! Interesting people! Very interesting people! The surrounding would approximately be around 2kms and I decided to take the longest boundary! I had many company! When people carried a stick in their hand, I carried my mobile and kept seeing the count every now and then! There is levels 2k 4k 6k 8k and you have the goal 10k. I am at 1389. After walking for a while and I decided a jog and the surface was very good to jog as it had a mosaic laid in the pathway. As usual, my eyes started to search for good looking figures but poor thing it was too dark! I checked the time it was quarter passed 5 and I still couldn’t believe why it’s too dark! “Otha specs marandhuta da pannnada” But it’s OK if I had to wear my specs, I would certainly a wiper fixed to my specs. There was an aunty who was walking very briskly. I had a strong feeling that she is walking in a very strange way after getting some advice on how to walk briskly from someone! I laughed and surpassed her! Now I had a company. One uncle with blue tee was jogging and I was confident that people will also jog in the park J but the man who was jogging, people who were walking could easily overtake this man!

I successfully completed one full round and I could make out the path. Now I started to have a feeling as if I am walking here daily. There was an old man who was greeting everyone he surpassed! And he was walking or rather coming in the anti clockwise direction so that he can greet many! He said Morning Sir! Morning Madam! Good Morning Saab! But when I crossed him, he said Welcome! “okkaali ivar aayul kaapteedu pola” When I came to see many greeting each other, I felt I am a new comer! But I wish that way and I never mingle with others and too all oldies J

Now it was almost 6o clock and the crowd has increased. People started groups and there was one bloody group of men who were walking blocking everyone’s way. They were speaking non sense and laughing bull shit and clapping craps. They must belong to the Nitrogen Oxide family in the name of ‘Laughing therapy’. I wanted to over take them so that I can jog for a while! I did and started to jog! I slowly stopped! “iyyyyy Ladies ladies ladies!!!” at last, God is great! I saw someone of my age! ‘Super figure illenaalum oru pakkuvamaana figure’. Now there is no time for slow walking! Come on Vicky! But she didn’t stay even for a round! Wonder where she went so soon! Every time I kept meeting an old man near the gate no 2 and he walks anti clock wise direction and this time I was a bit slow that I met him sooner before gate no 2 came! An old man can walk faster than me!

I completed 4-5 rounds and after which I couldn’t. My walk mate showed 7500 and I know I couldn’t reach the goal. So I decided to call it a day! Came out of the park and stepped inside a tea shop! Ordered for a tea! Near that Tea shop there was a bunk shop where they kept a lot of vessels filled with colorful water. Everyone who was coming out from the park was having the juice and per glass it costs 5 rupees. I was so curious to ask him what it is, but another man overtook me! I came to know they were herbal juices. They had at least 10 different types and you can mix them have it in a single glass as well. But I didn’t want to have so I started back home! I never thought I will wake up so early and I could complete walking approximately 10 km. But in the end, I made it. I came walking all the way home! It was a good show for a debutant and let’s see what’s there for tomorrow onwards!

Crazy Crazy Crazy ALL THE WAY

If there is an expectation or rather an attraction for this movie 'Kola Kolaya Mudhirika', there can be only one man, Crazy Mohan, the story and dialogue writer for this movie. Apart from him, there is absolutely nothing or none from the crew who can attract the audience to watch this movie. The director certainly won't feel good to tag 'From the director of Vallamai Thaarayo' and I feel except for the Crazyest part, the other two namely direction and screenplay are probably amateur and contributed its share to the flip side of the movie.

The story is about a treasure hunt told in a comical way and Crazy has just used all characters on earth to connect the story and make the treasure hunt a valuable one. Of course, the verbal master, the man who contributed a lump some in most of Kamal's movie has yet again proved that he can use his vocabulary skills at the best comical way. But we didn't have a Kamal who literally mastered each and every slang and quite brilliant in dialogue delivery so that it doesn't spoil the actual content. Well, the actors of KKM did a fair job thought I personally felt a few can be replaced with many others.

We had Munnadi Pinnadi Kannadi in Panchathanthiram and we have Theriyaadhu Theriyum here! There are other numerous worthy mention dialogues that play with words. The way how he drags to tell that the 'Kadhal Dhaadha' died because of the fish thorn! It's just amazing and clever play of words. I can't still stop laughing when I think of the conversation.

Avalo periya dhaadha-nu solreenga, oru saadharana mullu kuthi sethi poitaara??
Mulla kaalula kuthalapa thondaila kuthichu!
Edhuku thala keezha nadakkanam?
Saapdumbodhu kuthichipaaa!!!
Edhukku mullu laam saaptaaru?
Iyyo meen saapdumbodhu mullu kuthichu paaa!!

Of course, like this there are numerous witty dialogues and one can discover more such interesting dialogues probably at the second or third watch! So without a second thought, people who love Crazy's work can definitely watch the movie million times as we even see Panchathanthiram thousand and odd times just for the witty dialogues.

Talking about the performance and casting, we have loads. Since the story tend to connect more and more characters. As I said earlier, the lead role done by Karthik could have been given someone else. It doesn't mean that he didn't do his job well but in some areas he over reacted to the scenes. The same holds good for the heroine Shikha. MS Bhaskar utilizes efficiently for the minimal scenes given to him and he has done very effectively. The comical villains Anand Raj, Vaasu Vikram and others did a very good job. Jayaram comes as a cop and his performance needs no explanation as we have already seen him with Crazy's work in Panchathanthiram. There were quite a few guest appearances from Radha Ravi, Sarath Kumar and the man himself Crazy Mohan. No matter how many characters were there, they did a great work and more importantly they didn't spoil the play.

Now we have the area Direction and Screenplay! Probably the only area which is on the other side. We knew the general trend in Tamil Cinema to include songs here and there in the screenplay. There should be at least one of the two conditions to accept this inclusion.
1) There should be a demand for the song in the screenplay.
2) Even if there is no demand, the song should be pleasant to listen.

In KKM, both the conditions are ruled out. There is absolutely no necessary or need for songs and moreover, the songs were seriously horrible! Adding to that, it even spoils the play. Also, it's the director's responsibility to divide the first half and the second half in a sensible way. It took about 90 mins for the interval to come and the second half just went in a flash. The climax, I felt that it was kind of amateurish to finish it like that.

So, where are you crazy fans? Grab it quickly before the ugly Lion starts to roar!

Review posted @ www.clapsandboos.com