'I' - Official Teaser | Aascar Films | V.Ravichandran | Vikram, Shankar | A.R Rahman

Vellimoonga

It has a platform which many flop films had in the past and an unconventional hero heroine equation. Even with these odds Vellimoonga succeeds in becoming a clean entertainer by having creative humor all over the script. Cinematographer Jibu Jacob’s debut directorial venture Vellimoonga is an extremely pleasing look back to conventional Malayalam cinema.

The story is about this 40+ aged politician Mamachan. Situations showed him the value of Kadhar and the cunning Mamachan uses it smartly for his political growth. Marriage was something that didn’t happen to Mamachan due to various reasons. The movie basically focuses on that one phase of Mamachan’s life where he is trying to win in both political and personal game.

The film starts of slowly with the jokes not being totally hilarious. But very soon it attains momentum and starts to offer this clean and humorous story of Mamachan. One good thing about this film is that it’s a story that doesn’t try to preach about being good. Our central protagonist is crooked and so is every other character. There is one hilarious back story to Mamachan’s love track. The presentation of Mamachan’s political play to attain his goal is also impressive. Being too conventional at times was the only negative in my view.

It was nice to see Biju Menon in this vellimoonga character. The character demands his glamour, age and unique comic timing and the actor has done a fabulous job. Aju Varghese was really good in performing the humor. The repartee between these characters will leave you in splits. Sasi Kalnga, Pashaanam Shaji, Tiny Tom, Sunil Sukhada, Lena and Siddique make the performance of the supporting cast impressive. Leading lady Nikki Galrani doesn’t have much to do. Nice little cameo by Asif Ali.

In the making Jibu Jacob has done justice to the script written by Joji Thomas. Script doesn’t have any large scale of cheesy drama and the director has tried to keep it like that. And also the humor is in that sensible level so that it looks less comical. Script offers a lot of fun moments. The romance of Mamachan is a bit odd, but we won’t feel anything icky about it at the end. Nice cinematography. Edits were okay. Good bgm. Music was fine.

Coming with a lighter baggage of expectation, Vellimoonga surprised me a lot. It’s almost like watching a Sathyan Anthikkadu film (kindly look into his recent filmography) without any preach. The rating is 3.5/5 for this fun film. BTW, that “Laa Lee Laa Lee le….” scene was damn funny.

Appothikkiri

After the much applauded debut film ‘Melvilasam’, director Madhav Ramadasan aptly makes the follow through with the finely done ‘Apothikkiri’. With  a very strong social message about the ethical elements of clinical drug tests and victimisation of patients,  the movie excels with its nice handling of the theme and the poignant performances from the cast.

The movie is set on the backdrop of the multispecialty ‘Apothikkiri’ hospitals,run by a few affluent rich men and a leading physician, only with the intent of making money through every possible means. The movie opens with the sequences of Dr. Vijay Nambiar(Suresh Gopi) , a neurologist,brought to the hospital unconscious after he met with a grave road accident. The situation of the doctor remains critical though the management tries by every means to stabilise him with mechanical and medical support. The movie follows an interesting theme of internal fights that the doctor goes through as he is left between the narrow lanes of life and death. Incomes the patients who succumbed to death following the drug abuse, while a few including Zubin(Jayasuriya) who is communicating with the unconscious doctor near his ICU bed, still vouch for the goodness of heart of the physician.

The major highlight of the movie is the power with which it has handles a theme quite rarely addressed in current day Mollywood. The movie packed with exquisitely done sequences with intense emotions has a director with conviction at it’s helm who manages most of its making wisely and effectively.  The audience are made to feel for the helpless victims who are forced to undergo clinical testings. SureshGopi is back with a demanding role that he does with finesse. A character that demands the maturity and intensity of the actor like him, Dr Vijay is safe in his hands. But it is Jaysurya who steals the best from him with his character of an ordinary rubber tapping worker, ailing with the pains of trigeminal neuralgia, a nerve problem affecting the facial nerves. He looks pale and adept for the role and is extremely believable in every scenes. Another sure contender for this year best actor awards, the character works best for the movie holding it firmly without any causalities. He is ably supported by Indrans in another career best role as Zubin’s father and Asif Ali also comes with a powerful performance. Other actors in the fray including Abirami, Meera Nandan, Raghavan and Thampy Antony does well in their roles.

The cinematography by Hari Nair is another highpoint of the film, though the editing by Sreenivas  could have been a little more strict.The BG scores and art direction are effective. The movie is but devoid of any commercial masala fares and don’t expect this to be that usual stuff. It moves at a below ordinary pace completing its screen time of 151 minutes. The dubbing for some lesser known  female artists are not effective, sometimes arousing a feel of clichéd melodrama .

But with plenty of creative stuff uncovered, this multiple layered film has plenty of experimental stuff that is sure to impress the lovers of more serious films. A definite watch for connoisseurs of contentful cinema. Best recommended for lovers of emotional movies with a message. 

  Rating-6.75/10

Velaiyilla Pattathari

We all have a lot of dreams. The most vivid of them all is the dream of growing up and being responsible, and most importantly, go to job. It has always been a childhood fantasy for all of us to go to office like our parents. What if this dream is snatched away from a graduate? Blame it on recession and IT boom, most engineering graduates fall prey to well paying jobs, whether or not it has been their specialisation. But those who stick to their dreams are certainly in for a tough time.

Most youth of today is stuck in this rigmarole of resultant unemployment. No amount of talent stands them out in the rush for money. Though quite a subtle ongoing, this bout of unemployment has been a growing mushroom, killing talent in the process. Velraj debuts right on time, throwing light on this pressing issue, in a movie that's sure to touch all hearts.

Caught in the web of pressure to earn but bereft of opportunities, waiting for an opportunity to prove himself is Raghuvaran (Dhanush), who is in the search for the right job for four years, after completing his bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering. While every day existence is an ordeal for Raghu as the non earning member of the family, with even his younger brother Karthik earning handsomely, he has enough reasons to be dejected. Karthik is the apple of his parents' eyes but Raghu has his mother's (Saranya Ponvannan) undying support and faith in his talent.

At this juncture that Raghu develops interest in his newly moved in neighbour, Shalini (Amala Paul). But fate has it again to get him dejected yet again, given Shalini's employed status and her hefty salary. So Raghu is assumed, by default, to be of help at home and do all errands. While he does attend a few interviews, he's cursed with truthfulness and practicality that leaves him with no job at the end of the day. Just as he begins to see light on one front, he loses his sole pillar of support to his short temper. An engineer's dream cannot be tarnished any worse. How Raghu gathers himself up and touches the pinnacle is the story of the humble yet strong 'Vellaiyilla Pattathari'.

The prime quality of a strong person is to have faith in self and not lose hope under any circumstance. This is rather impossible considering chronic unemployment despite talent. But should a person retain strength in even such adverse conditions, despite complete awareness of his stance, he must learn from Dhanush. Hurt yet strong, emotional yet focused, depressed yet sportive, and not blindly optimistic but realistic, Raghu is all emotions that an unemployed, talented youth would be. He has lived the character dealt to him, who knows to differentiate aspiration from dream. Amala is the understanding partner, who balances her love and career, without letting both trespass borders. Her simplicity is what makes her stand out.

Samuthirakani plays Raghu's father, and he is the typical parent who wants to see the better for his son. He discriminates, scolds and chides his elder son, but loves him all the same. And there could not be a mother more supportive than Saranya's role. She perfectly understands her sons and supports them both equally and justly but with the kind of support each would need. She forms the anchor of the family of men otherwise. Though Vivek appears only in the second half of the film, his mere presence rocks. The combination of Dhanush and Vivek makes for classic comedy, which is sure to hurt your stomach in laughter.

When a cinematographer takes to direction, there is bound to be a set of prejudice and a little amount of doubt in his prowess. But Velraj breaks all stereotypes in delivering a healthy entertainer with a complete story and picture perfect experience. Any unemployment story could have been essayed. But keeping in mind the National Award winning protagonist, the story has been scripted with perfection that it has the right amount of heroics but not artificial heroism. Flow of the story is realistic. Every character portrayed in the right light that befits their role. Though the story is predictable at certain places, the dialogues take the cue in gluing you to the seat, entertaining through and through. Despite being a cinematographer himself, Velraj has left it to Arunbabu who is spell binding in his angles and light. The visual experience of the film literally takes you into the film, rendering you living the experience real time.

Since February, our music players have been ablaze with VIP songs and tones. And here comes the real treat to the ears. While songs kept you engaged, the background score moves you in each phase of the story. Anirudh is an artiste who will always stay close to your heart. Active choreography is observed only in one song, but it rocks the cinema nonetheless. Editing by Rajesh is on the dot, bringing out the best of sportive sequences. Dialogues are a major plus in the movie. Instead of resorting to mainstream bashing and beating up, the story has intellectual wars, confronted with composure and struck back with powerful and creative use of words. With all the rivalry brewing up and steaming hot, the defeat could have done with a delicious power packed fight scene, instead of mere acceptance of naivety. However, this is not a deterrent in a movie which is innovatively handled at every step.

A National Awardee on his famed silver jubilee release is already too much heat to handle. And when it involves a youthful crew aimed at perfection and proven to be young achievers, and the story itself is on the greatest difficulty that today's youth faces, should we say more? 'Vellaiyilla Pattathari' is a film for entertainment seekers of all ages, and a masala that aptly explains the predicament of the unemployed. With this, Velraj leaves behind a message that staying focused never fails.

Rating: 3.5/5 - As the movie says, "dedicated to all engineers"

Thirumanam Ennum Nikkah

Love is beyond the borders of religion, caste and race; all that matters in love is sincerity. And when it is comes to dedicating the rest of your life to someone, how far would one go? There have been a number of portrayals of inter-caste and inter-religion love stories, but it is not often that they throw light on the religious practices perse and show it in the right light. Coming from debutante Aneesh, here is story of love on a different outlook.

In a rush to find a reserved seat in a train, Jai  comes to be called Abu Bakkar. This is the journey where he meets Aayisha (Nazriya) and feels the spark in him that she is the one for him. He seconds his thoughts with his genuinely caring actions for the safety of Aayisha. Noticing him taking care of her, this one journey becomes enough for Aayisha to fall for Abu in return. By back home Jai is Vijayaraghava Chaari and Nazriya is Vishnu Priya, both staunch Vaishnavite Brahmins, and not Muslims. Though it is difficult for both, at first, to come to terms with a person of another religion - with entirely different practices and habits - as a life partner, the two learn to respect the differences eventually, though not revealing the true identity of their respective religions, and hence their names. How the rest of their lives take shape because of this simple lie of cover up, and the confusion that it eventually leads to, is what the holy wedding affair is about.

Jai comes across as a thorough professional and so does Nazriya. The two have synced in well with both the religions that they have carried off. Dialogues have been penned complementing the two different religions, keeping in mind the regular practices and rituals as followed in each. Special mention to Nazriya for having spoken the typical TamBrahm slang, and dubbed for her own self. While the first half is predominantly about Brahminism, the second half elaborates on the rituals of Islam, dubbed in Nasser's voice. The film strikes a healthy balance between both the religions, throwing equal light on both. Though Mayilsamy and Pandiarajan appear for brief moments only, they entertain in their classic style.

Loganathan's camera speaks for itself, especially in 'Kannukkul Pothi' song. Ghibran's music has topped the list for weeks with this album, and the movie is but a revisit to those glorious days, reviving the addiction to these songs. Although music is not remarkably omnipresent, its subtility is felt and enjoyed throughout the more. Though the story is new and fresh, screenplay renders poor translation of the concept. For a seemingly confusing predicament, the movie on the whole makes it seem as though it is too much a do about nothing.

While choreography is worth appreciation, stunt choreography is not as satisfactory as the dance and music are. The second half of the movie is more involving than the first and details out the interesting Islam procedures in detail. However, no sentimental feelings of either of the religions has been hurt, cornered or discriminated in a topic as delicate as this. No matter in which sense the film motivates,  it is sure to make heads turn for the interesting topic chosen. Credits to Aneesh for choosing to come out bold with a story like this.

Rating: 1.5/5 - Could have carried more masala   

Anjaan

After loads and loads of promotion, hype and hoopla Raju Bhai is here in the town and goes of Bang Bang Bang through the movie with Lingusamy’s masala topped storyline. Commercial cinema in India is something that pulls any level of audience for its entertainment content, and post Run Lingusamy is one of the directors who mastered the art. Anjaan slashes the director’s signature all over the movie with an array of the star cast spearheaded by Suriya. Let’s take a close look on what the movie is all about.

The Story & Direction:  20 years before the action and revenge were two sides of a coin, something which the crowd enjoyed. Lingusamy’s Anjaan falls 20 years short, barring the style quotient, cinematography and music. A handicapped brother who comes to town with a determination to find his brother, only to find out that the brother is one of the powerful dons in Mumbai. The director stresses on the key element of Anjaan the friendship of “Raju – Chandru”, aka Suriya – Vidyut. With this as the base, he capitalizes on the other elements of love, action and revenge.

Cinematography:  Santhosh Sivan’s clinical cinematography! Through the rugged streets to some color topped song sequences this movie is a lesson for budding cinematographers. The bird catching its prey, the action sequences show’s how much attention to detail is given, hats off!

Music:  The next bang is for our Yuvan, who delivers a BGM that revives the dull screenplay. The experimentation has paved out well with sirens and distant echoes dances to the situation. Two of the songs dwell well in the

Cast: Suriya shoulders the movie quite efficiently amidst the lengthy cast. The thing about Suriya is that, give him any character and he quietly mushes into the character professionally. The title does justice to Suriya’s vicious looks and he stuns in every aspect.  Vidyut’s inclusion comes as a surprise and as usual, he is suave and should send whistles from his female fans. Samantha’s gorgeous looks and a dose of glamour should definitely go down well. The Rest of the cast appears alien, Manoj as villain has the menacing looks, but appears stereotypical.

Stunts & Costume: The costume selection deserves special mention, starting from Suriya, Samantha, Vidyut to Manoj they all look cool and apt. The stereotyped mafia/don is someone who we see in Armani toned attire, a puff of cigar and is surrounded by a henchman. However, he breaks free as a casual dude, thanks to the work behind the lens. Another plus is the stunt choreography by Stunt Silva ravishes what requires for an action movie with loads of fights structured well. The pre interval fight sequence is one good example of how things should be done.

Screenplay & Dialogue: The Holy Grail of Anjaan is around Raju and Chandru’s friendship, something that requires heavy alteration. A movie that predominantly lingers on Revenge needs kick, pain and reasoning.  Anjaan has all these elements, however, the screenplay lacks the punch in delivering them. The overwhelming mass factor has blinded the makers in showing the adhesive bond between the friends which is the key element. Lip Sync, lack of Kollywood actors makes the dialogue delivery look artificial and appear haywire.

Letdowns : In the age of variety its amusing to see the kind of henchmen clad in suits, kidnapping the heroine to a  broken brickland, repetitive dialogues, monotonous threats, stereotypical villains, abrupt song placements and why Soori? Why Bramanandam?, and finally the length. Looking back at the film, Lingusamy has a lot in store to take back as his homework, for the movie fails to impress you as a whole.

To sum up,  Anjaan would be in the list of movies that could have been etched better. Barring a few twists and turns, does entertain Suriya fans to an extent and leaves out the rest.

Verditct : A commercial entertainer might not go beyond Suriya's fan base!

Stars : 2.50