Vedi Movie Review, Rating (2.5/5)

Starring: Vishal, Sameera Reddy, Poonam Kaur, Vivek
Direction: Prabhu Deva
Music: Vijay Antony
Production: Vikram Krishna (GK Film Corporation)

Rating:

Review: Sameera stands out in Vedi

The best thing about Sun Picture's Vedi (Firecracker), directed by Prabhudeva, is that it never takes itself seriously. It has some action, adventure, romance, some laughs, a thundering climax and all you need to do is sit back, relax and watch for the meagre turning-points in this story, which is the remake of the Telugu hit, Souryam.

Balu (Vishal) arrives in Kolkata for a reason that is not disclosed to us. He runs into the balloon-stuffed Sandesh (Vivek), masquerading as a muscled wonder, and asks to be appointed as a physical training teacher in a college. He's forced to seek accommodation at the home of Paru (Sameera Reddy), who, in filmi fashion, takes some sort of dislike to him, does everything to oust him, but ends up falling for him, and sings songs in bewitching foreign locales.

At the other end there's Aishwarya (Poonam Kaur), Paru's college-mate and neighbour, in whom Balu shows inordinate interest (though not in a romantic way). Exactly why he takes such an interest in her affairs, and who he really is, is revealed in the next two hours. There's also a villain, Eswaramoorthy (Shayaji Shinde) who is the epitome of silliness.

The template of a story like this goes according to a pre-set pattern, with plenty of mindless comedy and action thrown in and Vedi is no different. The first half, with its liberal doses of humour, moves at a brisk pace. The second half, once the minor knots have been untangled, drags and dithers.

As expected, Vishal flexes his muscles, throw goons into the air and smashes into them like a pile-driver, all the while never moving a muscle. He throws out both physical and verbal punches with barely an effort.

Vivek struts around as a pseudo-macho man and tickles your funny-bone slightly. Poor Shayaji Shinde, a man capable of great acting, has been reduced for the umpteenth time to a giggling, silly villain who makes brawny men quiver, but not the hero.

Urvasi, in a tiny role manages to wring some laughs, along with Sriman, who looks silly.

It's Sameera Reddy who is a real joy to watch. She brings a great deal of enjoyment to her tiny role. She dances, laughs and delivers her lines with such enthusiasm that she invests it with an energy that's infectious. Beside her, Poonam Kaur, though in an important role, appears washed out.

None of Vijay Antony's songs stand out. If not for R D Rajasekar's snappy camera-work, they wouldn't be watchable either. V T Vijayan's editing is rather effective. But, then, nothing in the movie really requires superlative work from anyone.

None of Prabhudeva's signature touches are visible in the film. In fact, the movie looks like a mass-product that could have been turned out by any random commercial director.

Vedi is just another run-of-the-mill entertainer.

Review 2

After Avan Ivan, Vishal has emerged one of the top heroes of Tamil industry and expectations are obviously running high as his next Vedi is hitting the screens today. With Prabhudeva helming the affairs and the movie released by Sun Pictures, it is a grand outing for Vishal. 

Story

The movie begins on an interesting note in a colourful manner with a peppy song featuring music composer Devi Sri rasad.

The first half of the movie sees Prabhakaran (Vishal) being chased by henchmen. He escapes to Kolkata  and seeks admission to a college. There he Deepa (Poonam Kaur) and asks her for a room to stay. She suggests he talk to her friend. In the meantime, Vijay runs into Paro(Sameera Reddy) and her gang of friends who rag all boys in college. But Prabhakaran outwits them. Paro comes to know the other side of Prabhakaran. And as expected fall for him.

Meanwhile, Divya is often troubled by some goons and Prabhakaran saves her. A flashback reveals the mission Prabhakaran is up to and he is on an undercover. A sibling story in undercover backdrop

Performance

Vishal is at ease in his role -- fighting with panache and dancing with elan. He seems to have come out of Avan Ivan mode. The expressions and his angry young man's portrayal sit well on him. Impressive is Sameera Reddy. She is more than a regular heroine. She is at ease in her encounters with Vishal. She shakes her legs well for the songs. Poonam Kaur is impressive in her role. Watch out for some interesting cameos in the film. 

Technicalities

Music by Vijay Antony is the highlight. For a commercial film, he does all justice. The songs Icchu and Eppadi mazhai are impressive. Cinematography by R D Rajasekhar is other major highlight. He captures Kolkata well. The sleek editing by V T Vijayan adds pace to the script. Prabhudeva has crafted the film in an interesting manner and there are no dull moments.

Analysis

Though a remake of a Telugu hit (Sowriyam), the movie is entertaining and enjoyable, for there are smart changes in the script to suit Tamil audience. However it ends up as a predictable cliched commercial masala.

Vaagai Sooda Vaa Review, Rating (3/5)

Starring: Vimal, Iniya, K Bhagyaraj, Ponvannan
Direction: A Sarkunam
Music: M Ghibran
Production: S Muruganandham, N Puranna

Rating:

Review: Vaagai Sooda Vaais outdated

Vaagai Sooda Vaa 'looks' good but doesn't capatalise on its strengths.

One of the best things about Village Theatres' Vaagai Sooda Vaa, the second film from director Sargunam who earlier gave us the marvellous Kalavani, is its cinematography.

Om Prakash's camera wanders all over an arid, parched landscape, rendering it in sepia tones, capturing the sharp, stark reality of a land and people who literally scrape clay for a livelihood.

Debutant art director Seenu (Sabu Cyril's erstwhile assistant) has simply gone to town with the huts, the props and everything that brings a struggling land to life.

M Ghibran, a welcome addition to Tamil cinema, provides some neat tunes as well, adding some much-needed flavour to the proceedings.

Vaagai Sooda Vaa also comes with a message -- simple and inspiring -- but of the kind that was in vogue around 40 years ago.

The film is set in 1966. The protagonist of the story, Veluthambi (Vimal), has just completed a teacher training course and is looking for work. His father Annamalai (K Bhagyaraj) insists that he do something that furthers his career, so Veluthambi sets out for a remote village, the poetically named Kandeduthaan Kadu, to educate its children for a monthly salary of Rs 30.
Veluthambi's efforts to teach the kids don't work. And there are powerful enemies: the local bigwig JP (Ponvannan) treats the whole village almost like his bonded labourers, and the last thing he wants is for them to be educated.

The set-up is neat, the lead characters mildly engaging, the jokes and old songs featuring veteran actress Saroja Devi are alluring. The build-up is slow, but you wait patently, hoping that it will lead to something extraordinary, a climax worthy of all the effort. It doesn't.

Vimal appears a little uncomfortable in his role as a 1960s teacher. His natural ebullience works in his favour a little, but at times, he looks puzzled, as though he's not quite sure how he's supposed to deliver his lines.

Iniya, who has acted in Yuddham Sei as Cheran's sister, is a welcome find. Shorn of make-up, she's natural, appealing, and very expressive.

Thambi Ramaiyya is his usual hilarious self; Ponvannan is menacing but appears for scant minutes, and there's no time for his character to develop. Ditto for K Bhagyaraj.

Despite the interesting milieu, the movie loses out on the most basic requirement: the story. The plot is wafer-thin, has been seen in countless melodramatic works from pre-MGR days, and gives you absolutely nothing new.

The screenplay barely moves and the influence of movies like Paruthiveeran is obvious. Dialogues are dull at times, and situations are over-explained.

Vaagai Sooda Vaa may have a few advantages going for it, but it hasn't really capitalised on these strengths. This one is no Kalavani.

Vaagai Sooda Vaa - Review 2

Carries strong message 
The Kalavani team is back. If it was a rural tale of a callous youth in Kalavani, Vaagai Sooda Vaa is a different film. It is a period flick with Vimal playing the lead and directed by Sargunam. With more new faces, it has enough to enthrall serious movie-goers.

Story


The movie is set in 1965 in a remote village near Pudukottai. It revolves around Veluthambi (Vimal), whose father Annamalai (K Bhagiyaraj) wants him to take up a government job. Before that he wants him to go and work as a teacher in a bricklin where many children are employed. Veluthambi is entrusted the job of teaching these children formal education.


Initially the students resist and their parents too doesn't want to send their children to study and rather prefer to make them work in bricklin. In the village there is Madhi (Iniya), innocent tea vendor, who provides food daily for Veluthambi. The elders in the village work for a greedy proprietor JP (Ponvannan) inbricklins. A sequence of events results in Veluthambi winning the hearts of the people and he insists that only education would bring sea change in the lives of children, who otherwise will have to toil like their parents. In the event, he incurs the wrath of JP. When all goes well, fate comes in the form of a government job for him. Madhi falls in love with him.


Now did Veluthambi accept the job and left the place or chose to think unconventionally and educate the children or not forms the climax.

Performance


It is an excellent performance by Vimal. He has been hitherto seen as a youth who is callous and never-care attitude in life. However in Vaagai Sooda Vaa is a different film for him. As an innocent teacher, he is right there giving his best. His exchanges with the children and sweet interactions with Iniya are a treat to watch. Watch out for Iniya. This young girl playing a rural belle is impressive. She is right there emoting well. At places she reminds one of yesteryear actress Shoba. Thambi Ramiah does his job exceedingly well. As Iniya's father in the village, he is tailor-made for the role. Ponnvannan and Thennavan excel on their part.
But watch out for a group of young innocent children. They are simply outstanding and natural and spontaneous in their expressions.


Technicalities


Due credit should go to Sargunam for thinking out of the box. It is a docu-drama well documented by Sargunam. But he has laced some lighter moments in the script, that works out well. If Om Prakash captures the innocence of the people in this period flick, three cheers should go to debutant Seenu for his exemplary art work that brings before our eyes 1960s. Natraj, who has designed costumes, too deserves a special mention.  Music by debutant Gibran is another strength. The songs add pep to the script and are picturised in a realistic manner.

Analysis


A well-conceived and well-made film. But it deserves patience and liking for such serious themes. Sargunam is clear about his priorities. He has not gone preachy anywhere, rather leaving audience to decide. He deserves applause for driving home the point that only education can bring a sea change in the society and educating a generation would bring more awareness. Vaagai Sooda Vaa will go down as a classic in Tamil cinema.

Muran Movie Review, Rating (2.5/5)

Banner:	Dream Theatres
Cast:	Cheran, Prasanna, Nikitha, Haripriya
Direction:	Rajan Madhav
Music:	Sajan Madhav
Rating:

Review: Muran is heavily inspired

The first thought that strikes you while watching the much anticipated Muran (Conflict), produced and distributed by director Cheran and UTV Motion Pictures and directed by newcomer Rajan Madhav is that Alfred Hitchcock must be turning in his grave!

Rajan Madhav happens to be acclaimed director Mysskin's erstwhile assistant as well. So expectations were sky-high. As to whether his debut fulfills the hype, remains to be seen.

In the beginning, though, all seems to be perfect: in an up-market hotel, you have a bearded and serious Nandha (director Cheran), an upcoming musician, complete with fashionable beard and guitar, who's trying to make a name for himself.

He's about to seal a lucrative assignment when fate takes an unexpected turn. The entire dining area comes to a halt as a drunk Arjun (Prasanna), slurring and on the verge of an emotional breakdown, threatens to jump off the multi-story building. He does, much to the consternation and shock of everyone present -- including Nandha.

So far, it seems just like one of those coincidental meetings that happen so often in life - until Nandha and Arjun meet again, when Nandha's car breaks down during his journey, courtesy a few drunk youths on the road. Arjun, passing by, offers the musician a lift - and thereby begins an interesting tale.

It's flashbacks galore as Nandha's life-story is revealed: his is a less-than-perfect marriage, with an adulterous wife Indu (Nikita) who won't grant him a divorce; but he does have an understanding girlfriend, Lavanya (Haripriya) who is Nandha's ideal mate.

Arjun, meanwhile, is a conundrum. He lives for thrills, walks willingly in the path of buses and lorries, thinks nothing of taking the wildest risks. The reason: his father Devarajan (Jayaprakash), a successful industrialist, won't give his son the freedom and resources he desires. Besides, he's the reason for Arjun's girlfriend Linda's death.

There's nothing left for Arjun now and so he proposes the ultimate thrill: he'll kill Nandha's wife while Nandha must kill Arjun's father.

With the essential plot-point, and several key twists liberally borrowed from Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train, Muran deviates from the original only in minor details (such as showing Nandha as a musician, instead of the tennis player his character is, in the original), and having the meeting happen in a car, instead of a train.

While the first half, with its snappy dialogues and the hint of suspense goes along at a good pace, everything starts unraveling, post the interval.

The director appears to have suddenly turned indecisive, about the screenplay: the writing wanders from showing a character as negative, then positive, then negative again.

Songs and fight sequences (no matter how humorously included), do destroy the pace.

Unlike the Hitchcock original, Muran doesn't dwell much on its characters and their development, instead using a dozen twists and turns to add to the suspense. It doesn't work. Almost an hour of unnecessary twists and turns are thrown in, to "add to the suspense" but all it does it drag the screenplay along. There's none of the nail-biting suspense and heart-thumping agony of the unknown here.

Of the actors, Prasanna walks away with the honours. The man is disarmingly charming, striking the right balance between naiveté, hurt and downright villainy when the dithering screenplay allows him to, that is. He invests the dialogues with such effrontery that you can't help but applaud his talents.

Cheran, though, is a major disappointment. The man usually doesn't turn in a terrible performance, but this time, it's as though he learnt to emote from the Terminator School of Acting. With his beard covering half his face, there's little to be discerned about any of his emotions at any time. It's only his confrontations with Prasanna that provide some relief.

The heroines have precious little to do. Jayaprakash, with his very limited screen space, does a neat job.

Saajan Madhav's music doesn't linger much, expect for Idhu Varai. Padmesh's camera is slick, and non-intrusive. Arun Durairaj's editing passes muster. But then, this isn't the kind of movie that depends on technical excellence for its kudos.

Muran scores at certain points, such as Prasanna, and a smattering of scenes. It does lose, heavily, in originality.

Muran -  Review 2

Muran - Strikingly different

The title itself was striking and what more with two stars (Cheran and Prasanna) sharing the screen, expectations were high. Directed by Sajjan Madhav, the movie, a road journey, has twists and turns.

Story

It is the tale of two persons. Nandha (Cheran) is more a introvert. A musician ( who wants to become a music director), he is wed locked to Indhu (Nikhita). They fall apart in life after difference of opinion. Nandha comes across Arjun (Prasanna), a rich businessman who lives life his own way. He loves challenges and thrills. He wants life to come his way.

On fine day, Nandha is forced to take a lift in Arjuna's car. There they get acquainted. They share details of their life. Then they decide to seek favour from each other for their life. - Two gruesome murder... What follows is an interesting and thrilling event that they come across in their lives.

Performance

Three cheers to Cheran. He plays his part exceedingly well. A musician who lost his life, he brings all emotions in his eyes. Prasanna is not far behind. His body language and his costumes come handy to portray his character. Both combine well to gove their best on screen. Also the likes of Hariprya, Nikita and Jayaprakash fit the bill and give a powered perfomance.

Technicalities

Cinematographer Padmesh brings a taut thriller before our eyes with his scintillating camera work. His hard work has paid rich dividends. Wach out for Sajjan Madhav's background score. It is impressive. The director's shrewd handling of screenplay makes it count.

Analysis

More like the Alfred Hitchcock's films, the narration provides more suspense and thrill than the scenes. Shrewd characterizations, apt dialogues and excellent props add pep to the film. But the lacunae have been the songs that mar the proceedings.

Verdict : Muran is a taut thriller