Billa 2

Cast: Ajith Kumar, Yog japee, Bruna Abdula, Parvathi Omanakuttan, Vidyut Jamval, Sudhanshu Pandey.

Director: Chakri Toleti

Music:  Yuvan Shankar Raja

Genre: Action Thriller

India's first prequel movie, with expectations sky high, reached the screens with spectacular box office collections, true to "The King Of Opening" title.

Billa 2, traces the up hill graph of David Billa, the journey of a Sri Lankan refugee to the most fearful and dominating don. This graph goes clearly up hill through the first half, stagnates a bit and the gets to a greater gear for good, towards the don we know from 2007.

Kamal Hassan's Unnai Pol Oruvan fame, Chakri Toleti yet again opens an account with a completely different genre; Ajith Kumar starring Billa 2. Billa 2 the prequel of Ajith's Billa 2007 was one of the most awaited films of this year. The film Billa 2's excellent promotion and Thala Ajith fans' expectations after his show down in Mankatha a Venkat Prabhu film, the A rating which fell a shock for the younger crowd; all these factors weighed heavy on Billa 2 film crew's shoulderst challenging. And....

A gripping and ferocious fight with the credits falling....

Sri Lankan refugees getting off beaten up boats, silent people walking towards the Indian shore. Yuvan's music slowly swells, fans take the hint and start cheering as Thala Ajith Kumar peeks his head off the covered boat and steps down. The cheering continues till his walk towards the check in booth. That is David Billa, he, unlike other refugees continues to maintain his dignity and remains a prick for the evil officers in-charge of the refugee camp. This makes him famous and people are in the verge of accepting him as their leader; special teas, salutes and a small gang always around. 


But for David Billa this is just a step towards the bigger life. Then the film gradually progresses trying to cope up with David Billa's stature progress.

Ajith yet again makes an one man show as in the previous flick Mankatha, and carries the film through all the bumps. There are scenes which he deals just with his presence, charisma, and style. Era Murugan and Mohamed Zafar lines extensively studded with punches treat the fans and had managed well without a single comedy or at least one liners. Ranjith, the right hand of Billa (from the previous flick) was played finely by Yog Japee. Ranjith is a loyal person who remains with Billa throughout the film. His dialogues and body language are well structured and clearly marks him as the one who accepts David Billa as someone above him from the start. Though the main heroine Parvathy Omanakuttan, doesn't fair well, but the other female lead, Bruna does a good job and the film extensively uses her looks. The two villains Dmitri and Abbassi, taken care by Vidyut Jamval, Sudhanshu Pandey are excellent, the first one is given an introductory fight sequence, but, for the latter his looks and language does it all. Both maintain their character excellently and are pleasingly fit. 

Yuvan Shankar Raja, has lent some of the best tunes to give the necessary sparks, and wonderfully uses swell ups, during the high pulse times. The background score supports the film greatly and falls very appropriate. Though some songs were not much demanded at their slots, they are forgiven for the good music and  flashy foreign dancers. 

The fight sequences are wonderful and does not seem very much far from the real world. They sure answer the question as to why the film was rated A. The fights often give us a first person view, rising the pulse and succeeds in giving the expected thrills. 

This film is an ultimate Ajith fan crowd quencher, and yes this does more than quenching, but the 'A' certificate does reduce the attendance challenging the film.

Though the punches are awesome, some fall at not-so-needed places.The dialogue sometimes seem childish;  particularly during the introductory scene of Jasmine (Parvathy Omanakuttan), where the dialogue writer seriously suffers, as the director wants us to know both, that her name is Jasmine and she calls David, 'mama' in a single scene. 

The aerial fight sequence where Ajith has done a daredevil stunt which gained popularity, far before the release fails to justify the viral hype. The lap dance song sequence in the second half seemed very much unwanted, and affects pace. The omission of the song 'Idhyam En Idhyam' disappointed the melody lovers, and it is also worrying see a peppy number like 'Gang Gang Gangster' go in vain as the title sequence. The pace seems to reduce in the second half though the heroism and the don aura surrounding Ajith are least affected.

To conclude, this is a good entertainer, typical gangster movie, and a treat for Thala fans all over, and makes a head shot appeal to them, but the general audience may not consider a second visit to the beginning, of the don's life. 

Oru Kal Oru Kannadi

Cast: Udhayanidhi Stalin,  Hansika Motwani, Santhanam

Director:   Rajesh .M

Music:  Harris Jeyaraj

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Oru kal oru kannadi, the third creation of Director Rajesh, hit the screens this Friday, giving another celebration with the Tamil new year (13th April 2012).

The movie Oru Kal Oru Kannadi codenamed OKOK, is the acting debut for the Red Giant fame Udhayanidhi Stalin, a third combo with Rajesh for Santhanam. Santhanam has his toe back in the same shoe as he had it on in Rajesh’s previous two flicks as male lead’s friend. Hansika joins this fun trio, as the heroine.

The film opens with a courier deliverer man finding his recipient, in the terrace, with a cot and a mosquito mesh covering him. The whistles make us understand that it is the new hero ‘Saravanan (Udhayanidhi)’ sleeping there, fighting the forenoon sun. The courier happens to be an invitation to Meera’s wedding, who had attached a letter telling the receiver not to attend it at any cost. The camera begins to spin fast overhead and confusion, tension and anger consumes the hero’s face. He picks up his phone, calls someone and before the guy on the other end speaks……………..

The whistles and cheers pierce the theater. Yes, that is Santhanam. This high decibel shouts and cheers continue till he is actually shown in the screen sporting a Janavaasa car.

This Meera happens to be Saravanan’s lover who had a break up with him. So that is why he calls Parthasaarathi (Santhan) to help him stop the wedding which is about to take place that day in Pondychery.

Their ride begins so does the flashback.

Saravana is a happy-going youth who works with his friend Parthasarathy in a multiplex of Chennai. He is the only son of a couple. His dad does not speak with his mother as she had not completed a degree, which seems a sin to the husband as he considers finishing a degree is something which makes a living being, a human. Saravanan works with his friend Parthasarathy aka Partha, in a multiplex as ticket dispenser. As usual Santhanam (Partha) has no background, but, just known to us as hero’s friend since his childhood.

Saravanan, falls at the first sight of Meera (Hansika Motwani), in a signal, where he waits with his mother (Sharanya) en route to Madras University to attend her degree passing exam. The mom herself takes an auto encouraging her son to follow the girl.

That is Sharanya at her typical character, who had given her best. Udhayanidhi had fared well as a hero, though he has performed to his best, people may find it difficult to accept him a hero, for he lacks what some call ‘hero material’. Santhanam needless to say supports the film hugely. He guarantees that the ticket money does not go in vain. With his one-liners, counter dialogues, and mimicking he demands claps and cheers. He saves the script just by small lines, without which the some scenes might have looked dull. The songs are catchy, and Harris has done a good job the locations are awesome yet familiar. The new hero is given easy robotic steps, which some students claim to be their school drill moves, though the heroine suffers no such criticism as she is left to run here and there, relying just on her looks. The film progresses well and is a cool entertainer, and the time passage goes unnoticed.

The concept of giving the comedian a girl-friend is not a problem, but the hero mocking her often, that to about her looks and face is something cold cheap. This seems irritating which could have been avoided, as the character is not someone inevitable to miss in the film. The fight between the hero’s mother and father is impractical, as they claim that it had been the state for twenty long years. Hansika looks charming enough, but when it comes to acting, she looks pitiable and makes us worry for her poor skills. Though Tamil film industry is filled with heroines with no Tamil knowledge (or that is what they claim), but Hansika stands a class apart who shows it clearly in the face that she does not understand a thing she mouths.  

Unlike as in the previous films the guest roles here; Arya, Andrea and Sneha are given better positions and their presence glues with the film. The film is done as less dramatically as possible, but it is surely a Rajesh film. It is worth the ticket’s price and is a bull’s eye entertainer.

3 (Moonu)

Cast: Dhanush, Sruthi Haasan, Siva Karthikeyan

Director:   Aishwarya R Dhanush

Music:  Anirudh

Genre: Drama, Romance

"Hey it is our guy ya", "the songs were cool", "how is kolaveri screened?"

Are some of the loudest chats you get to hear in the theatre threshold before the film.

After the film,

Parents “Should not leave our girl alone that too with a phone, never."

"Is Aishwarya Rajinikanth trying to spoil our culture?"

And not to leave the famous punch...... "the youth these days!"

Kids “sob... sob..."

Some "Machan take out the parking ticket lets get home and sleep", "don't talk to me now."

Some elite critics over the phone "Ya I liked the acting and I swear I will never write anything bad about him, what if he makes another one like this."

Some of the rest, “Will I get a ticket in black, for the next show?"

And of course "This is the movie of the year."

And you also might see these ones  "     "

<no expression, no comments just wide open eyes>

Ok you would have got it. Yes we are talking about 3, the most awaited film. And those comments above, none, can be blamed.

The movie opens with the camera rolling into a porshe apartment house, a death house,  with wonderful tragic music. Sruthi is on the couch lying down crying and the rest standing and crying. The whole movie starrers are there except some side actors. You finally notice that, you had not got the privilege of seeing the corpse, also suddenly something hits you, "Where is Dhanush?"

Debut Director and music director Aishwarya and Anirudh both know what it is to handle a movie. And our guy Dhanush has once again showed that he sure can act. Sruthi Haassan with those innocent looks and I am not from north style Tamil has rocked the screen.

Prabhu's usual grace, Siva Karthikeyan's witty comments and his surprise presence itself, succeed to add the expected colour.

Aishwarya Dhanush marks her debut with a mature rather different movie. She had risked enough directing a tragic flick, and she sure must be congratulated. The films describes three stages of our protagonist, Ram’s (drove by Dhanush) life hence the name “Moonu” (3). Or it can be taken in a different way the ‘happiness’, ‘sadness and difficulty’, and this ‘3’rd one is ‘sorry suspense’ of our hero's life.

Ram who is the son of a rich businessman (Prabhu) is a carefree youth. He falls at the first look of a school girl Janani (Sruthi Haasan), of his age, trying her hands in putting the chain of her cycle, which goes down in the rain. He traces her school by her uniform, which involves a wonderful conversation among his friends, gradually her name then her address. Follows her everywhere, joins her tuition, giving great time for quality comedy. Finally our girl also begins to love him.

The second split involves family negotiations, about their love for each other. This goes smoothly in our hero’s place but ends badly in Janani’s place and she is out of her house. Shiva Karthikeyan goes off the screen suddenly, which is later explained. Prabhu give the newly married couple a apartment. They live happily hero manages to dump the gap and makes the heroine’s family to forgive her. All goes well. The audience begin to think why the movie was not named 2.

Why is he dead? This is answered in the third split. The hero faces sudden depression, fluctuating sadness and euphoria, which all get either explained or left to the audience for good. Here comes real acting and a single awesome fight sequence and a great load of Sruthi Haasan tears.

Dhanush as usual does a good job and fits in well as Ram, he does laugh demanding comedy and decent sentiment. He manages to make the audience react how the makers want them to. The fight sequence and serious looks in the second half are sure to be praised. Sruthi Haasan’s character which doesn’t require great acting, is maneuvered well. She sheds great amount of tears towards the end for which her fans would pray that it must not have took many shots. Siva Karthikeyan who is present in the first one and a quarter chronological splits, did a wonderful job. With perfect punch lines, slap sticks and timely comments he wins high decibel applause and whistle. And Sundar fits in well as a loyal friend and does justice to his role.

The scenes which involve school and tuition are written well armed with perfect dialogues, to which many fall acknowledging the striking resemblance with their own lives. The son-dad conversations during hard turns in hero’s life though seems old, appears good and warm. Our heroine’s younger sister acts as one with hearing impairment. She does not speak owing to this. The kid did her part well, but the scene in which she suddenly starts speaking being under a heavy load of sentiment, looks a stunt and seems a bit childish. A doctor who is consulted by Sundar in the film seems to have acted a bit more than needed. The romance scenes between 12^th grade students seem misleading. Some mostly the elders may not like the marriage scene in a discotheque, but its not much noticed under the cover of Anirudh's peppy music.

Every scene is crafted well and the music hugely supports it. But the film as a whole lacks some explanations which are loosely tried to explain. Overall this is a good attempt in all ways, with a message which though does not need hours to convey. Watching once is worth.

This one may win awards (for the acting or music) but not young children and parents’ thumbs up.

Mappillai

Cast: Dhanush, Manisha Koirala, Hansika Motwani, Vivek and many

Director:   Suraj

Music:  Mani Sharma

Genre: Action Drama

Suraj, not wanting to risk, tries his same old hero-comedian pair from Padikadhavan in his latest film Mappillai. The movie is a remake of the Rajini's 1989 Mappillai, true to the name the lead actor Dhanush is the Mappillai (son-in-law) of the original flick's hero.

The film is all about the ways a hero can express his heroism to his dictating mamiyar (mother-in-law). The movie is about a rowdy like hero falling into love with an equally tough women's daughter, this women also happens to be a rich business magnet. The rest of the story is packed full with clashes between the son-in-law and the mother-in-law.


Saravana (Dhanush), is portrayed as a obedient, regular temple visitor at the beginning of the movie, even the introduction song is a temple festival dance ("Aaru padai" a colourful song sequence). Child Chinna (Vivek) happens to be his neighbor. Vivek has done a childish job as a comedian, people get irritated by the comical sequences in the first half and the style of speech was the worst I have heard. Vivek tries to criticize the present day youth's fashion, by wearing dresses which no one would even dare to look at, this is a over dose of advise to the young, although he manages to get a few claps in the second half where he dons a billionaire Sivaji look.


Chinna asks the hero to help him with Gayathri (played by Hansika Motwani). Just as usual, the hero manages to get the heroin and the comedian looses, yet he remains loyal to the hero in the rest of the film.


At first the heroine's mother Rajeshwari (played excellently by Manisha Koirala), decides to make Saravana her mappillai, falling for his innocent, harmless, obedient and  servant like appearence. But, once the actual terror and rowdy face of Saravana is revealed by one of her politician friend with a "Kuthu song" she arranges the marriage with someone else. Knowing this, our hero hijacks the marriage and marries Gayathri, and leaves the marriage hall walking in the side leaving place for the words "INTERMISSION" in the screen. The rest of the story is Saravana's plight to keep his mamiyar from separating the new couple.


The word "Mappillai" comes as often as possible to wake the audience and make them remember the name. The second half gives a lot of scope for punch dialogs, and every situation is seized and a punch is imparted. Our heroine suffers a lot with the language and her struggle to keep her face in accordance with the dialog is very apparent, and when the pushing point comes she either smiles or laughs, which the director thinks the audience won't mind, (so please don't mind). Dhanush has given the best he can, but with a film like this nothing can be done to make the film look better. The rhymes our hero delivers falls in the most unwanted situations, the other face of the hero hardly surprises the audience. Manisha Koirala, does a good job and manages a respectable amount of claps in the story, one can't find why the director tries to make her as young as the heroin, being her mother. The reason for the yellow glow in Manisha's face in the second half remains a mystery. The director has given a lot of questions to think about, for the audience like, "Where does the money come from to do all this?", "When did he prepare for  this stuff?" and so on, oops and not to miss the main Tamil commercial movie, million dollar question "HOW DID HE DO THAT?"


Overall the film is worth a watch if your below ten, and for others, better reconsider you choice!


And, the last words,
Never worry dear Dhanush fans , the banner will take the movie, or at least push the movie for a respectable period of time.


  

Aadukalam

Cast: Dhanush, Tapsee, Kishore, Jayabalan and many
Director: Vettrimaran
Music:  GV Prakash Kumar
Genre:  Drama

Vettrimaran is back with his two successful actors Dhanush and Kishore in his second film "Aadukalam". In this film the director has made every scene as practical as possible, giving Sun Pictures a sudden transition from their previous film (Endhiran). Dhanush takes up a typical Madurai-born avatar and fits in well.

The film is centered on Rooster fight, where elements like love, friendship, fun, and betrayal revolve around it. The film is split (exactly) into two. The first half is about the scenario of Madurai's Rooster Fight craze through ages, and the second is packed with ego clashes and betrayal. 

Petaikaran (Jayabalan) is a rooster fight trainer, and victorious person who had never lost in a match. He is always with his followers Karuppu (Dhanush), Durai (Kishore) and a gang of rooster trainers and breeders. Rathnaswamy (Naren) a police, who is also a rooster trainer is determined to win Petaikaran. Irene (Tapsee) an Anglo Indian girl happens to meet K P Karuppu, and he falls for her. Dhanush's scenes with the heroine are the ones which impart comedy and colour between the action and tragedy fueled film.

The police Rathanaswamy considers winning Petaikaran as his family's pride. Though he tries to follow ethical means to win the fight, he is lured by his cronies, to follow the shorter route to win the sport. A tournament is held by Petaikaran, and it is a serious one as pride gets involved. The first few matches are won by Petaikaran's team, but, after the police imports roosters from Banglore, and uses steroid like medicines on them, the fight becomes difficult. Dhanush enters at this situation to save his master's pride and wins the matches after a lot of risks and rejection of his master's cautions. Dhanush becomes the hero of the town. This ignites anger and ego in Petaikaran's mind. The rest of the story is the clashes of ego and life or death fights where roosters are replaced by humans.

The scenes where Karuppu tries to impress Irene are wonderfully taken. The helps and tips from friends and companions to impress her are cute, like the one where Durai gives his bike at the mid-night and takes picture of them in a cell phone, and the one where Petaikaran innocently suggests giving malli (jasmine) to her on their meeting not considering the fact that she is a modern Anglo Indian girl.

The rooster fights are awesome and seems real. The depiction of trainer-rooster bond is mind blowing. These fights are shown as fights between the talents of the trainers than the fitness of the roosters. Coming to the human fights, which pops up in between the first half and makes the whole climax, are practical and logical, and are made to look like local street fights without sacrificing heroism. The infinite stamina of the hero at the climax can be forgiven for these practical fights.


The songs fall at right timing. Excellent job by the choreographer, though the steps aren't the professional dancers kind, they suit well for a carefree Madurai youth. 

Standing in the line separating the commercials and the non commercials, this is a decent, worth a watch film.

Boss Yengira Baaskaran

Cast: Arya, Santhanam, Nayanthara, Saravanan and many
Director: Rajesh
Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja
Genre: Comedy

In his second film very much similar to the first SMS (Siva Manasula Sakthi) Rajaesh had experimented with a very different crew and had succeeded in entertaining (and tickling) the viewers. Arya after his serious role in Madrasapattinam had relaxed in Boss as Boss.

Baskaran's brother Saravanan (Subbu Panchu) is a veterinary doctor and the one who runs the family since his father had died. Baskaran, a city cruiser, not even finished his degree arrears with no work to do (added qualification for Tamil comedy entertainer) meets Chandrika (Nayanthara) in one of his arrear attempts. Boss's friend Nallathambi (Santhanam) owns a Saloon which is the hang out for our hero. 

Boss falls in love with Chandrika, who also happens to be his brother's sister in law. Boss and Nallathambi join hands to make Boss a well earner for the sake of marrying Chandrika. This plight of the two builds up the story.


The first few meetings of Arya and Nayanthara are too coincidental to be believable, but the dialogs and the comical back ups manage to erase the flaws.

The location selection is awesome, temples and ponds filled Kumbakonam is where the film progresses. Santhanam's slapsticks are sure clap gainers. Santhanam this time, had managed to reduce his vulgar and hurting (what-many-calls) comedy. 


Tamil film culture of having hero's friend getting into trouble all the time with hero escaping is re-written. The guest appearance of Jeeva, and Shakila could be avoided, but as our hero says "idhalam jagajam".


With maximum possible importance to people other than the hero, wonderful comedy sequences and justice to heroine's salary this film is a guaranteed family entertainer.


A lot of worthy movies had vanished into commercial cloud hope this one escapes the Endhiran mania. 

Thillalangadi

Cast: Jeyam Ravi, Tamanna, Shyam, Vadivelu, Santhanam, Prabhu and many

Director: Raja
Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja
Genre:Commercial entertainer

Raja is back with his brother for a new Telugu remake ('Kick' to 'Thillalangadi'). This time Ravi is given a chance for a pure commercial film which is completely different from his previous movies.

In the movie, Jeyam Ravi breaks up with Tammanah, who expects him to be responsible and truthful, which is like stopping a train with left hand for Krishna (Jeyam Ravi). Our soft and calm Shyam dons a completely different role as a sincere and successful police officer, who is on a mission to catch a thief in town (Chennai) The thief not different from any of the thieves in South Indian cinema does theft intelligently and escapes without much useful clues.

Tammanah and Shyam are about to get married and its thier first meeting. They speak about their lives, likes and dislikes (this is where Ravi pops in) in a metro train of Malaysia (a brand new country as location in Tamil Cinema). The reason for Tamil police Shyam in Malaysia is for catching 'The Intelligent Thief' and Tammanah is here to meet her probably 'to be', would be (Shyam).

The further progress of the film depends on Shyam's mission to catch the thief, and instability of Tamannah to marry Shyam by the unexpected presence Ravi.

The age old triangular love customs is avoided as much as possible in the film. Though being an action comedy, heroism is at the least. With less fight scenes (only two) and much importance in comedy adds credit to Thillangadi.

To know the further building up and see Santhanam (A memory loss patient who assumes himself a Doc) and Vadivel (Jackie, a family man in search of love) at their work grab a ticket and watch the movie.

A can watch for NON Tammanah, Jeyam Ravi hardcore fans.
For the others: Machan Padam Gethu da paarthey aaganum.