Wednesday, April 27, 2011

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 screenThe 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.


  

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

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.