A classic case of the proverbial dark horse, Leelai (U), which has taken a circuitous route to reach the cinemas, is a healthy entertainer from the word go. Released without much hype, the story and the narration are pointers to the talent of first-time director Andrew Louis, who has apprenticed under director S. J. Suryah. Leelai is a city-centric affair that dwells on the life of today's MNC crowd that works hard and also lives a carefree life. A casual fling is fine, but when completely smitten by love, they aren't too sure how to handle it. The romantic subject has levity as its mainstay!
A neatly conceived story, a lucid screenplay, enjoyable dialogue and deft direction place Leelai apart, particularly amidst the mediocrity that comes your way in the name of entertainment. Comedy that is a seamless blend most of the time is jarring only on a couple of occasions when Santhanam is given a free hand with an irrelevant track. Obviously, Santhanam's saleability has made Louis go for it. But it is in the combination scenes with the hero that the comedian actually scores. As heroine Malar's friend Vicky, Santhanam has you in stitches most of the time.
You cannot for a moment believe that hero Shiv Pandit (an IPL host-turned-actor who debuted in Hindi cinema with Bejoy Nambiar's Shaitan ) doesn't know a word of Tamil! Perfect lip sync and underplayed expressions prove his mettle. And Gautam has done a commendable job as the ‘voice' of Shiv.
Karunai Malar (Mansi Parekh) advises her roommates in the college hostel against the whims, fancies and callousness of the opposite sex. “They aren't serious. You'll end up feeling miserable,” she warns them. But her friends, Gayathri and Mona, go ahead and do just that. One after the other, they fall for the same guy, Karthik (Shiv), and when the quick-witted techie understands that they do not match him in intelligence, he beats a hasty retreat. Dropped like hot potatoes, they come back to sob on Malar's shoulders. What follows is interesting …
Myriad emotions dance on heroine Mansi's face — the role calls for a nuanced performance and she delivers admirably. Suhasini (of Vijay TV's Jodi No.1 fame) plays the part of Karthik's friend who can neither reveal his attempt at impersonation nor allow Malar to get hurt. She does a flawless job of it.
The story isn't exactly new. But the freshness Andrew lends it is laudable. Towards the end, if you find Leelai lagging a little, it's more because of the song sequences that seem too many. Nevertheless, newcomer Satish Chakravarthy's compositions are a draw. The scintillating numbers, including ‘Naetru Oru Kalavaram,' have been a hit on the audio circuit for long. Chakravarthy deserves a warm welcome. And be it Edward's enticing artwork or Velraj's imaginative cinematography, technicians are a highpoint of the film.
Leelai isn't just for the youth. It is for every senior with an iota of youthfulness in him. While walking out of the hall, I heard a viewer comment, “Did you notice how beautifully the screenplay has been woven?” The observation says a lot about Louis' potential.
Catch up with Leelai , you could find it worth your while.
Leelai
Genre: Rom-com
Director: Andrew Louis
Cast: Shiv Pandit, Santhanam, Mansi, Suhasini
Storyline: Generally a harmless flirt, when Cupid's arrow strikes him hard, the hero resorts to duplicity to win the girl's hand.
Bottomline: A feel-good film that deserves to win.
