How often do you get your money’s worth at cinema halls with the kind of rates we pay in Bengaluru especially when you have multiple releases? We sniggered when theatres shut down in Tamil Nadu over a marginal hike in rates after GST. There was deep concern over slide in footfalls while we have been shelling out a fortune for a long time with nary a grumble leave alone a complaint. Anyway I watched three films, two Tamil and one Telugu and they were all worth the money. You want to watch a Vijay Sethupathi starrer because you trust his judgement and the mercurial edge he lends to any character. You don’t see any reference point in his performances in the sense that here is an actor who’s devoid of influences which is why he gives a unique shade. There’s the ever reliable Madhavan and producer Shashi who will not helm a project unless he sees creative freshness rather than crass commercial viability. The icing was the edgy trailer which sometimes ends up being the best parts picked to entice. ‘Vikram Vedha’ delivers what it promised. It’s a cop versus thug tale that’s turned on its heel. The film is rightly shot in a consistently grey tone defining the characters. The film does remind you of ‘Kurudhi Punal’ but it all boils down to the narration rather than the plot. It’s about moral dilemma and the fact that every man has a reason for his deeds. It all boils down to perspective. The moral lines in the end blur and seem to mesh. ‘VV’ is a triumph creatively and commercially. A producer who came along was wondering whom to cast if there’s a Kannada version. He gave up very fast.
“‘Meeseye Murukku’ is a huge hit. People are laughing and clapping non-stop,” said an excited producer friend from Chennai after just one show on the day of release. That’s how swiftly judgement is passed these days. It can be ruthless when a film fails to deliver. . Adhi of Hip Hop Tamizha fame is not entirely unknown. He is part of an independent music group, has sung some popular tracks and also composed music, notably for ‘Thani Oruvan’. ‘MM’ is autobiographical and true to the genre. The son from a conservative family is studying something he knows is irrelevant to his dreams. The protective father is prudent enough to give him one year to chase his musical aspirations so it’s all about whether the protagonist triumphs. Adhi who makes his directorial and acting debut seems shaky in the first half which is predictable. There are the college antics with his friends, crush, love, break-up when the girl gives him a low down about ground reality and discovering what his true calling is. He makes up in the latter half, veering away effortlessly from the oft trodden path and taking the tale to a practical conclusion. Vivek is the only star in the film and does full justice to a strong character. Adhi is as comfortable facing the camera as he is behind it. He targeted the young filmgoers but has succeeded in drawing entire families.
‘Fidaa’ is a sort of revenge film for Shekar Kammula, the talented director who made the lovely ‘Happy Days’, fumbled with ‘Mukunda’ and lost the plot in ‘Anaamika’ even though it was a remake of the successful ‘Kahaani’. The best of directors have a comfort zone unless you are Steven Spielberg, and Shekar’s is romance. I say revenge because with ‘Fidaa’ Shekar seems to be saying, ‘If this is what you like, let me add freshness to the most done to death plot’. Every character is a cliché and the proceedings mostly predictable, but Shekar infuses life. There’s the doting father, inseparable siblings, the mystery of arranged marriage versus the thrill of loving before tying the knot and why girls should leave their homes after matrimony. There’s love, misunderstanding and the longing that distance creates. Convenient situations are created to elongate the proceedings. The situations and lines mouthed are utterly relatable.
Nobody is bad here, just misunderstood. Little scenes bring lumps to the throat, effortlessly. Therein lays the manipulative powers of a film director.
The plot vacillates between a town in Telangana and a sparkling city in the USA. Even the rain in Shekar’s world is gentle.
Sai Pallavi is a revelation, she is a motor mouth whose dreams comes true in the end after playing the ‘prim and propah’ lecturer in ‘Premam’. Varun Tej is the ideal foil, assured and not intimidated. In the end it’s the characterisation, atmosphere, situations and smooth narrative that culminate into an enjoyable experience.
sshivu@yahoo.com
