Movie: Madrasapattinam
Cast: Arya, Amy Jackson
Director Vijay, after “Kireedom” and “Poi Solla Porom”, comes up trumps yet again with a winner in “Madrasapattinam”; the high points of the movie being its taut screenplay, fine acting by all the actors involved and excellent direction.
Plot
“Madrasapattinam” is a sweet romantic film set in the pre-independent era. The film starts with the death of 80-year-old Amy's husband followed by her arrival in India. There is a simultaneous narration of her arrival as an 18-year-old, as the daughter of the governor of Madrasapattinam. Even as she arrives, Amy Wilkinson (Amy Jackson) is smitten by the bravery and innocence of Elamparithi (Arya), a ‘dhobi' who is also a champion wrestler. Before long, love blooms between the two — in a very realistic and convincing way. What happens next and whether they unite forms the crux of the movie. The interspersion of the past and the present adds to the narration, which is a la “Titanic”.
Performances
Arya has done a wonderful job and has quite evidently worked hard both physically and mentally for essaying this role. We can only hope that he continues doing such variety instead of resorting to clichéd masala movies. Amy Jackson is a delight. The film revolves around her and Arya and she has done her part to perfection — her excellent lip-sync deserves special mention. In a particular scene in which she appears in a saree, Amy looks gorgeous.
Robert Ellis (Alex O'Nell), Amy's fuming fiancé, breathes fire as the Commissioner of Madras. The late Cochin Haneefa as Nambi, a British aide, adds to the fun quotient while Nassar as Parithi's wrestling guru Ayyakannu, Balasingh, M.S. Bhaskar and Balaji have performed their parts aptly.
Kudos to art director Selva Kumar for recreating the Madras of yore with such finesse. The Buckingham Canal, Central Station of then and the trams deserve special mention. Cinematography by Nirav Shah and editing by Antony add to the movie's appeal. Another aspect of “Madrasapattinam” which lifts the movie is its music by G.V. Prakash Kumar. The songs “Pookal pookkum tharunam” and “Vaama duraiyamma” linger in our minds even as we leave the theatre and the song “Kaatrile” makes us oblivious to the length of the climax. The re-recording is also perfect for the film. A movie for the romantic in you.
SARATH R., IV Year, BE Mechanical, MNM Jain Engineering College
