Very sensibly, director Mithran Jawahar has done away with many of the unwarranted segments found in the Telugu original, Ready . Jawahar's joint family syndrome evident in Yaaradi Nee Mohini , his first hit with Dhanush, gains further strength in Uththama Puthiran (U) because it isn't just one but two huge families showcased this time. Thankfully you aren't introduced to each of them, and most of the children in the households are supernumeraries! And once again the director shows that lewd dialogue, item numbers and crude dances aren't essential even in a commercial format. Towards the end you do sense protraction, with actions and reactions appearing rather unnatural.
Generally bad men in films die or mend their ways, but the manner in which the two cruel brothers in UP reform, only adds to the humour quotient.
Vivekh's poker-faced comedy is a highlight, and dialogue adds to the appeal. It's clean, unadulterated fun from the comedian, whose role seamlessly melds with the main story and makes things interesting.
Another perky part for Dhanush, and he pulls it off comfortably. Just as in Yaaradi … the Telugu flavour is on noticeable levels in UP too, despite the film having a predominantly Tamil cast. Genelia replicates her role in Ready — fresh and free from some of her childish screen characters, she is a treat to watch.
On the eve of her wedding Shiva (Dhanush) and his gang, kidnap Pooja (Genelia), their friend's sweetheart, who is being forced into marriage with another man. And when they realise that they have brought away the wrong girl, they are perplexed.
While Shiva's extra large family is cheerful and well meaning, Pooja's includes a whole lot of goons. Several characters appear, vamoose and re-surface towards the end — Harthi and Srinath to name a couple. And a host of talented actors including Ambika, Nithya and Rekha elbow each other for some screen space.
A few foot-tapping numbers come from Vijay Antony. Where does the composer get those odd sounding words from? A beautiful melody, natural expressions sans jigs and caressing camera work (Balasubramaniam) make the song sequence, ‘Kann Irandil …' arresting.
Another mela from Mithran, of course, with its share of highs and lows!
Uththama Puthiran
Genre: Romance
Director: Mithran R. Jawahar
Cast: Dhanush, Genelia, Vivekh
Storyline: A faux pas lands the hero in trouble, and in love.
Bottomline: Healthy fare, generally
