The hurdles in its way

February 05, 2010 03:10 pm | Updated 03:10 pm IST

NOT ALL HOLIDAY: A still from 'Goa'

NOT ALL HOLIDAY: A still from 'Goa'

The hype has been tremendous, naturally. ‘Goa’ (A), an Ocher Picture production, is from Venkat Prabhu, who gave two smashing hits in a row. As the title suggests it is all about frolicking on the beach. And ‘Goa’ has its share of parody too. When three rustics make a trip to Goa it has to be filled with revelry. It is. Yet as the premise is frivolous, the edifice viz., the screenplay, isn’t too strong. ‘Goa’ makes you laugh in fits and starts and gets you tapping your feet for the theme music as you enjoy the gorgeous ambience of the film. But narration-wise it only passes muster.

The opening sequence at the village panchayat with Jai, Premgi Amaren and Vaibhav, the wrongdoers waiting for the ‘verdict’ evokes a smile, because you assume that Venkat Prabhu is gearing up to go all out to offer a treat. Even when the three heroes decide that their only purpose in life is to find a white-skinned woman in Goa and settle down in life with the largesse that comes their way, you believe you are in for a non-stop session of rip-roaring fun. But the incidents that follow play spoilsport. Protraction of sequences such as the lovers’ tiff (!) between Danny and his partner Jack (Arvind Akash and Sampath) is one such. The Sneha-Vaibhav interlude is another! Humour gets relegated to the background at such junctures.

Vinayakam (Jai), Ramarajan (Vaibhav) and Samikannu (Premgi Amaren) are friends who wish to break away from the shackles of village life. They leave for Madurai and from there to Goa, where adventures await the trio…

Jai is getting better with every film. As the only one in the group who knows a smattering of English and dreams of settling down in the U.S., he impresses. The howlers he comes up with are irresistibly funny. Premgi Amaren is his usual naïve self. You understand Prabhu’s urge to project his sibling as a commercial hero. Premgi taking on the goondas single-handed and making mincemeat of them tickles the funny bone. But showing him in a king’s garb, albeit for a song sequence, is too ambitious to be comical. Incidentally, song sequences in ‘Goa’ are one too many. Such lack of tautness in a Venkat Prabhu product is strange.

It is a big break for Vaibhav – the up and coming actor is paired with Sneha and does a flawless job of it. And Sneha plays the eccentric entrepreneur with ease – only that the make-over into a glam doll doesn’t quite jell all the time. Venkat Prabhu gave him a sizeable role in ‘Saroja’ and Sampath handled it well. In ‘Goa’ again, as the gay partner of Aravind Akash – a far cry from the gun-toting roles you’ve seen him in -- he is convincing.

Why was Ravikanth made to don so many roles throughout the film? The ‘ploy’ remains unexplained till the end!

Don’t miss the titles roll in the end along with the crew’s ‘tamasha’ on the sets. The tune and Vaali’s lyric for the theme song is melodious and peppy at once, while the number, ‘Yezhezhu Thalaimuraikkum,’ transports you to the heyday of Ilaiyaraja. Yuvan’s score is an asset of ‘Goa.’

‘Goa’ is good in parts. ‘A Venkat Prabhu Holiday,’ goes the tagline. Well, not all holidays are wholly enjoyable!

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.