Biriyani

Craving for a break-even after a string of duds, Karthi finally turns to Venkat Prabhu for Biriyani which is one of the iconic films to be served at the end of the year. Alongside Karthi in Biriyani are Hansika, Premji Amaren, Ramki, Nasser, Jayaprakash and many others. Biriyani is also the proud 100^th film for the music director Yuvan Shankar Raja. Venkat Prabhu’s usual menu offers the cinematographer Sakthi Saravanan and editor duo Praveen KL – Srikanth NB.

Biriyani is the story of two friends Sugan (Karthi) and Parasuram (Premji) who get cooked up in a chaotic incident.

The first half which is incident on comics starts off with a funny flashback between the two buddies, leading to the introduction of all the main characters. Story wise, there is absolutely nothing to offer here, as it is mainly baked with Premji’s giggle inducing acts, glamour and the pungent love track between Karthi and Hansika. As the interval scene breaks in, Venkat Prabhu peppers the essence of his story.

Into the second half, and the movie picks up speed and traverses at a rapid pace. Interesting events take place in quick succession, as the second half manages to keep the viewer glued to the screen and even bringing them to the edge of the seat at few instants. The final 30 minutes are the USP  of Biriyani, and this is where Venkat Prabhu puts all his brains to use. There is a popping twist at the climax, and the movie ends on a unique note, followed by the hilarious bloopers. Nice to see a little surprise for the Thala fans too!

Biriyani can easily be stated as a delicious comeback for Karthi. He looks zestful with the makeover, trendy costumes and the colored eyes. A much more matured performance with equal intensity in the comic scenes is a huge plus. Hansika is apt for her role, and does it pretty well. Premji Amaren’s funny musings do work to an extent, except for some places where it is flipped over the top. Ramki manages to come up with a convincing comeback. The rest of the cast including Nasser, Jayaprakash, Sampath and the others do complete justice to their roles. The cameos by Sam Anderson, Jai and a few others are fun to watch.

Cinematography by Sakthi Saravanan must be commended as he has captured the color tones with expertise. Editing by Praveen KL and Srikanth NB could have been crispier, especially in the first half. Stunts are good, with a special mention going out to the flying fight in the second half.

On the downside, Biriyani doesn’t provide anything memorable for Yuvan’s 100^th movie. The songs feel unwanted, acting as huge speed breakers. The BGM too, is nothing great to talk about, except for the climax fight sequence. Logical loopholes are garnished at places in the movie, and one must go in with the thought of forgiving the director for those bits. Fact must be noted too, that Biriyani finds it hard to qualify as  a family movie. 

Venkat Prabhu must be appreciated for coming up with a piquant script topped with a good mix of many characters. However, the execution from paper to picture hasn’t worked to the full potential as the viewer is left blank at some instances. The presence of an eventless first half too, doesn’t work in the favor of the movie. However, Biriyani is delicious hit material, and surely Karthi’s best among his last five.

Verdict : This Biriyani isn’t perfectly made. Nevertheless, it is a tasty meal.

3 / 5