Aaha Kalyanam

Yash Raj Films make their first stride into the south, with Aaha Kalyanam which is the official remake of the Hindi hit Band Baaja Baaraat. Starring Nani and Vaani Kapoor in the lead, the movie is directed by newcomer Gokul Krishna with music by Dharan.

Aaha Kalyanam is the fun filled episode of how Shakti and Shruti meet, greet, fight and unite with a wedding planning business as their motive.

Sticking to the script of the original, the director has played it safe by carving out a replica of the Hindi version. However, he has ensured that the movie is bright and colorful to provide a glitzy treat to the eyes. Most of the movie is concentrated on the lead pair, who share a surprisingly good chemistry between them. The feel good factor is maintained till the very end without spoiling the essence of the movie.

Aaha Kalyanam's biggest strength is the male lead Nani, who comes out with a bubbly performance. His Telugu-ish Tamil diction brings out instant chuckles at times, both intentionally and otherwise. Vaani Kapoor is beau, and is compelling enough for the role. The rest of the cast fit the bill, notably Badawa Gopi as the flower vendor.

Technically, the movie is in the swim with hunky-dory camera and passable editing. Nevertheless, the movie does boast of some good production values and great wardrobes. Dharan's music is another plus, even though there are an overdose of songs in the first half. The Punch Song gets lucky with glittery picturisation.

On the downside, Aaha Kalyanam pays heed to a few dull moments in the second half and a slightly alien feeling overall due to the esoteric casting. Yet, it does leave you with a smile at the end and for sure is a remake which stays faithful to the original.

Verdict : Jolly rom-com which is good fun while it lasts.

2.5 / 5

Bramman

The people's favorite, Sasikumar picked a different route this time by teaming up with newbie Socrates in Brahman. With Lavanya Tripathi, Santhanam, Soori and Jayaprakash alongside Sasikumar, the movie has music by Devi Sri Prasad.

Brahman is the story of how two friends who are separated in childhood reunite through their journey in the tinsel town.

The movie begins with a buttload of cliche, where you only survive thanks to the comic relief provided by Santhanam. The positive vibes which Sasikumar induced in his previous films is nowhere to be seen here, as he is offered no room for performance. The heroine is a doll, both in her looks and in the acting department. Into the second half, and Brahman turns into an indefinite drag, with Soori replacing Santhanam. The climax is the savior, in the absence of which people would have ended up cursing the movie to their heart's content.

There is nothing much to speak about the performances either, cos here we have a movie in which even a talented performer like Sasikumar is made to dance to tepid songs with absolutely horrid moves. No comments on the guy who plays  Sasikumar's friend.

Brahman falls on the technical side too, especially cinematography where we have a few shots which can be identified as blurry even by a 10 year old. Music and BGM by DSP just pass muster.

The whole of Brahman is peppered with lame buffoonery, as one pleads for something interesting to pop up. Almost nothing works in favour of the film until the very end, where it obviously gets too late. Brahman is a forgettable film for Sasikumar, and the exact opposite of what we usually get when he is in the picture.

Verdict : Sasikumar's modern makeover rolls up into a cornball. A total yawnfest!

1 / 5

Idhu Kadhirvelan Kadhal

After a fun filled debut in OKOK, Udhayanidhi Stalin returns to the silver screen with Idhu Kadhirvelan Kadhal (IKK). Directed by S.R.Prabakaran, IKK has Nayanthara and Santhanam alongside Udhayanidhi. Music is by Harris Jayaraj while Balasubramaniem takes care of the camera.

Idhu Kadhirvelan Kadhal is the love story of Kadhirvelan (Udhayanidhi Stalin) and the series of events which happen in his family before joining hands with his ladylove.

Instead of crafting the movie just like any other rom-com, S.R.Prabakaran has worked towards filming a wholesome entertainer which is high on family values. Right from the word go, the movie travels on a straight path which doesn't deviate big from the main motive. Santhanam's character too, blends with the story as he is present right until the climax.
Udhayanidhi Stalin's performance here is as good as other mainstream heroes. With tremendous improvement in the dancing category, he puts up a convincing show. Nayanthara has been provided with a lot of screen space, as her charming smile and graceful movements bring out the drool. Santhanam's comedy works at most places, with the supporting cast fitting the bill. Special mentions to the characters playing Udhayanidhi's father and brother in law.

IKK is technically and musically fine. Balasubramaniem flaunts his talent through the songs, churning out enjoyable picturisations. Harris Jayaraj's mild BGM is just in line for the movie.

Even though IKK does drag around a bit at places, it is a feel good fare on the whole and not another OKOK as most would have thought of. The touching dialogues at the end do help the film finish on a high. IKK will meet your expectations, if not for beating them. Happy Kadhirvalentines Day!

Verdict : A pleasant entertainer with the right mix of comedy, romance and morals.

3 / 5

Pulivaal

Pulivaal is the next film from the house that brought you the tense thriller Chennaiyil Oru Naal last year. It stars Vemal, Prasanna, Oviya, Iniya and Ananya in the leads. Music is by N.R.Raghunandhan. It is the remake of Malayalam film Chappa Kurishu.

Pulivaal is the tame game between two contrasting characters and a mobile phone.

The first half begins with Vemal and Prasanna being introduced as two entirely different characters. Nothing works in favour of the movie here with the comic and romantic portions both falling flat. Prasanna who looks smart does manage to do better than the others though. The story gets deeper in the second half. Even though the movie does possess some good potential, none of it is brought up and therefore, it fails to captivate. The climax is downright predictable.

Vemal is as simple as toast and doesn't emote much either. An absolute cornball from him. Prasanna is the saving grace here, bringing up a rather arguable performance. Oviya is the other defender here, she does strike a chord a places. The other faces in the movie are just there for the sake of being paid, especially the comedians who are plain irritating.

Technically, there is not much to say in Pulivaal, with all aspects being pretty mediocre. BGM by Gopi Sundar is welcome.

With an impressive plot, Pulivaal could have gone places. The film doesn't catch up at any point, as the audience are left waiting for a thrilling moment. Set out to catch the tiger's tail, G.Marimuthu has ended up with the rat's tail.

Verdict : Another Malayalam remake that goes awry.

1.5 / 5

Thegidi (Music)

Thirukumaran Entertainment’s next offering in line is the crime thriller Thegidi, which is directed by P.Ramesh of the Naalaya Iyakkunar fame. Music is composed by debutant Nivas K. Prasanna, who is said to be an assistant of veteran veena player Rajesh Vaidya. Are the songs worth hearing?

Yaar Ezhudiyadho is the kickstarter to the album, which is flawlessly sung by Sathya Prakash Dharmar. Sounding like Harish Raghavendra at places, Sathya Prakash single handedly takes this song to the zenith. The simple percussions and breezy lyrics by Kabilan go in tandem.

Neeyum Dhinam is the next track, sung by Andrea. With a porsche feel to it, the spooky music provides the thrill factor needed for the film.

Abhay Jodhpurkar and Saindhavi team up for a duet number in Vinmeen Vithaiyil. Keeping it simple once again, Nivas provides more room for the singers to perform. And yes, they do it quite well.

Kangalai Oru is a short and sweet number crooned by Ajesh Ashok.

The final song in the album, Needhane Needhane is a grand track with heavy orchestration. With Rajesh Vaidya on the veena and Shankar Mahadevan on the vocals, this song blends rich fusion with Carnatic notes. Albeit seven minutes long, this number manages to hold on for a few repeated hearings.

Thegidi’s music album does provide good melodies well within the aura of the film. Nivas K.Prasanna’s music is pretty straightforward, yet unique. By avoiding the inclusion of noisy sounds which gobble up the elemental essence of the music, he has biased more room for the playback singers to stress on the delivery and lyrics. Kudos to the young composer for bringing up an album which is neat on the ears.

Pick : Yaar Ezhudiyadho

Verdict : Newbie Nivas is here to stay.

3 / 5

Rummy

The first month of 2014 ends with Rummy, a rural romantic drama starring Vijay Sethupathi, Inigo, Soori, Gayathri and Aishwariya in the lead. Imman scores the music while Balakrishnan wields the megaphone.

Rummy is the romantic episode of two friends, Shakthi and Joseph in the backdrop of a village.

Set in 1987, the movie begins with the intro of the main characters, comic scenes with Soori and the love portions. All the scenes take place in and around a college. The snippets of the strict family are shown too.

Into the second half, and the rift between the family and the pairs are brought to the forefront. A few unfortunate events take place, what goes where thereafter is what Rummy is all about.

Coming to performances, and it is Vijay Sethupathy and Gayathri who score. Vijay Sethupathy has underplayed his role to perfection, offering more screen space to Inigo who doesn't liven up the happenings. Gayathri is the better of the two among the girls, as she hits the right note with her expressions. Aishwariya is just about fine. Comedian Soori does manage to tickle the funny bone this time, good show. The rest of the cast do their roles alright.

Technically, Rummy is convincing, with good cinematography capturing the rural locations beautifully, especially in the songs. Editing is on the note.

Music by D.Imman adds a huge strength to the film. His exciting BGM helps the movie till the very end.

Rummy is an attempt to make another Subramaniapuram. However, it falls short of what it intends, as it takes slow strides more importantly in the second half. The highly filmic climax is a letdown. Had the director taken care to ensure a screenplay which was gripping, this could have gone heights. Unfortunately, what starts off with fun and romance ends up as a mockfest towards the end.

Verdict : Rustic, realistic, but not riveting. Strict one time watch.

2 / 5

Inga Enna Solludhu

One notable release amidst January's flurry of movies is VTV Ganesh's Inga Enna Solludhu. With STR, Santhanam, Meera Jasmine and others alongside Ganesh, the movie has music by Dharan and is directed by Vincent Selva.

Inga Enna Solludhu is the life story of a free bird 'bachelor' Ganesh and the way things pan out in his life.

The movie kicks off with Ganesh meeting Santhanam and narrating his life incidents to him. As Santhanam himself exclamates, we as audience wait for some interesting events to pop up. Things get slightly better when STR jumps in, where the best moments in the film are when STR is in the frame. The first half is bland and blatant except for a few giggles here and there. In the second half too, the movie wanders without any pinpoint motive and crawls towards the climax.

Performance wise, the relish of seeing the earlier VTV Ganesh is missing here, as it becomes a dread tread. STR provides relief from time to time, while the rest of the cast just pass muster.

Technically too, Inga Enna Solludhu is mediocre. Cinematography is just over the line, being shaky at times. Editing is cool, keeping it to the minimum.

Music by Dharan is the USP of the film, with hummable tunes and good BGM.

Overall, Inga Enna Solludhu ends up as a bombing fare. The movie doesn't seem to pick up anywhere, and fizzles out eventually. VTV Ganesh has acted in a movie, that's about it.

Verdict : Futile attempt which never gains momentum.

1 / 5