*****VIKRAM*****

Birthday: 17 April, 1960

Place of Birth: Tamil Nadu, India
Zodiac Sign: Aries

Now that the hype over the Tamil New Year releases is over, people have started talking about Shankar's next film, Anniyan. It stars National Award winner Vikram, and Sada.

Other than Vikram, there are two more National Award winning actors in Anniyan: Nedumudi Venu and Prakash Raj.

Anniyan is being touted as the costliest film ever made in South India, at an estimated Rs 30 crore. It is produced by Oscar Films' Ravichandran. Of course, Shankar has the reputation of making slick high budget films.

Noted art director Sabu Cyril has created the sets for Anniyan. He painted 350 houses in Thenkasi for a single song! The film also has a sequence with thousands of people singing at a kacheri, exactly like the Thyagaraja Aradhana conducted every year at Thiruvaiyaru where thousands of people congregate and sing carnatic music.

Like his other films, Anniyan too has a social angle; it is about a man who tries to bring about changes in society.
For the first time, a Shankar movie will not have music by A R Rahman. Harris Jayaraj has composed music for Anniyan. Manikandan (of Main Hoon Na fame) is the cinematographer.

Mammootty's sweet revenge

After Udayananu Tharam, the film running to packed houses in Kerala is Mammootty's Thommanum Makkalum (Thomman and sons). The film is produced by Lal (of Siddique-Lal fame), whose first production Thenkasi Pattinam was a hit.

Like Thenkasi Pattinam, Thommanum is also a masala film with all the ingredients necessary for commercial success, including comedy and action. For Mammootty, who has always been criticised as an actor with little flair for comedy, the success of Thommanum is sweet revenge.

Bheema audio on august 10th

After the hide and seek game played by Bheema the Vikram starrer is all set to make a grand opening with guns blazing. After almost two years gap Vikram is back with it and after the initial confusion associated with the movie release and its music release, finally a date has been officially stated by the producer for its music release. The music by Harris Jeyaraj is all set to please everyone's ears from 10th of August. Harris Jeyaraj's last few movies have been musically huge hits and hence the expectations on Bheema's music are pretty high. The movie seems to be ready and will hit the screens well ahead of Diwali and is eying on a late August or an early September release. This is indeed great news for all Vikram fans.



Bheema audio on august 10th

The much-awaited audio of Vikram-starrer Bheema will be out on 10 August. The movie starring Vikram and Trisha in lead roles is directed by Lingusamy and produced by A M Rathinam. Bheema has musical score by Harris Jeyaraj and the album reportedly has half-a-dozen songs. According to Lingusamy, “The song Mudal malai has been shot in Switzerland. Another number Ragasiya kanavugal, at the Tirumalai Nayakkar Mahal in Madurai. A song that goes Rangu Rangamma has been shot on a ship at Tuticorin. A ship engaged exclusively for this song was modified to suit the jazzy number that features actors Vikram and Sherin”. For another song Tiru paarvaiyaalae the crew had to change the sets after listening to Harris' final version of the song. “After listening to the basic tune, I wanted a particular set and we went ahead with it. But the final version was mind blowing and demanded much more than that”, adds Lingusamy. This film brings together Lingusamy and Harris for the first time.


Vikram and Bharathiraja to join forces?

Vikram after lying low for quite some time, seems to be reaching for the higher gears in his career now. His Bheema will hit the screens in a few weeks' time. Vikram, meanwhile, is fully immersed in Susi Ganesan's Kandasamy, a slick and stylish entertainer that has Vikram at his debonair best. And the hottest trade rumour has it that Vikram has lined up a real big one after Kandasamy. Guess what it would be? Well, you can't. The news is that Vikram maybe doing a film under the baton of Bharathiraja, who incidentally is getting his Bommalattam ready. Vikram had long evinced interest in doing an offbeat film like 16 Vayadhinile. Now after his hush-hush meeting with Bharathirja, that wish maybe coming true.



Vikram inaugrated Aagrwal eye care hospital

CHENNAI: Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital inaugurated its latest centre at Ashok Nagar on Friday amidst plenty of fanfare and a large dose of star power. Actor Vikram was the chief guest at the event. Joint Managing Director of Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital Amar Agarwal said, “The idea behind [establishing] these centres is to provide a place in the neighbourhood where high quality eye care will be available. We realised that having only one hospital down Cathedral Road was not enough… ” The new centre will be a secondary eye care centre with facilities for the simplest of glass treatment to blade free laser treatment. “We have opened 10 centres so far and our target is to open 25 centres by the end of this year,” he said. The new centres would mean that everybody need not come to the main branch for treatment. The Ashok Nagar centre, set up at a cost of Rs. 5 crore has three permanent doctors and will be open throughout the week between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Speaking on the occasion, Vikram said the most important thing about the hospital was its accessibility. “The centre has all facilities under one roof. The fact that more of them will be coming up around Tamil Nadu is definitely a good thing,” he said. Also present at the event were film producer Dhanu and Ashok Nagar Councillor K.S. Mani.

Anniyan

Movie Name: Anniyan
Cast: Vikram , Sada , Prakashraj , Vivek , Nedumudi Venu , Nasser
Music: Harris Jayaraj
Direction: Shankar
Rating: 2.5 / 5.0

After Baba flopped, Rajnikanth decided to act in Chandramukhi, which was completely different from his previous efforts. But Shankar has chosen the opposite route. To put the failure of Boys behind him, the director has fallen back on the genre that defined him as a director and gave him the most success - the socially conscious entertainer with a message. Anniyan has the shadow of Indian looming large over it and is a little weak on logic but in typical Shankar-style, is definitely entertaining.

Ramanujam(Vikram) or Ambi, an orthodox Brahmin, is by his own admission, a conformist - a stickler for rules - who is pained by the lack of civic sense among the people and appalled at their indifference to the ills of society. He is in love with Nandini(Sada) but she is turned off by his straightlaced approach to life. When Ramanujam learns of Anniyan, a mystery man who promises to mete out punishment to criminals, he reports his concerns on Anniyan's website and Anniyan(Vikram) as promised, addresses them in his own manner. Meanwhile Remo(Vikram), a model who is everything that Ambi isn't, captures Nandini's heart.

Knowing Shankar's track record, it comes as no surprise that Anniyan is paced just right. The film starts off a bit slow with the focus on Ambi, his disillusionment with society and his one-sided romance. But as Anniyan begins to dominate the proceedings, the pace is cranked up as we learn about the reasons and motivations behind the three main characters. We are then brought to the edge of our seats as the movie races towards its conclusion where Ambi and Anniyan fight, both literally and figuratively, for attention.

We know within a few minutes of Ambi's introduction that Shankar is not aiming for realism. Ambi is too good to be true and his look, kudumi and all(though we do realise the need for the kudumi once Anniyan is introduced), and exaggerated accent are certainly not seen in the present day. Remo too is a little exaggerated, which leads me to believe that the exaggeration in the two roles was intentional to distinguish between Vikram's three characters. Anniyan is naturally the most interesting and charismatic of the three. His objective here is to eliminate people's apathy towards society. But he is not completely original as he reminds one of Indian Thaatha and his MO definitely has shades of the bad guy in Seven.

Shankar has taken on a difficult storyline but has sacrificed some logic and cohesiveness in his aim to entertain. The movie has one too many open ends and unanswered questions that are left hanging. But the racy screenplay and accomplished direction ensure that the questions and loopholes are not evident until the end credits have rolled. For instance, Anniyan killing the food preparer just would not have been possible based purely on logistics(the distance, the time required, the fact that Ambi is travelling to Thiruvaiyaru as part of a large group, etc.). But the sequence is staged so well that I didn't start thinking about how Anniyan could have gotten there until much later. Similarly, it is never clear how Anniyan manages to schedule what is essentially a huge press conference. Theoretically, he could never know if he would exist at the specified day and time. But the points he raises during his speech and the way the scene is staged are arresting enough to make us overlook the lack of logic.

Comedy has never been Shankar's strongpoint but he manages to reverse the trend here. Vivek is hilarious whether he is giving ideas to Vikram to reveal his love to Sada or helping Prakashraj in his search for Anniyan. On the other hand, the stunt sequences, one of his strengths, are very disappointing. There are two stunts and both end up being over-the-top with overuse of both wire-fu techniques and the freeze time-slice shots. The fight with the martial arts students is plain ridiculous and wouldn't be out of place in a science fiction movie. Romance is both hit and miss. Ambi's love for Sada, though one-sided, is kinda touching while Sada falling for Remo is cinematic and silly.

Vikram gets a dream role here - a role with enormous scope to perform in a commercial film. And he's upto the challenge. He distinguishes well between the three characters, something that is most evident when he has to shift between them quickly(like the scene at Nasser's office). The two sequences where he alternates between Ambi and Anniyan are terrific and the one with Prakashraj is sure to be spoken about. I was unimpressed with Sada who just doesn't seem suited for big-budget extravaganzas. For some reason she looks very bad when she smiles and feels out of place in the extravagant song sequences. Regular scenes, like when she rejects Ambi or reasons with him about sale of her land, are the only ones where she impresses. Prakashraj gets to look serious and sound intelligent though he eventually does nothing much. Nedumudi Venu is believable as Ambi's father.

The song sequences would've made any other director proud but are a little disappointing coming from Shankar. The shots of the flowers are breathtaking in Kumaari... but the antics of Vikram and gang rob the song off its charm. Kannum Kannum Nokia... looks all hi-tech but the choreography leaves a lot to be desired while Kaadhal Yaanai..., is quite ordinary. Both the songs look like a chance for Vikram to appear in a variety of getups. Randankaakka... is the pick of the songs with its painted roads, lorries and mountains and colorful costumes. Iyengaaru Veetu Azhage... is picturised richly with colorful but non-gaudy sets. Dialogs are vintage Sujatha - completely down-to-earth, sharp and managing to convey a message without sounding preachy.

Kasi

Movie Name: Kasi
Cast: Vikram , Kaveri , Kavya Madhavan , Rajeev , Aishwarya , Manivannan , Vinu Chakravarthy , Vadivukkarasi , Chandrasekhar , 'Thalaivaasal' Vijay
Music: Ilaiyaraja
Direction: Vinayan
Rating: 3.5 / 5.0

Fun, youth and extravagance are undoubtedly the buzzwords in Tamil cinema today. Butdirector Vinayan moves away from all this in Kasi, a movie that revolvesaround a blind singer, and in the process, gives us one of the most affectingmovies in recent times. The movie was originally made in Malayalam as Vasanthiyum LakshmiyumPinne Nyaanum and brought its hero 'Kalabhavan' Mani very close toa National award(the award ultimately went to Mohanlal). Ironically, Vikram, who also lostthe award(for Sethu) the same year, now stars in thisTamil remake.

Kasi(Vikram) has been blind from birth and makes his living singing by the roadside.His father(Vinu Chakravarthy), whose arms and legs are paralysed, his mother(Vadivukkarasi),an asthma patient, and his younger sister Lakshmi(Kavya Madhavan) are dependent uponhim. His elder brother Sevalai('Thalaivasal' Vijay) is a drunkard who snatches up the money Kasi earns while his elder sister's husband(Chandrasekhar) is threateningto send his wife home if he doesn't get the rest of his dowry. A dumb girlKaveri(Kaveri) is in love with Kasi. Kasi(and the rest of the village) thinks the worldof Raghupathy(Rajeev), an ex-MP, who makes annual trips to the village. This timehe has promised to pay for Kasi's eye operation and his sister's marriage. But hehas his own agenda and that brings Kasi's world crashing down.

I am seldom a fan of movies where the director piles on the sadness in an obviouseffort to drive us to tears. And Kasi is definitely is a tearjerker in everysense. There are very few moments of mirth as Vikram, his lover and his sister areshamelessly manipulated and destroyed by Rajeev. But the surprising thing here isthe profound effect their experiences have on us. And the reason for this is the way things are handled by director Vinayan. While the happenings are definitely sad, the characters are realistic and their emotions are natural and underplayed. There areno loud cries or other sentimental outpourings and characters convey their emotionswith sad looks and sorrowful smiles. Our heart goes out to them and that is thedirector's triumph.

Kasi announces its intention of being a tearjerker within a few minutes of starting. Vikram's troubles are introduced one after the other and almost everycharacter who is introduced seems to have a handicap of some kind. But whatdifferentiates the movie from countless other similar tearjerkers is the fact thatthe director doesn't continue to dwell on these sadnesses. Once the initial introductionsare done, he begins to focus on Vikram's naievity, goodheartedness and innocence(see his comment after Chandrasekhar blatantly uses his blindness to get his dowry) and this makes the sadness subtle but powerful. The fact that Vikram doesn't realise what is happening around him makes the film very effective.

The movie is populated with characters that have a big effect, both positive and negative,on us. Kavya Madhavan and Kaveri easily earn our sympathy as Rajeev takes advantage of the love they hold for Vikram. Their predicament is tough and their silence is entirely believable. And as he reveals his gameplan, Rajeev turns into one of the most detestable bad guys in Tamil cinema in recent times. The depravity of his acts, the cheap motive behind them and his outwardly good guy image easily make us hate him. Supporting actors like Manivannan and Aishwarya too portray memorable characters that have their moments.

As Kaveri and Kavya are pulled deeper and deeper into sorrow, the director very effectively contrasts this with Kasi's blissful ignorance of the situation ashe prepares for his sister's wedding(his meeting with the washerwoman is awonderful scene). The director keeps the story moving and successfully keeps us wondering about what will happen next. The climax, while not entirely unexpected, still manages to catch us by surprise with its timing and method of execution. It is powerful while the final ending itself is touching.

Vikram once again proves himself to be an actor par excellence. With only the whitesof his eyes showing, he frequently manages to make us forget that he is justplaying a blind man. His gestures, hand movements and body language embellishhis performance and suggest that he must have spent some time observing blind people their behaviour. Kavya Madhavan, who played the same role in the Malayalam original,is brilliant as his sister. Her initial chirpiness gradually gives way to sadnessand she portrays this change wonderfully. Kaveri, who also reprises her role fromthe Malayalam original, is also good. There are no false notes from the rest of the cast either.

Arul

Movie Name: Arul
Cast: Vikram , Jyothika , Pasupathy , Thulasi , K.S.Ravikumar , Saranya , 'Thalaivasal' Vijay , Vadivelu , Vinu Chakravarthy , Kuyili
Music: Harris Jayaraj
Direction: Hari
Rating: 1.5 / 5.0

Inspite of his previous film Kovil being a flop, expectations were naturally high for Hari's Arul.After all, it reunited the director with Vikram, the hero of Saamy, one of the big successesof last year and promised to be even more action-packed and fast paced. But Arul turns out to be a disappointmenton all fronts. Violent, predictable and cliched, it is another step backward for Hari and a black spot on Vikram's resume of hits.

Arulkumaran(Vikram), who works in a mill, is the youngest of four brothers in a family of goldsmiths. Ever since taking theblame for something his brother('Thalaivasal' Vijay) did, Arul has been the black sheep of the family in his father's eyes andhas vowed never to make a gold ornament again. Kanmani(Jyothika), who moves into the opposite house, falls for him butArul doesn't believe in love and keeps his distance from her. The setting up of the party office of the ruling party forcesArul to lock horns with Gajapathy(Pasupathy), the local MLA, and his brother Sethupathy(Thulasi), the party leader.

Saamy, with its nice mix of action, romance and comedy, was an example of a perfectly paced movie but in Arul, Hari seems to have confused pace with action. Arul, especially the first half, is packed with so many fights that even an action fan would be bored. The fight sequences themselves do not have much variety and the situations leading upto them are cliched. Also, Vikram gets one of the worst punchlines imaginable here. The catalyst for Vikram springing into action is someone using bad language and not stopping at that, Vikram asks him to repeat it thrice before delivering a blow! So the movie becomes littered with expletives and foul language and though most of them are bleeped out, it doesn't take long for them to get on our nerves.

Considering the new spin Hari was able to give to familiar characters and situations in both Thamizhand Saamy, the lack of any such freshness is the most surprising aspect of Arul. Starting with the misunderstood,sacrificing son, the ever-scolding father and the affectionate mother, the characters are cardboard cutouts we have seen severaltimes before. There are also a few extraneous characters(like one of Vikram's brothers) that have no impact on the story whatsoever.Sequences like the fight after an old man is verbally abused and the subsequent group song also give a feeling of having seen it allbefore. The portions where Jyothika acts crippled in order to maintain her first lie are the few cute and interesting scenes in the midst of all the action.

The intermission brings a rather unexpected development but the results of that aren't that unexpected. Within a few scenes it becomesclear that we just have a new villain but he turns out to be too subdued and low-key to make an impact. The action thankfully decreases a little in the second half but the scenes are again familiar as Vikram becomes an unofficial leader in his locality and stands up to the politicians.The scene at the wedding manages to raise some tension but the deaths towards the end are both unnecessary and predictable.The breaks in the form of comedy and songs don't serve as pleasant diversions. The comedy alternates between being unfunny anddistasteful while the songs are picturised quite unimaginatively.

Vikram looks strangely disinterested in the proceedings most of the time. He is rather mechanical in the fight sequences and hisdresses, dance steps and expressions in the song sequences are all devoid of enthusiasm. Jyothika looks cute in the few scenes shehas. Pasupathy is successful as an over-the-top villain but the same cannot be said of Thulasi, a Malayalam import. K.S.Ravikumarearns a few chuckles with his dialog delivery and Saranya, though underused in the role of his wife, also raises some smiles with herlaments. Harris Jayaraj disappoints with a very weak soundtrack.

Dhil

Movie Name: Dhil
Cast: Vikram , Laila , Ashish Vidyarthi , Nasser , Vivek , Deepa Venkat , Vaiyapuri
Music: Vidyasagar
Direction: Dharani
Rating: 2.5 / 5.0

Like Ajith's Dheena, Dhil too tries to offereverything in one movie. It has a cute romance, good comedy, sentiments andferocious stunt sequences. But the violence here is quite bloody and serious (enoughto earn the movie an 'A' certificate) and though the light-hearted portions and themore violent scenes are handled well, they fail to gel, resulting in a movie that at times feels like it is confused about the tone it should adopt. Dhil is like a meal where we intake both sweet, and hot and spicy items alternately. The overallmeal is good and we feel full, but those items just don't go together.

Kanakavel(Vikram) is an aspiring police officer. He has been selected for the firstphase of training and things are happening as planned on the professional front. Onthe personal front too, life is smooth with his sister's engagement and a bloomingromance with Asha(Laila), his sister's fiance's sister. One evening, Kanakavelthrashes a man who tries to misbehave with Asha but later learns that the man isShankar(Ashish Vidyarthi), one of the most corrupt police officers around. An insultedShankar seeks revenge and once he locates Kanakavel, he begins to harass him and hisfamily.

The initial portions are a lot of fun. Vikram's romance with Laila is cute andsweet with the right mix of comedy and romance (PTC buses must be a lucky charm forLaila with her first meeting with the hero here, as in both Paarthen Rasithen and Dheena, happeningnear one). Vikram's method of transporting her on his bike and the comments of the peoplewho see it is a very funny segment. Vivek, Vaiyapuri and Mayilsamy are on hand for the comedy. While Vivek's separate track focusses as always on beliefs of people and socialproblems like begging, his lines when he is with Vikram are more fun. His reaction afterVikram abandons then before going with Laila is hilarious and his imitation of Laila brings down the house.

This movie has something that recent movies, with their accent on romance and comedy,have not had - a truly detestable villain. Ashish Vidyarthi earns our revulsionwith both his words and acts, as the corrupt police officer. But the flip side ofthis is that the violence is harrowing and realistic. The scene where he torturesVikram at the police station is very bloody. The scenes where the dada targets andthen kills Charuhasan and later, goes after Vikram's family(including his pregnant sister) are the other scenes which are picturised in harrowing manner. These scenesare picturised well with the catchy Kandha Sashti Kavasam in the background working very well in raising the tempo in the couple of scenes whereVikram pushes himself beyond his limits. But it is jarring when we get such violent scenes bookended by lighthearted scenes of romance or comedy.

Supporting characters are developed well and that helps to involve us in the movie.Vikram's parents and sister are living, breathing people instead of cardboardcut-outs existing solely to be harassed. There are small scenes that allow usto empathise with them and so we genuinely care for them by the time they areaffected by the police officer's acts. But Nasser's flashback to explain his wife'smental state doesn't work as well and sticks out.

Vikram looks like he is aiming to be the Salman Khan of Tamil cinema, revealing hisbuffed-up torso at every oppurtunity. Thankfully, he has developed a good body forthe role and so it doesn't get on our nerves. He has also taken a few risks that makethe stunt sequences look realistic. Laila looks pretty and cute and earns oursympathy when she is taken to the police station. Ashish Vidyarthi, a Bollywoodimport, is superb as the rowdy police inspector. His expressions and dialogdelivery embellish the character and he makes us hate him. A hugely underrated Vidyasagar, making another round in Tamil after huge success in Malayalam(where he has earned the nickname 'A.R.Rehman of Malayalam cinema'), makes sure the tunes arecatchy. The title song is catchy while the melodious Un Samayalariyil...features some nice lyrics.

Dhool

Movie Name: Dhool
Cast: Vikram , Jyothika , Reema Sen , Shayaji Shinde , Vivek
Music: Vidyasagar
Direction: Dharani
Rating: 2.5 / 5.0

With Dhool, director Dharani stakes his claim to be the director of the masses, a crown that has for a long time been worn by K.S.Ravikumar. As in his previous hit Dhill, he takes the story of a common mangoing up against someone with power and authority and serves it up with music, fights, comedy and glamour in well-balancedproportions. The result is a hugely entertaining movie that never slows down to let you think and instead, forces you to go with theflow and enjoy the ride.

Arumugam(Vikram), an illiterate villager, travels to the city to meet with minister Kaalaipandi(Shayaji Shinde), who is fromhis constituency. The lake in his village is being polluted by effluents from a factory and he hopes to convince the minister toclose down the factory. Accompanying Arumugam are Eeswari(Jyothika) and her grandmother. Arumugam succeeds in submitting his petition but soon learns that the minister is a wolf in sheep's clothing who is in cahoots with a local rowdy Sornakka and her gang of hoodlums. So, Arumugam becomes determined to unmask him.

Dharani has well understood the importance of presenting a protagonist whom the viewer is able to identify with and that the easiestway to achieve is to have the hero square off with someone in power. Here the issue of the polluted lake water is just the means to set this kind of a conflict up. The issue is then pushed to the backburner while Vikram clashes with Shayaji Shinde, Sornakka and her gang. This is done with a nice mix of both brain and brawn and while the end result is predictable, the way Vikram achieves it is not always so. His acts to bring disrepute to the minister and turn the villains against one another contain some nice, interesting touches that manage to be surprising. The end, which has Vikram achieve his objective without ending up in trouble with the police, shows that Dharani has putsome thought into the movie inspite of it being a 'masala' film.

The movie is successful in setting a blistering pace right from the word 'go' and never letting it lag. Showdowns with villains, comedy,romance with two heroines and rousing stunts are all thrown at us in quick succession and we are never given a chance to come up for air. There are no sentiments to slow down the pace and the songs are suitably fast-paced too. This is not to say that all the sequences are uniformly successful. There are times when the comedy falls flat and the proceedings are in danger of being a little too vulgar. But the movie's success lies in keeping things moving at a fast clip and never getting bogged down.

The movie offers everything required for a 'masala' flick and does them successfully too. The showdowns between Vikram and the goondasare picturised in a rousing manner and the subsequent stunt sequences live up to the build up. And the fight sequences have enoughvariety to never seem overdone. The fight with the song sung by the old woman in the background is an especially nice touch. The comedyis successful in making us laugh with the entire 'zodiac sign' sequence being the pick of the lot. The lines during this sequence areextremely clever and funny with everyone, including the grandmother, getting their fair share of chucklers. Romance takes a backseatbut the playful encounters between Vikram and Jyothika are quite cute.

Vikram fits the role well, romancing, dancing and fighting with gusto. Jyothika, appearing in a noticeable movie after quite a while, proves shehas not lost touch with her acting. The role provides enough scope for her expressive face. Reema Sen appears in a role more suited forMumtaj with seducing Vikram in skimpy clothes being her only agenda. Shayaji Shinde plays the role well, bringing forth the requiredfalse sincerity. The Telugu actress playing Sornakka does well. Vidyasagar seems to have mastered the art of composing fast-paced,duppanguthu songs that don't sound low-class. The title song is the best of the lot while Aasai Aasai... is the only numberto go anywhere close to melody. Gundu Penne... sounds good after a few listenings while Madura Veeran... has some nicelyrics fitting well with the fight sequence.

Gemini

Movie Name: Gemini
Cast: Vikram , Kiran , Kalabhavan Mani , Murali , Dhamu , Ramesh Khanna , Vaiyapuri
Music: Bharadwaj
Direction: Saran
Rating: 2.0 / 5.0

'Rowdyism Zindabad' seems to be the loudest cry in Tamil cinema these days withseveral movies featuring rowdies as heroes. The trend was started with Dheena last year following which we have hadactors like Surya(Nandha), Ajeeth(Red) and Prakashraj(Dhaya)portraying their own brand of rowdyism onscreen. Ofcourse, the extent of rowdyismthe hero indulges in is always directly proportional to his image. Now it is Vikram's turnand naturally, he plays a 'good' rowdy who is reformed by his love and the affectionhe receives from a considerate police officer.

Gemini(Vikram) is the rowdy who aspires to be the leading rowdy in his area after toppling Teja('Kalabhavan' Mani), the current top gun. Gemini falls inlove with (Manisha)Kiran, a North Indian gal, even joining the same evening collegeas her to spend time with her. Not knowing his true profession, she falls forhim too. The new DGP in town Singaperumal(Murali) cracks down on rowdyismand both Gemini and Teja are arrested. It is a reformed Gemini who comesout of jail and he struggles to convince Kiran of his change while resistingTeja's attempts to incite him.

For the director, having a rowdy as hero is a good choice since it allows him to easily incorporate the usual ingredients of romance, stunts and sentiments into the story. All of the above are present in Gemini too but unfortunatelySaran has nothing new to offer in any of them. The story is routine, both inthe initial portions with a series of clashes between the gangs ofVikram and 'Kalabhavan' Mani and the second half, featuring the reformedVikram. Manorama's addition to Vikram's household provides the sentiments and the only minor twist in the storyline.

The only category the movie provides something unique in, is the portrayal ofthe villain. 'Kalabhavan' Mani's mimickry talents are on full display as heimitates a variety of animals during the course of his villainy. His imitation ofthe physical movements of the giraffe and the snake are uncanny and add a newdimension to his otherwise routine villain role. But, while this habit fullyhighlights his acting talent, it does affect the seriousness of the role andhe never comes across as a completely detestable villain(unlike say, Ashish Vidyarthi inDhill).

While we usually have romances set in colleges, Vikram joining an evening college just for Kiran is a new and funny idea for romance but is not built upon very well. Vikram's encounters with the seniors and his deal with them on ragging him are funny but the romance itself is not very cute. The other major setpiece is the autoshopbut the comedy here, with Saran's usual duo of Dhamu and Vaiyapuri, is not veryfunny. But their sequences could be forgiven since they have a link, howevertenuous, with the main story. On the other hand the sequences involving Charlie are unconnected, vulgar and just plain distracting.

After heavyweight roles like Sethu and Kasi, this role isn't much of a stretch for Vikramand he is not required to do much more than dance and fight, both of which hedoes quite well. Kiran makes arather poor debut with no noticeable acting talent and an unattractive figuremade more obvious by her vulgar dresses. Apart from 'Kalabhavan' Mani, Muraliis the other Malayalam import and he gives a dignified performance as usualas the upright DGP. Bharadwaj takes a cue from Chocklet's enormously popular MaleMale... song to come up with the very catchy O Podu... number.The song is fast, has some great beats and is apparently all the rage inTN. A couple of other numbers Deewana Deewana... and Pennoruthi... are good too.

Kanden Seethaiyai

Movie Name: Kanden Seethaiyai
Cast: Vikram , Soundarya , Vivek
Music: Udhaya
Direction: Kranthikumar
Rating: 1.5 / 5.0

Following Aandavan and Relax,Kanden Seethaiyai is another import from a different language that hopes to make somemoney based on the newfound popularity of one of its stars. This time its Vikram, who hasnot had a single release since Sethu brought him back into thepublic eye, giving him another shot at a successful, cinematic career. His role is nothingto talk about in this woman-oriented film that is obviously made for Soundarya. It boastsof a rather unique theme but cinematic trimmings make the proceedings quite prosaic.

Ever since her parents died, Savithri(Soundarya) has stayed with her aunt and uncle, doingodd jobs for the others living in the same apartment complex. Surendran(Vikram), asoftware engineer living in one of the apartments is in the process of developing asoftware package and already carries dreams of living in the US. By a quick turn ofevents, Surendran weds Savithri. His demonstration of his software is sabotaged bya vengeful peon and distressed by it, he gets into an accident. The operation requiresa few lakhs and the doctor, witnessing Savithri's helplessness, gives her an idea. Arich, childless man has been looking for a woman who will act as a surrogate motherand carry his baby through artificial insemination. If Savithri agrees to be the surrogate mother, he will pay for the operation. With no other avenues, Savithriagrees and Surendran is saved. But her decision affects their married life in several ways.

While the theme of a woman becoming a surrogate mother through artificial inseminationis unique to Tamil(and probably Telugu too), the topic was dealt with in a much moremature and better way in Malayalam almost a decade back. The movie, a Mohanlal starrerDasaratham, dealt with the problem from the man's point of view with Mohanlalplaying a bachelor who wants a child and Rekha as the surrogate mother who carries hischild. While the problems Rekha and her husband faced were present there too, the main conflict was between Mohanlal and Rekha over ownership of the child. Here the movie focusseson the problems between Vikram and Soundarya (the donor is never even seen) and that leadsto an overdose of melodrama and sentiments.

With the story taking off only after the doctor informs Soundarya of her options, the firsthour or so of the movie is nothing more than a filler. There is no romance between Vikramand Soundarya to spice up the proceedings and these portions make us feel like the directorreally did not have his heart in the picture at this point and was filming the scenes topad the running time and was just impatient to get to his real story. To make mattersworse, the opening scene in the courtroom makes it obvious where the story is headed andso there is no suspense about what is going to happen either.

Once Vikram gets back from his operation, the director turns on the sentiments in full flow.Cinematic sequences(like Vikram and Soundarya running into his uncle at thehospital), marked by lame and artificial dialogs, are set up just to drive home the pointabout the neighbors' attitudes towards them. These scenes lack conviction and after a point, seem unnecessarily repetitive. The ending also makes no sense. I could not understandhow Soundarya could make her decision without involving the father of the baby.

Vivek's separate comedy track has been inserted for this tamil version and considering his current popularity, he should do the trick of pulling in the crowds even if Vikram fails. And those crowds will not go home disappointed. This time he turns his attention to television with very funny spoofs of popular TV programs like Koun Banega Crorepati,Arattai Arangam and Naiyaandi Darbar. Familiarity with these programs is essential to enjoying Vivek's antics as he asks silly questions with a white beard orconducts a debate like Visu(including a superbly delivered "Chollu Kannaa"). But the dialogsare rarely as funny as the concept and run out of steam after a short while.

Vikram has some nice moments as the tortured husband thankful to his wife for saving his lifebut unable to withstand the taunts of his neighbors. Soundarya overacts sometimes as theinnocent wife but is good overall. Ofcourse, the effect of her performance is dilutedsomewhat by the dubbing. The songs are distinctly un-Telugu-like with no fast beats ordances.

Kaadhal Sadugudu

Movie Name: Kaadhal Sadugudu
Cast: Vikram , Priyanka Trivedi , Prakashraj , Vivek , Nambiar , Rekha , Nalini
Music: Deva
Direction: Durai
Rating: 2.0 / 5.0

Like director Lingusamy, who made the vastly different Run after a successful debut with Anandham, director Durai too has opted to craft a film different from hisfirst film Mugavari for a follow-up. Unfortunately Kaadhal Sadugudu is different for all the wrong reasons. Where Mugavari was realistic and practical, Kaadhal Sadugudu is artificial andcinematic. While the former had a clean and decent romance, the latter has a more cinematic romance filled withkisses and glamorous duets. On the whole, Mugavari served up a slice of real life in a cinematic package while here we geta blatantly commercial package with the usual clutch of cliches and coincidences.

Suresh(Vikram), an orphan, yearns to be part of a big family. He gets the chance when he accompanies his friend tohis village for their yearly festival. There he meets Kausalya(Priyanka Trivedi) and the two soon fall in love. ButSuresh also runs into Chidambaram(Prakashraj), a respected man in the village, and their encounters always end up showing Suresh in a bad light in Chidambaram's eyes. Turns out Kausalya is none other than Chidambaram's daughter.

The movie's story is not much different from Thullaadha Manamum Thullum. There it wasthe heroine who mistook the hero's good intentions while here its the heroine's father. The incidents which cause him heartburnare believable and his reactions are not too extreme. But what is unbelievable is the collective support for Vikram from his friend'sfamily. That the family would insist on supporting him at the expense of alienating someone from their own family is a little hardto digest. But that apart, the director does well in bringing out the fun in being in the middle of such a large family.

The romance between Vikram and Priyanka Trivedi has its share of cute moments. Their similar but untrue description of their first meeting to their family and friends and their embarassment when caught are enjoyable. But the fun doesn't last for long. Both of them turn sober once Prakashraj enters the picture as they decide not to see each other if that will anger him more.

Vivek has a separate comedy track with the usual mixture of comedy and socially relevant advice. His frequent walks with thesong from Dhool playing in the background(and the old woman flanking him) are quite funny. The initialsegments(especially the panchayat meeting with the minor) have a lot of double entendres but its the comments about social issues(like the poster covering up key information) are the ones which raise the biggest laughs.

Vikram is subdued after the action-packed Dhool and the movie seems more like a breather before he once again focusseson action in Saami. Priyanka Trivedi seems to be Jyotika's equal in her ever-changing expressions though she does overdo it a little bit sometimes. Prakashraj looks dignified and earns our respect with his character. Others in the cast do their partsadequately.

Pithamagan

Movie Name: Pithamagan
Cast: Vikram , Surya , Laila , Sangeetha , Mahadevan , Karunas
Music: Ilaiyaraja
Direction: Bala
Rating: 3.5 / 5.0

When a director debuts with a movie like Sethu, it is impossible not to look forward tohis subsequent efforts with anything less than complete enthusiasm. Bala's next effort Nandha was well-made but more than a little disappointing compared to itspredecessor. But the director has regained a lot of the lost ground with his third effort Pithamagan. Withunique characterization, tremendous performances and a smooth screenplay, the movie offers a satisfyingexperience to the discerning viewer willing to go along with its unhurried pace and stark, serious storyline.

Sithan(Vikram), the undertaker in a cemetery, is a social outcast with no contact with the civilized world. Intohis life comes Sakthivel(Surya), a fast-talking, glib fraudster. The two first meet in jail, Sithan ending up there dueto his association with the owner of a large ganja farm and Sakthi, due to being caught redhanded inhis latest fraud. Gomathi(Sangeetha), a goodhearted ganja seller cares for both of them whileManju(Laila) is the one responsible for landing Sakthi in jail after being at the receiving end of a few of hiscapers. When Sithan realises that another soul exists in the world to care about him, his world begins torevolve around Sakthi too.

Through Vikram, Bala creates one of the most unique characters in Tamil cinema. The role of the undertaker, cut offfrom the world and with only corpses for friends, is wonderfully designed. Only a very thin line separates Vikram frombeing an animal and Bala stresses this at several points throughout the movie. When we see Vikram growl, beat up anyonewho as much as lays a hand on him, charge through the forests and provide undying loyalty to the person whocares for him, we realise that Vikram is a human being only physically. The way he deals with Mahadevan in the end confirms this. The way Bala has shaped the character is a triumph.

Movies about friendship have been many in Tamil cinema but I cannot recall one about friendship between two such mismatched human beings. The bond between Vikram and Surya is almost poetic and is developed smoothly and naturally. The situations that bring the two closer together are in keeping with both their characters and every emotion, be it Surya's agony at the act Vikram performs without realising its magnitude or Vikram's silent discomfort at Laila's closeness with Surya, is brought out naturally. And Bala never misses a chance to bring a smile to our lips either. The way Surya usesVikram's instinctive anger to snap at others is always funny.

The relation between Surya and Laila, which had been developed so wonderfully during the tiffs between them, loses allits believability the moment she falls in love with him. And the reason she falls for him? Because he didn't choose to escapeby ripping her dress off embarassing her! And her family, which seems so protective of her when she put Surya in jail, isnowhere in the picture as she seems to spend every moment with him. The climax drags on a little too long. While that byitself is no crime, it seems designed to showcase Vikram acting talents rather than for a valid reason. And the end itselfhas Sethu's shadow hanging over it.

With such strong characters and a character-driven storyline, the movie's success or failure depends on the performancesof its actors. And every performer in Pithamagan, whether in a big or small role, responds beautifully. Vikram pretty much lives the role of the undertaker. With dry and streaked hair, dirty teeth and torn clothes, he looks the partand though he doesn't utter a word (except for the song that accompanies every cremation), he conveys everything throughhis expressions and body language. Just the way he runs - arms stationary - is a sight to behold. In direct contrast isSurya, who is pretty much the life of the movie. The usually quiet actor exhibits a different persona and succeeds remarkably.His monologues make us laugh every time and his affection for Vikram is entirely believable. Laila, who has been one-dimensionalis all her movies so far, shows a lot more range here. Her high-pitched screams, accompanied by lying down and flailing herarms and legs, are very funny and she gets a change to emote in the later portions too. Sangeetha(formerly Rasika) createsa sympathetic character while Mahadevan is makes us cringe with his cold-bloodedness.

Ilaiyaraja adds unmeasurable strength to many of the scenes with his background music. Ilankaathu Veesuthu... isa wonderfully melodious number and is a welcome relief from recent songs that have all tended to sound the same.Adadaa... and Piraiye... are more philosophical but contain some wonderful lyrics. Simran has a ratherdifferent 'item' number where she dances(along with Surya) to a medley of old songs.

Saamy

Movie Name: Saamy
Cast: Vikram , Trisha , Kota Srinivasarao , Vivek , Vijayakumar , 'Delhi' Ganesh , Sumitra
Music: Harris Jayaraj
Direction: Hari
Rating: 2.5 / 5.0

After taking a breather with the romantic Kaadhal Sadugudu, Vikram is backin the thick of action with Saamy, which casts him as a police officer. The movie faithfully follows theformulae of his earlier hits Dhill and Dhool, giving hima macho image and mixing it with a soft romance and comedy. But his characterization here makes Saamydifferent from other cop movies.

Aarusaamy(Vikram) is the tough new Deputy Commissioner of Police in Tirunelvely city. He calls himself a rowdyand is ready to take whatever action necessary, legal or not, as long as there is peace in the city. To achieve this he is not averse to accepting bribes from Perumal Pitchai(Kota Srinivasarao), the biggie who has everyone from the police to the politicians on his payroll. Saamy and Bhuvana(Trisha), a Brahmin girl from a conservative family, fallin love. But circumstances force Saamy to cross the line laid down by Perumal Pitchai.

Movies where the hero plays a conscientious policeman have been a dime a dozen in Tamil cinema(though the numberseems to have reduced recently with our heroes more willing to play the rowdy). But Saamy has enough differencesto avoid seeming like a retread of one of the other movies. The primary reason for this is the way Vikram's character hasbeen shaped. He is a policeman who calls himself a porukki and his actions match his words. He is not averse toreceive bribes from the villain, using an illegal gun or allowing a bad guy to be hacked to death by a man he had affected. The way he deals with the villain finally also makes a strong statement and is a fitting end.

The movie shamelessly exploits Vikram's current image with the help of scenarios that don't really fit into the movie. Vikram'sintroduction is a case in point. Though he is in disguise and digs up some information, he never uses the information later nor does he do anything that he could not have done as a police officer. But the sequence does help him get drunk and indulge in whatis fast becoming his trademark introduction song. But his macho image is affected a little by the fact that he doesn't have a strong villain to go up against. Kota Srinivasa Rao seems like a good match in the beginning but looking back, he never really does anything and is all bark and no bite.

The movie is quite fast paced and the other ingredients like romance and comedy don't infringe on the pace too much. The budding romance between Vikram and Trisha is built up quite well with the meetings between them being short and sweet.The different in their castes is not made a big deal of and the scene where he asks for her hand is very well handled. Vivekappears as a forward-minded Brahmin and takes shots at the irrelevance of outdated customs. Though he makes some goodpoints, the fact that he targets a particular community reduces their effectiveness.

Vikram is perfectly at home in the khaki uniform and his delivers his threats and warnings effectively. Trisha looks very prettyand suits the soft-spoken role. Telugu import Kota Srinivasa Rao has the face and body language befitting a villain but has not beenput to very good use. Ramesh Khanna has some nice one-liners as Vikram's assistant. Harris Jayaraj makes a mark after along gap with a strong soundtrack. Aalamaram... is slow but catchy and has some simple but great lyrics about lifein the village and Vikram's actions after he becomes a police officer. Tirunelveli Alwaada... is the introduction song whileKalyanamdhaan... is definite to become a hit with its fast beats and enthusiastic singing.

Samurai

Movie Name: Samurai
Cast: Vikram , Anitha , Jayaseel , Nasser , Chinni Jayanth
Music: Harris Jayaraj
Direction: Balaji Sakthivel
Rating: 2.5 / 5.0

Every once in a while, a director comes up with a movie that is socially conscious and deals with a familiar problem in society (I guess itstheir way of making amends for all those movies glorifying anti-social elements like rowdies!). Along the lines of Indian and Citizen comes Samurai, with his own wayof dealing with corruption in the country. Debutante director Balaji Sakthivel avoids the mistakes of that diluted the central message inanother recent message-oriented movie Thamizhan, and so comes up a fast-paced, entertaining ride thattackles a widespread issue.

Thiagarajan(Vikram) and his friends target corrupt, powerful figures in society, brazenly kidnapping them, and police officer Santhanapandi(Nasser) isin charge of apprehending the kidnappers. Circumstances lead to Thiagu moving to a house close to Santhanapandi's for his next kidnapping and Santhanapandi's daughter Dheivanai(Anitha) falling for Thiagu. Thiagu reveals to Anitha the incident in his college days that led to hiscurrent kidnapping spree. He targets an ex-minister for his next abduction but Santhanapandi, who guesses who the target might be,is ready for him.

We are hooked right from the beginning when Vikram, who teaches kids in his neighborhood free of charge, turns into a kidnapper (thoughthe film advertises itself to be purely fictional and not based on real-life people or incidents, the resemblance of the minister to aNorth Indian political figure is uncanny). Though we are kept in the dark a little too long about the real reason for the kidnappings(thebackgrounds of the kidnapped people does give us an idea), the fast pace helps in moving things along. It is interesting to see Vikram prepare himself for each kidnapping and the way in which he uses it. The sequences with Anitha are interesting too and don't divertour attention from the main story for too long.

The most appreciable aspect of the movie though is the focus on the job on hand. There is no comedy track, unconnected or inserted into the main story, in an attempt to lighten things. The director has realised that the topic is a serious one and so keeps thingsserious the whole way. The romance too is muted with nothing cute or silly by either the hero or heroine. The only diversions we areoffered are the song sequences and their picturisation makes them pleasant diversions rather than unwelcome intrusions.

The flashback, about the incident that drove Vikram to his current revolutionary path, is quite routine and both the setting and theincident themselves have a familiar feel to them. But the quiet, subtle attraction Vikram and Jayaseel develop for each other iswell brought out. Vikram's initial inactiveness on seeing the tragedy is entirely believable and Jayaseel's drastic act to goad him intoaction is touching. But back in the present, things take on a 'masala' touch with the final kidnapping. Vikram indulges in his ownbout of venting his frustration about the ills of society in the climax though he does make several good points that make us nod our heads in agreement.

Vikram, fresh of the mega-success of Gemini, conveys well the quiet, brooding intensity of his character. Hisrisks and efforts are quite evident in the action sequences. Anitha, recently seen in VarushamellaamVasantham, looks cute and is quite unrestrained in her performance. But it is Jayaseel who stays with us owing to the designof her character. Music director Harris Jayaraj and cinematographer Sethu Sriram join hands for some memorable song sequences.Moongil Kaadugale... is very melodious and the photography among waterfalls and lakes is breathtaking. Ding Dong...and Aagaaya Suriyane... are also melodious.

Sethu

Movie Name: Sethu
Cast: Vikram , Abitha , Sivakumar , Sriman , Mohan Vaidya , Bharathi
Music: Ilaiyaraja
Direction: Bala
Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

Sethu is movie that tamil cinema can be proud of producing. Bala has successfully fuseda light-hearted love story and a heart-wrenching story of a mental patient to come up witha quality product. It steers clears of all recent tamil cinema cliches. There isno vulgar comedy and there are no duets in foreign locales. Most of all, it is sensible and logical and does not insult the viewer's intelligence. It is a breath of fresh air which hopefully will lead to more such badly-needed quality movies.

I guess Sethu could be the tamil counterpart of the Hollywood concept of an 'independentfilm'. It has a first-time director, a cast of mostly fresh faces(atleast on the big screen), a small budget and a risky but refreshingly different storyline. The movie has been lying in the cans for almost two years, not finding a distributor for the above reasons. It has finally been released owing to the efforts of the director and is an unqualified success. Its success proves that commercial success does not necessarily have to be at the expense of quality.

Sethu(Vikram) is a college rowdy living with his brother(Sivakumar), sister-in-law(Bharathi)and their daughter. Starting off with a ragging session, Sethu slowly loses his heartto first yearite Abitha(Abitha), a traditional brahmin girl. But just when Abitha tooreciprocates his love, Sethu is attacked by a gang of goondas whose business he had affectedearlier. He loses his mind and after a doctor wrings his hands regarding the effect ofmedicine in such cases, Sethu is admitted to an ashram where, it is hoped, the more traditional means of treatment could have a therapeutic effect on him.

The movie starts off ordinarily. Though the contrasting nature of the hero's roughexterior and the heroine's soft-naturedness reminds one of Amarkkalam, the similarity ends there. Vikram developingfeelings for Abitha is extremely down-to-earth and believable. There are spurts of laughter too brought about by Sriman's comments. But the two group songs dotting this stage of the movie are unnecessary. They are neither catchy nor imaginatively picturised.Though primarily a love story, the movie has no duets. A melodious duet might have been abetter alternative to either (or both!) of these group songs.

The scenes between Vikram and Abitha(like their meetings in the library and the laboratory)are well-handled. And there is a small scene where Vikram rubs a peacock feather and Abithashivers in her sleep that is over in a flash but makes us understand that this is what poetryin movies is all about. The scene where Abitha finally succumbs to Vikram's love is the perfect pinnacle to their love story. The setting, the performances of both the performers, the script and characterisation combine to deliver a powerful punch. I cannot recall anothermovie where this matter has been handled in this manner or so well.

The shift in the tone of the movie - starting with Vikram getting attacked - startles us with its suddenness. This increases the impact of the scene and leaves us shaken. Thebrutality of the attack, the background music and the technique the director employs toshow Vikram's condition are masterful. The following scenes in the ashram move us. Raja's background score as the camera moves through the place, lingering on its chained patients,is haunting and Vikram's transformation elicits a gasp.

The climax is stunning. It is perfectly logical and yet hits us in the face with itsunexpectedness. Surprise endings are so rare in tamil movies because of their predictabilityand the unwillingness of the directors to take risks because of commercial considerations.Kudos to director Bala for succeeding in the difficult task of making the viewer sit up and then leave the theatre with the climax imprinted in his mind.

The casting director deserves a resounding pat on the back. The cast is comprised of mostly unknown faces but every single one of them is a perfect fit and does an excellentjob. Vikram(seen in marginal roles in movies like Ullaasam) gets the role of a lifetime and does full justice to it. Be it the rowdy, the lover with almost psychoticshades or the zombie-like mental patient, he is nothing short of amazing. One wonders howmuch more of such talent is lying undiscovered in tamil cinema. Abitha is perfect as thehomely, tradition-bound girl. Sivakumar is dignified while small-screen actors likeMohan Vaidya(Abitha's 'murai' maaman) and Bharathi rise to the occasion. Abitha's father isalso brilliant and dignified in the midst of all the problems he faces. The background scoreelevates the movie at several places.

Vinnukkum Mannukkum

Movie Name: Vinnukkum Mannukkum
Cast: Sarathkumar , Vikram , Kushboo , Devayani , Ramesh Khanna , Sukumari
Music: Sirpy
Direction: Erajakumaran
Rating: 1.0 / 5.0

Slipping up with inferior follow-ups to excellent debuts is not a new phenomenon.In recent times we have had directors like Suryah(Vaaliand then Kushi) who disappointed us with their second outingsafter expectation-inducing debut efforts. But Erajakumaran is probably thedirector whose second effort is the most disappointing compared to his first. His first movieNee Varuvaai Ena took a weak story and transformed it intoa very enjoyable entertainer with an unexpected twist, good comedy and a different climax. But Vinnukkum Mannukkum takes an age-old story and treats it in the least interesting way possible.

The film got some publicity after its release when Devayani eloped with the director Erajakumaran and in typical filmi style, married him in a secret ceremony at a temple,against the wishes of their parents. While this might kindle some interest among the public and send some of them to the theater out of curiosity, the movie doesn't contain anything that will keep even such viewers entertained.

Sakthivel Gounder(Sarathkumar) is the doting elder brother of Selvam(Vikram), who hasjust returned from Singapore. Selvam falls in love with Devayani(Devayani), a popularfilm actress and wishes to marry her. Devayani arrives in town for a shooting anddue to some miscommunication in which her mother plays a key part, Sakthivel and his entire family is under the mistaken impression that the marriage of Selvam and Devayani is on. But Devayani rudely shoots down their proposal when it is broached. Sakthivel then asks his brother not to show his face to him until he has married Devayani andSelvam travels to the city to do his brother's bidding.

The director is guilty of overdoing sentiments and emotions to the point where theyhave no effect and just seem unnatural. Though we have seen several movies where elderbrothers dote on their brothers and sisters, Sarathkumar's behavior towards Vikramis strangely unmoving. The scene in the theater, where the same ad is repeated for thebenefit of the villagers, is symptomatic of the rest of the movie. It starts off funnybut soon gets boring. Devayani's outburst at Sarathkumar and family at the airport is also way over the top. It seems even more silly since she knows that her mother was responsible for misleading them and even seems upset by this.

Complete suspension of disbelief is necessary to accept that Devayani is unaware thatshe is thought of as Vikram's fiance. And the entire first half is based on this single idea. Things show signs of becoming interesting with Vikram's entry into Devayani's house.The character of her father seems different and a couple of his lines, like hishatred towards director Agathiyan and his irritation at the way people address him,are funny. This, coupled with Vikram's mode of talking to the servants, suggests that the movie may be heading towards a comic approach. But this doesn't last too long. The fact that Devayani's father has different tastes compared to his wife and daughteris silly and the way they use this is amateurish.

There is no relief with the romance either. Vikram's attempts to woo Devayani areneither interesting nor cute and her change of heart, based on the flimsiest ofreasons, is not convincing. The movie then turns into a routine masala flick withan evil financier and fight sequences for both Vikram and Sarathkumar. The directortries to introduce some tension but with the movie already seeming too long, theattempt just ends up irritating us more.

Vikram's first tamil movie after Sethu has taken a long time to hit the screen but offers no oppurtunity for his newfound acting skills. Devayani is adequate and uses her own voice. Sarathkumar plays one more of his Naattaamai roles with Kushboo keeping him company. Ramesh Khanna evokes a few laughs as the harried director. Sirpy has some good tunes like Sembaruthipoo...and Unakkenna Unakkenna.... The picturisation of the Vinnukkum Mannukkum...sequence earns the director some points.