If you people remember my long Meera jasmine Jollu mail, then you'll remember this movie which I expressed a keen desire to watch. That is Kamal's "SwapnaKoodu". Generally there is a opinion that Kamal is an expert in "designing" Bollywood style designer flicks. This movie had all ingredients of a successful youth movie. Kamal managed to assemble a good young star cast, beautiful locations, nice songs... yet Kamal slips unpredictably.
Director Kamal once said in an interview that he is not comfortable in making a movie of "Niram" genre, especially when he was riding high at the success of "Niram". I was really shocked because it is a movie that makes me cry, happy and ecstatic, not only me the whole Indian audiences. The movie was remade as "nuvve Kavali" in Telugu that marked the arrival of young star Tarun. Again it was remade as "Tujhe Meri Kasam" in hindi and was a hit. Later Kamal went on to make serious movies like "Meghamalhar" and "Madhuranombarakatru". When Kamal decided to return to campus crowds with this movie, the great expectations about this movie was quite natural.
I reached the theatre sharply, the credits started rolling. Once it was over, the shot opened to snow claded Alps, gorgeous Meera jasmine and cute petite Bhavana Menon breaks into the chartbuster "Karuppinazhagu..." joined by Kunjacko Boban, Prithviraj and Jayasurya in the mid of the song, I was thinking that they are friends in the movie. But when the story shows that guys don't know the girls, a sense of disappointment started evolving.
Admitted the movie draws heavy inspiration from "Dil Chahta Hai", atleast in the male lead characters. A casanova, a serious calm lover and a practical guy coming together as friends. The similiarity ends here. After that you have no inkling about where the movie is heading towards. Even though the script offered great potentials to make you feel happy, sad and empathise with the characters, Kamal presents a half baked show.
Three guys come to stay in the upper portion of Meera's house. Prithviraj, a flirt starts making physical advances towards Meera Jasmine. Kunjacko Boban silently loves Meera Jasmine (This angle helps only for placing "Oru Poo maathram" song in the movie). When the guys know about their crushes there erupts a spat of words, fortunately settled amicably by Jayasurya. Meera Jasmine and her sister Bhavana Menon loses their only relation - mother, and the guys were forced to look out for a shelter. Even though Meera Jasmine initially hates Prithviraj, she responds to his flirts positively. Now it is Prithviraj's turn to refuse Meera's feelings for the sake of Kunjacko Boban. Another accident takes away Bhavana Menon leaving Meera Jasmine all alone in the world. Finally Prithviraj gets Meera Jasmine, even Kunjacko Boban gets Laila in a very special appearance.
Confusing... atleast the story in words were convincing than what was actually shown in the screen. Screenplay falters in the second half especially you can't understand why Bhavana's character was made to die. An unnecessarily extended climax makes you grate your nerves.
Only Meera Jasmine's character has some depth when compared to other all characters. Bold, beautiful, sensitive and vulnerability were the shades that Meera Jasmine's characters possess. Meera Jasmine has to look after her figure, she is unusually plump in this movie. Bhavana who ousted everyone in same Kamal's earlier movie "Nammal" gets lost under the charisma of Meera. Prithviraj is still raw as in "Vellithira", Kunjacko Boban who seemed to be in the right track after the stupendous success of "Kasthoorimaan" has nothing to do even in the dialogues. Jayasurya is the only soul who provided a relief in the drunken scenes. After all a couple of good scenes won't save a movie.
Songs were melodious but grew upon you over the time. The movie was presented with a sheen that makes the movie entirely different from what you normally see in a typical Malayalam movie. I used to stroll in the beach roads of Pondicherry, but I was really taken aback by its beauty on the screen. Songs were shot in Vienna and passed off as Pondicherry. Pondicherry matched its beauty. ECR Roads looked like foreign roads. Pondicherry Government may stand gained from this movie as this movie boasts of exotic visuals of Pondicherry. Besides them none will gain from this insipid movie.
At the end of the movie, I realised that I love Kunjacko Boban and Meera Jasmine a lot among the present crop of Malayalam stars, especially when all of them are assembled together. Besides this... it is a sheer bad experience. I seriously suspect that someone must have masqueraded as Kamal and presented this movie.
"Yuva" & "Ayutha Ezhutthu" hits the screens exactly the day I left India. I couldn't explain in words how much I have been anticipating and followng this movie since thae day it was conceived. You people might remember in my earlier mails that I mentioned about Srikanth, Nitin, Simran playing the roles which they hadn't in the final product. But it was sheer mistime that I couldn't watch it with my friends. I always wanted to watch Maniratnam's movies in halls as he is someone having a flair for new techniques. Thats why I didn't care for VCD prints here.
I was so lonely this Sunday Evening as I hadn't gone outside anywhere and to have some fun I wanted to go to a movie. My first choice was Kamal Hassan's "Virumandi", but couldn't manage to get the ticket. Second choice was Mamooty's "Sethuramayyar CBI" 3rd part of Malayalam Superhit "Oru CBI Dairy Kurippu", alas! I couldn't get a ticket for it even in Coimbatore. Then came sultry Bipasha Basu's "Aetbaar" but I came to know the movie was taken off from the theatres. I had only one choice left - i.e "Khakee".
If there is someone in the Tamil cinema who breathes and lives on movies alone, surely it is Cheran. Other star directors like Maniratnam and Shankar have a flair for technical details, but when it comes to emotions & nativity, it is Cheran's forte. Thats' why none of his films has been remade in other languages due to the strong flavour of Tamilnadu. Cheran is someone who not only has a strong theme for his movies but also doesn't compromise on the quality of the movie. This is evident on his previous movies.
After a long time my friends Selvaraj & Raja, and I decided to spend an evening in the movie hall in Cuddalore, this evening. I wanted to see "Parthiban Kanavu" as it is critically as well as commercially acclaimed venture. But my friends wanted to see "Lesa Lesa". Since I didn't want to disappoint them I agreed to accompany with them to Lesa Lesa. Anyway this was in the next of my priority list with the hit single "Lesa Lesa" sung by Anuradha Sriram being one of my all time favourites..
It was so different from "Summer In Bethlehem" except Priyan didn't dare to tamper with main scenes of original but decided to retain them in adaptatio too. Regretfully he concentrated on the look of the movie alone even though the script had great potential to make roads into the audiences' heart.