Mayakkam Enna - My Take on The Film

The best way for me to describe my understanding of Mayakkam Enna doesn't come from explaining the story or the acting. It comes from the reaction of one character in the film. She plays the protagonist, Karthik's (Dhanush) sister Ramya. You will see at varying points the inclusion of his friends and their reaction to the events but this particular character is what determined this writer's understanding of the story and along with it, a simple message.

The life and struggle of a wild life photographer maybe the main point in the story but this character shows you that there is never one constant state of mind for people in your life. There is always going to be change. It maybe intensely displayed or just subtle. For cinematic purposes, Ramya, alongwith the other characters have a rather extreme change and reaction to everything. From when Sundar (Sundar Ramu) introduces Yamini (Richa) and Karthik reacts badly to when he returns after running away because of an intimate encounter to the same Yamini he developed feelings for. 

But life is not always about the love stories in our life and it most certainly isn't all roses. Besides being robbed of a prestigious award and recognition from the man he called his idol, Mathesh Krishnaswamy (Ravi Prasad), Karthik meets with an accident and loses the control most people would have of their emotions. Yes, I know its depicted like he is crazy but considering the so-called 'transformation' he goes through, its can be accepted if only in a loose format. After all, desperation and devastation can change any human being to a speck of their former self.  Coming back to the point, people are bound to change with situations. And Ramya once again changes from the sister who was so scared and pissed off at her brother for leaving her to one that makes subtle yet sharp comments at her by then sister-in-law Yamini. Even to the point when she in a fit of rage says that he should be institutionalised. If this isnt enough, her jealous streak comes out as well when the same brother receives a world renowned award, a much bigger achievement that of her husband, Sundar.

 

 So what's the message? Life is life. Challenging, beautiful, turbulent and unpredictable. So there is no point in thinking people will always be the same. Those that stick it out for a length of time arent surviving because they are the same person. Its because they work at themselves and through it all. The good, the bad, the ugly. Yamini and Karthik may be fictional characters but they go through turbulences that any married couple would go through. Some more severe than others.

But hey, this writer saw the life lesson in a film some may have thought was too long. Yes it needed a few snips here and there even while you enjoyed the picturesque-ness [Ramji], inebriating music [G.V.Prakash Kumar] and soul-stirring performances by the lead cast, but at the end of the day, Mayakkam Enna isn't anything different from Selvaraghavan's filmogrpahy. He doesn't follow trends and you can never guess what type of film you will expect when the mastermind is at the helm of things. He does things his own way and nothing quite prepares you for Selvaraghavan's films beyond knowing what he did before. Very little frills or splashes in the water but a whole lot of emotionally charged story-telling. That is the case with Mayakkam Enna, and as usual, brilliance is the current that works his magical waves.

Aadukalam Review

Pride and honour sometimes hold much more importance to those that live for a sport. Money and fame is something that they find is secondary/additional. For Vetrimaran, Polladhavan may have been a struggle to begin and make but he proved that he knew his craft. So he used Bicycle Theives as a basis for the story, at the end of it, the story worked because his adaptation was valid, screenplay clicked with the audience and he had great performance to back it. He now uses a competition where honour is the prize on the backdrop of rural rooster fights that have been deemed illegal. On a new "playground" [the translation for Aadukalam], he is joined by Dhanush in a totally different role and Tapsee who debuts in Tamil, with trusty aide Kishore, newbie actor writer/poet Jayabalan, GV Prakash doing the music and Velraj with the cinematography. Read on to find out if it worked.

Karuppu [Dhanush] isn't your average youngster in a poor family consisting of just him and his mother. He is a crucial member of a gang of village rooster fighters, led by his boss and the reigning champion trainer Pettaikaran [Jayabalan]. For Karuppu though, Pettaikaaran is not only a leader, but a father figure as well. Adversaries in the form of the local policeman Rathnaswamy [Naren] are present and he has been brewing a long standing grudge against Pettai but the method of battle isn't not with knives and guns, rather on the playing field with roosters. In a final attempt to regain his honor for his family, Rathnaswamy forces Pettai to a tornament where if Pettaikaaran loses even once, he would bid goodbye to the game and never compete again. With honor and intense love for the game at stake, preparations begin. All things are running smoothly until days before the tournament, Karuppu brings his rooster as a competitor. Pettaikaaran initially accepts but then rejects it at the trial game on lack of performance and orders him to kill the rooster. Dejected and disappointed, Karuppu doesn't find the heart to follow through and hides this from Pettai. But if there is one thing that you can count on, its the change of fate. On the day of the tournament, after an angered Pettai had announced that he claims no ownership of Karuppu's victory or loss, the student takes over the limelight from the master as Karuppu's rooster wins above all. Stumped his judgement failed him, the once wise Pettai begins to turn on his student and an oblivious Karuppu falls prey to his jealousy. But its not just his rooster that Pettai is out to get. In an ultimate act of vengence, Pettai stops at nothing to degrade, humiliate and deprive Karuppu of his happiness including taking away the love of his life, Irene [Tapsee].What this entails can only be seen to understand the impact.

First of all, this story is heavily dependant on the nuances of a culture and traditions that many are not aware so from the get go Vetrimaran has a lot to explain and his source isn’t just the narrative but his cast.  So it is imperative that the core actors do not have an identity that overshadows the character they are playing or else the story looses its authenticity. With that said, Dhanush has proven his ability to mould himself and yet again the actor surprises in a flawless portrayal. He may have a string of an uneducated callous ruffian characters in his filmography but Karuppu is by far the most intricately tailored role that you wouldn’t have seen Dhanush play before. It wouldn’t be farfetched to say the honesty he depicts his emotions, from love to betrayal, is something he himself may find hard to repeat. Tapsee as Irene may not have a big part in the synopsis but she is picture perfect for the role and does justice with no OTT business. Kudos to the actress for selecting such a male dominated film as a debut and yet, successfully shining through. Jayabalan may have been dubbed by Radharavi but at no point does he stray from his character nor does he seem awkward for someone who has been writing for almost a lifetime. He literally lives the life of Pettaikaran and displays immense control and versatility. Kishore is always dependable for a power packed performance and the only thing that doesn’t sit right is his wig but even that can be easily forgotten[after seeing him with his own hair [or lack of], it didn’t seem necessary]. Both Meenal and the lady that plays Dhanush’s mum put in their two cents worth but are clearly figures in the background.
 

With an interesting and innovative backdrop in hand, Vetrimaran's shoulders had quite a heavy burden to support as he needed to not only make this an entertaining film but one that can be understood for the citybred audience. On top of that the director who had already proven he has spark with Polladhavan, needed to prove he was not a one hit wonder and was capable to follow through with his craft. On all counts the director scores in a big way. By keeping the script simple enough to be understood and using his band of actors, cinematographer Velraj and editor Kishore to maintain an authentic look and feel to the film, he not only keeps the audience engaged but stays honest to the story. G.V.Prakash said in an interview that Yaathe Yaathe would be a smash hit when speaking about upcoming projects at the time. I feel that song alone is worth Prakash’s weight in gold. His usage of multiple singers [e.g SPB and SPB Charan in Aiyayo] isn't new but definitely is pleasing technique to the ears. Pick of the lot has to be his prediction Yaathe, Aiyaiyo and Otha Sollale but the album entirely works well on the radio and with the proceedings. Once again, Prakash showcases his skill with the background score literally lifting an already flying film.

So many pluses don’t mean there aren’t any minuses. What may annoy some, maybe completely irrelevant to others. For this film I have heard that the story is too simple, the fights are too long and the film is quite slow. I did feel the lag on occasion and thought editor Kishore needs to pick up on the scissors again but at the same time felt a depth in the narrative was adequate. So unlike usual, I’ll leave the minuses in your hand, dear reader as I felt this film stepped away from the norm in its boundaries and was made with sincerity. 

Rating: 4/5 – In a season where if rural films are ruling the box office, Aadukalam is different and stands out.

Va- Quarter Cutting Review

If there's one thing that was clear from the trailer of  Va Quarter Cutting is that there is no room for thinking. Just watching. Considering Oram Po is still a favourite of mine and I still watch the trailer for the antics, director duo Pushkar and Gayathri's next film has taken a long time in my books. Add to that the unconventional lyrics to some music by G.V.Prakash and the comical duo from Saroja, Shiva and Charan, and naturally expectations rise as well as anticipation. But without babbling much further, lets open this bottle.

Meet Sundarajan alias Sura[Shiva]. He's your average joe from Coimbatore on his way to Saudi for work. When he is told that there are 3 conditions to his stay in Saudi, he gets worried. The first two are ok as he can do without his meat and his girl but the last one, no alcohol, gives him a panic attack. So with his sister's boyfriend Marthadan[SPB Charan], Sura sets out to taste his beloved 'Quarter' before his 6:30 am flight.  Simple? Not really. There is bandh[strike, I think] in place because of the elections that will finish the next day. A little too late for our hero so he drags Marthadan along to find some of the illegal variety. Along the way they meet a politician[Kalyan], a police officer[Abhinaya Sri], a boyish wannabe gangster[Craig], 3x 12th fail candidate with suicidal tendencies[Lekha Washington], a gay Prince and his casino-kingpin father[dual role by John Vijay] and a bunch of misfits which includes some new face and old ones too. Their connection to Sura and Marthandan? That you will have to watch the film to find out.

I'll start with the hangover on this one since its short. This is a no brainer story that doesn't have a message["Yenda ellathukkum message thedure" line from the trailer comes to mind]. A very basic story but a screenplay that will confuse you until the end. With so much going on, its a wonder that Pushkar-Gayathri were able to finish their film. Of course the notion that all of what happened, happened in one night itself is impossible but even with this kind of screenplay, there is a lot of clutter. I was literally scratching my head with Manikkam Vinayagam's singing act that popped up every now and then. In fact, with so many characters, you could feel the drag in the film as they inserted a new track in each time. But barring the Babyface and Retta Papakal, and to a degree Saro Stupid [Lekha] episodes, everything else has a reason that is evident at the end.

There is method to the madness and its clear thats what this duo has intended. Not spoofiness, but MADness.With cinematographer Nirav Shah, art director Santhanam, action director Dileep Subbrayan and music/background score director G.V.Prakash in tow, the duo that brought Oram Po, has handled a different kind of 'all in one story'. Kudos for bringing this kind of cinema to Tamil. If they won have the battle with the film looking like Chennai at night, Prakash adds to the quirky quotient with his score. I must say that this kid has some great vocals. I hope we hear of him more as well.

Shiva is definitely rising in the comedy caper ranks. The actor who effortlessly pulled off the over-the-top spoof fest Tamil Padam, is back with his trade mark serious face but comical situation and that too, with an Coimbatore accent[My fav for some odd reason]. Charan, Charan, Charan... where have you been hiding?! The actor has a distinctive voice tailor made for this food crazy ammanji Vet Doctor role and holds no bones about his physique. The two are delightful and are worth keeping an eye on. Lekha Washington isn't your typical cutie and it shows with her film selection. From Saro Stupid to Super Saro, she doesn't get much time on screen but she puts in her two cents worth. As does Abhinaya Sri and Kalyan. The item girl has actually no dancing in this flick but add to the entourage. Kalyan, however, is apt as the crooked politician. John Vijay deserves a mention on this one after disappointing in Bhale Pandiya. Personally, I preferred his King character which is a mix of Indhiran Chandran Kamal Hassan and Karunanidhi. But this actor has improved and its apparent.

So what do you rate a movie that could possibly be just a mokkai[crap] film that I enjoyed just for its mokkainess... 

Rating: 4/5 


P.s Given that I did enjoy this film for what it is, I've updated the rating to reflect it.