Avan Ivan Review

In all honesty, I dont know where to begin with Bala. The man began his career with Sethu and has risen to heights that I dont think he even thought he would reach. Personally, I have found his films disturbingly dark but extremely sensitive as well, an odd combination but one that was present. His latest one of Avan Ivan was supposed to be done in the shortest amount of time and be a full length light-hearted film but while the time factor was clearly extended more than anyone liked, does he succeed in the different style of film? Not really.

Avan Ivan is about Walter Vanagamudi [Vishal Krishna], the oldest son in family of thieves that aspires to become a big time actor, his step-brother Kumbiduren Saamy [Arya], a much louder mouthed but quick witted theif, and the dethroned Jaminder of there village, Highness [G.M.Kumar]. As the only person that can command some respect from the two, Highness is the only thing between the two step-brothers that can stop them fighting. At the same time, he cares about them dearly and wants them to reform from their criminal ways. As the two find love, Highness is the one that clears the way for them, even if it means he must let go of his own grudges against people who cheated him. But what happens when Highness is in trouble? Will the brother look past their mutual animosity and help him? This forms the crux of the story.

Let me continue from my first para and say that this is definitely a Bala film although slightly different. His style of filmmaking is definitely evident in the picturisation and pace. However, his undying desire to write stories about the forgotten ones of society although merit-worthy, is something he hasn't given up even in his light-hearted filmmaking. Vishal Krishna steps away from the masala of Malakottai and Thamirabharani and transform himself quite literally. As the "onnarai kannan" [squint eyed] Walter, he has put in a lot of effort to be the character instead of the star and it is greatly appreciated. Arya is not new to the slum characterisation and pitches in a decent performance. You could even say that barring a few scenes, he is the central comedy relief for a good portion of the film. A special mention must be made of their bromistry [brotherly chemistry for the uninitiated] which works big time. Constable Baby is a fun character played by Janani Iyer, a cute newbie that does what she can. Hopefully we will see more of her. Madhu Shalini plays a key role but she is just about ok as Thenmozhi. G.M.Kumar is fun, innocent and courageous as Highness and scores on more than one occasion, higher than the lead actors. Ambika and Jayapradha are nowhere near as classy as I have known them to be but both work well as the foul-mouthed mothers. R.K's intro seems too quick for liking and his screen time is quite short but as the catalyst he tries his best. The artists that play the DSP position aspiring Inspector and Arya's sidekick bring the house down repectively. The rest add to the mix.

Music is always a highlight with Bala's film and he returns with Yuvan but this isn't his usual best although completely in sync with Bala's storytelling on the background score. Rasathi does entertain but listen to the soundtrack more than watch the visuals since they aren't up to par. Editing by Suresh Urs is neat and the cinematography by Arthur Wilson is a big plus point for the film. Each scene is shot with amazing grace and depicts the mountain area beautifully with no superficiality. 

The weakest link and certain cause of the setback is the story and the pace, two key items Bala has always had tight reigns on. So the characters are supposed to be of the forgotten sector of society yet you are not supposed to look at them that way. Ok, granted. But in all honesty, do people of any sector of society have such a constant flow crass jokes? Dialogue writer S.Ramakrishnan does have good points since the audience does laugh out loud sometimes but that isn't for very long. Adding to this, there is no logic behind the supposed "romantic" scenes. Neither pair of ladies are shown to give reason behind their affinity to the male leads, if you leave aside the rude behaviour towards that precedes these circumstances. On top of this, you are bombarded with the crass comedy for a good portion of the film before the story progresses. Yes, you will have to swallow Bala's trademark brutal depiction but does that also warrant patience being tested? 

I walked in with no expectations since this was Bala's attempt at being more mainstream and light-hearted but when you refer Pithamagan to have better comedy and Naan Kadavul to have more heart, disappointment is all that you are left with.

Rating: 2/5

Back to the Roots..

Turbulent times during my childhood usually had me running to the playground or running to the tv. More specifically the VHS player for my favourite collection of flicks. Considering my age, it didn't make a difference whether these films fared well or not. I loved the acting, the sets, the songs and the story. So every time I went to watch these films, it was not a skip to the chapter I wanted. It was a start to finish watch filled with the same laughter, the same tears, the same anger for the baddie and the same dancing [my little mind had decided different steps would not make it for that song]. So while I nagged my dear friend Prathna to write a list of her favourite Prithviraj flicks and commented on most of the posts on another darling friend Louella's blog, it got me thinking about the flicks that I survived my childhood on. And maybe even built my personality on.

As usual, Thalaivar Superstar is my first point of call. His comic timing, his acting, his ishtyle. He's an one man army that tackles all the baddies, controls the comedians and romances the beauties. For me, there was never a day that I could not watch his Dharmathin Thalaivan and laugh hysterically at his absentminded professor/drunken goon act. He made it look possible to tackle a giant of a man by simply splashing water in his face and bashing him black and blue with gold bricks in a fanny pack. Yet at the same time, forgets where he lives. Yes, this is a remake of Amitabh Bachchan's Kasme Vaade but nativity added to the enjoyment of this film. And its Rajnikanth. DOT!

Don't ask me why or how I got it. All I remember was the stomach cramps I got from laughing at the kids in the film when they played their pranks. Of course as I grew older I understood the message of hope, acceptance and forgiveness, but Shamili,Tarun and Shruthi were so adorable. My mother recalls me asking for my own "Anjali papa".  One thing for sure, I still cry till this day when watching Revathi's turmoil as her own child is scared to come close to her. For a 4 year old, I don't know how much of her character Shamili understood when doing it but she underplays it well.

Prabhu has always been a bankable hero in my books. I was forever comparing him to my brother since they both have the squinting effect when smiling or laughing. This is back when Prabhu was in his prime and my brother still had hair but I wasn't the only one as my mother dearest loved Prabhu as well as he reminded her of him too [I have since learnt I am worse with the squinting but that's another topic]. So with the powerhouse performer and the rib-tickling screenplay by Visu, you're sure to be entertained by Kavalan Avan Kovalan. For all the stories of two people looking alike but not having a single thing to do with each other, this is one of my favourites. A simpleton teaches the hot shot a lesson storyline has been done before I know, but the appeal lies in how Visu, who plays a  role himself, brings the characters together.

Malluvetti Mainnar may not be perfect but it sustained an interesting plot for your average pot-boiler. Whats more the film has powerhouse performers Shobana, Seetha and Sathyaraj in it. Although he now seems to be making a career at the expense of others, this film was at a time that Sathyaraj was taken seriously as a hero. For a simple plot of the village casanova becoming a "ekha pathini virathan" or one-woman man, it was handled well. The thing that really drew me was the witty one-liners and the child-artiste Mahendran that plays Sathyaraj's son. Pure comic genius in a tiny body that sometimes overshadowed Sathyaraj!

During a phase when the above mentioned Sathyaraj still did villain roles, I fell in love with Kakki Chattai. Yes, its another commercial pot-boiler but this is Kamal Hassan we are talking about. Like Rajni, his aura is just superb and he was still quite handsome back then. Again, we deal with your average joe who dreams of being a police officer but the chemistry between Ambika and Kamal is just amazing. I dont really know how many films they had done by the time I watched this but I thought they were perfect for each and should get married then I found out he was already married  [Oh well, I loved his on screen presence anyway]. I must mention Madhavi in this one. Total Bomb of a lady and she looks alluring and acts well so its not a one sided show with Kamal stealing all the credit in their scenes. Mum recalls again me aping Madhavi in the Poo Potta Thavani track. Looking at it now, I don't remember how but I'll leave that to the imagination of a child.

Now this is a funny fact. I saw Unnal Mudiyum Thambi before Kakki Chattai even though chronologically its after. But considering Kakki Chattai was released in 1985, i doubt I would know what I am watching at that age [barely 1!!]. This movie's soundtrack is honestly the main reason I re-watched it so much. The concept was so beautifully told with the carnatic backdrop but without being a total carnatic lesson. My absolute favourite song though is Enna Samayalo. With the classic Balachandar touch, the story of a man torn between his own ideals on life and society, and living up to the expectations of his father has an appeal to it that doesn't make it a total preachfest. Kamal Hassan at his simple best with Gemini Ganesan. I had only recently found out that a flick that I've been looking forward to but have no luck in finding, Rudraveena [Chiranjeevi and Shobana] is UMT's Telugu remake that won 2 National Awards for its music.

Where would I have been without them? I don't know. But I'm sure my then night-shift-working-mother would have been up the creek without a paddle. Being a vivacious child with an imagination that made all efforts around the house "helping mum out" [i.e. pots are broken, drinks spilt or food on the floor], I would have found something else to do. But movies were what I resorted to and out all of the hours I spent in front of the tv, I think I absorbed more than just the storylines. But am I alone?