VADA CHENNAI (TAMIL) (2018)

Director Vetrimaaran's Vada Chennai (literally - North Madras) is the first part of an ambitious trilogy of epic proportions wherein he intends to present a story, spanning roughly 3-4 decades, of a locale and its people, that - quite literally as well as figuratively - dwell on the edge of a big city .

If I have to describe the movie in a single word.. it would be - DENSE. 

The director, over multiple interviews, had said that there was so much material in the plot that it could not be contained in a single movie and deserved a trilogy. He had even said that his earlier movie Pollaadhavan was just an episode spun off from this plot while the national award winning Aadukalam was also largely cut from the character universe of this very plot.

Nevertheless, even for an episode of a trilogy, this is a plot that is already dense with characters that could easily inhabit a voluminous classical literary work. And..  almost every one of these characters are dense with their own motivations that drive them and set the plot in motion .. motivations - that are quite obvious and often, the not so obvious.

Dense with a capable cast that includes Dhanush, Samuthirakani, Kishore, Aishwarya Rajesh, Andrea, Ameer, Daniel Balaji, Radha Ravi and many more - acing their individual substantive parts to bring these characters alive. 

Dense with context in terms of historical events and political undercurrents happening at the macro scale that crash on these troubled shores like nasty tides that rise and fall, chiseling away at the contours of the shore as well as the lives of its inhabitants at the micro level.

Dense with crime that is commonplace and soaked in blood..

Dense with emotions of every kind - love, hatred, rivalry, rage, revenge, pathos, brotherhood, betrayals, black humour and much more ..

Dialogues that are dense with the choicest profanities which are delivered without any gender bias (liberation, indeed)

Every frame oozes excellence in technical competence from every department - background score, production design, cinematography, costumes, editing - that are pressed at the service of the plot without in anyway attempting to be a stand-out seeking attention to oneself.

When all of this and some more is condensed into a movie that runs a tad less than three hours, it feels like an appetiser which, despite being a wholesome meal in itself, whets your appetite for what is to follow. I left the viewing with a heart dense with satisfaction and expectation for the next part which cannot arrive a day too late. 

Overall, kudos to ace auteur Vetrimaaran, Dhanush and their team for a movie that is dense with ambitions of an epic which it delivers. 

AN EXCELLENT WATCH !!

RATING - 4/5

BADHAAI HO (HINDI) (2018)

What happens when a middle class boy of marriageable age finds that his parents are expecting a baby..? The movie chronicles the ordeals of Kaushiks - a twenty something Nakul (Ayshmann Khurrana) working in a private company, his school going brother Gullar who find it hard to face their friends, taking cheap pleasure at their discomfiture even as their parents - Jeetendra aka Jeetu (Gajraj Rao) and Priyamvada aka Babli (Neena Gupta) - at the centre of this pickle, brace to face their sons, and their dreaded dadi (Surekha Sikri) as well as the sundry near and dears who jump to judge them with righteous contempt. 

The casting choices are apt to say the least. Neena Gupta is a picture of grace with her winning screen presence and is excellent as Priyamvada. She effortlessly wins our heart as a loving mother and wife, a caring daughter in law and shines through the gamut of emotions without breaking a sweat and is capable of conveying with just a silent gaze or glare. It is indeed a travesty of Bollywood that we do not see more of her in our movies. Gajraj Rao shares a natural chemistry with Neena Gupta and is in fine form as the romantic husband, closet poet and a father who is finding it hard to explain a sticky situation to his children and mom. Surekha Sikri is a hoot as the feisty grandma and cracks you up in several sequences.  Ayushmann Khurrana brings out the multiple shades of his character Nakul - be it romance, anger, confusion, embarrassment, vulnerability - in a remarkable performance. Sanya Malhotra and Sheeba Chaddha try their best in parts that are comparatively underwritten and appear tacky in comparison to the main characters.

This is a neat comedy drama that keeps a fine balance on a subject that could easily have slipped into a slippery mess of being too crass or a caricature or worse, a sappy melodrama. But, debutante director Amit Ravindernath Sharma and his team of writers steer this film skillfully - for the most part - with sprightly humour and some sentiments that tug at your heart. His fine sense of balance is also evident in the narrative which provides optimal scope of every member of the cast, (especially Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao who are the parents) - just as every member of a family come together to make it work. 

Overall, it is a quirky yet rooted comedy drama with a crisp runtime of little over two hours (could've been a tad shorter though) elevated by superlative performances by Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao, Surekha Sikri and some fine writing.

AN ENJOYABLE WATCH !!

RATING - 3/5

ANDHADHUN (HINDI) (2018)

A blind pianist seeking artistic excellence.. 

A yesteryear film hero who could never make it big it then or now.. 

His much younger, beautiful wife who is happy with the wealthy lifestyle he provides, but, not entirely satisfied.. 

Her secret paramour who happens to be a cop ..

Into this mix, throw in a murder by accident, a planned murder made to look like an accident, a doctor who runs a dirty clinic harvesting organs from unsuspecting victims and a few more greedy characters who seek to profit from the opportunities that fate presents them .. 

Voila..

We have the perfect recipe for a classic thriller and in the hands of a master auteur like director Sriram Raghavan (Ek Hasina Thi, Johnny Gaddaar, Badlapur, etc.)  all these disparate pieces come together like a jigsaw puzzle coming into coherence - piece by carefully, assembled piece. Raghavan proves his mastery through a meticulously crafted narrative that is equal parts enchanting and ensnaring as it unfolds in one delicious twist after another which dangle us on tenterhooks. We are constantly surprised as the director and his talented team of co-writers play multiple tricks with our expectations as repeatedly, they make us believe in something only to pull the rug from under our feet in one swift motion.

True to its title, the movie plays like a blind symphony that enthralls with its sweep through a roller-coaster ride. Even the spurts of violence have a natural flow to them which appears lifelike without being overly dramatic, yet never failing to deliver the intended impact. 

Tabu is on top of her game and is having a ball as the volatile and chameleonic Simi while Ayushmann Khurrana hits all the right notes - in more ways than one - be it, deception or desperation - as Akash. He seems to have an enviable penchant to pick the right projects (Vicky Donor, Dum Lagaake Haisha, Bareilly ki Barfi, Shubh Mangal Saavdhaan and even the recent Badhaai Ho) that suit his strengths and which do well commercially, despite breaking some new ground from the much trodden path of regular commercial fare churned out by Bollywood. The rest of the supporting cast including Radhika Apte in a minor cameo, Anil Dhawan, Manav Vij, Ashwini Kalsekar and others including a pet cat have a purposeful presence and complement the leads effectively to bring the plot together. 

Overall, this is an engrossing thriller that keeps you guessing and second guessing and entertains with dollops of dark humour even as it explores the dark side of almost every character that walks through its plot.

This is, by far, the best movie of the year and the entire team deserve kudos for their efforts.

A TOUR DE FORCE ! A MUST WATCH !! 

RATING - 4.5/5

96 (TAMIL) (2018)

While we are still some weeks away from biting chills of the winter, in '96, debutante director C Prem Kumar and his team present a movie experience that comes closest to a warm blanket of nostalgia that we could snuggle into on a cold winter morning. This is a slice of life of Ram & Janu (Vijay Sethupathi & Trisha) - two school-time sweethearts, separated early in a twist of fate, meeting after two decades in a brief, yet beautiful encounter. 

The movie takes us on a memorable journey along with its leads - Ram & Janu - traversing twin timelines of their school life two decades ago and their present day when they meet through a school reunion. The movie hooks us in early and makes us relive the school days which we may or may not have had, but could definitely relate to - making us willingly surrender to those mushy memories. The narrative seamlessly oscillates between the past and the present day events spanning over a night where we are invisible and non-intrusive guests in the personal space of these two diehard romantics.

Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha share a crackling chemistry and ace their parts with superlative performances. Vijay Sethupathi steps out of his template nonchalance to sink into the role of Ram and underplays brilliantly to bring a rare depth in his brooding silences and tentativeness that feels real. Trisha, who is closing on almost two decades of stardom, brings all that experience to good use here in the role of Janu as she lights up the screen with resplendence in every frame. She owns the role of Janu in a performance that is perhaps her best after Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaayaa, being naturally confident, composed and provides a perfect foil for Ram who transforms into a nervous wreck near her. 

While Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha appear as natural choices for the leads, the casting team deserve kudos for making apt choices for almost every character of the supporting cast. Aadithya Baaskar and Gouri G Kishan as younger versions of Ram and Janu are perfect in their expressions -  as are the casting choices of their childhood friends as well as for crisp cameos by Devadarshini, NKPK Bagavathiperumal, Aadukalam Murugadoss and a surprising choice in a very effective Janakaraj.


Music from Govind Menon (aka Govind Vasantha) adds a richer soothing dimension that permeates the movie like the warmth of a sun on winter day. Every song of the album is an enchanting ear worm and a winner in its own way. The mellifluous melodies are accentuated by thoughtful lyrics (Karthik Netha and Uma Devi) which add a richer texture to the proceedings on screen. The background score makes use of silences and soulful interludes to add nuance to the narrative.

The movie also benefits from the exquisite cinematography by N. Shanmugasundaram who knows the art of composing picture perfect frames like a painting which is pregnant with meaning. Every frame from the very first which introduces Vijay Sethupathi as a traveling photographer to the dull urbanscapes or even indoors like a corridor of nondescript hotel is captured with care as well as clarity of purpose. 

C Prem Kumar making his debut as writer and director, after cranking the camera for some movies like NKPK, Pasanga and Sundarapandian, has made a steady and firm-footed start. His command over his craft is manifest in the way he marshals the multiple resources at his disposal - the leads, supporting cast, music, cinematography, editing - just like a master chef would concoct a delicious offering from the finest of ingredients with due care in preparation as well as presentation, especially with all his heart.


He has a deft touch to his narrative that is at once sensitive, subtle and searing without ever becoming melodramatic. His impeccable eye for detail, gentle waft of humour in good measure especially in tricky situations which is reflected in almost every aspect of the movie beginning with the imagery of the title which is an impressive collage of multiple elements that remind us of the period, to the casting of Janakaraj and many more seemingly minor aspects. Look at the way the portions where the  budding romance of school days are handled with minimal conversation between Ram and Janu. While there may not be many spoken words, the stolen glances and  expectant expressions adorned with the beautiful score and the silences convey volumes. Equally notable are the choice of Ilayaraja's songs with pertinent lyrics which are carefully chosen to suit the occasion besides just conveying Janu's liking for singer S Janaki's songs. He acquits himself as another talent to watch out for after the recent debutante effort from Mari Selvaraj (Pariyerum Perumal). 

Overall, the movie has the feel of a poignant poetry penned in the medium of moving frames rendered on the silver screen - a poem that would linger on in the memory for a long time. 

A MUS(H)T WATCH !!

RATING - 4/5

PARIYERUM PERUMAL (TAMIL) (2018)

Message movies are dime a dozen and they regularly run the risk of being skewed towards the former to such an extent that they superimpose and even drown out the latter. In the hands of inept amateurs or even overly zealous veterans in an evangelist mode, they tend to become preachy at best and quite often, end up cringe-worthy. Consequently, message movie could well be called an oxymoron.

Seen in this light, debutante director Mari Selvaraj's maiden effort comes as a whiff of fresh breeze and is, indeed, an extraordinary achievement. This slice of life drama, set in southern Tamil Nadu, is the story of the protagonist - Pariyerum Perumal (Kadhir) - a poor law college student from the oppressed caste trying to find his place under the sun as an equal. And  . . it is through the prism of his life story, the director surveys the spectrum of class as well as caste divides and many more minor, yet finer nuances.

Mari holds a mirror to the contemporary society and finds rich shades even in what looks like staid stereotypes. Look, for instance, Perumal's connection with his father, compulsions of Jo's (Anandhi) father, the characterisation of the college principal or even that of Yogi Babu or Anandhi who, despite coming from the upper class, have very different takes on their milieu as compared to their counterparts which, in turn, defines their own individual connection to Perumal. Mari maintains a meticulous focus on the narrative even as his layered writing ensures that the smallest of characters are imbued with sufficient texture to make them feel real and have moments of their own which fit seamlessly into the story arc.

Kadhir is excellent as Perumal and gets under the skin of the character to explore his insecurities about his identity, humiliation, helplessness, simmering rage as well as quiet determination. Anandhi, Yogi Babu, Marimuthu and the rest of the supporting cast turn in credible performances as well. Mari is also complemented well by Santhosh Narayanan who infuses life through his unique songs as well as background score. The cinematography by Sridhar captures the locales in their natural flair without being flashy and adds to the urgency in the action sequences.

The craft of Mari Selvaraj on display here is superlative and even surpasses his mentor - director Pa. Ranjit - who is the producer here. His narrative has the gift of a natural flow that courses through the mundane to the gut wrenching to subtle layers without making anything look forced.  The manner in which he has created the shocker of an initial sequence as well as the evocative finale, which is one of the best we have seen in recent times and the narrative journey in between bear testimony that, despite being a debutante, Mari is a consummate creator, confident of his craft.

Kudos and plaudits are richly deserved by the duo of Pa. Ranjit - the mentor - as well as Mari Selvaraj - the prodigy - who surpasses his mentor for making this movie and if their debut efforts - as producer and director, respectively - are anything to go by, we can look forward to more such meaningful fare at the movies.

AN EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCE ! A MUST WATCH !!

RATING - 4/5