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Kadal Kavithai
NAGA
I thought, God one more Kadal movie. But this one’s different. And very interesting, though a mite self-conscious.
Kadal Kavithai is all about love, its about this idea of love, without which love wouldn’t have sufficient buoyance, or enough anchor.
Part of the film is shot in London, a glorious looking London — the Thames, perhaps not so sweet now, the Houses of Parliament, Piccadilly Circus, its all there, but the best part is Alsthorpe Estate, where the memorial to Princess Diana is located.
Both Alsthorpe and Diana are an important part of Kadal Kavithai Because it is Princess Diana, that the hero Vishwa invokes, as the Goddess of love. And it is at Alsthorpe, through accidentally reading each others poems, pinned to bouquets, that the hero and heroine fall in love. They are meant to meet, but it doesn’t happen, they return to India, and are on the search for each other, though they have already met and still do, it isn’t until much later that the heroine, Jyothi realises that the man who has given her heart and her poems to, is Vishwas. She tries to tell him, but he is consumed with the idea of his mysterious poetic beloved, he doesn’t catch on. Driven to despair, she is about to kill herself when he learns the truth, and comes there, in the nick of time.
The most interesting thing about Kadal Kavithai is that it has ideas, though perhaps a little clumsy, about love, and about being Tamilian, about marriage.
The idea of love, for instance, everybody talks about it in the film — the hero, the heroine, the harried parents, the vamp, the hero’s friend, and each version is different. The heroine’s parents are old college mates who fell in love, married and are still very much in love. For them, love is almost a mission, and they want their daughter to fall in love, and for this love to be put to the test, and for it to survive. Its very nice to see them all excited and holding their breath when she does!!
The hero, who’s parents are always engaged in noisy converse, is looking for tranquillity, and his idea of love, is connected to this, which is why he doesn’t fall in love with any of the women he sees and knows. But can and does with an unseen woman.
In London, when the hero Vishwa meets up with another Tamil, Pandian, it makes occasion for poetry in Tamil, and for the observation, that in Madras, you’re respected only if you talk in English, and so you do; which is why, when Tamils meet abroad. they break into passionate Tamil! • The Screenplay,story, lyrics, dialogues and direction of Kadal Kavithai have all been done by Ahatian. the music is by Ilayaraja. Visually the film is a delight, the songs and music are pleasant, especially when they harmonise with the locations, which they don’t always.
Prashanth is alright though he seems a little Narcissistic, you always feel that he’s looking at a mirror someone’s holding up. The heorine is new, and not unpleasant. Srividya is wanted, though brightening.
All in all, a pleasant experience, and for those in love, or old lovers, worth seeing, for its insights!
Kala Krishnan Ramesh
Mafia Raj
SANGEET
Not the kind of movie one would like to begin the New Year with. Mithun is back and so are the
over-exposed locales in his abode Ooty.
The story? Yeah. Suraj (Mithun) is an honest cop in a small town. His dad (Alok Nath) is a retired cop. Suraj has half-a-dozen German Shepherds as friends and a chirpy, doting sister. Whenever he’s not bashing thugs to pulp, he is waylaid by ‘Khainchi’, an aptly named, irksome lass (Ayesha Jhulka). This Khainchi, who picks pockets for a living, is madly in love with Suraj.
Suraj soon climbs the ladder and is posted in a big, mafia-controlled city. He moves along with his sister. He gets a taste of the politician-criminal nexus. Dhanpat Jakkal (Kiran Kumar) is the mafia don who rules the city. Dhanpat tries to win over Suraj with enticements. Honest-to-the-core Suraj says “no thanks”. Not used to being rebuffed, Dhanpat unleashes his brand of terror.
Dhanpat’s cronies finish off Suraj’s sister and father. Suraj decides to fight them outside the confines of law. The only help he can look forward to is from his dog brigade and the sharp Khainchi.
The ‘embellishments’ in an otherwise singularly dud show are Shakti Kapoor and Sadashiv Amrapurkar, trying to reach new heights of absurdity. Ayesha needs to grab better roles to resurrect her career.
Mithun might make perfect business sense to his producers. But, watching him in such supremely stupid roles must be no mean task even to his dwindling fans.
Mukhtar Anjoom
Sneham Kosam
POORNIMA, MOVIELAND
After box-office hits like Hitler, Master, Bavagaru Bhagunara and Chudalanivundi. Chiranjeevi comes up with yet another riveting performance in Sneham Kosam.
A remake of the Tamil superhit Nattupukahe starring Sharath Kumar, Sneham Kosam revolves around a master-servant relationship. The movie’s plus points are a good storyline (A M Jyothi Krishna) and a controlled performance by Chiranjeevi in a dual role. On the flip side the flaws are some terrible performances by the supporting cast, plodding direction and a ‘stop-go’ style of editing. But, the film has enough emotional appeal to draw audiences to the theatre.
The plot (the master and servant bond) brims with love and sacrifice. Two dhoti-clad men from Anakapalli — Peddaiah (Vijaykumar) a rich landlord, and his servant Chinnaiah (Chiranjeevi) create a scene at the airport and a car showroom. Peddaiah has come to buy the latest car in the market for his younger daughter Prabhavati (Meena) who is studying in USA. In the same village lives his elder daughter Gowri (Sitara) with whom he is not on talking terms. The reason? Wait for the flashback.
Anyway, Peddaiah and Chinnaiah behave like dunderheads and play pranks on each other. But Peddaiah loves his servant a lot, and Chinnaiah cant tolerate anyone speaking ill of his master. Enter Prabhavati, a girl who scandalises the staid village folk with her trendy minis and long baths in open fields! She pretends to fall in love with the macho Chinnaiah and after a song ‘n’ dance number she says he tried to molest her. The old man flies into a fury and throws Chinnaiah out of the house.
Peddaiah’s happiness is restored when his old, trusted friend Simhadri (Chiranjeevi as an old man) returns from jail. He was imprisoned on the trumped up charge of killing Peddaiah’s wife. Angered at Simhadri’s return Prabhavati, who believes that he killed her mother, walks out of the house. How the servants, Simhadri and Chinnaiah, bring her back after all those mandatory sacrifices forms the climax.
Director K S Ravikumar, who directed the Tamil superhit, makes his debut in Telugu filmdom with this film. And he fails to tailor the script to Chiranjeevi’s star image. While the proceedings in the first half are dull, the second sentimental half is more absorbing.
S A Rajkumar’s music is quite good. On the whole a family entertainer.
Rakesh P
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