Glares for 'GETHU'

Our cinema industry is blessed with a bevy of charismatic heroes with each of them having their own sizable fan followings. In their quest to add that extra tinge of heroism to their onscreen avatars, heroes take the help of a lot of accessories. That extra mass factor or the ‘gethu’ factor really plays a part in endearing heroes to the masses. Accessories range from stylish kerchiefs wrapped around the neck to ear studs to chains to bracelets.

Who can forget the superstar’s stylish bracelet in Arunachalam, which he used with a lot of punch.  In movies like Dheena, Attagasam and Amarkalam, Ajith used a variety of accessories to look the part as a street ruffian. Vijay has also done his part in promoting accessories in movies like Madura.

But, I’ve missed the mother of all accessories. One, which can be used to project a debonair look, a heroic look as well as a rough and tough look. Each of our heroes has played his part to ensure the iconic status that this accessory has in Tamil cinema today. Be it, a gangster’s role or a policeman or a thug or a college dude or just a jobless street Romeo, one thing in common to all these characters is the glares (or shades or sunglass or the cooling glass in everyday popular lingo).

Imagine the Superstar in countless movies, Ajith in his recent movies, Kamal as the heroic cop in Vettaiyadu Vilaiyadu, Vikram as the stylish Remo or even Arya as Boss. The glares have added so much style to the look of these characters. To give it to the heroes, they have also carried off these glares with such panache.

Not to mention, most of the songs picturized today will be incomplete without a set of these accessories on the lead hero, the beautiful heroine and even the side dancers in some cases.

Rayban, Fastrack, K-L, Police, Polaroid etc. must be indebted to our heroes for positioning their products in such spectacular fashion in movie after movie. Free marketing and free publicity for these brands. Why not an in-film branding / positioning tie-up with one of these brands? Tamil producers can think on these lines.

The glares have become such a part and parcel of Indian cinema, that you can’t even imagine a single movie without these. We also enjoy our heroes more when they put on some decorative eye wear.

Just a sample, in a scene in Mankatha, when Ajith drops his uber stylish Rayban glass towards the ground facing the camera, my friend sitting near me in the theater just leaned forward towards the screen in a gesture as if to catch those glares. As we all must have seen, those glares were a part of Ajith’s character and he blazed the screens in scene after scene wearing it. Billa 2 just reinforces that special relationship that heroes share with their glares. Even in the court scene when Ajith is going for a hearing or when he is arrested by the police, bizarrely, his glares are very much intact.

Some people might laugh at such obsessive use of the glares but we can say, glares accentuate ‘gethu’ and they are just irreplaceable and unmistakable for the all-important mass factor in the characters that our heroes play.

Pokkiri (2007)

The remake of the blockbuster Telugu movie of the same name. This movie did the same roaring business in Tamil as well and was a major break for Vijay.

It is about an undercover cop who singlehandedly wipes out goons from the face of the city. He enters the goons' own den, moves among them, becomes a dreaded goon himself and shows his real face towards the end much to the shock of everyone concerned.

The movie is a perfect masala entertainer with all the elements that go into making a perfect combination. Amazing over-the-top stunt choreography, peppy foot-tapping songs, a ravishing and youthful Asin, an extremely versatile Prakash Raj, a silly but laugh-worthy comedy track by Vadivelu, an earnest Napoleon and last but not the least an extremely agile and fit Vijay. He rocks in the fights and makes them believable with his rage and aggression. His police makeover was a big joke due to his unkempt looks and slim frame. But, he is THE single biggest trump card of the movie.

The love scenes between the lead pair are another highlight of the movie. Nirav Shah's camerawork rocks in the stunts. The pre-interval stunt, the stunt in the train, the stunt in the dark room with blinking lights and the climax fight are all amazing thanks to Nirav and stunt master FEFSI Vijayan

VERDICT: Watchable anytime for some super-fast action entertainment. A commercial milestone in Tamil cinema 

Nanban movie review

Nanban is a faithful remake of '3 Idiots'. The essence of the original is totally preserved. The only feeling of redundancy is due to the fact that the original was such a widely accepted classic. Nanban has been beautifully enacted by the likes of Sathyaraj, Sathyan, Jiiva and last but not the least the ever youthful, handsome 'king of the masses' Ilayathalapathy Vijay.

The message of the movie is to see education as a holistic concept and not as just mere marks and ranks. Panchavan Parivendan is one such brilliant student for whom science and machines are a passion. He despises the system and enrages the college dean Virumandi aka 'Virus' with his brilliant antics. His 2 friends Senthil and Venkat struggle at engineering due to fear and misplaced passion, respectively.

Pari helps his friends at all times and shows them a direction in their life and career. There is a nerdy idiot 'Silencer' who is always on the lookout to pull Pari down. Then we have Ria, the dean's daughter who falls for Pari and Ria's pregnant sister who delivers her baby with the help of Pari

There is a suspense behind Pari's identity which is a shock to everyone concerned, a pleasant one at that. As the movie ends, there is an overwhelmingly positive feeling and everyone is happy. "Aal iiz well" as they say ...

Hits

• Vijay's youthful screen presence. He looks a million bucks and his 'spiked' makeover in the climax is a 'sixer'. He is capable of understated emotions and he shows that again. His comic timing is also perfect. Not much scope for dance and zero scope for fights. The king of the masses has bowled over the entire audience spectrum with Nanban. His costumes are casual and envious. 
• Sathyaraj and Sathyan are brilliant and they are supposed to irritate yet, make us smile. These talented actors have delivered spotlessly. Lot of awards up for grabs for Sathyaraj in particular. Jiiva comes into his own in the 2nd half while Srikanth is a limited actor not capable of anything special.  
• The casting is perfect. Actors who play the various parts have matched the original actors in every aspect. Vasanth Vijay scores very well in his brief cameo that makes the heart heavy. 
• Among the songs, 'En Frienda Pola', 'Heartiley Battery', 'Endhan Kan Munne' hit the bulls eye. 

Misses

• The majority of the movie happens between 1997-2001. No care has been taken in this aspect. People use the term Chennai freely when it was only Madras back then. The cars, the brands shown in the movie didn't even exist back then. We expect perfection from Shankar
• Harris Jeyaraj's BGM is a major letdown for most of the movie.

Comments

• The feeling of seeing a Shankar movie comes only during the cheekily shot Asku Laska song. The original movie is such. 
• Ileana and Anuya play their parts in a male dominated movie. Ileana is cute, anorexic and her much hyped waist isn't special. 
• The longest Thamizh movie in recent history. Though not boring. At least the long drawn out delivery scene in the climax could have been trimmed. 

VERDICT

A faithful remake and a blockbuster treat for the entire family after a long time. 

Velayudham (2011)

The Plot
A budding journalist Bharathi creates a fictional superhero named Velayudham after she witnesses the accidental death of 3 anti-social goons who were after her. This character is prominently publicized by the news media as well.

Jihadi terrorists want to terrorize Chennai and the corrupt home minister and his evil associates are also part of this scheme.

Meanwhile, the actual Velu aka Velayudham is a simple village milkman whose life revolves around his dear sister Kaveri . They create a real funny mess in their village and they are the darlings of everyone.

Velu comes to Chennai with the entire village entourage to do some marriage related purchase for his sister. Velu's village 'moraponnu' Vaidehi is madly after him and she would do anything for him.

In Chennai, Velu accidentally averts major disaster in the city on a few occasions and he is accidentally taken to be the fictional superhero Velayudham, because of his name. People are filled with hope now. Velu later comes to know from Bharathi that he is considered to be the all-pervasive Velayudham and he is shocked. He just wants to leave Chennai and continue his simple life.

But, as expected he is convinced to take up the superhero avatar after he witnesses certain atrocities. He also hears about all the shady activities from Bharathi. Now our Velu takes up his Velayudham (Assassin's Creed) avatar full time and bashes the goons, terrorists to pulp and also brings down the home minister.

He also loses his sister in a sad bomb accident and in the end he advises the public to use their anger in a constructive manner and not to waste their strength. He wants everyone to be a Velayudham rather than expect a superhero to do the job for them, all the time.

Hits

• Never a dull moment. Jet fast screenplay with good comedy by a plethora of comedians lead by Vijay, Santhanam, Saranya etc. 
• Vijay impresses in the emotional scenes in the climax and in his bare body avatar spewing thought provoking dialogs. A wholesome show by the man of the masses. He is experimenting with his hair too, in the songs. 
• The songs by Vijay Anthony are peppy and fast. 
• The action choreography will please over-the-top action buffs. They pack a punch
• Saranya Mohan is perfect sister material and she makes the heart heavy when she dies. 

Misses

• Pathetic VFX in the much hyped train fight scene. It's quite funny.
• Shameless aping of the Assassin's Creed robe. 
• Too many dialogs glorifying the hero and his 'anna'/'thambi' image
• The guy who acts as the home minister can be termed as the worst actor in the world
• A single girl shouting in the the climax in the stadium is also quite laugh worthy. 
• Vijay's dressing sense particularly his floral shirts with designs, is really gory. A guy with great personality like him can definitely dress much much better. 

Comments

• Hansika Motwani provides a real treat. She lets the hero grope her and press her. This 20yr old chick has great assets and a curvy structure as well. Genelia is dignified in comparison though she also brushes her assets against the hero's face in one scene. Great time, the hero has had.

VERDICT

Amateurish film making masked by a super fast screenplay. Time pass entertainer which is particularly special for Vijay's numerous local fans.