Vana Yuddham review

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2.5 / 5
Director A.M.R.Ramesh is known for his hard-hitting films which are woven around real-life incidents; his previous works like Cyanide are a case in point. For his latest, he has chosen the notorious late forest brigand Veerappan as his subject matter and has presented Vana Yuddham as a tribute to the police force and the governments of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, who worked tirelessly amid a lot of sacrifice and loss of lives.

Even Indians with a fleeting interest in politics would be aware of the circumstances surrounding the death of Veerappan and the exploits of super-cop Vijayakumar IPS, the brain behind ‘Operation Cocoon’. Ramesh has culminated his biopic with this operation as the icing.

The director has also touched upon other aspects of Veerappan’s life like his pious ways, his dabbles with the illegal elephant tusk trade and his much publicized abductions of Kannada superstar Rajkumar and politician Nagappa. The relentless efforts of a number of policemen, their mode of working, their network of informers and their ultimate sacrifice are also part of the director’s spread which has involved a lot of research and attention to detailing.

His effort has been majorly aided by his two main men, Kishore and Arjun, as Veerappan and Vijayakumar IPS respectively. Arjun is fit and smart as always and the actor nails cop roles like none other. Kishore is hairy for a change and the customary Veerappan mustache looks good on him. The menacing actor is the perfect choice, we tend to feel. Suresh Oberoi as Rajkumar is an apt choice too and the actor has imbibed the mannerisms of the Kannada superstar well.

But, the other actors are uninspiring and insipid including Lakshmi Rai in a fleeting role as a journalist. And Vijayalakshmi is nowhere to be seen at all in the final edit. Actor Jayachitra plays the TN CM Jayalalitha who helmed the state during Operation Cocoon and she is actually a nice choice. Sampath Raj as Sethukuli Govindan, one of Veerappan’s main men, has a sizable presence and so does writer Jayabalan.

Ramesh’s efforts are enhanced even more by the exotic forests and the authentic hilly locations. We are absorbed by the happenings as a result and Vijay Milton, the cinematographer’s expertise behind the lens is also perceivable. The climax scenes are a riveting treat thanks to the ace lensman’s work which involves the usage of a lot of natural lighting.

There aren’t any commercial compromises in the name of song - dance routines, cinematic stunts and larger-than-life buildups. As narrated at the voiceover in the start, the movie is unwavering and achieves its intended goal of being informative as well as being entertaining to a certain extent.

The Kannada to Tamil dubbing leaves a lot to be desired though and there are a lot of sound mutes too which prove to be unsettling. Other than that, Editor Anthony has made sure that the movie moves at a pretty swift pace despite some lulls in the screenplay which is spread over around 125 minutes. Music composer Sandeep Chowta’s background score is loud and the movie could have had a better BGM score given its heavy premise.

In all, this attempt by the director warrants a watch for its interesting subject matter; the dubbing mishaps may be excused.

FINAL WORD: An authentic and honorable attempt which has turned out as a decent tribute to the achievers concerned.

Settai music review

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2.5 / 5

Settai is the Tamil remake of the cult Hindi comedy Delhi Belly. S S Thaman delivers the music for Settai, which features a lot of stars like Arya, Hansika, Anjali, Neetu Chandra and Santhanam ...

"Agalathey Agalathey"  
The song has a bass groove which recurs all through the song as the base layer. There is another recurring harmonica-like instrumental interlude which is the highlight of the number. The other instrumentals are all synthesized like general Thaman numbers. On the whole, it is a pretty ear-pleasing tune with Vijay Prakash and the sweet Megha sharing vocal duties.

"Arjuna Arjuna"
The sensual Suchitra and the bankable Karthik are in charge of this number which travels at a leisurely pace. The shehnai finds a place in the song prominently. In all, Thaman makes this one a passable song which might be lifted by some sexy visuals on screen.  

"Edhathaan Kanduttey Nee Pudhusa"
The ‘Kalasala’ kuthu template has been replicated exactly here, inclusive of the thumping beats and the trumpet, nadaswaram instrumentals. Gaana Bala lends the song his earthy vocals and makes it enjoyable. Hope Premgi makes the song a memorable laugh riot on screen.

"Laila Laila"
Guess Andrea was really ‘turned on’ while singing this number for she sounds really orgasmic and seductive. The song has a Middle-Eastern template and has a lot of electronic sounds. We have to see how the song turns out on screen, hoping for some cleavage fest from Neetu Chandra. This one seems to be the Tamil answer to the Aamir Khan guest song 'I hate you like I love you'

"Poyum Poyum Indha Kadhalukkulle"
This ‘Harris Jayaraj’esque number will probably be a winner. The song is breezy thanks to the guitar base and its safe treatment akin to other peppy romantic duets. The little sax interlude is neatly done.

"Theme music of Settai"
The original Bhaag DK Bose tune has been cleanly lifted and re-positioned for the Tamil version. The little guitar embellishment stands out but it’s the sheer spunky tune of the original which helps this theme to deliver as well.

FINAL WORD: The album has a limited shelf-life but nevertheless it offers some enjoyable numbers in typical Thaman template. Expect it to visit the charts just as long as the movie is in public memory. 

Taken 2 review

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The film takes off from where Taken left as the father of one of the thugs that Bryan Mills vanquished in Paris, is baying for his blood. It is a simple quest for revenge at Istanbul as the thugs target Bryan, who is also joined by his kid Kim and estranged wife Lenore.

Kim has a greater role to play in this part, than just be the victim, as she is involved in some terrific narrow lane car chase scenes in the streets of Istanbul along with her dad. The wife Lenore is the victim here as Bryan has to track her down using his strength as well as his extra-ordinary intuitive capabilities.

The scenes when Bryan guides Kim on the phone to come to the warehouse where he is tied up, are very intelligent as he uses the sounds of the grenade blasts to decipher the distance between Kim and him. The car chases are expertly done and the combat scenes are quick and violent. The visuals of Istanbul are scenic and give the movie an energetic and raw look.

On the whole it is a simple movie of the all-conquering hero eliminating his enemies singlehandedly. Liam Neeson is tailor-made for such ‘rough and tough’ movies while the cute Maggie Grace acquits herself well in the action scenes. Famke Janssen goes through quite a physical struggle and her pale and tired looks prove her suffering.

On the whole, Taken 2 is worth a one-time watch.

Special 26 review

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3.5 / 5

After delivering the path-breaking ‘A Wednesday’ in 2008, director Neeraj Pandey is back after a long hiatus with ‘Special 26’, a movie based on notorious true-life incidents. Akshay Kumar dons a role which is totally a volte face compared to his customary presence in comedy masala entertainers. Other bankable actors like Manoj Bajpai, Anupam Kher and Jimmy Sheirgill also share the center stage along with the petite Kajal Aggarwal.

‘Special 26’ shows a group of four dare-devil con artistes who are out to make a quick buck. To achieve their objective, they take the guise of CBI officers and conduct raids on the filthy rich, spread across the key cities of the country. When mischief mongers are around, the law also inevitably looms large in their shadow and we have Wasim Khan (Manoj Bajpai), a real CBI officer, and Ranveer Singh (Jimmy Sheirgill), a cop who has experienced a taste of the quartet’s medicine, representing the charge against them.

The movie wavers from its main course at times to show the romance between Ajay (Akshay), the mastermind of the group, and Priya (Kajal), a teacher in his locality. We also have a few songs, devoted to the pair, which pop up as speed breakers.

But by large, the movie offers plenty of fun, drama and the interest levels rarely dip. There is also a twist thrown into the mix towards the end which is well-conceived.

We get to see Akshay Kumar in a totally new avatar, which is devoid of his usual antics and buffoonery. The hunk carries impressive screen presence but his stylish clothes and accessories don’t gel with the 1987 setting of the movie. But the director has taken care of the period setting in all the other aspects like the vehicles used in the movie. There is also a sepia tone in the movie to portray the dated era. The usage of sets in certain instances, to showcase key landmarks in the chosen cities, becomes obvious.

Anupam Kher and Manoj Bajpai are powerhouse performers and they are convincing and genuine in their respective roles. Special mention to Manoj’s firm and manly voice. Anupam gives the movie its share of lighter moments with his ease at histrionics. Jimmy Sheirgill is bankable as always while Divya Dutta has a minuscule part which she has done well. Kajal Aggarwal’s portions with Akshay don’t have any connection with the main plot of the movie and the pretty woman doesn’t get much screen time either. Character actor Rajesh Sharma shines yet again in a decent support role.

The BGM score is loud, dramatic but has one repetitive track which is unmistakably groovy. It gels with the 80s setting of the movie. Among the songs, there is one peppy Punjabi style track ‘Gore Mukhde Pe Zulfaan Di Chaavan’ which sets the foot tapping.  

Special mention to the interview scenes in the second half which really strike a chord with the audience thanks to the boisterous humor. The dialog ‘Asli power dil mein hoti hai’ is another instant winner with the audience.

The movie ends with the scope and promise for a possible sequel and the director might even be thinking of making Special 26 a franchise. We have to admit he has started convincingly. Do we have India’s own answer to the popular Ocean’s franchise?

FINAL WORD: Even a bunch of fakes can turn out to be special.

Annakodiyum Kodiveeranum music review

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3 / 5

Legendary director Bharathirajaa is back with Annakodiyum Kodiveeranum, a typical village based flick which the director specializes in. G.V.Prakash joins hands with the director for the first time. Has he lived up to the acid test?

Aavarangaatukulla, Singers: Sathya Prakash & Chinmayi
Lyricist: Vairamuthu
This is a folksy tune with the ghatam providing the rhythm for the song. The song also has pleasant flute notes peppered across it and a small sarood-like portion. Both the singers bring the dialect across, adequately. On the whole, an instantly likable native composition.

Puthi Vecha, Singers: G.V.Prakash & Prashanthini … CHEERS
Lyricist: Arivumathi
The flute continues to take a prominent place in this song as well. This one has ‘hit’ written all over it thanks to its purity and soulful quality. GV and Prashanthini complement each other beautifully while also taking care of the dialect.

Nariga Uranga, Singers: Santhosh, Pooja & Harini Sudhakar
Lyricist: Vairamuthu
The lively female vocals bolster this typical folksy song. In particular, the ‘Nariga Uranga’ refrain which has a tinge of melancholy is impressive. The interludes are packed with native string instruments, the omnipresent flute and other typical sounds of a village like the bleating of goats and other animals. The beats of the dhol give the song its rhythm.

Poraale, Singers: S.P.Charan … CHEERS
Lyricist: Gangai Amaran
This one is a deep pathos song rendered with the right amount of feeling by S.P.Charan and the female singers. The array of string instruments also serve the purpose of bringing in more gloom. The second interlude is a pretty involving experience thanks to a touching female humming piece layered over the string instruments. Expect this one to make a big impact if positioned properly in the film.

Anname, Singers: G.V.Prakash & Pooja
Lyricist: Egadesi
The song has a beautiful cello driven buildup to the vocal portions. It doesn’t have any percussion backing and is totally dependent on the vocalists to give it its soul. It is evident that the singers have been sucked into the pathos mood of the song. Kudos to GV for the different framework that he has tried in this song.

Kola Vaala Edungada, Singers: “Padayappa” Sriram, Maya & Raihanah
Lyricist: Egadesi
For any village based movie, a loud racy number with native instruments is almost a must. This one abides by the above said template. The vocals have a fierce drive but the number doesn’t have anything new and brings the album to a clichéd close.

VERDICT: G.V.Prakash’s music matches the movie’s rural sensibilities and has some good melodies. A listen-worthy album for sure!

Vishwaroopam review

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4 / 5

After so many delays, Kamal Haasan's Vishwaroopam has finally managed to hit theaters across TN amid terrific buzz and expectations.

In the trailer, Andrea says that all the lead characters in the movie have double roles. Kamal in fact has triple roles - that of an effeminate Kathak dancer and two more avatars which ought to be caught on the big screen.

The basic plot is about Jihadi terrorists and their mission of vanquishing the US. Their 'modus operandi', their resources, their network, their environment among others have been shown in fine detail by Kamal.
   
For each of his makeovers, Ulaganayagan Kamal looks the part thanks to authentic makeup. His effeminate act brings a fine chuckle among the audience. The Brahmin slang, the walking style, the minor gestures and reactions etc. are crowd-pleasers. The stills also show how apt he looks with an Islam style beard.

Pooja Kumar turns out be a really luscious charmer with her Anglicized Brahmin Tamil being a highlight. She looks damn stylish thanks to her background and has also put on a feast of her tits in some scenes early in the movie. Her character, that of a nuclear oncologist, is of great use in the latter part of the movie when the thrill quotient is at a real high. I really hope we get to see more of Pooja. She has a lot of talent indeed :)

Andrea, in comparison, doesn't have much to do than be a part of the 'Unnai Kanadha' number and also partaking in the chases and thrill rides. She is sort of a medical expert, we assume. That she is cute and sexy goes without saying. Shekhar Kapur and Jaideep Ahlawat have decent support roles while Rahul Bose's makeover is pretty real. You would definitely believe that he is a Jihadi thanks to the authentic facial hair. The scene, when he puts down the female doctor who comes to check on his wife at home, portrays his authority. The scene, when he doesn't like the fact that his younger son speaks fluent English, depicts the fierce mindset of Jihadi soliders.

Watch out for Kamal, the director, as he weaves terms like the Faraday shield, Geiger counter and (the radioactive) Cesium into his narrative. The basic idea of injecting Cesium into pigeons and using them as devices of deception is also highly highly impressive.

The work that has gone into the Afghanistan portions has to be seen. The sets, the weapons. the backdrop, the landscape look so real. No one would believe that the Afghan landscape was actually created in Chennai. Art director Lalgudi Ilayaraja, take a bow.

Shankar Ehsaan Loy's background score really picks up momentum in the thrilling scenes. The title track is the best experience in the movie when early in the first half, we are shown that Kamal isn't as docile as the Kathak dancer made us believe so. That fight sequence is one of those really uplifting 'adrenaline rush' experiences that you can get, more so if you are a Kamal fanatic. The use of techniques like slow motion and 'freeze frame' really come in handy for director Kamal Haasan. He has tried something along the lines of film-makers like Guy Ritchie, with these techniques.  

'Thuppakki Engal Tholile' is a nice training montage song while 'Anu Vidhaitha Boomiyile' comes at a poignant time in the movie. 'Unnai Kaanadha' serves as Kamal's introduction in the movie. This song has been nicely choreographed with Kamal, the supremely expressive dancer, in full form.

The movie has some major explosion scenes and Auro 3D would come in handy for experiencing the blasts as really as possible. Vishwaroopam is definitely technically superior to Kamal's previous magnum-opus, Dasavatharam.

Among the movie's blips include the Tamil spoken by most of the characters in the movie. It is hard to comprehend and definitely warranted subtitles. That everyone has dubbed in their own voice is appreciable but not at the expense of clarity. There is a lot of English in the movie as well as sprinklings of Pashto and Arabic. Though these portions have subtitles, one wonders if the layman can pay as much attention as Kamal wants them to.

One also feels that the sequence showing an extremely agile Kamal 'stunt double' jumping from pillar to post and doing Parkour routines is really tacky. And we might also note that the height of Kamal's character in the movie is 5'10. We all know the reality though.

The Afghan portions in the first half have some streaks of inactivity. But there are many memorable characters in this portion like Rahul Bose's small kid who wishes to be a doctor and the childish youngster who is later used as a suicide bomber. Nassar is also a part of this portion in an inconsequential role. We are also shown Osama Bin Laden!. This Afghan setting is something that only Hollywood movies have dared to show in such detail. Hats off to Kamal and crew for the effort. The wide angle shot of a road passing through the sands of the land will stay with you.

The movie really zooms along in the second half and the promise of Vishwaroopam 2 in the climax is a major lift. On the whole, Vishwaroopam is a true experience and is worth revisiting again. One viewing can't encapsulate Vishwaroopam in its entirety. The effort invested by Kamal Haasan needs to be experienced again to appreciate it completely.

Will update the review as and when I see the movie again ...

David review

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2.5 / 5

The trailer and stills of David made it clear to us that the movie was about two characters in different time eras and different places, but with the same name. Goa, 2010 and Mumbai, 1999 are the scenes of action with Vikram and Jiiva being the protagonists respectively.

While love is the bone of contention in Vikram’s story, Jiiva has a greater mission on hand as he has to get even with the politicians who have scathed his father’s name. Vikram doesn’t have any job on hand and he is a typical Goan for whom drinking is a way of life. Jiiva, on the other hand, is an aspiring guitarist who is dying to make it big and get some freedom from his over-pious father.

The movie shows both the stories in a parallel fashion in a non-linear narrative which switches quite often. The director has also tried his best to make the two stories meet convincingly on a common ground.

The story doesn’t require much from the handsome Vikram as he is in an inebriated state all through the movie. He just needs to be hung-over and behave in a sluggish manner throughout. Jiiva on the other hand is spunky as the emotional youngster. His styling is trendy and he looks the part as the Mumbai youngster.

Among the other actors, Tabu and Lara Dutta have similar roles, that of a moral support to the two male leads. Both these former hotshots have aged and matured. Tabu has more weightage compared to the two. Isha Sharvani is an angelic face and has acquitted herself well as the deaf and mute girl who bowls over Vikram. Nassar is majestic as always as the devout Christian Father.

The movie suffers from a heavy ‘dubbed movie’ feel particularly in the Goa portions as the entire Goan setting, inclusive of the actors, has been retained in both the Hindi and Tamil versions. The dubbing is out of place and jarring for most of the actors in Vikram’s story.

In Jiiva’s story, the Tamil spoken by characters, like his elder sister (played by Sheetal Menon), is passable as you can say that is how people would speak Tamil in Mumbai. The main politician in this story is another character whose Tamil dubbing leaves a lot to be desired.

Rathnavelu has shot the Goan story and a lot of places like Mangalore, Alleppey, Kapu and Kuttanad have been used to match the beach-side backdrop of the story. The visuals are exotic and pleasant as expected. P.S.Vinod has shot the portions involving Jiiva and the general tone for this story is gritty and energetic.

The main talking point of David before the movie’s release was its highly imaginative soundtrack. But sadly the way the songs have been woven into the narrative is underwhelming. Fans who were expecting good screen time for the beautiful songs would be disappointed. Only a few lines from all the songs find a place in the narrative.

On a lighter note, the song ‘Pondaati’ from Osthe is sung by Vikram’s friend in one of the scenes in the movie. This story is supposed to be happening in 2010 while Osthe’s soundtrack was released in 2011. One feels the director could have paid heed to such trivial things.

In all, this attempt by Bejoy Nambiar is an interesting idea on paper. But Vikram’s story doesn’t have anything going for it and is very hollow. Jiiva’s track, on the other hand, has more purpose and drive and one feels this story had the potential to have been made into a full-blown movie on its own, given the serious subject that touches upon religion and politics.

FINAL WORD: A different attempt but it lacks nativity and pace.