It feels like a whiff of fresh air to watch this tamizh movie from Balaji Sakthivel (a former assistant to Shankar). Though the story of the movie is the run-of-the-mill that can be written at the back of suburban railway ticket, it is the screenplay and presentation which elevates it into a higher plane.
As one of my previous reviewer mentioned, this is the first time locales (Madhurai and Chennai) and their dialects are captured with excellent authencity (including the garbage dumped by-lanes of Chennai). The Madhurai dialect spoken by the leading pair is more convincing than even Kamal’s Virumaandi. Considering that the actors of this lead pair are proper Chennaites.
This movie goes on to prove again that even a regular story can be made extra-ordinary by a taut screenplay, authentic presentation and convincing casting. Usually casting is the most neglected aspect of Indian movies.
Except for Maniratnam and Kamalhassan, none has understood the importance of casting. Balaji is definitely a worthy entrant into this elite club.
Also the attention to details given by Balaji is exemplary. For example, watch out for the letterings on the windscreen of the TATA Sumo used by the Chithappa of the heroine.
Lyrics and Music are other notable points. They never jut out of the narration.
Though cinematography was adequate, Milton could have tried tried for something more as the locations did provide for more scope.
There were few jarring points in the movie as follows:
How come the family of Ishwarya was never aware of the affair till the pair elopes, in spite of they being a well-known family in the locality? The fact that the lovers usually meet at a place that is about 8 kilometers away from the city (parking their vehicles in the road itself) to avoid detection is not convincing.
Would the hero be so naive that he believes in the words of heroine’s Chithappa and goes along with him back to Madhurai? He could have as well asked the Chithappa to bring the heroine’s family to Chennai since that they now know the couple’s residence. I could only say that he just walks into this trap with his eyes wide open.
On the final moments in Dhindukkal, the heroine’s cries should have woken up the whole town but we see none even stirred...!!!
All said, an eminently watchable movie in recent times.