Love stories are always abundant in Tamil Cinema with different dimensions no matter how ridiculous they are. We have witnessed silliest to heart-breaking range of films in this domain. In spite of repeated love themes, we still find love-based movies hitting theatres (and more often hitting small screens just after release).
Chthiram Pesudhadi is also a love story with a simplest screenplay and fluid narration. It’s the same old -girl falling for a gangster, their parting and reunion. The narration is free flowing but the film lacks grip in the later half.
I wonder for the umpteenth time why the film title has no reason or association to the story. Want a title? Blindly use an old song title without caring for the meaning. If it is a love story then it is easy to pick a title. Gone are the days with meaningful movie titles (Bhaghyaraj was once the king in choosing titles, “Oru oorile oru Raajakumaari” is the best of all). Anyway, these meaningless titles help us forget these kinds of movies.
The acting part is well executed by the cast and hence it looks as if a reality happening in our neighborhood. Narain as an unemployed, angry youth emotes sufficiently but the reason why he acts rudely to his family is unknown. Bhavana does well in expressing her disgust and hatred than love towards Narain. She scores above average in sentimental areas which is a rarity among the latest heroines.
Narain’s body language is different. His way of walking is peculiar and looks funny at times. A fight scene in which the Narain stands at a corner and attacks his enemy is a bit clever but could have explained it clearly so that all viewers could understand.
The initial meetings between the Narain and Bhavana are handled quite well. The sidekicks of Narain do their part well. “Kaadhal” Dhandapaani has nothing much to do except for showing his bare chest once in a while and looking angry. It’s becoming stereotyped.
Bhavana at one point of time sees the Narain going to a brothel and then realizes that he had actually went to see a friend. Later she once again finds him arrested at the same building but misinterprets that he was involved in the activities of the building. This is not logical. She doesn’t even care to clarify with him but simply dumps him altogether
The scene where the Narain again takes up crime after the love failure is pictured nicely. It is shown from as a single point of view on a playground where the Narain beats up people at different points of time at different places in the ground.
The scenes after interval are lengthy and at sometimes irritating. The unnecessary twist of Dhandapani’s son loving the Bhavana leads us nowhere.
The twist involving Bhavana’s father as the reason for Narain’s arrest is interesting but too late for an impact. Hero trying to sacrifice his love and persuading her to marry someone else is too clichéd.
The climax fight sequence is pictured well with the Narain adopting same kind of fighting stance as he does throughout the movie.
“Mazhai Mazhai” and “Vaazhameenu” songs stand out because others are too forgettable. The so called “Gaana” songs throughout the movie are surprisingly meaningful in contrast to what we have so far listened from various songs composed by Deva (though, they are enjoyable)
Chithiram Pesudhadi, one more love story with a good narration in the first half but hampered by the drifting latter part of the movie. What more one can expect from an over-utilized love theme in Tamil Cinema history?