When compared with other regional languages, Tamil films have more of action-oriented movies which, based on the performance & popularity of the Hero have become great Superhits. “Thotti Jaya”, starring Simbhu & Gopika on the lead roles, is yet another action-based movie with sentimental romance touches here & there …..
“Thotti Jaya” – The Title
Following the success of Tamil movies named after the character of the Hero like Annamalai, Baasha, Padaiyappa….. etc… the Director desiring to acquire a similar success for this film, had titled it after the character of the Hero Simbhu, but in vain.
“Thotti Jaya” – The Story
The film starts with screening a small boy called “Thotti Jaya” washing plates in a Hotel, who always prefers to be tough & silent. One day, the owner of the hotel splatters water on the boy’s face as he had not washed the tumblers properly which makes the boy silently fume with anger. During an occasion when some outsider fights with the owner of the hotel, Thotti Jaya beats off the outsider with a big rod, which gains him a great popularity among the other people working in the hotel. The owner reciprocates the boy with money for his brave act. One day the boy walks out of the hotel and joins a group of Gangsters headed by a man named “Seenathaana”, who has the entire city under his control. The small boy grows popular in the team by his great ability to kill anyone in just a whip ….. the small boy grows big and becomes Simbhu. Simbu would kill anyone at any point of time just for money !
Thotti Jaya, after committing a crime, goes to hide at Calcutta where he rescues the heroine Gopika from a set of gundaas who try to rape her. Having saved her life, he accompanies her to her native town Kanyakumari and gradually love blossoms between the two. At one stage, it is found that the heroine Gopika is the daughter of the Goon Seenathaana (born for his illegal mistress), who doesn’t wish his daughter to be married to Thotti Jaya who is after-all his servant. So, Seenathaana kidnaps his own daughter and his mistress and sends his workmen to kill Simbu… The finale is like tons of other Gollywood movies, Simbu kills Seenathaana !!
“Thotti Jaya” – The Characterizations
Simbu : When compared with many of his earlier series of movies, this tough characterization (Thotti Jaya) suits him better. Though the Director has made him appear hard-hitting with a beard & black colored dresses, he appears still an immature to our eyes. At most places, he has overacted and his fighting with 100 men at a time is nothing but an intolerable idiotism!
Gopika : There are many upcoming heroines with excellent looks in Tamil cinema. Although this latest entry to the field Gopika, who do not exactly have a very charming looks or anything, has shined pretty well in this film by her acting when compared with her earlier films ‘Autograph’ & ‘4 Students’. She reveals her flair for acting when she so hesitantly but stubbornly expresses to Simbu that she cannot just like that part with him who had saved her life. In scenes where she runs up and down in the railway station looking for her lost purse and at the moment when she misses the train to Kanyakumari in which her fellow classmates had gone, she has performed appreciatively well.
Pradeep : The new face Pradeep has done the character of ‘Seenathaana’. His looks and his character hardly matches and such a great Mobster awkwardly stumbles & falls down when Simbu pushes him appears quite absurd and contemptuous ! His telecom with Simbu is another comical tragedy. On the whole, the villain character is an absolute mis-match !
“Thotti Jaya” – The Music
Music by Harris Jayaraj too is yet another disappointment in the movie. Almost every song resembles some other album like Thiruvasagam or Mudhalvan or Minnale or Indian! Harris too has started copying other’s music !!!
“Thotti Jaya” – The Overall
Although Director Durai has chosen a fairly good storyline, the final outcome of Thotti Jaya is unfortunately not upto the mark.
Although the inclusion of scenes like so many people running down the stairs when Simbu shouts that water lorry has come, just to prevent the fellow rowdies climbing the stairs who come searching for the lovers and the scene where Gopika lovingly call ‘Thotti’ Jaya as Jeyachandran for the first time in his life ever are quite a good insertions, the irritating growlings of the Villain, Simbu over-acting as he usually does irritates the audience to the core ! The film has 90% of action, that too, most of the fights are either quite side-splitting or exasperating.
Almost throughout the film, you could only feel the presence of ‘Stunt Siva’ and not the Director anywhere ! The story doesn’t fail to have the expected climax & so nothing worth a special mention about the story !! Simbu has over-worked to look like his father in many scenes, but fails to shine as a charming hero !!
God knows when this kind of films are going to be stopped producing, to save mankind !! I would recommend this film only for those who desire to have a peaceful sleep ‘cause ‘Thotti’ Jaya & Seenathaana together surely would put the spectators to sleep…….!!