First of all, congrats to ?Munnabhai MBBS? team for winning national award in the ?wholesome entertainment? category. ?Vasoolraja MBBS? is the Tamil version of this award-winning blockbuster ?Munnabhai MBBS?. ?Vasoolraja MBBS? starring Kamalhaasan, Sneha, Prakashraj, Nagesh, Prabhu, Crazy Mohan and many others is directed by Charan. Rajkumar hirani and Vidhu vinod chopra takes credits for Story and screenplay and dialogues are written by Crazy mohan. Music is by Bharadwaj.
I have not seen ?Munnabhai MBBS? as it is a dialogue oriented comedy because if I don?t understand the dialogues I may not be able to understand all those conversations and appreciate and enjoy the humor in the scene. So, when I heard that it is going to remade in Tamil and that to with Kamal in the lead my expectations went high and I was eagerly waiting for the release of this movie. Is this movie a true remake of the original? Let us see...
Story and Screenplay: Rajkumar Hirani and Vidhu vinod chopra
Though the whole story is far from reality, they have done a great job in scripting the screenplay, it is the screenplay, which elevates the movie. They deserve the best screenplay awards they got for this movie. The movie had very hard-hitting and healthy criticisms on the way the doctors treat their patients like a machine. The screenplay is a perfect masala mix of sentiments, humor and love with some well conceived messages.
The hug therapy idea is excellent. It strikes you emotionally when kamalhaasan consoles the temper of a sweeper in the hospital by appreciating him and by using hug therapy. The ideas of vasoolraja to treat various kinds of patients in the hospital are well thought of. But the screenplay is bit jarring at the end, it was melodramatic to watch all the hospital workers, students together supporting vasoolraja. The love line between Kamal and sneha gels well with the screenplay and the suspense about paapu is well sustained till the end.
Dialogue: Crazy Mohan
The dialogue is a big plus for the movie. It is as usual play of words(for example ?manamirundhal marghabhandhu?, ? wait a minute for 5 minutes? ). It is damn funny at many places. You have to grasp the dialogues very fastly to enjoy it. Kamal + Crazy Mohan combo is one of the best in Indian comedies. It has worked out well again. Though this kind of comedy is becoming repetitive, it is not boring instead it evokes laughter instantly.
Direction: Charan
Charan is a good director and he has own style of film making but this time as it is a remake movie, he has stuck to the original version and you never think about the director at any place and that is even partly because of Kamal domination.
Cinematography by Venkatesh is okay.
Music: Bharadwaj
Bharadwaj?s music is horrible. They could have made this movie even without songs. There is no much scope for background music. Even then ?alwarpet andava? has a unique fusion of rock, gana and classical music. I was surprised by the usage of veena in a song like ?Seena thana?. Kamalhaasan can better stop singing, his voice is shivering at times.
Cast Performance
Kamal has always been excellent with his perfect timings in dialogue delivery and body language while essaying such characters. As usual he has given his best for his character.
But in one scene, I was surprised and stunned to watch Kamal haasan imitating Sivaji ganesan. In one scene, when Kamal cries and speaks after a cancer patient?s death, his dialogue delivery, his body language and the way he keeps his hands on his hip and the way of weaving the other hand was exactly like how sivaji ganesan would have performed in that scene. I don?t know whether it was intentional or accidental but anyway I liked it. Kamal haasan has put some weight, he has to take care of his physique and he looks pretty old in romantic scenes.
I don?t know what to say about prakashraj who did the dean of the college role. I am confused, I don?t know whether his is a brilliant acting or over acting. Anyway, he uses to grab the attention by his strange reactions while he converses with kamal. Nagesh did his job well. Kaka radhakrishnan?s performance was excellent in the scene where he slowly walks towards the carom board on hearing the striking sound. Sneha plays an usual role but she scores in her performance at the end. Prabhu is merely wasted. Jayasurya who plays the role of a cancer patient is apt for the role.
On the whole, Vasoolraja is a wholesome entertainer but doesn?t expect the movie to be a full-length comedy. It has equal share of sentiments poured in the second half of the movie. Vasoolraja ? Worth for your money.