KADHALIL SODHAPUVADHU YEPPADI (KSY) – ONE OF THE BEST ROMANTIC COMEDIES OF OUR TIMES

MUST WATCH! IT WILL BE A CRIME TO MISS THIS!

 Its been quite some time since we last got to see equally refreshing rom coms in BOSS engira Bhaskaran and Siva Manasula Sakthi. The energy in the theatre hall, the environment that the film creates, say it all. The longer version does full justice to its successful shorter version that came under the same title. Having seen and enjoyed the short film sometime back, I had my doubts if it was possible to give out an equally, good full feature film. Watching the film, you come out a convinced man. The entire cast save the lead actors from the short film have been retained with a few additions wherever required.

                The film has Arun (Siddharth) telling us about his love life, the events that eventually lead to his break-up with Paarvathi (Amala paul) and simultaneously giving us lessons as to where all people generally mess up or make mistakes when in love as the main plot. I can vouch that they aint wrong when it comes to boys, but you’ll have to ask one and find out yourself, when it comes to girls. The sub plots involving the parents of the lead pair and that with their friend in Pondicherry is all very very nicely done.

                The team has cashed in well on the short film staying true to it till the very end. Humour is sprinkled in heavy doses, having you in splits more often than not. Needless to say, music has a say throughout the film. The songs are placed good ensuring that they don’t hamper ther pace of the film. The romantic-cum teasing score in those scenes involving the parents, music by S Thaman, man, wow! The lyrics, by Madhan Karky & director Balaji Mohan, of the opening song ‘Paarvati Paarvati’ play true to the times we live in. Azhaipaaya, the melody number, stands out. We’ll have to wait and see as to how director Balaji Mohan, whose done an excellent job here, manages expectations next time around, which will expectedly be ultra-high.

                The chemistry between the lead pair is riveting, to say the least, from the first scene to the last. Siddharth excels, his expressions coming to the fore, though such roles aint the first time for him. (konjam ishtam konjam kashtam in telugu). Amala paul is no less, both in looks and acting. The cartoons on the background during the credits at the beginning of the film begs to be mentioned. The lead actor talking directly to the camera (read audience/us) is another impressive point.

 KSY has its flaws too. There are scenes which are very obvious. And then there’s the lessons the hero gives you but fails to show the connections between those lessons and his love life, supposedly from where he learnt those lessons. But who cares? Go have fun. I’ll be damned if you’ll not want to watch it a second time or third for that matter.  85/100

Starts out very realistically meanders towards melancholy

Duet movies, more often than not, leaves a great impression on the audience with every one of its premise. Dhoni starts out equally well, but fails after an impressive 1^st half. One must though laud the effort taken by the team that tries to bring to the fore one of the most nagging problems of this country- our great education system, that sadly has not many voices.

The film’s about how a middle-class father ,Subramanian (prakash raj), breaks down to into harassing his son, kaarthick (Aakash),thanks to all the pressure that a middle class man in india goes through, before realising his folly and goes all out at the education system. Kaarthick is a extremely talented cricketer, his inspiration being dhoni, who can recite endless cricket statistics at will but finds reciting the multiplication tables hard. He is forced into giving up on his cricket sessions so as to prepare for his exams. His father, typical of what happens all over, spends all his hard-earned money on his son’s tuitions only for him to fail again. A frustrated father, vents out at the son, ends up facing major implications, which is very melo-dramaticcally put forth in the second half. How he recovers from the mess he created forms the rest of the premise.

The entire film plays out in two different parts, before interval and after interval, the difference in them being absurdly contrasting . It  starts out in a very promising manner. It has all the ingredients that have been the hallmark of successful movies from this production house. What follows henceforth disappoints. So realistic until then, it takes up an entirely different road becoming cinematic/melodramatic basically going over board with the emotions. You find quite a lot of loopholes sprinkled all over the plot. The actions that end up in kaarthick reaching coma it too much to take? Are you kidding me? Is that all it takes one to reach coma? And when did the doctor informing the concerned parties about some trauma, become so much like a random, convo? The neeya naana episode we get to see- must be the worst episode of a very credible programme. Never has neeya naana been this loaded in favour of a single person.  how a middle class man could so easily have access to a talk show of such high credibility is bemusing. But then, it is nothing when you compare it to the same middle class man getting to have a convo with the CM! (O_O) . all these , and a lot more holes in the plot contribute to water seeping in and the ship sinking.

Performance wise, prakash raj lives the role. He shines apart from the rest of the cast, carrying the entire film on his shoulders. As a father, a government staff, a neighbour who puts honour on the forefront, he plays the role of a middle-class man to perfection. Radhika apte ,playing the neighbour with a dishonourable profession (slut), fits the bill, fine. Somehow for  an actor of Nasser’s stature, he never looks convincing as the coach. Aakash’s is a mediocre performance and there’s a lot that can be improved upon. Ilayaraja’s score helps things in the better part of the film. Never saw the point of having that opening song though.

For a film that tries to bring out the drawbacks in our education system, ‘’dhoni’’ is a bemusing title. The pace of the film in the second half, no the second half is in itself questionable. Is it mandatory that every tamil film should be a 2 and half hour venture? A shorter, sans melodrama version would’ve made a greater impact. It is worth watching, for its impressive first half and for the issue it tries to bring forth in the second. Films such as these ought to be encouraged.

6.5/10