3.5 / 4 STARS
DIRECTOR: DURAI
ACTORS: AJIT KUMAR, RAGUVARAN
ACTRESSES: JOTHIKA, SITARA
MUSIC DIRECTOR: DEVA
STORYLINE:
Ajit Kumar plays Sridhar, an educated man who wants to become a Music Director -- that is his lifelong ambition and that is what he has been working toward for the past eight years. He has a very supportive family, including an older brother (Raguvaran in a neatly done role) and his older brother's wife (Sitara). He is also supported by a man who owns an audio store (Manivannan.)
Though Sridhar tries, he fails time and time again to become a music director. Through some mishaps, he meets Viji (Jothika), a mischievous young girl. The two of them fall in love, and eventually, Viji even manages to get Sridhar a job as Music Director -- through a twist of fate, Sridhar loses out on this, too.
The story really starts, though, when their love is revealed to Jothika's father. Jothika's father, understandably, does not want his daughter married to a jobless man. He asks Sridhar to give up music and start a business instead.
So Sridhar must make a decision --
-- should he give up his lifelong ambition or sacrifice his love?
COMMENTS:
Excellent! I am very pleasantly touched by the simplistic down-to-earth style of this story. At its heart, it's a family drama, and it never swerves from that path -- it's a family drama from beginning to end. For the first time in a long time, I actually felt sad for a character. The pace moves well, and every actor involved is excellent in their roles. The dialogue, also, is very sharply written, and clearly catches every situation. Realism abounds in this marvelous cinematic experience.
This movie very nearly got a 4 out of 4; I was very close to giving it that. But a 4 out of 4 must be a masterpiece and contain no detracting elements. Mugavari, unfortunately, has a few elements that are less than necessary. The first of these is Vivek -- he cracks underwear jokes, tries to rob a woman, and does a lot of other stupid comedy, the kind that made him famous. Some of the jokes ARE funny, but they are incredibly out-of-place, and their raunchiness detracts from the calibre of the rest of the movie. Another thing that could have been done better is avoiding the usual cinematic ploys -- there is a fight in the middle of the movie that's done only for whistles and has no point. Plus, stuff like rain falling at the exact moment before Sridhar bursts into song makes us feel like our intelligence was insulted.
But these are minor quibbles and the movie remains an achievement to be reckoned with.
NOTE ON THE MUSIC:
The music is certainly above average, and the "Ye Nilave" song is excellently done. Deva has done far better than he usually does.
RECOMMENDATION:
Watch it in the theater.
VIJAY VANNIARAJAN