1.5 / 4 STARS
DIRECTOR: R. PANDIARAJAN
ACTOR: PRABHU DEVA
ACTRESSES: MEENA, RASIKA
MUSIC DIRECTOR: DEVA
STORYLINE:
Prabhu Deva plays a toy store owner who is basically kind-hearted but has all the foibles of youth. He looks at women, drinks, smokes, everything. Through the ads, Prabhu Deva is married to Meena, who at first disapproves of all his bad habits but then grows used to them all (except for the looking at other women).
Prabhu Deva then tries to remain faithful to his wife, but at this point, during a bus ride, he decides to innocently try and brush a girl's (Rasika's) hip. She discovers his intent, and he's physically tossed out of the bus.
Prabhu Deva goes home, only to find -- unexpected turn of events music plays here -- Rasika is Meena's old girlhood friend and will be staying at their home for a while. Luckily, Rasika doesn't inform Meena of the activities of the earlier afternoon.
Right in the house, Prabhu Deva makes cat-eyes at Rasika.
Suddenly, Meena dies, through the use of self-medicine, and Prabhu Deva is single again. Now he must make a decision -- should he marry Rasika or remain faithful to the memory of his wife?
COMMENTS:
R. Pandiarajan has tried too hard -- he used to easily make wonderful comedies with moving stories such as "Aan Paavam," but he screws up in "Doubles". "Doubles" has a decadent storyline, and yet an underlying nature of sweetness runs through the whole thing. Prabhu Deva's acting is exceptional, and his comedy is hilarious. "Doubles" certainly has its moments (breaking the coconut on Prabhu Deva's head; getting thrown out of the bus) but all in all, it's a ride that may not be worth taking.
The main problem with the storyline is the direction. A large part of the movie is entirely unnecessary, and the villain that comes for just a little while is downright boring. Manivannan and Kovay Sarala are only irritating. Meena, though returning to slimness, looks well, does not act capably. Rasika (formerly Sangeetha) acts energetically but in the end is far too annoying.
The story is grating. The comedy in some scenes is disturbingly uninteresting.
Pandiarajan's cameo at the end is also an unwelcome twist to the plot.
One of the only things in this movie that Pandiarajan did right was hiring Prabhu Deva as the hero instead of trying to act in it himself.
NOTE ON THE MUSIC:
The debut of Srikaanth, Deva's son, is unimpressive. None of the songs were worth a second look.
RECOMMENDATION:
Skip it altogether.
VIJAY VANNIARAJAN