1.5 / 4 STARS
DIRECTOR: K.S. RAVIKUMAR
ACTORS: KAMAL HAASAN, JAYARAM
ACTRESSES: JOTHIKA, DEVAYANI
MUSIC DIRECTOR: A.R. RAHMAN
STORYLINE:
Kamal Haasan plays the title character Thenaali, a man with as many phobias as doctors have names for. He is taken for "treatment" to Jayaram, a psychiatrist. Jayaram leaves Thenaali's treatment hanging and goes on a vacation in Kodaikaanal with wife (Devayani) and sister (Jothika). Thenaali, spurred on by Jayaram's rival psychiatrist 'Delhi' Ganesh and his assistant Ramesh Khannaa, follows.
Eventually, Thenaali intrudes more and more on Jayaram's family, and begins annoying Jayaram more and more. Slowly, he is also cured of all his fears. Thenaali also falls in love with Jothika. Jothika wants to marry a courageous man, but when she sees Thenaali fight because he has a mouse in his shirt, she mistakenly thinks he is brave and falls in love with him as well.
Jayaram, unable to bear the idea that his sister should fall in love with a man so afraid of everything, becomes a monster, and tries to murder Thenaali. The antics of Jayaram versus Kamal Haasan is Thenaali.
COMMENTS:
Oh God. Having seen Kamal Haasan's expert acting in movies like "Naayagan," "Mahanathi," "Devar Magan," "Indian," "Kurudhippunal," "Moondraampirai," "Hey Ram," and several others, it sickens me to see "Thenaali."
Kamal Haasan has often forayed into comedy, true -- from the incredibly funny "Magalir Mattum" (which he was hardly in) to the mediocre "Avvai Shanmugi" to the painfully stupid "Kaathalaa Kaathalaa." Many people are lauding "Thenaali" as a comedic masterpiece with smart dialogue and good acting (from both Jayaram and Kamal Haasan.) But I see it as nothing more than a fancied-up "Unnakkaaga Ellaam Unnakkaaga," which was another movie that could only be enjoyed if you took your brain out of your head.
The storyline is pathetic. The jokes are straight out of several Goundamani & Senthil routines (to see Kamal Haasan and Jayaram in Goundamani & Senthil routines really pains me). The acting is okay. The music is mediocre. Kamal Haasan's "Ceylon" accent is, impressive, but in the end, annoying.
If this is the trend of Kamal Haasan movies from now on, I have lost all the mountain of respect I once had in the actor. Maybe "Hey Ram" doesn't make money--but he does not have to resort to stupid comedy such as this to make money. Let's not forget that before "Hey Ram," several Kamal Haasan movies were both smart AND successful. "Thenaali" is a Kamal Haasan clunker.
NOTE ON THE MUSIC:
A.R. Rahman has done better. To be fair, the music probably isn't bad; it's just that the dull picturisation and the general disinterest of the movie also brings the music down.
RECOMMENDATION:
Everyone is absolutely in love with this movie -- except for me. If you think you can enjoy brainless comedy best enjoyed by a ten-year-old, it's for you.
VIJAY VANNIARAJAN