2.5 / 4 STARS
DIRECTOR: S. EZHIL
ACTORS: AJIT, YUGENDRAN
ACTRESS: JOTHIKA
MUSIC DIRECTOR: VIDYASAAGAR
STORYLINE:
Sivaji Shinde's family and Sivakumar's family have lived right next door to each other for forty years. They do everything together. Chinnaa (Ajit) is Sivakumar's son and Chellaa (Jothika) is Shivaji Shinde's daughter. They grow up together as best friends.
Then Chinnaa and Chellaa fall in love, but neither one tells the other of their love. Enter Karna (Yugendran), a friend of the both of them who secretly loves Chellaa. He learns of their mutual love, and wants to break them up. Karna convinces Chinnaa that Chellaa is in love with him, and not Chinnaa. Heartbroken, Chinnaa leaves for Bombay.
At this time, Chellaa reveals her love for Chinnaa at home, and both overjoyed families plan their engagement (and don't tell Chinnaa, planning to make it a surprise.)
Chinnaa returns, and Karna tells him that the engagement is going through against Chellaa's wishes. Chinnaa goes home, and breaks up the engagement, thinking it's what Chellaa wants. Then he learns the truth that Chellaa in fact loved him and not Karna, but now, she is angry.
"How could you believe lies against me?" she asks, enraged. "I thought we knew each other better than that." And she buries her love, the two families get into a fight, and everyone separates.
Will the family reunite? Will Chellaa ever forgive Chinnaa?
COMMENTS:
The moral of the story is "Forgiveness is divine." Chellaa must learn that forgiving Chinnaa is the only way for the both of them to be happy.
Director Ezhil ("Thullaatha Manamum Thullum", "Poovellaam Unn Vaasam") has pulled off another entertainer with great songs and a passable storyline. But always, Ezhil's talent is not in the story but in the execution. Though there are some sentiments, they're not (too) overblown. The movie seems fresh and young and is Ajit's best movie since maybe "Mugavari."
The actors all do their parts capably (especially Ajit, who has been known for overacting recently), except for Shivaji Shinde. He struggles in a role designed for the likes of Vijayakumar or Nasser.
O.K., there are some plot holes in the story. Would the family ever plan an engagement without telling the groom (aenaena "surprise"-aa vakkirathunu vevasthaiyae illaiyaa!")? But for the most part, the movie flows logically, and no character is forced to act stupidly for the sake of the plot. It's a very natural movie.
The reason it's just a 2 1/2 stars, though, is because we've seen this kind of film before, and it's not exactly an absolutely engrossing nail-biting film. It's, pure and simple, another Ezhil entertainer, and worth watching as a very efficient time passer.
The only place I was disappointed was in the dancing. Maybe it's because Ezhil's previous efforts had great dance choreography (of course, they also starred Vijay and Prabhu Deva), but here, songs that should have had killer dance sequences ("Yuktha Mukhi," for which Miss World Yuktha Mukhi makes an appearance) don't.
NOTE ON THE MUSIC:
Wonderful music. Ezhil films have always had great music, but here the director switches from S.A. Rajkumar to Vidyasaagar, and it's no blemish. My favorite songs are "Thaalaattum Kaatrae Vaa," "Thirumana Malargal," and "Pudhu Malar." Other good songs are "Kaadhal Vandhadhum" and "Chellaa Nam Veettukku." "Yukta Mukhi" is a song I loved listening to on CD, because it may have bad lyrics, but it's so danceable and so much fun. There really isn't a single bad song on the entire album. Kudos, Vidyasaagar.
RECOMMENDATION:
Watch it on video. And if you're an Ajit fan, theater won't disappoint you too much, either.
VIJAY VANNIARAJAN