Khuskha.

The hype was large when Venkat Prabhu, who turned into a trend-setter with his debut Chennai-28 teamed up with Karthi, for his next project, and after a long wait, Biryani finally hits screens, also starring Premgi Amaren, Hansika Motwani, Nasser and several, several others.

Two buddies - Casanova Sugan and your-usual-Premgi Parasu lead a happy life filled with booze, parties and women, until things take a wild turn when their search for a serving of biryani traps them into a massive spiderweb of murder and deceit. Whether or not they prove their innocence and survive their ordeal forms the rest of the story.

Even with its very potent star cast and several guest appearances, the film fails to keep audiences engaged. With a deadbeat pace from the beginning, the first half is filled with the usual comedy and antics you'd expect from a Venkat Prabhu film, and shifts on to the crux, where it attempts to produce novel twists, but turns out to be a painful, mediocre run to the finish, with sprinkles of laughter here and there. While Sakthi Saravanan's interesting cinematography combined with Praveen KL-Srikanth NB's editing offers a decent visual experience, it does not support the lazy screenplay of the film in any manner. Yuvan Shankar Raja's 100th album fails to impress, while his background score is commendable.

Karthi, whose last hit was the 2011 masala entertainer Siruthai is rather facing a downward slope, with Saguni, Alex Pandian and All-in-All failing to impress; Venkat Prabhu, whose previous outing Mankatha succeeded because of its Thala factor, gives us a film that is nothing beyond the average, and nothing new from his usual. In fact, several sequences in the film almost remind us of his previous works.

Biryani is for fans who enjoy seeing the trademark bloopers at the end, or the bored weekenders looking for ways to kill time. 

Aditya Baskaran

Pallu Pona Raaja.

With interesting promos, debutante Prasanna RS managed to pique audiences towards Kalyaana Samayal Saadham, starring Prasanna, Lekha Washington, Raghav and several others, opened to good expectations.

An "arranged marriage" set-up brings Tambrahms Meera and Raghu together. Realizing their compatibility, the couple soon fall in love with each other, and things are sweet and happy, until a major twist exhibits a certain physical inability of Raghu, which goes on to threaten the entire marriage and their relationship. Whether they succeed or fail in their marriage forms the rest of the story.

Performances. Prasanna, after multi-starrers, supporting roles and cameos, finally comes back to centre stage with KSS, and so does Lekha, last seen in 2010's Va Quarter Cutting. Both of them do complete justice to their roles, and so do the rest - Raghav, Uma Padmanabhan, Delhi Ganesh, the hero's friends, and the wonderful Crazy Mohan in a cameo. Krishnan Vasant's interesting camera handling coupled with Sathyarj's editing and Arora's music, truly enhance the viewer experience, though the film feels very long with its 132-minute runtime.

KSS brings to screen a rom-com fresh in its approach, and while revolving around a subject that is rather "adult" in its nature, the film manages to not go overboard or turn it vulgar. The film attempts to keep you entertained and laughing, though it is not completely successful. The film fails to keep the audience involved at times, and loses its pace at points during its runtime, but ends as a warm film overall.

KSS is a good weekend break, and if you're a Tambrahm with modern ideals, you'll probably dig this one. Beyond that, it is your usual rom-com with a fresh edge to it.

Aditya Baskaran

Fomantic Rantasy.

In recent Tamil cinema, very few directors have established themselves as experimental creators foraying beyond an usual formula. Selvaraghavan, one of this rare breed, has carved a niche for himself with his dark, intense style of film-making. While his previous outing Mayakkam Enna received lukewarm success, the failure of his bombast experiment on historical fantasy Aayirathil Oruvan remains fresh in audiences' mind.

Irandaam Ulagam, is a story where two worlds - Earth, and a distant Tamil-speaking human-populated alien planet are connected by an individual - Madhu Balakrishnan, in search of his love. His journey - him falling in love, and its loss that takes him to the Second World and how he affects that planet forms the rest of the story.

While it is a story that would look great on paper, IU ends up as a complete drag, unable to convey its probable depth and intensity to audiences. While the first few minutes start with great promise, the film spirals down a path of slow death with post-interval feeling almost like ultramotion, and the screenplay makes one wonder whether it was the same man who made the stellar Pudhupettai. While comparison of our native cinema's CG to films like Avatar, to which global audience have been exposed is a bit unfair, the quality of the work done, though commendable is not entirely appealing.

While the lead cast and their support have performed to the mark, the use of foreign artistes to speak Tamil combined with their pitiful lip sync suddenly makes you feel like you're watching one of those English-to-Tamil dubs on TV. While the album is forgettable, Anirudh Ravichander's background score is impressive.

Irandaam Ulagam is indeed a daring experiment, and while director Selvaraghavan's attempt is commendable, the film ends up being disappointing. Only for fanboys - be it the director, Arya or Anushka.

Aditya Baskaran

Pa Pa Paba.

With a hat-trick victory, each one bigger than the previous, Thirukumaran Entertainments' C.V.Kumar portrayed the image of recent Tamil cinema's Midas. And by taking the brand of their 2012 sleeper hit Pizza, Pizza-II The Villa, starring Ashok Selvan, Sanchita Shetty, J.Jayakumar, Nassar and several others, opens up to a lot of expectations.

Plagued with debts post his father's demise, aspiring author Jebin, comes across a sudden property of his- A villa. While he and his girlfriend Aarthi look forward to a happy life in the villa, strange and morbid happenings begin to occur after he finds out a series of paintings that depict his future. Whether Jebin escapes from the evil behind those paintings or does he fall prey to fate, forms the rest of the story.

The lead pair, both seen in TE's previous outing Soodhu Kavvum, deliver to requirement, though they still have a long way to go in establishing themselves as fine artistes. Notable performances include Jayakumar and Nassar, who manage to garner attention in their short screen-time. Santhosh Narayanan, who has impressed audiences with his work probably does not strike gold with this album, though the background score enhances the visual experience.

Even with a commendable run-time just over a 100 minutes, the slow screenplay makes it feel like much longer. While the first half unfolds slow and steady, the second picks up speed, crashing into an interesting climax. It seems pointless why the film would use the Pizza franchise as there seems to be no connection, expect for its genre. Deepak Kumar Pathy's attempt to produce interesting angles to amplify the horror coupled with Leo John Paul's taut editing are commendable, but with a storyline muffled by a draggy screenplay, The Villa falls flat trying to garner up the scares.

With debutante Deepak's work, one does wonder whether the film is a horror flick, or a mere "message-movie" that uses the supernatural as a ploy. Nevertheless, The Villa is your average Friday boredom killer, and not exactly on the same level to Pizza.

Aditya Baskaran

Unna Partha Neram.

Dubbed as "the man with the Midas touch", director Rajesh.M went on to strike gold thrice with three comedies - Siva Manasula Shakthi, Boss (a) Baskaran and Oru Kal Oru Kannadi. And thus, amidst much expectations released All-in-All Azhaguraja, featuring Karthi, Kajal Aggarwal, Santhanam and several others.

The yardstick for bad cinema seems to have fallen to extreme depths over the last decade. Such is the lack of content in fresh movies, that a film that seemed to be bad last week, seems exceptional in comparison to today's release. And such is the case with this film here.

Azhaguraja, opposed to marriage, falls in love with random stranger, only to realize that her family has a feud with his. Does he solve this issue and marry her, forms the rest of the plot. Seriously, how many million films of the same line, with some variation more or less have we seen over time? While Rajesh's films are known to be complete comic capers with no solid storyline, All-in-All fails miserably both in terms of comedy and story. The USP Santhanam seems to have turned stale, as his performance fails to evoke even the slightest of laughter, and it is sad to see veterans like Prabhu, Saranya Ponnvannan and M.S.Bhasker being wasted on menial roles. Even Karthi's attempt to recreate an image of yesteryear Prabhu during the flashback does not have the suggested impact.

With an almost 3-hour runtime, sitting through All-in-All is painful - A plain, stupid story coupled with a snail-paced screenplay where editing and cinematography seem to be of no help. S.S.Thaman fails to impress with his album, with songs acting as blocks of time-murder in an already slow world. One honestly does wonder whether the film was handled by the same man whose previous outings were so enjoyable.

Well, All-in-All is for those who are really, really devoid of a form to kill time.

Aditya Baskaran

Thala Diwali.

It's a Thala film, so yes, its natural that the hype surrounding it is massive. And thus releases Thala 53 titled Arrambam, featuring a stellar star cast in addition - Arya, Nayanthara, Tapsee, Atul Kulkarni, Mahesh Manjeraker, Kishore, Rana Dagubatti and several others.

Grade-A hacker Arjun is roped into a terrorist operation, led by the sinister Ashok Kumar aka AK, to remove a large sum of money from the accounts of a number of elite citizens. Who is AK, what is his motive, and does Arjun complete the task under AK, forms the plot of the film.

Given the cast, I don't even want to talk about performances. The film rides on Thala's shoulder, through and through, with Arya and Nayanthara playing perfect secondary fiddles. Special mention to Tapsee who is very convincing as the drama queen Anita. Om Prakash's cinematography is commendable, and combined with Sreekar Prasad's editing, produces an interesting output. Director Vishnu Vardhan, known for his stylish film-making, best seen in Billa and Sarvam, gives us nothing less than usual in Arrambam.

But given all that, Arrambam is your usual "revenge+mass+social message" story, oomphed with a lot of glitz. Beyond the fact that the film contains nothing new, the film's screenplay is haphazard, rising and falling throughout the runtime, and the movie reminds us a bit of the Travolta-Jackman starrer Swordfish. Yuvan Shankar Raja's background score enhances the visual treatment, though the album is forgettable and songs also act as pace dampeners through the film.

Arrambam, is a treat for Thala fans, but if you are regular movie person, this is nothing more than the regular.

Aditya Baskaran

Aala Vetti Kozhambu Vechiduva.

The team-up of the director of a National Award winning film, with an artiste who bagged the same honor, with the addition of the recent controversies surrounding this film, put forth the usual high hype, as Naiyaandi hits screens - staring Dhanush, Nazriya, "Parotta" Soori, Sriman and several others.

So, yes, the plot. Uh, jobless, village-residing hero, the youngest of a family of five with two elder brothers, unmarried and beyond the usual marital age, pursues apparent modern heroine, and stalker turns into lover soon. But then, heroine ends up dragging trouble from her side in the form of a doting father, and another love-struck man who is by the way, a bloodthirsty don. What happens to the pair, forms the rest of the story. 

The film, housing this ancient plot, attempts to pose as a comedy only to fail in its goal. While several characters - Soori, Imaan 'Annachi', Satish, Sriman and Sathyan, try to make audiences laugh, the maximum they evoke is a few smiles during the film's runtime. The film moves at a snail's pace, and is your very-usual masala film, cooked to the formula : forgettable songs complete with colourful costumes and second-rate choreography. Not only does this film provide anything new, it messes up the old formula to a highly disappointing extent.

The movie, while acting as Dhanush's break into the commercial scene after playing an array of intense characters (3, Mayakkam Enna, Maryaan, Ranjhnaa) comes out a blemish in the actor's shining career. One does wonder if Naiyaandi was actually made by the same man who gave us the impressive Vaagai Sooda Vaa and the light-hearted Kalavaani. After making two films, which seemeed to be both audience-friendly, and worth critical acclaim, Sarkunam has unfortunately bombed this time.

Aditya Baskaran

Idhukka Aasaappattaen?

Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumaara, built its hype for very few reasons - its lead character being on a hatrick victory run, and catchy songs off its album. And thus, overlooking the fact that its director gave us the on-screen disaster Rowthiram in 2011, IAB hits screens, setting expectations high.

Only to send them crashing down faster than a Lambhorgini. The film, shifts between the lives of two main protagonists, the marketing professional, beer-loving Bala, and the inebriate housing board-dweller "Sumaar Moonji" Kumar, and a couple of other smaller people - Saravanan, "Putty" Babu and 'Painter' Rajendran, as they all cross paths in a single day.

Positives. Uhmm... okay. Vijay Sethupathy, who has already proved his acting mettle through his previous films, gives us a solid performance, and so do Pasupathy and Robo Shankar, who keep us engaged for a short period of time. Mahesh Muthuswami's cinematography is commendable.

The film begins off at an interesting angle, only to lose pace and go slow-motion for the rest of its runtime. With a rather pointless storyline, filled with attempts at humor that are extremely weak, IAB is a 140-odd minute babble of dialogues that almost have you screaming for its end. Its mediocre screenplay leaves very little space for the editor to shorten screen time, thus making the movie extremely draggy. To call the film a caper comedy seems unworthy, for the film managed to evoke very little laughter, and its apparent caper did not seem to engage audiences at all. With a forgettable album and BGM, Siddharth Vipin's music is average, though the visual effect of the songs are much better, thanks to choreographer Raju Sundaram.

Ashwin Kakumanu, Nandhitha and Swathi deliver decent performances, though they still have a long way to go. The film marks the break in Vijay Sethupathy's golden run, and while the experimentation is appreciated, better selection of scripts would behoove his career in the future. Director Gokul delivers yet another disaster, and it would be wise of him to make an actual contribution to cinema before he vanishes from the silver screen. This fail of a caper comedy may finally break the streamline of films in this specific genre and have directors turn towards better ideas.

Aditya Baskaran

Ye Papa!

With an interesting trailer, loads of promotion, promising debutante Atlee gives us Raja Rani, starring Arya, Jai, Nayanthara, Nazriya, Santhanam, Sathyaraj and several others.

John and Regina get married against each others' will, and go through a marital life of spite and hatred. A chain of events lead the two to learn more about each other's life, love and loss. Whether they decide to repair their marriage and lead a successful life, or break and walk away from each other forms the rest of the story.

This film brings to screen artistes who we haven't seen in quite sometime - Jai, seen last in Engeyum Eppothum and  Nayanthara, since Boss (A) Baskaran. Arya, whose last outings (Settai, Vettai, Avan Ivan) have involved multiple-protagonists (Chikku Bukku, being a forgettable exception), finally lands a role that might provide him some shine. Jai, whose role is very similar to that from his previous film, does justice to it, and so do Nayanthara, and Nazriya whose cute charm makes her character portrayal extremely natural. While Santhanam, Sathyan and Naan Kadavul Rajendran impress in both humor and performance, it is Sathyaraj who is the grand winner. The veteran has never looked so cool before on-screen and he pulls off his role as a uber-cool dad quite effortlessly.

But behind all such characters, lies the smart mind of a creator. Atlee gives us a film that is not new to us. The theme of the film is reminds us of the yesteryear Mouna Raagam, but it is the treatment; the heart-wrenching drama, the humor, and the liveliness of the script that keeps audiences piqued till the very end. George.C.Williams' cinematography and Ruben's editing are commendable, though the film's pace begins to lag in the second half. G.V.Prakash's background score sets the atmosphere throughout the film, and while composing yet another forgettable album, his feature with Gaana Bala, "Hey Baby", is quite enjoyable.

"There is love/life after love failure". This is the message that the film tries to get across. Raja Rani, is a thorough entertainer, with all the spices requires for commercial success. Definitely worth a watch.

Aditya Baskaran

Intelligent, but fools.

A rather interesting trailer piqued audiences towards a film comprising of vivid colours and unfamiliar faces. Moodar Koodam, produced by Pasanga Productions, stars Naveen, Sentrayan, Rajaj, Kuberan, Jayprakash, Oviya and several others.

Four extremely different men, brought together by a common factor - desolation, which leads them to believe that they have nothing to lose, decide to rob a wealthy house. What unfolds from this decision, how the events of the day reflect off each personality's history, and whether or not they succeed in this mission forms the rest of the story.

Moodar Koodam, is yet another caper comedy, in the lines of the recent Neram and Soodhu Kavvum. The very title credits seem to exhume shades of Guy Ritchie, and the film in itself stands out as a production highly inspired by world cinema, drawing various commendable styles into it. The film, being a dark comedy, stays true to its core till the end, though the overall attempt manages to evoke only a few, yet worthy laughs.

The main cast, mostly newcomers, have delivered their best to portray their characters to the fullest, though they still have a long way to go. With a taut storyline, packed in with neat dialogues that range from Communist wisdom to hard-hitting abusive fact-punch statements, the film has definitely come out as a refreshing attempt. Tony Chan's cinematography, coupled with good art direction and intriguing costumes, elevates the visual experience to a whole new level.

But. But. The screenplay acts as a complete dampener, moving the film at a snail's pace, with Athiyappan Shiva's editing providing no help. Music by Natarajan Shankaran is a pendulum of sorts, for the film provides intelligent BGMs and songs at one point, and turns completely unimpressive at another. The addition of more and more characters, whose purposes seem to come together at the climax, acts more as a drag rather than keeping audiences engaged.

Nervtheless, Moodar Koodam is a worthy watch, and a commendable effort. Debuatante Naveen joins the list of directors who are contributing to the "New Wave" of Tamil Cinema, though we audiences seem to have had enough of capers already.

Aditya Baskaran

Yenga Pona Raasa?

The man behind the legendary Maa Tujhe Salaam, one of world's greatest composers, and India's fastest rising young actor team up into one massively-hyped production - and thus, Maryan hit screens to the thronging of fans.

The film, a fictional adaptation based on the 2008 kidnap of three Indian oil-factory workers in Sudan and their subsequent escape, shows its title character Maryan, a man "born of the sea, and raised by her", develop feelings for his lady love Panimalar, and how he battles through his struggles - inner and outer, to get back home to her.

Cinemania, unfortunately cannot help using the cliched statement of "Great performances". Dhanush, seems to have achieved a new level of performance since his National Award, and Parvathy Menon, from the seems-so-long-ago Poo, and the recent Chennaiyil Oru Naal, delivers a noteworthy wonderful performance as Panimalar. Other notable performances include Appukutty and Jagan as Maryan's friends in different geographies, and Vinayakan as the vile Theekurrisi (which I believe is a colloquial use of the name D'Cruz).

Marc Koninckx's camerawork provides interesting angles throughout the film. With an array of sea-related films on silver screens in the recent past touching on similar issues, notable ones being Neerparavai and Kadal, the film still fortunately manages to stay somewhat fresh, in its story and visuals. Vivek Harshan's editing keeps the film intact, but drops the intrigue at certain places. 

The film moves at a rather slow pace through its runtime, being both predictable and unpredictable at points. The first half moves in its merry, slow pace, while the dark second moves haphazard, until the end. The film, also has its "mass moments", of slow-motion walking, and beedi smoke which will delight Dhanush fans.

Music. With the Mozart of Madras on board, one can expect nothing lesser. The music and the background score gel with the film's screenplay, though the songs act as pace dampeners, and the visualization of some songs seem to induce a Kadal hangover. 

Bharatbala's rustic story, one of classic love, separation, pain and joy, seems to have fallen short on an awkward screenplay that tries to add layers to the film, while also making it commercial. Nevertheless, Maryan is worth a watch, and a satisfying watch - only if your expectations are extremely low.

Aditya Baskaran 

Old Is Gold.

Cinema legend K.Balachander remade Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Gol Maal into Thillu Mullu in 1981- a film, which is considered to be one of Tamil cinema's finest comedies, and was Superstar Rajinikanth's first full-length comedy, which took him to new heights.

And thus, it is natural to expect much out of its remake, starring Akila Ulaga Superstar (?) Shiva, Prakash Raj, Isha Talwar, and several others. It remains to be the same old story of a duffer who, in order to hang on to his job, makes his boss believe that he has a twin brother, how this one lie leads to a whole string of situations, while the film's screenplay has been altered to apparently suit modern times.

But unfortunately, Thillu Mullu ends up being highly disappointing, as the new treatment, with its new set of characters do not fail to entertain audiences in comparison to its original version. Shiva's usual style of comedy managed to tickle our funny bones earlier, but he seems to be getting stale over time. While hosting a variety of able performers (including the impressive debutante Isha Talwar), the only performance that manages to stand out, is that of veteran Prakash Raj, whose character Shivagurunathan is no match to Sri Ramachandramurthy, played by Thengai Srinivasan.

With a snail-like pace throughout its runtime, cameos manage to evoke a ripple of joy amidst the audiences, the most important being that of Comedy Superstar (!) Santhanam in the climax, but he too, seems to be overworked, with his performances turning more boring with every passing movie. Yuvan Shakar Raja - M.S.Vishwanathan's album is quite forgettable, and director Badri's attempt to revamp this classic has failed miserably (You cannot possibly handle a classic like this, sir, especially a thalaivar film).

Watch this film only, and only if you have nothing else to do. The patient ones can definitely catch this on Adithya TV in a few months. 

Aditya Baskaran

Welcome To The Planet.

What occurs when the most bankable director of today's cinema, who took caped-crusade superheroism to the next level, joins up with another reputed film-maker known for developing unusual comic series' into films, to bring back to screens one of the greatest superheroes ever created?

Colossal hype. And this is not your usual colossus, this is jumping-in-the-air, screaming-in-joy hype. And it was amidst this hype, that Man of Steel released, starring Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Russwel Crowe and several others, partly written by the Christopher Nolan, and directed by Zack Synder, the man who gave us 300, Watchmen, Sucker Punch and Dawn Of The Dead.

As Krypton nears destruction, General Zod, the commander of Krypton stages a coup to establish a new society based on archaic rules of discrimination, which is foiled by scientist Jor-El, who transports the planet's genetic codex through his newborn son, Kal-El to an undisclosed target planet. The film showcases Kal-El's journey as Clark Kent, a man confused between his alien and human identity, his transformation into Superman, and his stand to save Earth, when it faces danger from the General and his minions.

With the hype around it being mentioned, it is unfortunate that the film disappoints us. Moving at an extremely slow pace through its runtime, it is your usual superhero cliche, which offers nothing new. All of Synder's films have been visual spectacles, and this movie is no different. With superhero cinema reaching extremes, be it a vigilante facing human realities in The Dark Knight trilogy, or the fun, commercial superhero in the Iron Man trilogy, Man Of Steel fails to stand out and deliver beyond the ordinary, definitely not what you'd expect from the Nolan-Synder combo.

Nevertheless, Man Of Steel has your usual action-packed adrenaline pumping superhero thrills, and sets the stage for a probable sequel. Only for die-hard DC fanboys.

Aditya Baskaran

Growing Up, Yet Again.

Ayan Mukherji's debut film Wake Up Sid! was a refreshing coming-of-age film that found both critical and commercial success, and thrust Ranbir Kapoor into the limelight. Now, the combo returns with a larger package, loaded with glitz and glamour to give us Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, also starring Deepika Padukone, Kalki Koechlin, Aditya Roy Kapur and several others.

YJHD is yet another coming-of-age film which shows the rise to maturity of Bunny - a carefree youth, hell-bent on becoming a world-travelling camera technician, from the viewpoint of Naina Talwar, a nerdy young girl whose outlook towards life changes after a trip with Bunny and his friends. 

Lauding performances has turned into a cliche in my reviews, and this film is no exception. We've seen the cast of this film deliver enough worthy performances, (Aditya Roy Kapur is definitely more expressive here than his Aashiqui 2 promos) and thus this film rides gleefully on their shoulders. The show-stealer of the film is Deepika Padukone, who seems to be on a performance-high since Cocktail. Ranbir Kapoor, possibly the best amidst the young actors of today's Bollywood, delivers his role with ease, and it is this amazing chemistry between these two artistes that probably takes the film to a larger level. Farooq Sheikh and Tanvi Azmi as Bunny's father and step-mom, manage to touch hearts, even in their cameos.

The film showcases wonderful locations across the world, which have been brought on-screen very well, thanks to V.Manikandan's cinematography and Akiv Ali's editing. The film begins off on rocket pace, which starts to slow down towards the end of the first half, and remains so through the rest of the film. Pritam's album is a treat to both listen to and watch, and things go up a notch with Madhuri Dixit's special appearance in 'Ghagra'.

Ayan Mukherji seems to be fixed on a certain formula, as the film is in several ways, similar to his previous outing. While the movie offers us nothing new from what we've seen in the recent past, it does manage to keep us sitting through its two-and-a-half hour runtime, and puts a smile on our faces as we walk out. Definitely worth a watch.

Aditya Baskaran

Yaen Di Enna Konna?

Wunderbar Films' previous production was the over-hyped 3, which bombed at the box office, while delivering an extremely impressive, rage of a music album. With chart-topping music, and a bubbly star cast, the house delivers its second production Ethir Neechal, starring Sivakarthikeyan, Priya Anand, Satish, Nandhini and several others.

Ethir Neechal, is the story of Kunjithabaadham, a man haunted by his comical, ill-sounding name, which he decides to get rid of once in for all. Taking the new name of Harish, the protagonist goes on with newfound success in his life and love, till the ill-luck of his old name finds him again. Whether the hero manages to rise over his bad luck and succeed in his life forms the rest of the story.

While the concept of basing a film on a man's unlucky name might sound interesting, the film is probably not so. The pace of the film is extremely slow, with an array of songs smothering the screenplay in the first half, and is a complete drag towards the climax, especially with the emphatic use of slow motion. The film moves in haphazard ways, juggling various parts of the hero's life, until it fixes on a sudden track on which the film rides till the climax. 

Sivakarthikeyan, five films old, shows great promise, but still has a long way to go. Both Priya Anand and Nandhini have given decent performance. While the movie is touted to be a comedy, Satish-Siva's various attempts sadly do not evoke laughter amidst the audience. The cinematography and the editing are passable.

Anirudh Ravichander proves through this film, that he is no one-hit wonder. While the album is not as impressive as his previous one, (which contained the phenomenal Why This Kolaveri?) it is nevertheless hum-worthy. The solo peak period of the film, is the song Local Boys (Sathiyama Nee Enakku), which along with high-octane kuthu beats and corresponding choreography, has cameos by Dhanush, Nayanthara and Anirudh.

Sivakarthikeyan, who rose to success from the television screens to the silver screen, must choose his roles carefully, for none of his films are yet to make an impact in the box office, while Dhanush really needs to show some more care in investing his cash. Targeted towards the B and C centres, Ethir Neechal is a draggy movie that moves ahead pointlessly, to finally turn our good-for-nothing protagonist into the idol of determination, as usual. Even after bringing forth the concept of national athletics and certain sensitive issues involved in it, the film gives the audience nothing that is new to them. Worth a watch, if there's nothing else to do at all this holiday season.

Aditya Baskaran

The Future Is Here.

An interesting title, another talented short-film maker coming up to the big screen, and the success of Thirukumaran Entertainments' previous outings created great expectations for Soodhu Kavvum, starring Vijay Sethupathy, Sanchita Shetty, Simhaa, Yog Japee, MS Bhaskar, Karunakaran and several others.

Kesavan, Pagalavan and Shekhar, all faced with sudden joblessness, join forces with Das, a deluded kidnapper with a heart of gold. As their petty crime career works successfully, they are drawn into a mix-up of massive proportions following their decision to kidnap Arivupragasam, son of the honest and dignified Minister Gnyaanodhayam, who has sinister plans of his own. The series of events that unfold during and after this mix-up, and whether or not our heroes succeed in their ordeals forms the rest of the story.

Performances, as usual. Vijay Sethupathy, is riding on a high, managing to deliver success after success, as he fits into his role as the middle-aged Das to the bill. Simhaa, Ashok, RJ Ramesh, Karunakaran, Sanchitha, MS Bhaskar, Yog Japee, each and every artist do complete justice to their roles. Dinesh Krishnan's cinematography is commendable, and while Leo John Paul's editing is also worth appreciation, the film seems to feel a bit longer than its supposed 2-and-a-quarter hour runtime. Santhosh Narayanan, who has impressed audiences earlier, brings out yet another interesting album with his film, and his background score, though reminiscent of the Oceans series, and his own Attakathi, still takes the visuals to a whole new level.

This genre of cinema, "caper comedy", if it may be called so, has found great success through films like the Oceans' series, and several of Guy Ritchie's films: Snatch, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, RocknRolla to name a few. While very few attempts have been made in Tamil (the films I can recall closest to capers are Saroja, Va Quarter Cutting, and by a long, long limb, Kalakalppu @ Masala Cafe), Soodhu Kavvum is a fresh treatment to audiences, as it manages to entertain the audiences with its serious portrayal of comedy, and quick-paced twists. Nalan Kumaraswamy has succeeded in pulling off what seems like the most engaging entertainer in recent times. A refreshing storyline, with extremely interesting plots and characters, the movie has us in splits because of its extremely natural comedy, and keeps us glued to our seats till the very end.

Thirukumaran Entertainments', which has introduced a debutante director with every one of its production, while making good money, could probably also be bringing forth the directors, the brand-names, of tomorrow's Tamil Cinema.

Aditya Baskaran.

Oru Porambokku.

It was a dream debut for Pandiraj, as the 2009 sleeper hit Pasanga brought in both commercial success and critical acclaim - and the big bonanza, of 2 National Awards. While his last outing Marina did not bring in the moolah, the adverse title and bright star cast of Kedi Billa Killadi Ranga, livened expectations.

And we the people, have been miserably cheated.

KBKR, is the story of two inseperable friends - 'Theni' Kesavan, and 'Pattai' Murugan, who are your usual good-for-nothing loafers, who aim to become politicians in the near future. Their life, their love, and whether or not they succeed in their ambition, seems to be the apparent crux of this story.

Positives, yes. Able performers have been chosen to fit their roles, and both Sivakarthikeyan and "Parotta" Soori deserve credit for making the film lively through its runtime. Vijay's cinematography is commendable, and coupled with A.Siva's editing, the movie is laid out to a decent runtime. While Yuvan Shankar Raja's album is shockingly forgettable, his background score gels perfectly with the film. The heroines, Bindu Madhavi and Regina Cassandra, still have a long way to go.

At the end of the film, it would not be criminal to say that the effort of this very able cast and crew has been blind, due to a rather baseless storyline/screenplay. The movie, runs amok through its course, pointless throughout, only to end at what seems like an unexpectedly forced message. The pace of the movie is lethargic, though there are those rare bright spots of comedy that lighten us up a bit. It is tragic to see Pandiraj, the man who brought to screens the impressive Pasanga, fail to impress us yet again with KBKR.

Kedi Billa Killadi Ranga, is a haphazard-running film, which invokes a few laughs. Those impatient enough to catch it on Aditya TV, or some other channel in the recent future, can take this ordeal up.

Aditya Baskaran

Nyaayamaare!

Beings, with knowledge of both WWE and Tamil Cinema would agree with me, if I were to state that the title of 'Cerebral Assassin' suits director Bala better than Triple H. A man hailed for revolutionizing Tamil cinema, his films have always been a class apart. Speaking of characters the world has never seen of before, director Bala has managed to bring to screens an unknown piece of life with each and every film of his, be it the fate-cheated lover of Sethu, the lovesick son Nanda, the Aghori in Naan Kadavul, or the thief with a heart of gold in Avan Ivan. This vision of his, coupled with the negative promotion this film received owing to the rather misunderstood 'reality teaser', has boosted this film's hype to great heights.

Paradesi, a loose adaptation of Paul Harris Daniel's novel Red Tea, is the story of Rasa, a carefree, naive young man who is unknowingly sucked into the world of bonded labor, in order to marry his love, Angamma. The crux of the story, is the cruel conditions of these bonded labors in tea estates during the British Raj of the 1940s.

Performances have always been a high in Bala's films, and this film is no exception. Every artiste in this film, be it Atharvaa, Vedhicka, Dhanshika, have done justice to their adverse roles, and do deserve appreciation.The effort put into making this movie is tremendous, and the makers have succeeded in taking us back to the 40s. Nanjil Naadan's dialogues, are extremely interesting, and while the album is not legendary, GV Prakash's bgm sure does add life to the movie. The film's cinematography and editing, donned by Chezhiyan and Kishore TE respectively, are brilliant and have helped to portray the essence of the film with effect, while keeping its runtime at a short 2 hours. The art direction, by debutante CS Balachander is also exceptional and so is Poornima Ramaswamy's costume work.

But unfortunately, the film (yet again since Avan Ivan) fails to hit your head. The movie, moving at a steady pace, light in the beginning and getting heavier as it moves, ends almost bluntly. While the movie speaks of a dark message, it unfortunately does not leave you mind-raped like Bala's previous productions. This movie, while being worth a watch just for its audacity and amazing work, might probably not impress the usual Bala fan.

Aditya Baskaran  

The Wiz.

Kamal Hassan. One of the greatest actors ever, his contribution to cinema, especially the Tamil industry, is unparalleled. And thus, it was indeed disheartening and infuriating, to see his magnum opus, Viswaroopam go through an array of legal issues. But, it's finally here, with the whole state's eyes glued madly onto it.

Dr.Nirupama, a nuclear oncologist, shares a hollow marital life with her rather feminine 'husband' Vishwanathan, a Kathak teacher, and finds herself attracted to her boss, Deepak. Her life takes a complete whirlwind twist, when a chain of events unfold to bring to light facts - that Vishwanathan, is actually Wisam Ahmed Kashmiri, an agent of the Indian Army, who managed to train himself as an Al-Qaeda jihadi, who is a set on a mission to thwart the plans of his former comrades, led by Omar, funded by Deepak himself, to set off a nuclear bomb. Whether Wisam suceeds in his mission, or not, is what Viswaroopam is all about.

The very class of the film is something new to the Tamil screens, as it scores high on technicality. The visual treatment, the reality of the sets and locations, the vivid action, and the heart-grabbing screenplay have been brought to life through tremendous effort, which is definitely commendable. Performances are on a high, be it the confused Pooja Kumar, or the scarred jihadi Rahul Bose. The film has Kamal Hassan in it, so one can expect a higher level of discipline than usual. And he doesn't disappoint you. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have rendered scores that gel wonderfully with the movie. Mahesh Narayanan's editing works in beautiful sync with Sanu John Varghese's camera.

But where the film drops you, is its pace. With the movie rocketing forward from the beginning, things turn snail-pace in the middle, as audiences are put through a thorough experience of Wisam's jihadi life. But why the deep exploration? Why the long flashback? Why such unanswered questions?

All 'cause Mr.Hassan chose to build up one hell of a forefront for Viswaroopam 2.

Vishwarooopam, doesn't perhaps live up to its hype, but that was maybe because of a larger-than-life hype the past events chose to create. But, it is a movie worth a definite watch, and it will have people geared up and ready for its sequel.

Aditya Baskaran

Enga Nee Kootti Pora?

Debutantes hailing from cinema families. Arvind Swamy returning after 13 years. Arjun in a negative role. An amazing team of technicians. The grand brand name, Mani Ratnam. Colossal hype. That was the public emotion towards Kadal, starring Gautham Karthik, Thulasi Nair,as it hit screens last week.

Bergmans, vows to take revenge against goody-goody Sam who gets him 'thrown out' of his seminary, for his misbehaviour. Sam, who moves on with life, becomes the priest of a small fishing hamlet and takes up the young orphan Thomas, an outcast, under his wing. He meets Bergmans again in a twist of fate, and how the life of these three men get intertwined in a battle between light and dark, forms the rest of the story.

Arvind Swamy is back, and how. More than a decade since he appeared on screens, and the man has still not lost his touch, as he wows audiences with his performance. Paralleling him is Arjun, who delivers a power-packed performance as the sinister Bergmans. Gautham, and Thulasi have performed commendably enough in this dream debut of a film, but they still have a long way to go. One of the very few pluses in this film, is the cast, where each and every person fit their role to the optimum.

There are only a handful of composers who can be credited as magicians, rather than musicians, and definitely, by all means, A.R.Rahman is one of them. With a completely wonderful album, he takes the movie to a different level, by means of his background score. While the experimental treatment of 'Adiye' seemed a bit ridiculous, the songs have undergone a beautiful visual treatment. 

This is not a Mani Ratnam film. No, it does not have his class, it does not have his usual delivery. But this is Rajiv Menon's masterpiece. The cinematography in this film has been exemplary, and several interesting angles, and frames make it a complete delight for the viewers. 

The film, is snail-paced, a fact that could be attributed more to the slow screenplay than Sreekar Prasad's editing. The movie goes places, and puts the audience in a conundrum, as it does not portray a clear picture of the story. The dialogues, though interesting, sounds very alien, and adds to the confusion. While the movie is worth a watch, it is sadly, a disappointment from the legendary Mani Ratnam.

Aditya Baskaran

Power dhaan da.

In 2011, Tamil Cinema found an actor who set a standard for himself, by vehemently creating a satirical image for himself that the very effort he put in for it brought him a 'tremendous' fanfare. And thus, expectations are/were high as self-titled 'Power Star' Srinivasan teamed up with the man reigning over the Tamil comedy scene, Santhanam to bring out Kanna Laddu Thinna Aasayaa, starring Vishakha Singh, Sethu, VTV Ganesh and several others.

KLTA is a modern adaptation of K.Bhagyaraj's 1981 Indru Poi Naalai Vaa. Three friends fall for the same woman, and it leads them to follow the formula 'Every man for himself'. Who succeeds in the comic battle for love forms the rest of the story.

Comedy is the word. Santhanam, who has both produced and scripted this film, carries it on his shoulders, and overshadows newcomer Sethu and the Power Star. Sethu, has a long, long way to go in the industry. Vishakha, whose last Tamil release was the forgettable Pidichirukku five Pongals back, manages to impress the audience with her acting. VTV Ganesh, Kovai Sarala, Devadarshini and Sivashankar Master all add to the comedy quotient in their supporting role.

It is relieving to know that the Power Star has finally found his place as a comedian in the industry. His ability to make anything look and sound funny, and the way that he has carried his character through the film - one highly inspired by his real-life personality (and playfully also made fun of in the film, at a large scale) deserves appreciation.

M.Rajesh's opening voiceover comes as a warm surprise to everyone, and the movie, in itself, reminds you a lot of his style of film-making and screenplay : A movie that doesn't carry much of a story, and is totally dependent on the fun factor, complete with the use of old Tamil songs to support the comic sense of the scene. STR, in his cameo, plays an important role in film. The editing and camerawork are neat, and S.Thaman's work in this film is just apt.

So. This film is, the family entertainer for this Pongal. But unfortunately, this movie doesn't live up to the hype it created. Though a rib-tickler, it is not exactly the Santhanam-class that has left the viewers in splits. But what will make you watch this film, is one man - Power Star Srinivasan, for the weird form of grotesque entertainment this man provides, is simply not available in any other regional film industry anywhere. Anywhere.

Aditya Baskaran

Not Again.

The amount of promotion this movie got, made people look up to its release, as Alex Pandian hits screens this Pongal, starring Karthi, Anushka, Santhanam, Milind Soman and several others.

So, what's new about this film? Absolutely nothing. The film opens with a hurt heroine being chased by a gazillion gundas, and the hero, as usual beating all of them up, but this time - on top of a moving train. Next, the comedian walks into his place to find the hero as his sudden "guest", and what continues is a whole half of pointless attempts at comedy and violence until the heroine makes an appearance again at the interval, after which it is revealed that Alex Pandian is a small-time crook who had kidnapped the heroine for the villains, and now after a change of heart, was opposing them. How he got to her, and whether he succeeds in saving her is what the movie is all about.

The movie has a tiring number of villains - 5, to be precise. The movie's pace is lethargic - the first half is filled with Karthi and Santhanam, who though share a wonderful chemistry, do not keep us engaged. Suraaj, known for the comedy quotient in his film, saw a decline with Mappilai, which has continued into this film as well. The second half, finally brings about the crux of the story, and the beating up of another million gundas and the villains.The haphazard and almost ridiculous placement of songs worsen the movie's pace. The acting department, though upto mark, sees a wide number of good artistes wasted on minor roles. Santhanam, who is now Kollywood's most-wanted USP, livens this movie up a bit, but even his performance, sadly, is not all wonderful. The cinematography, by Saravanan, brings to us some interesting angles. Music, nothing fresh.

Suraaj, who brings to screens, masala-action films, which though completely illogical, tend to keep audiences entertained, struck gold with Thalai Nagaram and Marudhamalai. Things began to dampen from Padikkadhavan, and Alex Pandian has turned out to be a disappointment as well. Tamil cinema has seen a thousand such films, and while some have managed to make it big at the box office, a slow, mediocre screenplay has let this film down.

This movie is only for die-hard fans of Karthi, and those masala-movie buffs.

Aditya Baskaran