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