Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya (VTV), Gowtham Menon's next after the widely acclaimed Vaaram Aayiram promises a peppy love story right from the early promos.
As the trailer of the movie unfolds in the first few minutes, you wonder what else the movie's got to offer!
And you're taken in by surprise by a screenplay that keeps you guessing even in the backdrop of a regular boy-meets-girl kind of love story!
Karthik (Simbu) is passionate about films and is considering joining the film world as
an assistant director. Enters Jesse (Trisha) who (predictably!) breaks his heart and he goes all out to woo her.
She stays away from him, knowing very well that her Christian family would never approve of the Hindu groom, while harbouring a secret liking for him. The pair inevitably confess their liking for each other, setting up a see-saw of emotions between them.
In its backdrop, VTV is a plain old love story that could belong to any yesteryears cinema timeframe.
What gives it the unique flavour is its insistence on staying away from the cliches of the genre and presenting the lead charaters in the most practical way!
In this sense, the movie is very much contemporary, signifying the attitudes and emotional complexities faced by modern day youth.
There's humor in the form of Simbu's cinematographer-friend, who takes special interest in Simbu's love pursuit. The scene where the pair lands up in Kerala and goes hunting for Trisha is hilarious!
The visuals are eye catching, with the cinematographer Manoj Paramahamsa making maximum use of Kerala's natural beauty.
AR Rahman's music just sizzles on screen! I felt the impact much more watching it with the
picturization and in the backdrop of the storyline. It's great that none of the songs is inserted just for the sake of it- something that most Tamil films, even hit ones can't boast of!
The climax is something to watch out for! You'll have more fun if you don't read or hear about
the sequence of events and just watch the movie as it happens!
The Cast:
On paper, Simbu looks to be the last guy that one would choose for the role!
But he's given a controlled & mature performance without his usual Build-up song, finger wagging and senseless one-liners.
Trisha steals the show with her girl next door looks, especially appearing in Saris throughout the movie!
Her performance is commendable for being restrained, yet bringing out every bit of the complexities of her character!
The malayalam cast who make up Trisha's family are authentic in their portrayal.
Kitti as Simbu's father delivers as expected.
Unexpected great performance from Ganesh(one of the producers it seems), who appears as Simbu's Cinematographer friend and accompanies him throught the movie! His cheeky oneliners act as tension breaker in
The fact that such a thin storyline has been made into an engaging fare for the audience talks
about Gautham Menon's screenplay!
The unpredictability at every point in the screenplay proves to be biggest factor in keeping
the audience engaged throughout the ride! You never know which direction the movie's going to swing, unless of course you've read about it!
VTV adds to the growing list of Tamil films like Subramanyapuram, Nadodigal, Anjadhae that retain a familiar feel for mainstream audiences and yet dare to be different!
Hope more movies continue this trend of a blend of Commercial cum realistic cinema in 2010!
Monday, March 1, 2010
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