|
Cast:
| Vikram |
Sneha |
Nasser |
Santhana
Bharathy |
| Vadivelu |
Sumitra |
Janakraj |
Director:
A.X. Solomon |
 Told by the family doctor that his father's days are numbered, Raja who shared a deep bonding with his father, decides to make his remaining days memorable ones. He persuades his father Shanmugham to take a trip to their native village and reconcile the differences with his grandpa. Shanmugham had married against the family's wishes, and had gone to Hong Kong where he had made it big. Now the duo return to India, but the old
patriarch refuses to let bygones be bygones. How Raja patches up the differences, and the surprise that is in store for him forms the rest of the story.
 The Hong Kong scenes are shot well, bringing out the deep bonding between father and son. So are the scenes of the bonding between son-father-grandpa brought out very subtly and naturally without any recourse to melodrama. The performances of the three actors too contribute to the realistic feel of the scenes. From Vikram it is another creditable performance, the actor bringing out convincingly the agony of a youth who has to put on a brave front waiting for his father's impending death. Nasser is dignified, while Janakraj as the grandpa proves that he is one of the few comedians who can carry a serious role with
élan. It is one film where one can enjoy some of Vadivelu's comic capers. Sneha is proving herself to be one of those actresses who can carry any role with ease, her expressions natural and spontaneous.
 Dhina's songs bring back a sense of nostalgia, for they remind you of the old, popular Hindi hits. Particularly his first song ('Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana... inspired), and his theme tune. The second half tends to lag a little. Like the director was stretching time, forcing in song-dance numbers, till he found a solution to the problem. At the end of the first half, the director does a complete volte face, and shifts the sympathy from father to son. When we're informed that it is not the father, but it is Raja whose days are numbered. Wasn't it a bit callous and insensitive on the part of both the father and the doctor to mislead him into thinking that his father was dying, and to make those last two months of Raja's life miserable, as he waits for his father's so-called end?
Wasn't it Raja who needed all the pepping up? Strange logic the director has used here!
Like his earlier film "Kannodu Kaanbathellam' the director takes a different subject here too, which despite its flaws has turned out to be a fairly engaging, clean family entertainer.
Photo
Gallery
Malini Mannath
published on 15th September
2002
|
|
