Maayavan and velaikaran review

Maayavan – Sci-Fi movies in tamil is a rarity and that too one with good script/screenplay is even more of a rare case. A sci-fi movie in tamil with a good script/screenplay and solid performances is probably the rarest of rare cases. The last such movie was “Indru netru naalai” which was impressive right from the title. “Maayavan” is from the stables of the same house with the story department helmed by the producer himself. C.V Kumar and Thirukumaran entertainment have become synonymous with good movies with excellent storyline. He doesn’t disappoint in his maiden venture as a director as well. The storyline is pretty original (with no Korean/foreign movie yet to be identified from where it was lifted) with a police official investigating a series of murders following similar pattern. Right from the opening scene the story picks up tempo and it continues till the end with no lag anywhere. There are lot of activities happening within the first fifteen minutes of the movie that are neatly streamlined into the bigger picture. The way immortality is explained and the ease with which its implemented may be too much for science buffs but I am pretty sure it would hit bulls eye with those who does have penchant to follow such movies without the science portions becoming overdose. Sudeep, who plays the hero/inspector, has done a fairly neat job. The romantic portions involving the heroine, who plays a shrink, are neatly embedded into the storyline without compromising on the seriousness of the plot. There is hardly any comic portion but that doesn’t feel needed at all. The gruesomeness of the murders are somewhat diluted in the ingenuity of the motive and the killer. The end twist was more of a given considering the opening scene.

Gils verdict- Very rarely you get to enjoy a movie which not just thrills but also feels original. Maayavan is a member of that rare breed. May the tribe of CV kumar grow and prosper.


Velaikkaran – After Remo, I didn’t really had high hopes on Siva for he had tasted success with his tried and tested formula of portraying wastrels on screen, wooing heroines, buoyed with foot tapping numbers by Anirudh and with his penchant for punchy comedies. With Velaikkaran, he breaks all those comfort zones around him and sets himself up for the next level of stardom. Any Kollywood superstar, worth his salt, would’ve done few themes mandatorily on their way up in their career. By default, they should’ve played a lady character, a dyed in blood commie up against the evil capitalist management, an all-powerful cop, son of the soil village character and ultra hep city bred modern youth. Siva had ticked all these and with velaikaran fulfills the lot as commie comrade. It’s been a long while since factory, workers themed movies made way in tamil as against the halcyon days of vijaykanth and Rajini. Probably it helps to bring novelty to the story on screen. One thing that strikes you right away from the first scene is the volume of dialogue. Not the sound but the reams and reams and reams of lines written for the characters with Siva and Fasil (villain) shouldering the bulk of the lot. It’s not conversation but literal seminar like speeches that happen every alternate minute and is really straining. Probably the director could’ve used the visual medium of cinema a bit more and toned down on explaining everything?

Kuppam FM is as catchy as it sounds and those scenes with Robo Shankar where Siva gives running commentary on gang fight are a hoot. Considering the serious tone of the story, the director goes very strict into preaching mode after every possible emotional scene, be it funny or sentimental. Is it just me or Fasil reminds of “Thani oruvan” not just in looks but also in his voice modulation (or whoever dubbed for him). In the pretext of showing the evils of capitalism and greed the director has trashed marketing as a concept and sales rep’s as a career choice. The latter at least has some poignant scenes for justification, but the supermarket scene felt a bit over the top for it didn’t sound wrong, but just another marketing gimmick. If that’s the case, every toiletry that uses “new” as the keyword to renew itself should be booked. The second half is all too easy for the hero to establish is success while the first half is way too digressive to bring home the point. With so much of running time dedicated for dialogues, the portions of Sneha and Vijay Vasanth alongside possibly lot more comic portions involving RJ Balaji Satish and co have been mercilessly chopped down I guess. To prove the carcinogenic nature of the food items, the way Sneha does a big boss on herself is pretty unique. Any more detailing on the packaged food, the food industry would’ve been up in arms against the movie. Anirudh reserves his best for Siva and the final song is pretty uplifting and ensures the viewers leave the movie with an upbeat feel.

Gils verdict – considering “Sakka podu podu raja” by Santhanam, who is often spoken as Siva’s competitor, as both are from similar backgrounds, this movie is leaps and bounds better than any other contemporary fare and cements Siva’s position in the league of bankable stars.  One more blockbuster would make him minimum guarantee star for sure.