Kaaki Sattai Movie Review - Siva delivers , but the cop story lacks punch !!!

Kaaki Sattai Review:

Cast : Siva Karthikeyan,Sri Divya,Prabhu,Vijay Raaz.
Music : Anirudh
Direction : Durai Senthilkumar.

Coming from the successful combo of Durai Senthilkumar-Sivakarthikeyan-Dhanush which made the entertaining Ethir neechal, Kaaki Sattai had a lot riding on it, especially due to the cold reception given by critics to Siva's previous one Maan karate. Besides, the movie bears the name of the 1985 Kamal Hassan superhit. So what's Kaaki Sattai all about ?? Let's see. 

Plot and Performances: 

Crime branch constable Mathimaran is a wannabe supercop,who aspires to serve the society with the cop-job.Only that the people above don't let him to be a real cop.But circumstances force Mathimaran to deal with a deadly red market(organ trade) racket, and the high profile VIPs behind.Does Mathimaran hunt down the criminals and eliminate the organ trade racket,and whether his career reaches the high that he dreams for is what Kaaki Sattai is all about.

It's a Siva karthikeyan show again(as it is the norm with every other movie of him!!),but for once, we get to see a different Siva for most part. As the sincere policeman he displays the right amount of anger and fire(the interval block action sequence is a stunner from Siva, and is a far better attempt compared to the climax action sequence of Maan karate,where Siva totally looked out of place).

Sivakarthikeyan tries to do a vijay be it in his body language or mannerisms or energetic dances,and hopefully he takes care of that and avoids that in his next movie,for,we like to see the original siva,whose stronghold is the comic sense,and not this siva who tries to ape some one else.

Comedy is Siva's forte, and in all his previous movies, he has taken complete care of that angle with an able company(Soori/Sathish).Surprisingly, except for few sequences in the first half's beaten to death romance track,and a particular block in the second half(with the now famous "Hara hara Maha devaki" - the theater erupts in laughter for this one!!) the comedy is totally left to Imman annachi, and he tries hard to evoke laughs, only in vain as most of the lines fall flat. Sri Divya, is a pretty doll,and is made to romance Siva,and give him company,and Kaaki Sattai doesn't provide any platform for her acting prowess.Besides, her make up could have been definitely toned down much( that heavy coating of lipstick throughout the runtime just spoils!!).Prabhu in an extended supporting role as the senior cop who helps Siva gets to play another cliched character that doesn't quiet exploit the veteran's skills. Vijay Raaz as the principal antagonist fails to make an impact,and Durai senthilkumar ought to have designed the character in a really menacing way rather than this stereotypical characterization. Talented actors like Yog Jaypee,Nagineedu,and Kalpana are wasted in poor characters. 

Technical Departments and Direction : 

Cinematography by Sukumar is impressive , as he makes every song visually appealing(Kadhal Kan kattudhe and Iam so cool in particular), and the stunt sequences are captured very well. Anirudh's BGM appeals more than songs(most of them falling flat except for Kadhal Kan Kattudhe - thanks to the splendid visuals,and the other songs get a notice for the ever-improving dancing skills of Siva),and it gives the much needed mass impact in several sequences and action blocks(the interval block,deserves mention, for elevating Siva's projection as a mass hero).Noor's editing could have been better, as the movie requires trimming, to pep up the otherwise dull proceedings in the first half. 

Durai Senthilkumar, who mixed athletes and the fraudulent practices in gender tests into the story of a man who hates his name in Ethir neechal, has chosen the story of an aspiring supercop who eliminates an Organ trade racket.This time round, he has let go of the strong point in his previous movie - the sense of humor which was appealing and was intertwined with the plot. Kaaki Sattai is serious for most part, and that becomes a negative as well, as this Shirt is worn by someone who's known and liked for his comic sense.But Siva's sincere efforts considered, Durai should have delivered a convincing screenplay,and that's where he has letdown Siva big time. The first half moves at a leisurely pace,with pointless conversations between Siva and Imman which were intended to be humorous, and that romance track which is neither humorous nor sustains interest.However the 20 minutes before the interval, moves at a rapid pace, and keeps the viewer engaged ,expecting a pacy action packed second half. But with the revelation of the real villain and the end of Yog jaypee's character,the second half takes the cliched route, and becomes much predictable. The Hero-villain chase game should have been interesting, but that's dealt with in an amateurish way,involving Manobala( the whole track looks forced, trying to evoke laughs, and could have gone worse,if not for Siva's Hara Hara mimicking). Durai totally ignores logic in the unsatisfactory climax sequence, as he just aims to end the drag.Constable Mathimaran,at one instance ,looks damn serious, speaking the values a policeman must possess, and the very next moment is seen trying to act funny- and that exactly is Kaaki Sattai. The movie tries to be a tribute to cops and be funny as well, but ends up neither here nor there. 

What works : Siva, the occasional humor,Interval block. 

What fails : Songs placement, the dragging first half, uninteresting hero-villain clash.

VERDICT : Siva delivers, but the cop story lacks punch. 5.5/10

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Badlapur Movie Review - A Gripping Tale with A Subtle Message

Movie: Badlapur
Language: Hindi
Running Time: 132 Minutes
CBFC Rating: A
Cast: Varun Dhawan, Naazzudin Siddique, Huma Qureshi, Yami Gautam, Vinay Pathak and Radhika Apte

Expectations:
Badlapur comes from director Sridhar Raghavan three years after the debacle called 'Agent Vinod'. And it has 'Varun Dhawan' in the lead, someone touted to be the next 'bhai' in town, rather than anything else. There are also comparisons to the 'Ek Villain' storyline, which had released last year. Unfortunately, the irony of it all is that 'Ek Villain' was an outright Indianized version of  the cult Korean movie 'I saw the Devil' and 'Badlapur' is a pretty original attempt, as far as this reviewer could see. Either way, the expectations for the movie was muted and the only thing that was being hyped about the movie was Atif Aslam's Jeena Jeena. Which was sad, because this movie is so much more.

Plot:
Raghav (Varun Dhawan) works at an ad-agency in Pune and is happily married to Misha (Yami Gautam) with a son. When a bank robbery by Liak (Nawazuddin Siddique) and Harmaan (Vinay Pathak) goes wrong, Misha and her son are caught in between as collateral damage and are left for dead. Liak lets his friend escape with a money promising to return soon, but gets caught by the police. With his world shattered, Raghav has only one goal in mind: revenge, and he would go any lengths to get his revenge. Liak, who realizes that Raghav would not let him live in peace decides it's enough being bad and tries to turn around his life for the better. Ultimately, what happens to both of them forms the rest of this intriguing plot.

Performances:
You can go to the movie doubting the acting prowess of Varun Dhawan. That is a good thing, because he will prove you wrong. In his small career of three movies, young Dhawan was the typical masala hero who can woo any girl and fight any villain. But not here. Badlapur is to Varun Dhawan what Haider was to Shahid Kapoor. Both as the loving husband and the shattered alcoholic, he shows that he can emote and even match the other veterans that he shares the screen space with. The transformation from a likeable, sweet husband to a brutal, unflinching murderer has been essayed perfectly and it will remain one of Varun Dhawan's best performances for some time to come.

The show-stealer, as expected is Nawazuddin Siddique. As Laik, the bank-robber who wants to make it big, he is the bad-guy you hate at first, but someone who grows on you and earns your sympathy as the tale unfolds. He is fragile, he makes some stupid mistakes (one grave one as well), he loves his mom and his Jhimli (Huma Qureshi) and he is almost likeable. Siddique had deftly underplayed a role which could have so easily become a typical anti-hero role. He is flawed, no doubt, but you tend to like him because you can relate to his flaws, so you kind of hope that Raghav does not kill him.

The other strong pillars of this movie are the leading ladies. Everyone's character has been carefully etched and they remain true to their roles. Yami Gautam's is actually a brief cameo. There are barely four scenes of her throughout and it could have dampened the pace if not for Yami's charming screen presence. But which Tamil girl is named 'Misha', Mr. Sridhar? Radhika Apte as Koko, who does not mind sleeping with a guy to save her husband and Huma Qureshi as Jhimli, the prostitute and love interest of Laik, essay bold roles and deserve special applause for doing what Indian leading ladies would consider 'offbeat' to do. In between all this, Divya Dutta holds her own as Shoba, an activist for prisoners' welfare.

In between all that, did I mention that Vinay Pathak as Harmaan, displays some brilliant histronics and effective underplay as the confused partner of Laik? That is like some dream cast and I haven't mentioned the greedy pot-bellied police officer and the protagonist's mom who wants to shop 'idli-dosa batter' for their south Indian in laws. Truly, the biggest plus of this movie is the detailing of each character, even the minute ones.

Where it does lack though is a seemingly swift shift from the present time to 15 years later where there isn't much of a change in appearance for any character. The jump in time is a little jarring and too convenient to push the story, but not convincing enough.

Technical Departments:
Music by Sachin-Jigar is apt and up the tempo of some scenes, especially the opening scene where you are biting your nails on the edge of your seat and cinematography by Anil Mehta is good especially because it's realistic and does not try anything too fancy. There's no unnecessary top-angle, bottom-angle, wide-angle shots to just show that the cinematographer to display his complete resume in this movie. That is refreshing, for a change!

Direction by Sridhar Raghavan gives this movie an edgy, dark mood as in Ek Hasina Thi and Jhonny Gaddar and nothing seems to be predictable. That is good because, there seems to be no pre-planned plot, just characters driving the story to an end. What a comeback this has been for him!

Positives:
Exemplary performances by a stellar cast, detailed characterization and the transformation of good to bad and vice versa are well documented.

Negatives:
The time-lapse of 15 years all of a sudden is jarring. The ending gets a bit preachy and was not exactly necessitated. It was obvious what was happening and I had found myself enjoying how unstated and beautiful the transformation of characters were and Raghavan spoils it in the end, where he makes Jhimli preach Raghav the virtues of non-violence. Oh, please!

Verdict:
Despite minor flaws, this is an enjoyable offering and a welcome return to form for Sridhar Raghavan.

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Thamizhukku En Ondrai Azhuthavum - Interesting premise but patchy execution!

Thamizhukku En Ondrai Azhuthavum

Cast : Nakul, Dinesh,Sathish, Urvasi,Bindhu Madhavi, Aishwarya Dutta.

Music : S.S.Thaman 

Direction : Ramprakash Rayappa.

Coming from Debutante Ramprakash Rayappa, Thamizhukku en Ondrai Azhuthavum falls in the hyperlink cinema category (Vaanam, Chennaiyil Oru naal.etc). The lead actors Nakul and Dinesh are desperate to earn a hit, after the previous releases(Vallinam and Thirudan police respectively) bit the dust despite critics favoring them.So what's TEOA about? Let's see.

Plot:  The movie is based on the geo-magentic storm , and its after effects on mobile users in Chennai, linking 4 different characters - Mugil, a real estate promoter(Dinesh), Vasanth ( A tech wizard from Otteri),a cab driver (Sathish) and a terrorist plotting a bomb blast(Asif) in Chennai.How Vasanth plays a pivotal role in overcoming the effects of the geo-magentic storm, in the process helping Mugil getting his girl,besides saving lots of lives is what TEOA is all about.

Performances:

Nakul after a pretty decent performance in Vallinam, once again comes up with a neat performance as the unrecognized brainy techie Vasanth, who can provide a quick solution for things(He has improved much on his voice and body language, which helps him create the impact).

Dinesh still is in his Attakathi hangover, however gets through as the character does not demand a great performance from him. It's high time he makes a note of his dialogue delivery and performances,which is getting monotonous.After that awesome act in Cuckoo, Dinesh is now facing the danger of getting typecast in Attakathi type roles.

Sathish,after his not so funny acts in recent movies he featured (Kathhi, Aambala),tries to tickle the funny bone here too, and partly succeeds with his oneliners and counters. The best character artist in the movie is Urvasi, as the mother of Nakul, she impresses with her comic acts and dialogues with the right mix of tech and satire (ECE easy aa padichudureenga....practical thaan onnum theriya maatenguthu).The heroines do not have anything to do in TEOA, as they are reduced to mere set properties. Bindhu Madhavi looks like a doll, and that's it.

Technical departments:

Thaman's BGM doesn't quite create the impact needed for this social thriller genre taking place in a day.There are 2 songs in TEOA,and they do not deserve any mention.Deepak Kumar padhy's cinematography is apt. Editing by Sabu is taut, and at a crisp 2 hrs and 21 minutes, TEOA doesn't test the patience of the viewers.

Direction:

Debutante director Ramprakash Rayappa has come up with an interesting premise, with lot of technical concepts involved, and he fairly succeeds with his story telling abilities. The way he uses Nakul's character to interlink every other character and impact their lives,and making the intended funny character of Sathish as the fulcrum (besides, the mobile thief role helps the screenplay perfectly) deserves a pat.

The characterisations are quirky and interesting, but Ramprakash, could have come up with some more interesting sequences rather than just making Vasanth speak technical things throughout the movie (the second half has him speaking terms like BSC, TRX and all that for most part, which may not sustain every viewer's interest), as it may not cater to all sections of the audience.The romance between Dinesh and Bindhu Madhavi could have  been more lively, and the whole track looks forced just to make sure there's this subplot too in the movie.Otherwise, Ramprakash could have done away with just 2 roles, with Dinesh taking up Sathish's role. Nevertheless, TEOA is a decent,engaging entertainer, that won't let you down.

What works:

The concept and the characters.

What doesn't:

Lack of interesting sequences,a flat climax.

VERDICT: Interesting backdrop and characters make this one worth a watch.

6.5/10

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Anegan Movie Review - Dhanush Hits the Bull's Eye Again!

Anegan

Cast: Dhanush,Karthik,Amyra Dastur,Ashish Vidyarthi.

Direction : K.V.Anand

Music: Harris Jayaraj.

Cinematography: Om Prakash.

Anegan comes from the fresh combo of Dhanush - K.V.Anand ,and has released with decent expectations after the former's 2014 blockbuster Velayilla Pattadhari, and the latter's dud Maatrraan. From the promos and the trailers, one could tell that Anegan is a fantasy love story that transcends time. Let's see what Anegan is all about.

Plot:

Madhu (Amyra) has consistent visions of her previous births, and gets to know the love story she had in her previous births. Justifying her visions, she also gets to meet Ashwin (Dhanush), her lover in her previous births. During her attempt to prove Ashwin about their bond that transcends across different timelines, she gets to know some shocking truths, and the evil surrounding her. Now it's up to Ashwin to realise who he was once, demolish the evil around Madhu, and unite with his love in this avatar. Whether he does so forms the rest of the plot.

Performances:

This is one movie where Dhanush's craze with the Gen Y audience is utilized more than his excellent acting abilities. Anegan is a cakewalk for Dhanush, and he excels in all the roles with consummate ease. Performance wise, he shines as the Vyasarpadi tough guy with a heart of gold, Kali, and the simple, innocent Burmese boy, Murugappa, lost in love. More than the techie Ashwin and the prince Ilamaran (the character appears only in Roja Kadale number and the climax), these two characters get a scope to emote, and are close to the audience. 

However, the scene stealer in this movie is Karthik, and this is his real comeback movie (he looked tired and underutilized in movies like Ravanan and Maanja Velu). As the suave and stylish techie boss Ravi Kiran - a mastermind with his own plans, and eyes set on a target for years - the navarasa nayagan is back!

The good looking Amyra Dastur, tries hard to emote, mouth Tamil lines, and though her lip sync is a matter of concern, the plot completely revolves around her, and she does a fair job.The rest of the artistes including Aishwarya Deven, Ashish Vidyarthi, Mukesh Rishi,and Jagan do not get much scope in the racy screenplay.

Direction:

K.V.Anand, makes a perfect comeback, with this rebirth-love fantasy action movie, after the disastrous Maatrraan. He has made use of Dhanush's thirst to experiment with different genres, and complements that with a pacy screenplay, sans major drags. He completely keeps the viewer engaged throughout, and makes the viewer think "What next?". The movie would have easily gone the Maatrrran way, had Ashwin started to explore on the thought stimulating drug and its effects on employees of Tentacles corp. But the way Karthik's character is designed,Dhanush's Kali-Murugappa act, the twists, the pacy screenplay, and the way K.V.Anand - Subha combo untie the knots in the plot and unravel the mystery in the second half sustains the audience interest, and take Anegan to the winning post.

Technical Departments:

Of the songs by Harris Jayaraj, Dangamaari tops, followed by Roja kadale and Aathaadi which are humworthy.The rest of the songs do not deserve mention, and actually hamper the pace of the movie. Om Prakash's cinematography captures the exotic Burmese locales, as well as the high-tech tentacles office.The Burma sequences carry splendid visuals ,and the fights are shot perfectly.

What Works:

A reasonably taut script with a fresh narration, good performance from the lead actors and excellent dialogues.

What Doesn't:

A few songs (YOLO in particular) which hamper the pace of the movie, and a few logical loopholes (like Aishwarya Deven's character doesn't have any huge impact other than Burmese part, and her character's mysterious end goes unexplained).

Verdict: You won't regret the time-travel journey with this Dangamari !!

8/10

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Valentines Day Special - Best Soup Songs for Single Soup Boys

So, Valentine's Day is around the corner and you are still the Single Soup Boy in your gang, bored and alone. While there is an India-Pakistan match on Feb 15, you still have to get through an excruciating Feb 14, where all your other friends are posting couple pics all over your wall. Well, if it will make you feel any better, you are not alone.

Here, we have compiled some pathos songs to, well, match your mood. We have included all varities of Pathos from melodious to Kuthu. :D Here's our top 12, in no particular order. Have fun!

1. Kaadhal En Kaadhal - Mayakkam Enna

Sung by Dhanush and Selvaraagavan, this song was an instant hit among the masses mainly for it's pedestrian lyrics (yes, thats a fad these days :P) and surreal picturization. Dhanush brings this song alive like nobody else could have with his trademark expressions. Go watch, now and bring out the Dhanush in you!

2. Evano Oruvan - Alaipaayuthe

The rendering of this song by the late singer Swarnalatha is so beautiful that this song haunted me for days after I first listened to it. This came at a time when Rahman was at the peak of his powers, whatever he touched was turning into gold. Be it the choice of singer or the song picturization or the deft handling of percussion, everything is near perfect in this beauty of a song.

3. Poongatrile Un Swaasathai - Uyire

Any Tamil Pathos list would be incomplete without this heart-rending score from A.R. Rahman for Uyire. It is not uncommon for people to listen to this song and realize they have shed tears at the end. How can you pin point the greatness of this song: the beautiful lyrics of Vairamuthu compete with the stirring music of Rahman and the soulful voices of Unni Menon and Swarnalatha makes this song an evergreen hit. Watch and feel the pain of love.

4. Po Nee Po - Moonu (3)

Speaking of the 'Pain of Love', there's an instant hit from the young music sensation, Anirudh Ravichander, that comes to mind: Po Nee Po sung by Mohit Chauhan. In his very debut film, Anirudh had a dream debut his 'Why This Kolaveri' becoming a viral hit all around the world. But for us, it is this song, that is even better than WTK, which finds a place in this list. One more from Dhanush - is he the mascot of Tamil Pathos or what?

5. Kaadhal Vandhaal Solli Anupu - Iyarkai

More than Vidhyasaagar's music - its brilliant - or the beautiful picturization or some effective performance by Shaam and Kutti Radhika, what makes this song a great Pathos hit is the terrifc lyrics. Sample this: The protagonist, who is a worker in a ship, at his angst over his unrequited love sings, 'En kanner vazhiye, uyirum veliye, karaiyil karaindhu irukiren' (Through my tears, my my soul leaves and dissolves at the sea shore). Take a bow, Vairamuthu ji.

6. Ava Enna Enna Thedi Vandha Anjala - Vaaranam Aayiram

So, to all you Surya fans out there, we haven't missed out on this song. Well, even if you are not one, some beautiful picturization, peppy music and the unique voice of Karthik (we can make a list of Karthik's Pathos and that would be quite a huge list as well), makes this song a watch-worthy one. One more terrific hit to the list of Gautham Menon - Harris - Thamarai combo.

7. Sakkarai Nilave - Youth

This is trademark Vijay style pathos with casual shirts and wise musings. Sakkarai Nilave stands out mainly for the voice of Harish Raghavendra and the straight-out-of-heart and simple lyrics and makes this song a fondly remembered one for all the 'youth' of the 2000s.

8. Kaadhal Valarthen - Manmadhan

When Yuvan was at his creative best, Kaadhal Valarthen was one of his masterpieces. The song is almost 7 minutes long, but when it ends, you are left wanting for more. The selection of KK to render the song was the stroke of a genius: it was a voice not heard before and the beat was catchy: and the craze for the song spread like a wildfire among audience. Although this is not a love-failure song, it is almost equivalent to one, given the story-arc and the feel rendered by KK. The girl accepts his love, but there is no happiness in this song: it is just a heart-wrenching display of how mad the guy has fallen in love with the girl and finally that the girl has said 'yes', he sings this song and vents all his heart-felt feelings.

9. Kaadhal Rojave - Roja

How can a list of Pathos - not just Tamil, but even Indian - be complete without the inclusion of Kaadhal Rojave (Roja Jaaneman in Hindi). As the song begins, when that now infamous humming of Sujatha comes, you are lost for words, which is then followed by the magnetic voice of S.P.B that tugs at your heartstrings. Just when the lyrics are over, you think that there will be some respite, but the genius that he is, Rahman ensures that thee will be none with his beats. People finally understood how effective Stereo can be with this song. And they still haven't stopped listening.

10. Unna Nenachen - Aboorva Sagodharargal

The maestro, Ilayaraja, has composed numerous pathos numbers, but the one that stands the test of time is 'Unna Nenachen' from Aboorva Sagodharargal. Unrequited love is always painful, but when it is portrayed by the genius of Kamal Hassan on screen against a touching song like this, it takes the feel to totally another level. Great lyrics and picturization are added plusses.

11. Enge Enadhu Kavidhai - Kandukonden Kandukonden

It would be impossible to classify which song of singer Chitra is her best and there would be highly different views among different people, all for good reasons, but if there is one song that I believe should be there in the best songs of Chitra in everyone's list, it is this. What masterful rendition. She takes the feel of the song to another level. And the genius, Rahman akes care of the music part. Need I say more?

12. Kann Pesum Vaarthaigal - 7/G Rainbow Colony

Selvaraghavan's movies are incomplete without Pathos in some form or the other. So here's our second song, again from another Selvaraghavan movie. What makes this Yuvan Shankar Raja's song an instant hit is the terrific mood around it and the excellent rendition by the singer, Karthik. This song was on repeat mode when the movie's album was released and is still a regular in late-night radio shows!

Honorary Mentions:

1. Minnale Nee - May Maadham

2. En Kaadhale - Duet

3. Ennai Kaanavillaye - Kaadhal Desam
4. Mannipaaya - Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya

(We couldn't just place them in this list because then we would have had to call this list top 10 Rahman pathos! Sorry, Rahmanians!)

4. Kaathirundhu Kaathirundhu

5. Pen Manasu

(A Little Too Old for everybody's liking. Sorry Raja fans!)

6. Venaam Machan Venaam - OKOK

7. Kanave Kanave - David

8. Yamma Yamma - 7aam Arivu

9. Devadhaiyai Kanden - Kaadhal Konden

10. Oru Poiyaavadhu Sol Kanne - Jodi

(We felt these were good, but not as good as our original list)

Think we missed out on some favourite song of yours? Make sure you mention them in the comments and we will review them and add them too to our list.

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Kumarakoam - Restaurant Review

Kumarakom - Restaurant Review

Address: V3, Near Tower Park, 4th Main Road, V Block, Anna Nagar, Chennai 600040

Expectations:

This restaurant had been in my mind for a long time and finally I had a chance to visit the place. Heard good reviews about this one, so my expectations were really high. I have had my Keralite friends raving about the authenticity of the food here, so thought I could give it a try. We went as a group of 3 here on a Sunday afternoon for lunch.

Ambience & Service:

Let me start from the parking. The parking was full when we reached there. They had a board which mentioned Valet Parking but no one was to be seen around. Even the security did not help us with the parking and finally we parked in a nearby lane. We got a table after waiting for 10 minutes (this seems to be the norm over here). The ambience was not that impressive, and the place looked very crowded with not so much space between tables to walk around. However, our table was laid out neat and clean.

The silver lining in the cloud was the service. The waiters were courteous and friendly. They were prompt to address any problems immediately.

Food:

1. The Starters:

We ordered for Cream of Mushroom Soup, Fish Fingers, Parota, Beef Masala , Steamed Rice, Chicken 65, Prawn fry and Malabar Fish Curry.

The look of the soup itself was pathetic in taste and it was not hot as well. the taste was too bland and the creaminess was missing. It was like mushroom boiled in water and served hot.

Among the starters, chicken 65 was really good and crispy with soft chicken adding to the taste. Me and my friends finished it within minutes of the arrival of the plate. :)

Fish fingers were too bad, the garnishing and presentation made the dish look good. But, we put one piece in the mouth and we realized that the fish did not taste fresh at all! Again, the fish fingers didn't have any accompaniments, not even the usual tomato sauce. That left a bad taste in our mouth.

Prawn fry was good, but you could feel the coconut oil's taste more than the prawns. But I guess that was the 'authenticity' that my friends had been mentioning about. The highlight of the dish was the soft prawns fried with tomato and onions but I guess the secret of the taste was the coconut oil used, that gave a unique flavour to the dish. I liked it, but my other friends didn't like the flavour.

2. The Main Course:

The Parotta was hot and soft and went well with the Beef Masala. It has been quite some time since we ate parotta that was so well made.

The Beef Masala was in North Indian style preparation and that was the best dish that we tasted that day. We were disappointed with the Malabar Fish Curry. The curry was also very watery as you can see below and didn't taste authentic (I know, because I have eaten at roadside shops in Kerala this same fish curry and they have tasted better). It was spicy, all right, but did not have the flavour in it.

By now, we had lost interest and didn't want to try any desserts. We later went out to Cream and Fudge for a separate dessert. :D

Value for Money:

Overall, for three people, the bill came around 1400, which is at the usual range you find in good restaurants nowadays. But some of the items being not so good, caused me to think whether it was worth the price we paid for. 

Overall, the restaurant did not meet my expectation and may be Keralites would like it more. Go for it strictly if you like Keralite style of food or if you like to experiment with different flavours in your food. Else, better stay away! 

My ratings would be 

Ambience - 2

Food - 2.5

Service - 3

VFM - 2.5

Overall Rating: 2.5/5

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Shamitabh - Movie Review - A Masterclass display of Acting

Shamitabh
Cast : Amitabh Bachchan,Dhanush,Akshara Hassan.
Direction : R.Balki
Music : Ilayaraja
Cinematography : P.C.Sreeram.
Tagline : War of egoistic talents.

Expectation:
Coming from the stable of Balki, who previously delivered 2 hits - both featuring Amitabh Bachchan in lead role, with unique plots (a 60 year old's love with 30 year old in Cheeni Kum and the life of a 12 year old boy with a rare disorder -  progeria - in Paa), Shamitabh yet again features Amitabh, accompanied by South star Dhanush, who created impact with his performance in last year's successful Raanjhanaa and Kamal Hassan's second daughter Akshara(debut).From the trailer and the teaser, one could easily grab the premise where Shamitabh is set. Let's explore who actually is Shamitabh.

Plot:

A small town boy Daanish(Dhanush) wants to make it big in the showbiz. He gets to meet assistant director Akshara who wants to help him, and though Daanish is an extremely talented actor, there's one thing that prevents him from getting a break in the industry - Daanish is mute. Enters Amitabh ,(an aspiring actor himself, in his prime), who decides to lend his majestic voice for Daanish. Daanish and Amitabh combine with the aid of voice transfer technology, to create "Shamitabh" and achieve huge success.

Stardom gets into Daanish's head, while lack of recognition for his voice, and the disrespect Daanish gives him angers Amitabh. Selfishness, arrogance, anger and ego weakens the bonding, and the duo eventually break up. Their individual attempts fail big time, and Akshara decides to bring a patch up between the talented artistes. Who won the clash of egos, and whether Daanish and Amitabh reunited to recreate the magic of Superstar Shamitaabh is a fun filled emotional ride to be witnessed on screen.

Performances:

Dhanush and Amitabh compete with each other throughout the movie, and though the contest is evenly poised for most part, towards the end Amitabh proves he's a powerhouse performer. Dhanush, after his impressive act in Raanjhaana has taken the bold decision of not just sharing screen space with a veteran, but also getting his voice dubbed by him. Flawless acting performance by both
Dhanush and Amitabh, and you just cannot take your eyes off even for a moment. Dhanush impresses with his energetic performance as a mute guy, who aspires to become the superstar in the intial stages of the film, and later as the selfish and arrogant superstar. His body language and mannerisms, combined with Amitabh's voice (though you initially feel the voice not matching Dhanush's lean frame, as the movie progresses, it just gets better) assert the fact that he's not a one film wonder, and is here to stay.

Amitabh gets to mouth all the powerful, rhyming, satirical and emotionally charged lines in the movie, and he is at his best!! His angst at being at the background with no recognition, and the desperation that leads to his Ego clash with Daanish are expressed perfectly. Watch out for the climax when he almost overshadows the impact created by Dhanush throughout the movie. Akshara, making her debut in a role which is almost her real self, perfectly fills the bill. Her expressions while attempting to patch up the egoistic duo is apt. A much better artiste than Shruthi !!


Technical Departments and Direction:

Balki's love for Raja continues in Shamitabh as well. Background score by Ilayaraja lifts the mood of Shamitabh, and of his compositions, Bachchan's baritone rendition of Piddly and Stereophonic sannata make the impact with picture perfect visuals. P.C.Sreeram makes Shamitabh a watch-worthy experience. He has captured the emotions of both the leading actors perfectly, and since this is one movie where the actors take precedence over props and locales, Sreeram has done a commendable job.

Balki yet again proves that his success in the bollywood industry isn't a flash in the pan, and re-establishes that he's one creative director who could make unique characterizations and plots. His screenplay doesn't drag or hold uninteresting sequences. His flair for wit and habit of inculcating humor within the screenplay is appreciable, and he even takes a lot of digs on the industry
-casting couch, the name "Bollywood" itself copied..err...inspired from hollywood.etc among others.

Though the piddly number and the following sequence between Dhanush and Rukmani are crass and unwarranted, Balki makes the latter one crowd-pleasing with Amitabh mouthing a counter dwarfing Dhanush. Though the premise is well known even from the trailers, Kudos to Balki for coming up with  an engaging screenplay laced with many light-hearted moments, and sustaining the audience interest throughout, thanks to the magnetic and expressive performances of both Dhanush and Amitabh.

Though laced with all such positive factors, Shamitabh has its own shortcomings as well - one of them being the forced end which just doesn't fit in considering the fun filled screenplay. All said , Shamitabh is Balki brand entertainment with Amitabh and Dhanush sharing the acting honors.

What works :
Dhanush-Amitabh, witty dialogues, the novel, unique plot and tight screenplay by Balki.

What doesn't :
The climax which seems forced (though it essentially is aimed at showing destruction of ego in both the men), the sequence involving Dhanush and Rukmani which follows Piddly, Amitabh's pointless conversation to the dead Gomes at cemetary.

Verdict:
Top notch performances and a near perfect screenplay with an underlying deep message makes this Shamitabh taste victory !! Sure to leave an emotional impact.

7.8/10

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Yennai Arindhaal Movie Review - Ajith Steals the Show

Yennai Arindhaal 

Cast : Ajith Kumar, Arun Vijay, Trisha, Anushka, Vivek.

Direction : Goutham Menon.

Music : Harris Jayaraj.

Cinematography : Dan MacArthur.

Expectation:

Yennai Arindhaal - the 3rd installment in the Cop series from Goutham Vasudev menon has been in news for quite long for more than one reason.The first being his maiden venture with Ajith,his return to the cop-life genre after the blockbusters Kaaka kaaka and Vettaiyaadu vilaiyadu, his much awaited golden reunion with Harris Jayaraj, and the presence of two happening heroines - Trisha and Anushka in the movie.Coming with humongous expectations, and huge pre-release hype, does the Ajith starrer live true to its expectations? Well, almost. Let's see what Yennai Arindhaal is all about.

Plot:

The movie is an episode in the life of an ex-cop Sathyadev, that traverses between his past and the present. Sathyadev gets in touch with Thenmozhi (played by Anushka, who looks way too old in the beginning song), and realizes that she's under trouble from a gang lead by Victor- Sathya's old friend turned foe from an undercover mission. His encounter with Victor takes him back to memories of the past - what lead Sathya and Victor turn enemies, Sathya's family life with the beautiful dancer Hemanika (Trisha) and its brutal end followed by Sathya's decision to quit his duties to be with his dearest daughter. Cut to the present, Sathya playing spoilsport in his plans angers Victor and he decides to make it personal - he targets the love of Sathya's life Eesha. The mystery behind Victor targeting Thenmozhi, and whether Victor was successful in his revenge or Sathya saved Eesha and Thenmozhi in the final showdown is what Yennai Arindhaal is all about.

Performances:

 The movie completely belongs to Ajith and even in the presence of two heroines the audience could not take their attention off from him(Goutham has a lot of words mouthed by Anushka about the handsome Ajith in the beginning!!). Sathyadev's character is designed as an upright cop, who has his values(he respects women - he doesn't mind getting away from his mission to help a pregnant woman, and even regrets killing one towards the end, but when it comes to thugs, he's a mean guy). Ajith perfectly fits into the role of Sathya, and his different looks - the cool, casual ex cop, the disguise of a gangster, and the honest cop  suit him well. He delivers a subtle performance, and its good to see him in a role that requires emotions - the daughter angle and the romance track with Trisha enhance the effect.

The villainous act of Arun Vijay was expected much, but falls flat, as he doesn't look menacing.Except for the entry and few encounters with Sathya, Victor doesn't do anything exceptional as a villain - his role is reduced to a cliched caricature in the second half. Coming to the two leading ladies - Trisha gets to feature in two songs, and emotes a little, while Anushka doesn't even get that scope as all that she does throughout YA is accompanying Ajith and following his instructions.The other artistes like Nasser, Parvathi, Ashish Vidyarthi are literally wasted in the movie, as their presence is eclipsed by Ajith. Vivek tries to evoke a few laughs,but in vain.

Technical departments:

Harris in his return to GVM zone has provided some good numbers- Unakkenna venum sollu and Mazhai vara poguthe are humworthy, while Mayabazaar is a different attempt. The "Yennai arindhaal" title song during the beginning credits and during the cop transformation of Ajith will delight the actor's fans. Harris has given the much needed variation in the pleasant BGM for romantic eprisodes and the pulsating one for the action sequences. Full credits to Dan Macarthur's cinematography for presenting the best of Ajith in the different looks he portrays in the movie - be it the gangster or he cop or the loving dad. The stunts and the songs are captured perfectly as well. Certainly not the best from Goutham menon, but for sure , this is his fine comeback after the duds NEPV and Nadunisi naaaigal. Particularly, as comparisons are bound to arise, with his previous cop-action sagas and the gripping screenplay and terrific sequences he had in them.

Notable Points:

Sathyadev is definitely not a Raghavan/Anbu Chelvan, but leaves a mark solely due to the one-man show and the towering presence of Ajith. For a cop movie, YA lacks a powerful villain and a strong motive - GVM's villains are memorable and are as powerful as the protagonist- be it Kaaka Kaaka's gangster Pandiya and his menacing acts to avenge the death of his brother or the psychopath duo Amudhan-Ilamaran of Vettaiyadu vilaiyadu who were on a women killing spree, the villains were  able to counter the hero and his numerous attempts to bring them down. Their actions spoke more than the words. But here, Arun Vijay is made to speak continuosly, and that he does this all for the racket he runs, and totally ruins his characterization.

Trademark Goutham brand romance (a minor episode here, reminiscent of VV track between Aradhana and Raghavan) and usage of expletives with raw violence is there in YA as well , with some impact. The titles read screenplay assistance by Thyagarajan Kumararaja and Sridhar Raghavan, but we don't get to see any traces of that, as the screenplay is leisurely paced (the song placements could have definitely been better), and Yennai arindhaal completely reminds us of GVM's previous cop characters and the episodes.

What works:
Ajith as Sathyadev the cop,Ajith as Sathya the gangster,Ajith the loving dad and the romantic at heart, Harris Jayaraj's songs and BGM, Sathyadev Vs Victor episodes.

What doesn't :
A strong sense of Deja vu(reminding Goutham's previous ventures), leisurely paced screenplay.

Verdict:

Despite it's shortcomings, the one thing that keeps you glued to the seat throughout the movie, it is Ajith. The actor's powerful presence makes this emotion filled cop drama a winner.

A solid 7/10.

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Hawaaizaada : Movie Review : Poorly written, badly acted and completely boring!

Movie: Hawaaizaada

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Pallavi Shradha, Mithun Chakraborty

Director: Vibhu Puri

Plot:

The film is based on the life of scientist Shivkar Bapuji Talpade who is credited with having constructed India's first unmanned plane. The movie is set in Mumbai, 1895 and is a fictional take on the life of Mr. Talpade and the numerous obstacles that he faces before realizing his dream of flying the (hold your breath) first manned-airplane ever in the world. In between, the movie somehow attempts to be part-patriotic, part-tragic and part-romantic all at once. Does it work?

Script and Presentation:

Hawaaizaada wants to tread a fine line between a biography and a musical-romance-patriotic-tragedy, but it achieves nether of these traits and fall somewhere in between. The problem is that the movie seems unsure of what it wants to be. The script is very very poorly written, and the songs come one after the other with no end. There's an item song, a happy love song, a sad love song, a mourning song, a patriotic song, but every single song slows the flow of the movie rather than taking it forward. 

The thought of the scriptwriters should have been like this: The lead is a misfit in the society: 'lets write a song', the lead meets a girl: 'why not another song', the lead gets thrown out of home: 'a sad song', the lead and his tutor set out to make a plane: 'a motivational song', the girl ditches the lead: 'for God's sake another song'. The truth is, I have covered only less than half the movie here. If the makers had put half the effort that they did in placing songs in different situations of the movie into delivering a better script and making a plot that makes sense, the movie could have at least been watchable.

Performances:

The acting is just passable and even the lead pair look very mechanical in their reactions to situations. Ayushamann Khurrana looks like he's about to fall asleep most of the times like the audience who get to watch this movie on screen and on the times that he does become active, he does the randomest stupid things like plucking out the tooth of a Britisher, becoming a traitor to his guru and even becomes Superman by flying out of a ship on top of the sea.

And Pallavi Shradha, for every ounce of beauty that God has bestowed on her, I wish He had also added a couple of grams of expressions on her face. She does have a range of scenes to emote but she just turns out a few staple expressions, that you can count with your fingers the different ways that she emotes. The only saving grace is Mithun Chakraborty, whom as Subbaraya Shastry, is the most 'normal' character in the movie. His quirks are laughable and he at least has a purpose in his life unlike everyone else in the movie who seem to be wandering around without knowing why they are there.

Positives:

Mithun Chakraborty shines in his role as a vedic-scientist who is searching for the right ingredients to make a modern flight using the concepts explained in the Vedas that were used to build the Pushpak Vimanas. As preposterous as that may sound, it is made believable to an extent largely due to the performance of Chakraborty as Subbaraya.

The set pieces are beautiful and kind of remind you of the setting of Sherlock Holmes movies. Only if they could have made someone act in there!

A couple of songs are hum worthy (okay, if you have 14 or 15 in a movie, at least a couple ought to be!) and even though you may not like the movie, you would be humming a few tunes after you exit the theatre.

Negatives:

The entire script is a big let down. The movie does not establish if it is a documentary or a pseudo-documentary or an inspired drama or what it is and leaves the viewer confused since the movie is said to be 'inspired from true accounts'. How much is true? What is false? Someone care to bother?

The acting is lazy, That's what it is. You can't blame the actors though. There's a lot of senseless situations in the movie and with not much to act for, they probably didn't know what to do.

The unrelenting parade of songs that gets you irritated after a point.

Verdict:

The worst part of the movie is the lack of historical evidence behind what it claims was achieved and the absolute lack of clarity in explaining why this part of history was totally forgotten or wiped off. What did the genius Mr. Talpade do after becoming the first human to fly a plane? Why did he not try to manufacture more planes, use his technology to fight the British? Nope, nothing!  A movie made with such beautiful set pieces should have also given some respect to the back story and the script. Hawaiizaada is a movie you can miss. You won't regret it.

Our Rating: 2.5/5

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