Vidiyum Munn Review Rediff!

Rating:***1/2

Artist, photographer, visual designer, writer, director and producer, Balaji K Kumar is a man of many talents.  This Chennai-born, Los Angeles based filmmaker is already a name to reckon with in Hollywood.  His Twelve twisted tricks won him the Golden trailer award in 2002; while his film 9 lives of Mara, a cult classic,received a tremendous response and went on to receive a host of awards.  

Balaji makes his debut in Tamil cinema with Vidiyum Munn starring Pooja Umashankar and child artist, Malavika Manikuttan. 

Vidiyum Munn is a suspense thriller that revolves around a sex worker who puts her life in danger to protect an innocent 12-year-old from the clutches of pimps and prostitution. 

Rekha (Pooja Umashankar), a professional sex worker, is brainwashed by her pimp Singaram (Amarendran), into getting hold of a 12-year-old to service a high-end client.  Though reluctant at first, she is lured by the money and the prospects of a better life.

But even as she escorts an unsuspecting Nandhini (Malavika Manikuttan) to the client, she is filled with guilt.  Her conscience troubles her so much that she decides to save the girl and escapes from the city with her, but not before something goes terribly wrong.

Now a bunch of ruthless killers want to hunt them down.  Who are these men and why are they chasing two hapless females is what forms the rest of the story.

Pooja, who was last seen as a blind beggar in Bala's Naan Kadavul makes her comeback in Tamil cinema after a four-year hiatus.  She once again proves her versatility by her realistic portrayal of a seasoned sex worker who is resigned to her fate.

But it is young Malavika Manikuttan, who steals the show.  Her character is quite complex, requiring her to be bold, street-smart and defiant, while at the same time appearing vulnerable and innocent too. 

There are no dramatic flashback scenes to explain how Pooja and Malavika Manikuttan are caught in this dangerous web, but their quiet acceptance of the most horrifying events perhaps reveals even much more.

Vinoth Kishan, as Chinnaiah, one of the villains, appears absolutely terrifying with his compelling eyes and just a handful of monosyllabic dialogues.  Then there is Mani (Muthukumar), Devanayagi (Lakshmi Ramakrishnan) and John Vijay as Lankan, every one fits into their role perfectly and the results are impressive.

Music by Girishh Gopalakrishnan is sensational; it helps create the atmosphere heightening every emotion, and maintaining the suspense and thrill.  Cinematographer Sivakumar Vijayan, a debutant, has shot most of the scenes at night in dimly lit locations that intensify the story and provide the right ambience.

The only minus would be the length and the lack of pace, despite of the deadline of 24 hours, you don’t feel the clock ticking, the sense of urgency is missing.  But that takes nothing away from the anticipation and thrill you feel as each scene slowly unfolds itself.

Director Balaji undoubtedly is at the top of his game, narrating a tale filled with emotions; greed, lust, fear and desperation set in the backdrop of a cruel and aggressive world, where people only look out for themselves, it is either kill or be destroyed yourself.

The stark simplicity of the dialogues, the well-etched characters, the intriguing plot, the captivating music, the cinematography, but most of all the brilliant twist at the end makes Director Balaji K Kumar’s Vidiyum Munn a must watch.

http://www.rediff.com/movies/review/vidiyum-munn-is-brilliant/20131130.htm

Bullet Raja Review Taran Adarsh!

Rating:****

In this fast-changing scenario, a majority of stars as well as film-makers are experimenting with characters/plots they haven't embarked upon earlier. Trudging around the unexplored trail seems to be the new mantra for the dream merchants. Spanking new combinations are getting formed. Innovative and ground-breaking concepts are being attempted. The intention is to offer wide-ranging, all-encompassing entertainment to the up to date, insightful viewer. Reaching out to the pan-India audience and magnetizing the Indian diaspora globally also appears to be the objective.

Post SHAGIRD [which was disregarded by cineastes, despite strong merits!], PAAN SINGH TOMAR and SAHEB BIWI AUR GANGSTER franchise, Tigmanshu Dhulia has shaped an indelible impression on the viewer's psyche. Consequently, Tigmanshu's cinema is now anticipated with gusto and zeal by movie aficionados and enthusiasts. However, what raises eyebrows -- and logically so -- is Tigmanshu's teaming with mainstream actors [Saif Ali Khan, Sonakshi Sinha] in his new outing. Furthermore, the gifted director goes all 'commercial' to entice that fragment of audience [masses] that enormously add to the big booty. 

The promos of BULLETT RAJA compel you to visualize that this is yet another gangster film with hi-octane drama and power-packed dialogues designed for the masses. The question is, is it one? If true, can Tigmanshu pull it off? Besides, is BULLETT RAJA Tigmanshu's big ticket break? 

BULLETT RAJA narrates the story of Raja Mishra [Saif Ali Khan], a commoner, who gets transformed into a notorious, care-a-damn attitude gangster. A faithful friend and a loyal lover, living life on his own terms, setting his own rules, commanding respect and fearing no one, Raja, in his true inimitable style, takes on the system that creates people like him. 

BULLETT RAJA takes you back to the cinema of yore. A commoner revolts against the system and sets his own rules, shaking the law makers and entrepreneurs in the process. As he gets more and more commanding and authoritative, the powers that be decide on clipping his wings... and eliminate him. Like several films made in 1980s and 1990s, BULLETT RAJA talks of a commoner who revolts against the very system he once devotedly followed. This is Tigmanshu's take on camaraderie, matters of the heart and sacrifice. 

Tigmanshu's cinema has often existed in the pragmatic zone, besides being entrenched in the heartland/interiors, and BULLETT RAJA is no exception. It's raw, unrefined and harsh, much like Tigmanshu's earlier endeavors. Sure, the protagonist may bring back memories of the characters we've watched over and over again on the big screen, but the fact remains that everything happens for a legitimate, justifiable reason here. Notwithstanding the oft-repeated premise, the screenplay has ample twists and turns and leaves you wondering, what's gonna happen next? In fact, the games people play -- not just the politicians -- only envelopes you into the proceedings. The icing on the cake is the twist towards the penultimate moments. 

BULLETT RAJA also works thanks to the dialogue [brilliant; also penned by Tigmanshu] and of course, the casting. Saif has often stolen the thunder from his contemporaries in varied films [recall OMKARA] and the actor, known for stylish, metro-centric characters, is sure to surprise you yet again. More on that later! 

Hiccups? The film stagnates after a brilliant start. The portions in Mumbai and the song that ensues ['Tamanche Pe Disco'] is a put-off. Also, while the songs match the tone of the film, the soundtrack is plain ordinary. 

Technically, this is amongst Tigmanshu's polished and genteel efforts. The background score is effectual, enhancing the drama at key points. Action sequences are realistic. Thankfully, there are no South-style stunts here! 

Saif slips into the unconventional zone without a glitch. The actor delivers an unblemished performance, dominating every scene he appears in. He seems to have worked hard on getting the diction right, while the body language is impeccable as well. It's a seamless leap to look the character. Jimmy Sheirgill is admirable, essaying his part with absolute understanding. The bonding between Saif and Jimmy is simply splendid. Sonakshi Sinha is charismatic and does very well in the required space. 

BULLETT RAJA is embellished with an exceptional supporting cast and each of them adjoin immense credibility to their respective characters. Vidyut Jammwal is luminous in a cameo. He adds solid muscle to the post-interval portions. Raj Babbar plays the scheming politician with incredible ease. Gulshan Grover is first-rate. Ravi Kissen is in terrific form, enacting the negative part with gusto. Chunkey Pandey leaves an impression in a brief role. Vipin Sharma is super. Deepraj Rana, Vishwajeet Pradhan and Sharat Saxena are perfect. Mahie Gill sizzles in the song and sequence. 

On the whole, BULLETT RAJA is Tigmanshu Dhulia's most 'commercial', mass appealing film thus far. One more superior endeavor after the immeasurably acknowledged PAAN SINGH TOMAR and the vastly admired SAHEB BIWI AUR GANGSTER franchise, all of which belong to completely diverse genres of cinema. Enjoyable, engaging and extremely distinctive, BULLETT RAJA is not to be missed!

http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/moviemicro/criticreview/id/566240

Nadan Review From Nowrunning!

Rating:**1/2

After the much impressive 'Celluloid', it's on a rutted ride down a hilly slope that Kamal takes us on, in 'Nadan'. It's not just the ride that tires you to bits, but the sights and spectacles that pass by have a recognizable feel that brings about tedium in no time. 

Devadas (Jayaram) is an accomplished actor from the theatre, who has seen better days. He helms the theatre group called Sargavedi, and basks in a rich tradition that has been shaped by his predecessors. By the late 90's, he's on the verge ofbankruptcy, is jobless, has ruined his familial life beyond repair and is all set to go insane. 

Nadan Pictures   54 Pictures

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'Nadan' narrates the decline of an art form that has almost submissively, given way to more assertive forms ofentertainment as the mimics show and the cinematic dance. It also attempts to trace the lives of a few hapless individuals who over the years, had lost the ability to distinguish between life and theatre, with both having blended into one. 

There is a shift in focus from the professional life of the actor on to his personal life, and when Jyothi (Remya Nambeesan) walks in as the new lead actress of the troupe, Devadas rediscovers his passion for the art. In no time, he turns into an obsessive lover, that has his disgruntled wife (Sajitha Madathil), walk out with their two kids in tow.

'Nadan' does make some genuine efforts to capture the reality of life's struggles, and yet it manages to do so only peripherally. The tears are shed, and the air remains pungent with heavy sighs, and yet if we fail to identify with several of those characters on screen, it's simply because, it tries to be excessively high on mood.

Perhaps the most disappointing part of 'Nadan' is its stretched out climax, that takes melodrama on to higher levels. Almost dragging Devadas out of the murky misery that he had resigned himself to, the filmmaker adds on an almost synthetic feel that appears all out of place.

It's heartening to see Jayaram in a role that requires him to be someone more than acustomary husband that we quite often get to see him as. And he does grab this opportunity with a vengeance, and comes up with a brilliant performance. Remya Nambeesan and Sajitha Madathil establish their presence without much of an effort.

The real performer of 'Nadan' is of course KPAC Lalitha, who excels as a theater artist trying hard to make both ends meet, at the dusk of her life. There isn't perhaps another actress who could have brought out the anguish, gloom and desolation that Radhechi goes through, as convincingly as Lalitha does in the film.

'Nadan', at times even looks like a hysterical expression of distress that gets its modulation a bit too wrong. The wails of despair appear a bit too loud, which makes it a hit and miss affair that only fleetingly touches our hearts.

http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/13103/malayalam/nadan/4484/review.htm

Vishudhan Review Nowrunning!

Rating:**

Vysakh's 'Vishudhan' is a moralistic fable that has chosen as its protagonist a priest, thereby attempting to disguise a customary revenge tale under the garb of a controversial story. At the center of it, it is nothing more than one of those accounts where a man is forced to take upon evil single handedly, finally seeing to it that justice is served.

Father Sunny (Kunchacko Boban) is ordained as the new priest in a hamlet ruled over by Vavachan (Hareesh Peradi), and soon discovers that an old age home run by the rich man is just a cover to generate cadavers for his medical college. Sister Sophy (Mia George) offers the priest concrete evidence to support his doubts, and before they know it, the priest and the nun are accused of having an illicit relationship and are shown the door out, from the church.

Visudhan Pictures   20 Pictures

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The controversial element in 'Vishudhan' is likely to emerge out of nowhere, if and when the film is viewed as an affrontation on a religious institution and the principles and codes that it upholds. On the other hand, it could also be viewed as a tale of two individuals caught in the torrents of fate, who are forced to take decisions that transform them into two new entities. 

What is unbelievable is the transformation that Sophy undergoes in no time; and there are occasions in the film, where she almost seems ecstatic at the decision that she has taken, with her straightened hair and chic clothes. That is perhaps a bit difficult to take in, especially since she was a devoted servant of the church not so long back.

While the former half of the film is fairly entertaining and does have its share of fine moments, the latter half degenerates into a messy account of a battle for justice. For most of its part, it fails to sustain your interest, and merely skims over from one predictable situation to the next. 

As much as the music sounds soothing to the ears, it does feel a bit awkward to see this odd pair break into a song and groove routine, especially given the circumstances that they live in. And with a priest (Lal) who folds up his cassock to deliver a blow or two the unyielding, making an entry, the perfunctory story design seems all set for a decline. 

This is perhaps Kunchacko Boban's best performance till date, and his efficiently restrained, and yet evocative performance is worth a standing applause. Mia George is quite effective as the nun who is thrown out of church, while Hareesh Peradi excels in the role of the baddie.

Some films are remembered for an actor, and 'Vishudhan' does have one such performer, whose name I have not yet been able to identify. This actor appears in the role of Krishnettan in the film, and the octogenarian with his stellar performance, leaves a lump in the viewers' throats. I also have a very special word of appreciation for Sasikumar, who appears in the role of a Bishop, and who is undoubtedly one of the most serene looking bishops whom we have ever seen on screen.

If 'Vishudhan' ultimately ends up being a formulaic piece of film making, it's because it sticks to the conventional mode. In fact, it does not go anywhere where you don't expect it to, and it refrains from taking up any risks along the way. 

http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/14185/malayalam/visudhan/4480/review.htm

Vidiyum Munn Review Nowrunning

Rating:***

Films on child trafficking usually throw at us startling facts and numbers in an attempt to emotionally hijack us but debutant Balaji K Kumar's "Vidiyum Munn" avoids all such genre cliches and sticks to presenting a well executed thriller that intrigues with suspense from start to finish.

Although inspired from British thriller "London to Brighton", to which the makers have not given due credit, "Vidiyum Munn" stands out as one of the better thrillers of the recent past.

When Rekha (Pooja), a hooker, flees town with 12-year-old Nandini (Malavika) after committing the biggest mistake of her life, her pimp (Amarendran) is given the ultimatum to produce her along with the girl in the next 24 hours to avert a threat to his own life.

Vidiyum Munn Pictures   42 Pictures

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It's not the usual thriller flick that you watch and forget as you walk out of the movie hall. "Vidiyum Munn" lingers on in your head for a long time. Cut from the same cloth used to produce thrillers such as "Pizza" and "Yuddham Sei", it's the suspense that guides the film to the finish line. That suspense, with the help of a few characters, is strongly weaved into a labyrinthine story that you will only appreciate when it reaches its climax.

Having worked in Hollywood for over a decade, Balaji, who had earlier directed English thriller "Nine Lives of Mara", gives the film a treatment that's akin to the west in terms of the overall presentation.

One of the concerns of the film might be its slow narrative that runs a little over two hours. The film could've been shorter, considering its genre and the not-so-popular star cast. But thanks to the hypnotic soundtrack of Girishh, the music keeps you hooked for the most part. His music not only heightens the suspense in the story but also serves in building the mood of the film.

Instead of wasting time on explaining circumstances that led Rekha to become a prostitute, Balaji focuses only on the plot which is the hunt for two characters. This is very smart of him and proves that he knows how to use his craft effectively. He also avoids too many characters and throws the spotlight on only those that are linked to Rekha and Nandini.

For not giving credit to the original, "Vidiyum Munn" will lose some respect from the audience. Although it's not a frame-to-frame copy, but those who have watched the British thriller can find a few similarities in the remake. Nevertheless, it's a bold film that doesn't hesitate to tread a path very few filmmakers even aspire to walk on.

Pooja Umashankar in her comeback role is good but she easily gets superseded by child artist Malavika, who acts effortlessly as the runaway kid.

John Vijay gets a little irksome at regular intervals especially with his style of dialogue delivery but he also provides the occasional laughs with his witty one-liners while Vinoth Kishan plays a powerful baddie with very few dialogues.

"Vidiyum Munn" is a step closer to alternate Tamil cinema which majorly caters to those with some intellect and not to entertainment seekers.


http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/13517/tamil/vidiyum-munn/4479/review.htm

Bullet Raja Review Nowrunning!

Rating:**

Potboilers seem to have become the need of the hour in Bollywood with even the makers, who have stuck to content driven cinema, trying their hands at experiencing what it feels to be in the 100cr club. The latest to hit the marquee is filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia with Bullett Raja, who for long has carved his own path with films like Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster, Paan Singh Tomar etc. Whether his sensibility syncs with commercial cinema or he loses his art for monetary gains, let's find out.

Set in Uttar Pradesh, Bullett Raja is Tigmanshu's version of Ramesh Sippy's Sholay. Both Raja Mishra (Saif Ali Khan and Rudra Pratap (Jimmy Sheirgill) become buddies for life when Raja saves the latter's life in a gang-war. The two want nothing more than a stable-simple life but fate and some conniving politicians turn them into gangsters aka political commandos of politician Ram Babu Shukla (Raj Babbar) who stop at nothing. But their meteoric rise as the dreaded duo starts coming in the way of the industrialists and other politicians soon putting them on the hit list of many. Whether the two survive or not is that follows through the rest of the plot.

Bullet Raja Pictures   68 Pictures

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Bullett Raja is nothing but Tigmanshu Dhulia oscillating between content and masala. The maker unspools a complex plot for a massy character what with the surfeit of characters that keep coming in right till the last 15 minutes of the film but at the same time, reduces his concoction to a mere case of convenience. There's ample liberty taken with the creation of characters and situations in the film. 

Almost 80 per cent of the film struggles to match the formulaic patterns of commercial cinema so you see the characters heading to Mumbai city only for a disco number, Tamanche Pe Disco (which too isn't remotely appeasing) or moving to Kolkata to dance between the yellow Taxis. Only if the director could focus on the script more than jazzy-ing his film with numbers which aren't hummable anyway, the film would've worked wonders!

Yet another eye sore is the continuity blunder. You see both Saif and Jimmy with all shapes, styles and sizes of hair throughout the film. So you'd see Saif entering through a door with short hair and exiting with straight, extremely bronzed long hair all within the same scene. You don't need a reviewer to pinpoint such glaring mistakes; it can be noticeable even to a layman.

Coming to acting, both Jimmy and Saif put up a decent show and have some entertaining scenes as friends. Sadly, the faulty character-sketch and directionless direction scars their performances too. Character actors like Raj Babbar, Ravi Kissen, Gulshan Grover, Vipin Sharma are all passable.

The worry zones are both Vidyut Jamwal and Sonakshi Sinha who barely have any contribution in the film and fail to please even at that. It's surprising why would the director introduce a love angle in a film which didn't need one and why Sonakshi would even take up a role which is more inconsequential than even a prop. Vidyut Jamwal on the other hand comes with his martial art skills and the same old straight face which refuses to emote all through his run time.

Bullett Raja had the scope to bring about some content in the current crop of massy entertainers and could cater to the intelligentsia but Tigmanshu Dhulia's inept attempt ruins all such chances. Quite a downer!

http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/11198/bollywood.hindi/bullet-raja/4482/review.htm