Anandha Thandavam….shines in bits!
-C. Karthik
Anandha Thandavam Movie Reivew
Cast: Siddarth, Tamanna
Direction: Gandhi Krishna
Production: Oscar V Ravichandran
Music: G V Prakash Kumar
Banner: Oscar Films
I try hard not to expect anything before watching a movie. I hate comparisons too. But when a movie is produced by Oscar Ravichandran, the story is written by the legendary Sujatha and the director is Gandhi Krishna whose debut film Chellame was brilliant, it definitely made me curious. Needless to say I was expecting a lot out of it too.
There are two ways of directing a well written novel. Some directors take the core of the story, weave a wonderful screenplay around it and make a neat adaptation of the story. But some try to stick to the original which can be very risky and prove costly. Gandhi Krishna has done exactly that. By sticking to the original novel by Sujatha, he has lost his originality which was so evident in his earlier film.
The film opens with Ragupathi (Siddarth), an unemployed engineering graduate returning to his village after giving a few interviews. He finds solace in his dad who is more a friend than a father. Enter Madhumitha, a beautiful, young girl and his mischievous brother Sudha both of whom love to play pranks on others. Siddharth, swept off by the charm and innocence of Madhumitha, falls in love. Naïve as she is, Madhu is forced to reject Siddharth’s love by her parents and marries an NRI millionaire Radhakrishnan. Devastated, Siddharth tries to commit suicide but is saved.
Willing to forget his past, Siddharth flies to New York to pursue his higher studies and happens to bump into Madhumitha again. He finds a good friend in Rathna (Rukmani) who cares for Siddharth and proposes to marry him. Meanwhile, Madhumitha has her own share of problems with her husband and tries to win Siddharth’s love again. Caught in a vicious circle of love, what’s in store for the three lovers is the climax of the movie.
Pirivom Santhippom, Sujatha’s novel, when it first appeared, was a tale of the one of the first NRI exodus's to the US, and carried strong characterizations and dialogues that packed a punch. It was fascinating for readers to read the three dimensional emotions that touch you in every way. The characters were so real that they could relate them easily. The intensity of the characters and emotions portrayed on screen is well below par when compared to the novel.
Gandhi Krishna has tried best to bring Sujatha’s novel on screen but his efforts don’t leave an impression on you. He looks confused at times trying to portray complex emotions of the characters. A large part of the second half looks more dramatic and irritates a bit. But one should appreciate his attempt to try and conceptualize a story based on a novel.
Newcomer Siddharth has a long way to go. If there are irking points in the movie, Siddharth is definitely one. No offence to the young lad, he has failed big time in displaying his histrionics. He, for once, reminds you of Vishal in Chellame, but does not enough steam to deliver. He tries his best in emotional scenes, but massively disappoints.
The same can be said of V.T. Vijayan and his editing. There is absolutely no chronology between scenes. There is no connectivity between two scenes in a major part of the movie and so you are actually watching a totally different scene even before the emotion in the previous scene hits you.
Jeeva Shankar disappoints with the camera. He is brilliant when he shows the virginal beauty of Bana Theertam (a reservoir in Thirunelveli district) but falls flat while showing the fast paced and crowded streets of New York. Most of the scenes lack the gloss which is required for a movie like this. The quality of cinematography is missing and you can term his effort as amateurish.
Wonder if there is anything good in the movie?
Yes. The usually smokin’ hot Tamanna tries her best to bring Sujatha’s Madhumitha on screen. And boy, has she done a good job! As a young and naïve girl confined to the house and the village, as a sly daughter refusing her love, as an innocent teenager fighting with her brother and playing pranks on people, as a child at heart craving for real love and a woman regretting her past, Tamanna has done a fantastic job in the movie. Though her character is annoying, she definitely demands sympathy in the end. Hers is a rare and intense role in the movie which she has accepted and acted with élan.
Kittu, as Siddharth’s friend …oops father is brilliant. The poise with which he has acted shows he is much more than just a veteran actor. Krishna, as a university student, makes you smile a little bit. Charlie, in a minor role, has done a perfect job. Rukmani, as the NRI girl, has danced and acted well too.
Sujatha’s dialogues shine separately in the movie. You can instantly recognize his punch when a dialogue is delivered. We should not discount Gandhi Krishna’s contribution too.
G.V. Prakash has done a decent job with his music. Though the songs don’t stick to your memories for long, he has done a far better job with background score. Vairamuthu’s lyrics are mesmerizing and so is Thotta Tharani’s art direction.
Anandha Thandavam is a complex and sensitive story about three people and their love. It shines in parts but is disappointing overall.
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