KADHAL SOLLA VANDHEN MOVIE REVIEW

Starring: Balaji, Meghna, Sabesh Karthik, Heera
Direction: Boopathy Pandian
Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja
Production: S. Jayakumar

When Boopathy Pandiyan is at the helm of affairs, you know what to expect; an unruly and riotous version of a rambunctious romcom. Not exactly what you would get too see in Pandiyan’s latest venture Kaadal Solla Vanden. But, whatever he’s tried to get across is not unremarkable, thankfully!.Its love alright, what Pandiyan’s favourite forte is, and he has revelled in adolescent love this time. As is given away by the title of the movie, the story revolves around a young man’s (so young that he’s only in his late teens) attempt at expressing his love. He is only in his first year of college and falls in love, instantaneously, as soon as he spots a pretty girl in his college. The catch, however, is that the girl is in her third year of studies and hence elder to him.

Just as you think how much can a lover boy’s attempt be slotted in a two-hour movie without it becoming a tedious watch, Boopathy throws in some surprises, few comical sequences, adolescent grudges and other factors to give it a bit of zing. For most part, he pulls it off. For the rest, it’s left for us to judge.

So the movie treks along as Balaji finds ways to express his love to Meghna. He gets hired by another student to be a messenger of his love and takes the opportunity in his side. He wins a few moments with Meghna who is proving to be famously obtuse about her love. However, cupid has already stuck our senior girl. What ensues next is the climax that has a little twist and a dramatic message with that.

There could not have been another perfect fit for the role of the adolescent college boy than Balaji. His stint at Kana Kaanum Kaalangal obviously comes in handy and he pulls it off with much ease since the role demands pretty much nothing from him other than playing pranks at his seniors and trailing and tracking down a senior girl to express his love. It’s like giving away ladoos for a person with sweet tooth and Balaji has taken advantage of the situation completely.

The characterizations of Meghna and the rest of the crew have been made appropriately and hence ebbs and flows with the movie’s moods. Yuvan’s music is so-so with no songs particularly leaving with the viewer from the theatre. That’s not to say the songs are not shot nice, they are. In a ‘pleasing to the eye’ way.

Boopathy Pandiyan’s Kaadal Solla Vanden is not the time pass material he has produced before. It’s much less entertaining than its earlier counterparts and the fact that the storyline has very little scope for fast-paced narration leaves you stifle a yawn quite often.

No matter how many tricks and techniques to pursue love are explored, the concept gets repetitive often. It also threatens to border in on childishness and that’s exactly what seems to happen during the course of Kaadal Solla Vanden. There’s no harm in giving it a chance, only if you have nothing better to do over the weekend.

Verdict: Chasing love relentlessly!