Showing posts with label Naan Mahaan Alla. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Naan Mahaan Alla. Show all posts
Thanks to Pandiraj, Vamsam managed a decent start and proves to be successful in narration and character portrayal. Pandiraj’s cast selection deserves praise too.
Trade Talk:
B and C centers are reporting decent collections.
Public Talk:
Will the new entrant from the Kalaignar clan emerge successful?
No. Weeks Completed: 3
No. Shows in Chennai over this weekend: 42
Average Theatre Occupancy over this weekend: 50%
Collection over this weekend in Chennai: Rs. 3,18,997
Total collections in Chennai: Rs.80 lakhs
Verdict: Average
Puzhal, as the name suggests, revolves around the lives of prisoners in the notorious jail. There's no subtlety in the narration as one can see from the promos and the performances are strictly so-so.
Trade Talk:
Below average opening experienced in release centers.
Public Talk:
Nothing heard, not that there is scope for it!
No. Days Completed: 3
No. Shows in Chennai over this weekend: 36
Average Theatre Occupancy over this weekend: 55%
Collection over this weekend in Chennai: Rs. 3,20,742
Verdict: Below Average Opening
The super hit college flick is a Telugu import (Happy Days) and remains largely loyal to its predecessor. Produced by Prakash Raj’s Duet Movies, Inidhu Inidhu casts mostly debutants.
Trade Talk:
Slow but steady collection reported from all the release centers.
Public Talk:
Evokes the sense of nostalgia!
No. Weeks Completed: 2
No. Shows in Chennai over this weekend: 39
Average Theatre Occupancy over this weekend: 50%
Collection over this weekend in Chennai: Rs. 4,91,394
Total collections in Chennai: Rs.61 lakhs
Verdict: Below Average
Irandu Mugam is a political satire with Sathyaraj and Karan in the lead. It takes potshots at politicians and their wily ways rather effectively. Sathyaraj is bang on and Karan, as a sly politician, is successful too.
Trade Talk:
The movie has had a rather slow opening, but looks like it will have a good run.
Public Talk:
Nothing as of now but it has the potential to make people go gaga.
No. Days Completed: 3
No. Shows in Chennai over this weekend: 90
Average Theatre Occupancy over this weekend: 67%
Collection over this weekend in Chennai: Rs. 9,16,192
Verdict: Average Opening
Saami has ruffled a few feathers with Sindhu Samaveli as well. Controversy is not new to the director, but the few miscreants who ran down his house should have given him a general idea as to how pissed they are.
Trade Talk:
No trade talks available as such, but the movie has garnered enough publicity.
Public Talk:
Saami has given another reason to the public to discuss about him!
No. Days Completed: 3
No. Shows in Chennai over this weekend: 84
Average Theatre Occupancy over this weekend: 75%
Collection over this weekend in Chennai: Rs. 12,72,222
Verdict: Average Opening
Bale Pandiya revolves around an unlucky young man’s (Vishnu Vishal) life and touches upon everything with a tinge of humor. Piaa plays Vishnu’s female lead and brings the movie a touch of vibrancy.
Trade Talk:
The movie opened to average houses over the weekend, especially in multiplexes in the city.
Public Talk:
It’s still too early to predict the movie’s fortune that has received mixed reviews from the critics and public.
No. Days Completed: 3
No. Shows in Chennai over this weekend: 120
Average Theatre Occupancy over this weekend: 79%
Collection over this weekend in Chennai: Rs. 15,55,872
Verdict: Above Average
Naan Mahaan Alla is a drama thriller with Karthi and Kaajal in the lead. Although a regular revenge drama, director Suseendran has packed the movie with all the punches needed which made it a blockbuster.
Trade Talk:
The movie is already declared a blockbuster, thanks to the widely positive reviews it garnered.
Public Talk:
Karthi’s riding high, what with back-to-back hits.
No. Weeks Completed: 2
No. Shows in Chennai over this weekend: 255
Average Theatre Occupancy over this weekend: 72%
Collection over this weekend in Chennai: Rs. 44,08,503
Total collections in Chennai: Rs.3.14 Crore
Verdict: Hit
Those who saw Karthi’s Naan Mahaan Alla on its opening day , was surprised to see ‘Thalai’ Ajith’s Venkat Prabhu directed Mankatha three minute slick trailer.
Cloud Nine is showing the trailer before NMA starts and just after interval, to create a curiosity buzz around the film.
Director Suseendiran proved his prowess as a fine director handling a not so popular sport like Kabbadi in his very first outing Vennilla Kabbadi Kuzhu with village milieu. He does a complete volte face in Naan Mahaan Alla with an urban subject which makes you laugh your heart out in the first half and pushes you to the edge of the seat in the second half.
When he seeks Priya’s hand in marriage, her father (Ravi Prakash) does not approve of this and averts to a local dada to dissuade Jeeva. The ensuing events are the most unexpected ones for Priya’s dad and for the audience. When life seems to go on a straight track for Jeeva, in comes a thud in the form of his dad’s scripted accident and the unhappy turn of events from that point which leads and culminates into a riveting climax.
It is Karthi, Karthi and Karthi all the way who monopolizes the film in every frame. The growth of this young actor is palpable in every shot. The mischievous twitch in the lips and a twinkle in the eye when trying to woo the heroine are a few examples. Bhaskar Sakthi’s realistic one liners and retorts come in handy and color the film in bright hue. In Paiyaa we saw Karthi getting out of the garb of Paruthi Veeran. In NMA he is just the adorable live wire boy next door who floors you with his optimism, bonhomie and comic timing in right proportion.
Kajal Agarwal does not have much to perform but does her part adequately. Jayaprakash as Karthi’s dad is efficient and the subtle gestures suggesting his love and understanding of his son are a treat to watch. The Royapuram dada makes a noticeable performance. The boy with big eyes in the villain gang is quite menacing with his aggressive demeanor.
The conversation between Karthi and Kajal over phone and their subsequent meeting clearly indicate the lively contemporary times between lovers. Same goes for Karthi’s interaction with his friends. The scene involving his boss at the liquor shop is one more example of Karthi scoring in comedy department.
Suseendiran has dichotomized the mood of the film clearly and a touch of levity runs through the first half while seriousness pervades the second half. Credible characterization and a fairly neat screenplay are the positive components in NMA. He has not veered from the subject and if at all something slows down the momentum, it is the Deivam Illai number in the second half. The bringing in of villains and fusing them at the right place is interesting. A few sequences could have been pruned which could have given a complete feel to the film.
Yuvan does a neat job in the music department and Iragai Pole’s picturization is appreciable. Vaa Vaa Nilavai Pidichu has Karthi trying out a few dance steps. In the second half, Yuvan’s RR work dominates and steers the film ahead. Rajeevan’s art work is hardly visible which only goes on to reiterate his success in his job. Interestingly he appears in a small cameo. Madhie behind the camera conveys the mood of the film through his apt lighting. The climax fight choreographed by Anal Arasu gels with the characterization of the subjects.
Although there are a few slow patches, Suseendiran should be appreciated for coalescing the energy and entertainment of a mainstream film with a sensitivity of a realistic one. He has the wholesome attention of the audience in most parts.
Verdict – A hard hitting realistic take!
Suseenthiran is a director who believes that filmmaking is all about breaking new grounds, braving new frontiers and building new idioms. He does not believe in regurgitating old wine. The guy has come with a rocker of a film Naan Mahaan Alla, which is refreshingly fresh, innovative and packaged in a breezy manner within the commercial format.
There is something new about the story telling and packaging which makes it interesting along with a power packed performance by Karthi, who carries the film to its winning point. It is perfect team work of Suseenthiran, Karthi, promising set of newcomers, dialogue writer Baskar Sakthi, Yuvan, Rajeevan and Anal Arasu, which makes the film engrossing and racy.
The director has neatly worked out the script, as first half is for characterisation and the second half the audience roots for the hero, which makes the climax believable. The film begins with four pot smoking college students, molesting and murdering a girl on a lonely beach.
Cut to hero introduction scene, as Jeeva (Karthi) is shown celebrating wildly New Year with his friends. He is a nice guy who will do anything for his friends and family consisting of his father (Jayaprakash) a call taxi driver, mother (Lakshmi) and a sister. He has a way with neighbours, kids and people in the low income colony where he lives, and they all adore him.
One day at a friend’s wedding he meets a girl Pooja (Kajal Aggarwal), with whom he strikes an instant rapport which develops into love. Jeeva being a straightforward, no nonsense guy barges into her house and asks her father, a criminal lawyer for her hand, which leads to trouble. Meanwhile Jeeva’s life gets more complicated as his father gets murdered, by the same gang seen in the beginning of the film. Life changes for Jeeva, as he goes in search of his father’s killers, leading to a stunning climax on a lonely beach.
What an impact Karthi makes in his fourth film. He nails the character to perfection and does everything a super hero does in Tamil films without making it look larger-than-life on screen. He is one good reason to see the film. Jayaprakash is growing in stature in character roles, and here as father he is simply too good, the bonding scenes between him and Karthi are fantastic.
Kajal Aggarwal and Karthi’s on screen chemistry crackles and she is charming though her role is limited. The casting of unknown newcomers especially the four mean and diabolic guys who knows no fear and the chap who plays the Royapuram dada is apt. The film has no separate comedy track or comedians. Still Karthi brings the house down with some good comedy especially the scenes in which he turns as a bill collection agent and the scene where Priya’s father invites him to a bar to actually give him a warning.
Yuvan Shankar Raja’s music (Irgai Pole is the pick) and background score is spellbinding. Rajeevan’s sets of lower income group flats, houses destroyed by Tsunami on the beaches where climax takes place, makes the background look so real. Anal Arasu’s climax action choreography keeps the adrenaline pumping.
NMA reinvents the staple formula but stands out for its sheer style, speed and story-telling methods. Three cheers to Suseenthiran and his team.
Verdict- Go for it!
