24 « October « 2006 « Karthick Raghavan

What the heck does the tag line He knows what to do for the Diwali’s big release Vallavan. Can someone explain me?

Amar and I planned for the usual 2nd or the night show at Rakki which starts by 10.00 PM. Felt sleepy yesterday and slept from 7 PM. Was confident that my cellular will wake me at 8.30 PM. Forgot the fact that my mobile was running a 24 hour format clock, programmed the alarm for 8.30 PM. Amar had called thrice and sent a few SMSes. By the time it was 9.35 PM, woke up to Amar’s last try and told him that will be at Rakki in another five minutes. Reached the theatre by 9.50 PM and bought the tickets and the found from a friend that the movie starts by 10.15 PM and has eighteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen reels. So, definitely we were in for a bigggggggggggggggg 3 hour treat. Definitely, it was.

Vallavan stars Chimbu a.k.a T.R.Silambarasan, Nayanthara, Reema Sen, Sandhya, Santhanam, Sathyan, S.Vee.Sekhar and who does not?

Belive it or not, this movie is Chimbhu’s first full time direction venture and there is a strrrrrrrrrrrrong story line. Chimbu and Sandhya are close friends from school life. Chimbhu loves Nayanthara in college where Nayanthara (3 years older than Chimbhu) is a trainee lecturer. The love breaks when Nayan comes to know that Chimbhu is a student in the same college and younger than her. One cannot forget the act by Santhanam (the lollu-sabha fame) and his crew. Truly a good comedy track that goes on well with the movie. He has outperformed his earlier appearances in manmadhan and ah-aah . Truely a great performance. The firssssssssssssst halllllllllllllllllf ends this way. A very long one with nearly a dozen songs. Everyone at the theatre was craving for a break.

Priyan, the cinematogrpher, has done a good job capturing songs really well and mainly for tolerating Chimbhu’s idiosyncracies. Chimbhu is alkl there in the movie. Nayan is really beautiful after her weight loss and does a fair good job in acting. Reema is good and Sandhya is all time standing like Barbie behind Chimbhu. Balakumaran is the dialogue writer and really the dialogues are well. For some people, who want to know the swear words in tamil, watch Vallavan. Even Reema uses the baddest swear word in tamil. Yuvan , with his young and peppy music, steals the show. As always, he scores a point extra in re-recording and Goodness me! all the 9 songs are a big hit. Chimbhu has tried to stick all the songs at all the possible places he can and he has succeeded to an extent. My favorite number is Yammadi, Aathadi by Suchitra (of the Radio mirchi fame) and T.Rajendar. The songs are filmed very well with extravagant sets (I understand why the producer was upset with Chimbhu) and a lot, sorry a loooooooooootttttttttttt of people dancing around.

The second half starts with the flashback where Chimbhu falls in love with Reema Sen in a school culturals show. Chimbhu, Sandhya and Santhanam in school attire. Ok, I can tolerate to an extent. But Reema in a pinnaform. Come on Chimbhu! Wake up! We cannot accept whatever you do. Coming back to the story, Reema is projected as a crazy and pscychotic person who wants Chimbhu to be on her feet all the time as he is in love with her. Chimbhu does all the childish acts, finally ditches Reema Sen when she tries to ditch him. Too much of childish behaviour at this moment could have been avoided. It includes the screenplay, direction. The scenes involving Chimbhu and Reema are too pathetic. Once again, Santhanam steals the show with his comedy track at the school. Flash back ends with Reema and Chimbhu parting away. Reema enters the scene again and challenges Chimbhu that she is the one who is gonna marry him. Chimbhu challenges to his part. Amar challenges me that the movie will run for 50 days. I challenge him that the movie will run for 500 days. Oops! Challenging is addictive. God save us!

Somebody advise Chimbhu that we cannot tolerate his punch dialogues. Really they are punch dialogues. Or else, why else would Amar punched me for bringing him to the movie? When is Chimbhu gonna stop speaking about life, first, last, love. All his punch dialogues are composed of these four words. There was a voice in the theatre that he is trying to convey message to Dhanush? Is he ? No film politics! If someone counts how many times the word love is used in the movie, I will buy him a free ticket to Vallavan.

Amar : oh God! when will the movie end?

Me : My back and bottoms are aching man!

By this time, we saw a guy leave the theatre thinking that the movie got over and he came back after hering the Yammadi, Aathadi song. Poor soul, could very well have escaped.

Chimbhu does some sentimental act and gets in good books of Nayan again. They decide to marry, By this time, Reema kidnaps Sandhya and has Chimbhu going nuts. Wait, is it only Chimbhu or the audience?

Will Sandhya die in the hands of psychotic Reema?

Will Chimbhu save Sandhya?

Will Chimbhu and Nayan marry and live happily ever after?

Truely an interesting climax. You should definitely spend Rupees 60 and three looooooooonnnnnnnng hours for this Chimbhu’s directional venture.

A million dollar for the one who guesses the climax before watching the movie.