RESENT MOVIE OF LUCKY STAR AJITH KUMAR

Language: Tamil
Director: K. S. Ravikumar


Cast: Ajith, Meena, Kiran, Nasser, Ramesh Khanna, Vijay Kumar, Karunas
Music: Vidhyasagar
 

Synopsis

The film has something different to offer for Ajith's fans and this time, it is going to be a dual role showing his fighting and acting powers. The film has an even share of sentiment and action ably put together. Vairamuthu has penned the lyrics with Vidyasagar scoring the music. K.S.Ravikumar has handled the story, screenplay and direction of the film.

Review

One of the twins is bus conductor and the other is handicapped. The elder one, Shiva, overhears his parents' plot to kill his mildly retarded brother, Vishnu. He runs away to another city with his adorable brother and strives hard to look after Vishnu. As a result of an incident when 'dada' Sundara Moorthy, who runs a beggar trade beats Vishnu brutally, Vishnu becomes a handicap for life. Shiva leaves Vishnu in a home run by a social worker (Sujatha). During the day, Shiva works as a conductor and in the night poses as the handicapped Vishnu to play Robinhood and steal from the rich and corrupt. A gang including Meena, Ramesh Kanna and others assists him in the operations. He is never suspected and so with the stolen money, he takes care of not only Vishnu but also 800 other institutions for physically handicapped. A college student Lavanya (Kiran) falls in love with Shiva but Shiva later comes to know that she is the sister-in-law of the 'dada' who handicapped Vishnu. Matters worsen when Sundara Moorthy becomes the chairman for the institute for physically handicapped. How Shiva deals with the situation forms the rest of the story.

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 Raja

Language: Tamil
Release Date : July 12 2002
Director: Ezhil.
Cast: Ajith, Jyothika,Priyanka Trivedi,Vadivelu.

Synopsis

After their teaming in films like 'Vaali', 'Mughavari' and 'Poovellam Unn Vaasam', the successful team of Ajit and Jyotika come together again in a new film titled 'Raja'. Playing the second female lead is Priyanka Trivedi who had played Dilip's pair in 'Rajjiyam'. Produced by Thiruvenkatam of Serin Movie Makers ('Hello', 'Parthein Rasithein'), the film is written and directed by Ezhil ('Poovellam Unn Vaasam', 'Thullatha Manamum Thullum' and 'Pennin Manathai Thottu'), this being Ezhil's fourth film.

Review

It is a love triangle with the first part set in an urban college ambience, and the second half shifting to the village. Priya (Jyotika) falls for Raja from the neighbouring college and uses Priya Mahalakshmi her college-mate (Priyanka Trivedi) who happens to be Raja's neighbour. But the confusion in the names of the two girls, and the confused way in which the shy, timid Mahalakshmi delivers the message, makes Raja mistakenly think that Mahalakshmi loved him, and he woos the girl aggressively. But before the matter can reach a conclusion, Mahalakshmi meets a violent end at the hands of a college rowdy and villain Bhavani (Sonu). Bhavani who does what all college rowdies do in our films - eve-teasing, molesting, kidnapping and generally making a nuisance of themselves - turns his attention on Mahalakshmi and she becomes a victim of his vengeance against Raja.

Since it is the same villain who is the common enemy for all the lead characters in the film, it is now Priya's turn to be harassed by Bhavani. Being forced into an unwanted marriage with him, Priya runs away from home, and takes refuge with Raja at his village house, passing herself as a girl in distress. Raja, of course, having never seen her before is oblivious of her feelings for him and her motive in entering his house. And even after she comes out with her story of her one-sided love for him, the grieving hero is reluctant to reciprocate. But all that changes when Bhavani re-enters the scene. Bhavani forces his attention on Priya and Raja is now forced to do the rescue act. Needless to add, the duo get back together.

"Raja" boasts of a handsome star cast, but it's hardly enough to salvage the film. Looks-wise Priyanka Trivedi may not quite be one's idea of a naive, orthodox Brahmin girl with the nickname of 'Thayir Saadam' in the film (reminds you of Abitha's role in 'Sethu'). But her fast changing expressions are delightful. Jyotika has never looked so glamorous and so good. Arvind's camera has caught her very flatteringly.

In his earlier films Ajit played the lover-boy and then switched over to action and 'rowdy' roles in his recent films. That didn't work out either, and with 'Raja' Ajit is back to the college-campus and romance. But if the script is uninspiring and mediocre, and the narration lackadaisical, there's not much a hero can do, whether he's playing a lover-boy or a rowdy!
 

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RED

Ajit’s Red is the most eagerly awaited movie, which would be a treat for his fans. The rumour is that Red is loosely based on Irwing Wallace’s novel “All Mighty”.

The film is an all out action movie where Red (Ajit) is a ‘dada’  His mother dies after giving birth to him in a temporary shed of a temple chariot in Madurai, near the market and bus stand. Hence, this shed and chariot are very dear to him and he considers it his home. He grows up to be the local ‘dada’ and is also the right hand man of Maya Akka (Vindhya) who runs an illicit arrack shop. Next to Maya Akka’s ‘bar’ Priya Gill runs a shop, which sells short eats like ‘bajji’ and ‘vada’. Of course Priya is there for all the six songs with Ajit, who falls in love with her. Red then meets Rajesh who runs a crime magazine and his writings are very popular. Red uses Rajesh to expose the villains who have ganged up against him. The rest of the film is about how Red fights the baddies.

According to director Ram Satya: “The film has love, glamour and sentiments despite being an action movie. The highlight of the film would be six beautiful songs, which will make one sit through the entire film.” The film is entirely shot in a huge set erected at the Ramoji Rao Studio in Hyderabad. Ajit is all excited about the film and feels that his fans would be satisfied and the film will be a major box-office hit. He also adds that it would be one of the most memorable films in his career.

Other than Ajit and Priya Gill the cast also includes Manivannan, Rajan.P.Dev, Raghuvaran, Revathy, Vindhya, Charlie, Salim Ghouse and ‘Nizhalgal’ Ravi. Camera is by Rajasekhar and fights by Kannal Kannan. Deva tunes lyrics of Vairamuthu. Choreography is by Raju Sundaram, art director is Sabu Cyril and editing is by Sreekar Prasad. The film is produced by ‘Nic’ Arts Chakravarthy

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CITIZEN

Director: Sharavanan Subbiah
Cast: Ajit, Vasundhara Das, Meena, Nagma, Ajay Ratnam, Pandian, Devan.

A district collector, a judge, and a police official are all kidnapped in broad daylight, the kidnapper cocking-a-snook at the establishment, calling himself 'Citizen' and appearing in different disguises to get at his targets. C.B.I. officer Sarojini (Nagma) finally traces the common factor among the kidnapped trio to Athippatti, a small hamlet consisting of fishermen. But to her surprise both the village and its 600 odd inhabitants seemed to have been wiped away from the face of the earth. The diggings tell a story of a mass massacre that must have taken place about a couple of decades back. 'Citizen' is finally apprehended. He comes out with his story of the gory happenings at Athippatti and how he, as a little boy, had been the sole survivor of the nightmare that gripped the village that day, twenty years back.

                                                                   It looks more like the work of a seasoned master, than a debutant, for Saravanan Subbiah has planned his script meticulously to make it look different from the routine ones. The narration moves at a fast pace, and the scenes are expertly handled - particularly the ones relating to the discovery of the mass grave. There are a couple of loose ends, some unanswered questions and a lagging in the second part where the scenes relating to the 'Flashback' are narrated. The end too is rather tame, for 'Citizen' is let scot-free by the court. The men he had kidnapped had been produced alive, and he did have his reasons. But then what about all those cops on duty, who were killed by this man? One wouldn't also agree with the 'Citizen's' suggestion of the method of punishment to be meted out to the three culprits. Rather mild for the men who were responsible for the mass gory murders!

Ajit has put in a lot of effort, handled his dual role and all those disguises with élan. His best scenes are as the tormented fisherman of Athippatti. Vasundhara, as the bubbly, naughty Indu, wearing her heart on her sleeves and tirelessly wooing the hero, seems to have finally found her slot, and can give the existing heroines a run for their money. Meena as the fisherman's wife, and Nagma as the C.B.I officer play their parts well. Though it did take time to get used to the new harsh voice dubbed for Nagma!

Deva's music is catchy. 'I like you…' sung by Vasundhara herself (though it reminded one of an old Hindi song), and 'Chikku mukku…' are well rendered and picturised. Setting the mood to the scenes with his brilliant lighting is the excellent cinematography of Ravi. K. Chandran. 'Citizen' is a movie to be watched and is the most ambitious project from the Ajit - NIC arts combination.

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 Fast Facts about 'Poovellam Un Vaasam'

A 5276th film in Tamil. A 3rd film for Ajith-Jyothika pair Yuktha mukhi's first appearance in the Indian filmdom!This again proves a fact that any Indian miss world or miss universe make their debut appearance in Tamil!
Another love movie. As love blossoms the lovers have to survive the evil effects caused by certain undesirable elements and pass through many dark tunnels before joining their hands in happy union. This film is true to the recent trend of the Tamil filmdom. But that Ajith acts in this film is its specialty. Two families are in perfect harmony. Ajith and Jyothika, the heirs of those families fall for each other. But Yugendran tells a white lie that Jyothika is in love with himself. And Ajith is duped and deceived by the plot of the Villain. The family bond gets broken as a result of this. After undergoing many hardships and untold sufferings the families unite again. Ajith worst the Villain while the film is in half way. To our surprise, Director Ezhil gives an unexpected twist to the film. But we are able to guess the eventuality rather easily. Hence the feeling that the film is long and slow. Ajith has given a different dimension. During the song sequences he seems to be a dancing phenomenon, spirited as he is. He has hogged the limelight in the song Yuktha Mukhi; he has shown the heroism of seizing the credit of the scene by force. But he requires some more homework to acquit himself better in the weeping scenes.  Jyothika has brought a variety of new expressions on her face, a welcome change. The director has imparted valuable training to her in emoting the feelings such as shyness, grief and anger. We find improvisation and innovation in her acting. Vivek pines for experience of 'First Night'. As a matter of wonderment, we see a subdued Kovai Sarala. When "Aththa" (divine mother) transmigrates into her body, Vivek is able to provide comedy of a high order (Are you the mother of the world? Come on, show your tongue. Let's see how long it is. Come along; show me your fifteen hands, if at all you have them, as Ramanarayanan show in his film!) Vaiyapuri has done it great in his single and separate track. This augurs well for his growth. Yugendran, the handsome Villain, keeps Ajith spellbound to the best of his ability veteran Sivakumar appears as an adept in crying circumstances. No doubt, he is a master of pathos. The actors who cannot emote well in grievous scenes will do well to take a leaf out of the look of this experienced showman. Sayaji Shinde ought to have taken some more pains. Ajith performs only one stunt scene. The cameraman and the editor have functional in unison to bring about an excellent result. Vidyasagar is the other hero of the film several songs such as "Kadhal Vandhadhe", "Yuktha Mukhi", and "Thirumana Malargal" captivate our hearts. Vairamuthu has picturised the fine sentiments and tender feelings of a woman in the lines of the lyric, "Thirumana Malargal". And in the very same song, Swarnalatha pours down honey in our ears. Her voice is so sweet. Turning towards Director Ezhil, we can shake his hands for presenting a decent film to the moviegoers. Nevertheless, he might have sharpened many scenes for giving a better effect. (Example: The fight Jyothika puts up with her father in her young age gives a black mark to the talent of the director) Throughout the film, songs have been interspersed wherever the story moves along slowly to make up for the lack of tempo. But the director has depicted an emotion charged climax with a beautiful background music on the strength of the fitting climax, the director has reached the shores after withstanding all the storms.  *****************************************************************

 DHEENA