KANNODU KAANBADHELLAAM

A movie review by Balaji Balasubramaniam

Cast:	Arjun, Sonali Bendre, Pravin, Ruchita, Manivannan, 'Crazy' Mohan, Anu Mohan
Music:	Deva
Direction:	Prabhu

With the amount of repetitiveness seen in tamil cinema today, any sign of novelty - be it in the story or its handling - is a welcome breath of fresh air. Director Prabhu gets full marks in this respect for a story that is flimsy but refreshingly original. Though he seems to have stumbled a bit in fashioning the screenplay and holding the viewer's attention continuously for the full running time of the movie, its an impressive effort nevertheless.

Akash(Pravin) falls in love with Akila(Ruchita) and follows her doggedly though she repeatedly spurns his advances. Seetharam(Arjun) visits her house with the intention of fixing up an alliance but returns when told by Akash that he and Akila loved each other and would die if they did not get each other. He then runs into Kalyani(Sonali Bendre) and falls for her. A prank that Akila plays to get Akash off her back forever results in Kalyani misunderstanding Seetharam and she leaves him. But then Akila, who has a change of heart, gets together with Akash. Seetharam who sees this, starts harassing them, asking them to find Kalyani and ordering them not to stay together since they did not allow him to.

The basic story of lovers in trouble, not because of their religion or caste or feuding families or villages but because of another man, is original enough to sustain interest in the movie. But though this part of the story begins only midway through the movie, the two romances in the beginning of the movie are solid enough to prop up the movie till then. The director does a much better job here that either Subash Ghai with Taal or Vasanth with Poovellaam Kettuppaar. The Arjun-Sonali romance is the pick of the two with it being both short and sweet. The scene where Arjun talks to her in his office is nice and the dialogs make him seem actually sincere rather than cinematic. The Pravin-Ruchita romance, with a lot more screen time, has its moments too. His attempts to woo her are fun and her ultimate change of heart isn't too far-fetched either.

The movie shifts into a different gear once Arjun starts harrying the young pair. These sequences are picturised with skill and a certain amount of tension is created. But instead of sticking with just this storyline, the director allows the pace to slow down by introducing duets and Arjun's ramblings to his assistant about how much he misses Kalyani. While the romance plays its part in padding the initial portions and setting the stage for the second half, it is out-of-place here.

The climax is a pleasant surprise. Though Arjun's stature as a leading man makes it obvious what the ending is going to be, the way it is brought about is satisfying and different. After Aanandha Mazhai and Nee Varuvaai Ena, this is another climax that had me finish the movie with a good opinion of the movie as a whole.

Arjun impresses in the complex character of a man who is sweet enough to love at first sight but merciless enough to strand a young couple in the middle of the lake. His romance is mature and he enjoys himself as the villain. The "chummaa" he utters each time he scares the lovers adds spice to his character and leads to a nice way of ending the movie. Sonali looks awkward in the traditional, South Indian attire but performs well in the brief role. Pravin(yesteryear actress Vyjayanthimala's son) isn't hero material but looks comfortable in his first feature. The same goes for the other debutante Ruchita.

Manivannan, as the womanising father of Pravin, and 'Crazy' Mohan, as the astrology-obsessed father of Ruchita, have some funny encounters. Though I did not note who the dialog writer was, there are several funny lines that have the touch of 'Crazy' Mohan himself. Deva comes up with the melodious Irubadhu Vayadhu... which is soulfully rendered by Hariharan.