Thirumalai – The Dhool Magic, again !!

Thirumalai is an outright entertainer. Even before the movie released, it was Vijay who set the expectations appropriately for the movie. He called it nothing but entertainment. Today if the movie is a hit, is clearly because of not over-hyping the pre-release marketing and downplaying it very well. Kavithaalaya emerges once again this year as the most profitable producers followed by A.M Ratnam’s Surya Movies.

The debutant director Ramana believes in the fact that a no-story-but-good-screenplay will help the movie reach masses. He has succeeded following Dharani’s footsteps. When Dhool hit the screens early this year, not many thought it would rock the kollywood like what it did. For time being, Dharani certainly changed the rules of the game. Not only were the critics who were astounded by the success but also the directors who thought good stories alone make a movie. Dharani rushed those beliefs out of them. Though not a good decision to go with a thin story line, always, Dhool remains as a milestone in the history of kollywood for it’s sheer entertainment values and perfect mix of each necessary component of a movie. Now there are directors who sit tight and etch out a good story and there are directors like Dharani and Ramana who manage a hit with just clear understanding of what people want. That’s the varied mix of talented young chaps in the battleground of Kollywood. If not for a success like Dhool, Ramana, the director of Thirumalai just managed a small kargil victory.

The screenplay is the most appreciable part of the movie. With less flaws and no hang-ups in-between, it is the intelligent screenplay that takes us on a joy ride. But the feeling of something big is going to happen is indispensable and to our dismay nothing big happens. It is a story of a typical love between a automotive mechanic and the daughter of a rich businessman who owns six satellite channels. It has nothing to more to it. With this one line story, Vijay is the man who carries the burden of the whole movie. He is does it with an experienced ease. But he invariably omnipresent in the movie and that is slightly irritating. Also the relationship between Rahuvaran and Vijay is unexplained. The sudden sisterly affection of Kausalya also set my thinking that there will be a sad flashback in the second half that Vijay is her younger brother and got missed in some festival and she finds him here in Pudupet again. Thanks to the director, he saved us from such classical stupid scenes.

Vijay’s two-day stub and a slender moustache shows his desperate eagerness to appear young and participate among the race to stardom amidst the young chaps like Dhanush and Chimbu. Also his meticulous voice modulation is a big plus. It is because of his expressionless, flat voice in the past, Vijay’s good body language went unnoticed. It has been taken care with utmost care this time and he excels in the character of a Chennai localite. He plays a mechanic in the much-crowded Pudupet except that he doesn’t have a single scene to show him working on a bike. All he does is to keep dusting his self-designed bike. At time he looks like a pathetic cleaner than a well-trained mechanic. Even the small boy who works in his mechanic shed seems to work more on bikes than Vijay himself. Vijay wades through the character of Thirumalai. As he proposes to Jyothika with an innocent look, he also occupies the seat of a comedian. From the looks of Vijay and most of the scenes, it seems to be an inspiration of Rajini’s Baba. He is all out to strengthen his efforts of being as an alternate to Rajini. Good Try !!.

With Jyothika playing the heroine in the movie, the movie is always poised to be fun. As against the unwritten laws of kollywood, this time the screenplay also includes the heroine, most of the time and that paves way for Jyothika to prove her nerve once again. This is certainly not a Kushi again but she gets ample space to appear on screen. She is one hell of a girl who needs some good characters to prove that she is nothing less than others. Vivek becomes a copycat. Like Deva who copies his own music again and again, he tries to recycle his comedies. Old Wine in a old nasty bottle. Stinks.

Though Thimsukattai song seems to be out of place (most of the songs are actually out of place), it becomes yet another Adiye Kappakizhangey (Dhool). Incidentally this song is also sung by Tippu. But the best of them is Thammtakka Theemtakka rendered by both Tippu and Karthik. Raghavendra Lawrence and Vijay dance the best out of this fabulous song. This song is must watch, atleast on Pepsi Ungal Choice.

Though not the definitive winner of the Diwali releases as Sun TV calls it, Thirumalai is a good entertaining watch. If you can afford to forget logic and theories, sit back and enjoy, Vijay and his team.