Two Minute Review: Vazhakku Enn 18/9

May 21 2012

Most films are inspired from real life. An incident or an event can give a spark to a filmmaker to conceive a movie. They dwell on anything that happens around us. But at the same time, hardly do they reflect realism. Driven by commercial cliches, filmmakers take a safe bet opting for mass elements in their flicks. However, a new set of directors are making their impact felt these years, with movies that reflect nothing but life. One such jewel in the crown of Tamil cinema is Balaji Shakthivel. The 'Kadhal' director, who set a new trend in Kollywood by narrowing the bridge between art house and commercial cinema, is back to charming us with 'Vazhakku Enn 18/9'.
Tamil Review: 'Vazhakku Enn 18/9' is a must watch
The filmmaker in his sublime form strikes the right chord. He leaves no stones unturned in taking a serious issue that haunts teenagers today. His narration is so close to reality that the audience might feel that things just unfold almost next to them. If his 'Kadhal' was all about romance between a couple of different 'communities' and 'Kalloori' spoke about the death of innocent students for political reasons, 'Vazhakku Enn... ' is totally different, but much relevant for the day.

It harps about the obscene MMS scandals that play spoilsport on youngsters' lives these days. The mindset of today's youth, their wayward lives and romance has been picturised well. Balaji Shakthivel has proved in the past that with lesser known star cast, he can make a mark on screen. 'Vazhakku Enn...' too is a script-driven movie, where the entire star cast is fresh. Hence, identifying with the characters is no daunting task. More in the flashback mode, the movie throws light on two lover couples, a crime and an investigation by cops. It is more of sex, lies and crime, but well narrated without any obscenity.

Velu (Sri) is a fun-loving fellow who works in a roadside shop. An orphan, he works for his survival. He comes across Jothi (Urmila Mahantha). She works as servant maid in adjoining apartments. And it's love. Their lives in the apartment Aarthy (Manisha Yadav), whose father and mother work to make both ends meet. Dinesh (Mithun Murali), a student too resides in the same apartment. Dinesh leads a wayward life and is obsessed to watch porn. As it happens, Aarthy falls for him without knowing his past and intentions. A series of happenings lead to a crime and the baton is passed on to inspector Muthuraman (Kumaravel), who investigates the crime.

The rest is all but how law takes its own course that's presented as a racy script. It is a script that gets its sheen thanks to brilliant performance of the star cast. Sree as the platform dweller gets under the skin of his character to give his best, while Urmila is impressive as a short poetry on screen. She bubbles with energy and emotes at ease. A welcome find by Balaji Shakthivel and she is sure to go a long way. Mithun Murali as Dinesh is tailor-made for the role. His desperation and is brought out well. Watch out for a good show by Kumaravel as a greedy cop. All these have all been director's artistes delivering what Balaji Shakthivel wants. Manisha Yadav has come out wth a splendid performance. Her body language and mannerisms fit well the character she has done. Urmila is no inferior to Manisha, and both the actresses add credibility to their respective roles. Cinematography by Vijay Milton is the hallmark of the movie. Shot in soft lens, every frame speaks for itself on screen. Specially the scenes where Aarthy comes to know about Dinesh and his motives, how she manages to get his memory card are picturised well.

Prasanna's background score is something that lends solid support to Balaji Shakthivel's sincere efforts. Complimenting the whole unit's good work is slick editing by Gopi Krishna. 'Vazhakku Enn' has moments that leave a lump in your throat. It needs a man with conviction like Balaji Shakthivel to come up with such a convincing film. Hats off the whole team for a splendid show! A must watch this summer.

Cheapster's!

May 20 2012

I do not understand this at all. How can some people manage to surpass the cheapometer standard they set for themselves progressively each time? I wish I could be one of those people who can stick to their determination and say "Neither do I forgive nor do I forget". Unfortunately, or fortunately-I don't know, it is with great displeasure that I admit I'm amongst those who forgive easily and probably forget soon too :-/

It is this attitude or inborn trait that makes my life miserable. Making the same errors over and over again. I think I must resolve to not loose my guard and stay focused on forgive and don't ever forget and never give a second chance to the person again !

Pepsi's Punch

May 19 2012

Chiku buku na TRAIN 
Pepsi'na BRAIN 

Mobileku iruku TOWER 
Pepsi'ku iruku POWER 

LIC na HEIGHT 
Pepsi'na WEIGHT 

BUS na TYRE 
Pepsi'na FIRE 

5+5= PATHU 
Pepsi' na GETHU 

Watchla iruku mullu 
Pepsi' ku Dhillu 

SO B CAREFUL ....:-) pepsi boy rocks. 
Just now watched TR movie tats why kiddos!

The Afterwards

May 18 2012

I am in the strange place that is the afterwards of a severe episode. I have only vague memories of the last six weeks or so. I feel confused, bewildered, as though I have washed up on a strange shore. I am not entirely sure what to do with myself. I know I am OK. My mood is OK, my thoughts are OK, I am no longer having strange experiences, I can no longer feel the electrodes in my head (*do* I have electrodes in my head, or is that just part of the illness?), I am no longer doing battle with the entire civilisation. I am just me, ordinary, human, but no longer consumed by either elation or fear. And I feel like I need to untangle it all but I don't where to start.

I don't know why I got ill, though probably messing around with my medication didn't help, and I don't know why I got better. I think maybe home *was* useful for me this time, though I hate to be in home, it gave me a small space away from my world and my responsibilities, it got me eating and sleeping again. I have been back there this morning to be officially discharged. I have to go again tomorrow, because I have an appointment with my clients. I don't know what to say. I don't know how to explain what has happened. I don't know how to explain my life, that is the problem.

High Intellectual Funda

May 17 2012

I was having a discussion with a friend about how a Man and a Woman's brain work differently.

When suddenly this came up:

How I imagine Girls think:

When they come across something new and unknown:

1. Checks to see if any other girl has the same thing.
If No:

2. Checks to see if it can be worn or applied to face.
If No:

3. Checks to see if eaten , will it make her fat.
If Yes:

"Mehh... I didn't like it anyways"

Stupid Love Letter

May 10 2012

Do you want to win the Love of your sweetheart?
Is she ignoring you all this while?
Are you in this one-sided-love battle for years?

If the answer to the above three questions is Yes, then you are in the big group of men who are not successful in converting their one sided love into two sided love. This post might help you to come out of your Single Status.

I can hear that you are asking me why your status is still single?

It has been a long time since I wrote about my kindergarten girl friend Sharmi. This article will silence that long gap. I was in class 8 then. We were all in our early teens. Sharmi was the most beautiful girl in my class. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you might know that I loved Sharmi.

Till class 9 we all mingled well with the fairer member of the human species. But suddenly there was a change in the manner in which the boys looked at the girls and vice versa. The girls and boys had trouble to have a conversation freely. Many love stories bloomed during that time. How ever I was an early bloomer. Remember; my love life bloomed when I was in kindergarten.

When I entered 10th grade, I decided to start my new love and try to make Anitha - mine. Sometimes I even thought of murdering his dad. 

I was the prankster in class and was a member of the varutha padaadha vaalibar sangam. Yes only the boys liked my jokes. The girls would often write complaints against me and hand it over to the class teacher. Some of the complaints are

Miss! Prabhu is eating our lunch
Miss! Prabhu broke my pen
Miss! Prabhu poured water in our bags
Miss! Prabhu hit me with a chalk piece
Miss! Prabhu is copying from me
Miss! Prabhu pulled my hair

The list was a long one. But none of this complaints deterred me from my new evergreen love for Anitha. I tried many means to win Anitha's heart. Nothing worked. So I decided to do the unthinkable. Yes, I decided to pen a love letter to Anitha with my blood. So that night when everyone was asleep, I slipped into the kitchen and flicked the knife and came to my room. I took a piece of paper and just when I was about to cut my wrist to collect blood for writing the love letter, I got reminded of the bloody gory scene I saw on TV. Immediately I stopped the act. But still I decided to go ahead with the plan but with a twist in it.

I again went into the kitchen and saw a maggi tomato sauce bottle (Yes I am giving free advertisement to Maggi) I grabbed the bottle and did this

I slept off in peace. The next day morning, when I woke up, my hands were swollen. and they were full of ants.
Moral of the story : Ants like Tomato Sauce.

Meaninglessness

May 5 2012

I wander the house. My shelf of self help and healing books seems to mock me. My art supplies taunt me. The mess on the floor reminds me I'm useless. A good day these days is one I manage to sleep away, wrapped in white sheets, listening to rain. Depression is hard and heavy in me. It reminds me somehow of bone. I don't know how it is possible to come back from this place. I feel too damaged, too lacking in everything that makes a meaningful life possible.