Aadhavan

Director: K.S.Ravikumar

When asked what he knows, the over enthusiastic Murugan alias Aadhavan alias Madhavan like an adept who knows it all yet humble, starts rambling on for 10 reels about varies intricacies in cooking and then as one would expect, at various scenes throughout the film he demonstrates that he knows everything from enacting a monkey (the stunts; not Anand Babu), to yoga, to acting like Shivaji, to various forms of dancing and if you aren’t satisfied he does a Rajini ala muthu style and even shells out a sentimental scene for the sake of it akin to Varanam Aayiram; ultimately ending up proving yet again that none has the speed and grace of MGR to enact the “Naan aanaiyital” and when the cool dude sure-shot assassin walks out of his yacht with anger that he missed his target and being insulted for that, the wanna be cool act acclimates to great heights. If that is not enough we have the yesteryear overacting queen reprising her caricature, while the Thara without any spark, reduced to just repeating “it’s ok!” could borrow few tonnes of makeup from the former, for it’s not ok for us to be scared during close-ups so often which the younger Aadhavan does, whose face stuck using chewing gum (that Aadhavan uses throughout the movie) to the older one just for the sake of proving that if its Aadhavan’s role, his face should one be there regardless of the age or ridicule factor.

The over enthusiasm even spreads to the Commissioner and AC, the duty conscious strict officers that they are, who directs NSG commanders proving that NSG may rank above State police but FEFSI chairman will always have more authority than them. If this is not enough, the icing of the cake (the rotten one) is in the form of the director and the producer appearing in a cameo when all gasped: finally (!!) lets go, and repeats the 10 reels dialogue that Madhavan did with few lines shared by the producer acid testing his acting skills for his debut venture next. It’s a pity that the director who has given ample attention to the gizmos failed to demand songs that suit the movie which though good doesn’t get along with the flow if by luck it ever tries to be. If not for the comic timing of Suriya and Vadivelu in the first half, everyone would have been long gone.

For detailed discussion on the music of Aadhavan click here.