3- A review

Well to begin with, I walked out of the theatre singing,”Why this kolaveri Da???????” and it was a lot later that I figured why the movie was named 3? And its another fact that my friend slept during the second half.  So here is my verdict:

True to its name, the film is about three phases in the life of Ram (Dhanush) and Janani (Shruti Haasan). The movie loops between flashback and the present.

Phase 1: Ram, a school student meets Janani and falls for her and within no time Janani also reciprocates. The first phase is refreshing and lively with realistic incidents like following the girl home on his bike, joining tutions just to see her, phone calls at night, secret tete a tete on the terrace etc. Ram’s friend Kumar played by Siva Karthikeyan is humour personified and manages to keep the audience in splits with his one liners.This phase is the most enjoyable phase in the film as this phase entertains you the most.

Phase 2: Love strengthens between the couple but as usual their parents come in their way.Janani’s parents decide to move to the US and Janani retaliates against her parents by burning her passport and tells them that she loves Ram and wants to live with him. Initially, they oppose, but later they give in after they meet Ram and find out that their daughter is iin safe hands. The two get married in a nightclub and live their dream of living happily ever after. This phase, again, passes off like a breeze.The film sails through smoothly and engages you completely because it is hitherto a roller-coaster ride of emotional ups and downs. The narration is refreshing with the scenes moving back and forth with some suspense thrown in between.

Phase 3: Post interval, the final and third phase starts when Ram suddenly starts having psychological problems. He’s detected with bipolar disorder (!!!), a problem which forces a person to swing between moments of extreme happiness and sadness. Ram’s friend Senthil (Sunder Ramu) tries to help him and gets him treated without the knowledge of his wife. It is wierd given that they are a couple who share a very deep bond, how janani  takes so long to realise that something is wrong in their life!So, not only the relationship between him and his wife starts to falter from this point, the film starts to stumble too.

The film now takes the typical psychological thriller route from that point and one will tend to lose his interest from this point on because it becomes too predictable. The screenplay starts dragging lot and starts boring you. You have B Grade graphics being thrown in to make the audience understand that Ram is hallucinating ang that he is on the brink of suicide.The only consolation in this phase is ‘Why This Kolaveri Di’ song and its simple and no nonsensical picturisation. You will like the song but not the phase.

The ending is very predictable. The message that comes after the ending (about suicide) will add to your dislike.

Ram is tailor-made for Dhanush and the National award winning actor once again proves that he is one of the finest actors in South India. His acting is natural and subtle. His body language and voice modulation are fantastic too. His commitment to the film is so high that one feels that all his hard work has been let down by a half-baked script, particularly in the second half.

Shruti Hassan has improved a lot since her last outing in ’7am Arivu’ and impresses as a caring and confused wife.But its irritating when she starts smiling in each scene and bursts out crying in the end of that scene. And mind you not tears, but loud wails!! Sunder Ramu has done his later part to perfection but his physique didn’t blend well in the initial phase. Veteran actor Prabhu as Ram’s father has given a subtle performance with good support from other senior artists like Rohini and Bhanupriya.

The film is technically very rich with awesome sound clarity made possible by Oscar winner Resul Pookutty. The songs are the soul to this film and are perfectly in sync with the scenes and have been shot well. Anirudh Ravichander proves that he is not a one-song wonder kid and impresses with the background music particularly in the light-hearted moments.

Overall, ’3′ fails to meet the expectations and works only in parts. Newcomer Aishwarya shows promise by taking a serious subject in her very first film and if she dared to think a little differently instead of walking on the beaten track, she would have triumphed here.

I would suggest you to give the theatrical watch a miss and wait for the DVD instead.

P.S- Look out for the Dhanush who looks neat in a suit and for the really cute first half of the movie

Hotel Sagar- A review

Ask anyone in Calicut or anyone going to Calicut about Sagar and they will tell you it’s one of the most familiar names associated with Kozhikode aka Calicut! Hotel Sagar is also ranked at #3 in the To-Do at Calicut List in Lonely Planet.

So when they decided to open up a branch in Cochin it was imperative that we go there at the earliest. They had opened up three days ago and I had heard from quite a number of people that ‘Sagar’ had finally arrived. So off we went.

The branch at Cochin is a replica of the structure at Calicut.  Situated right opposite ‘The International’, it has an Air conditioned family hall and a non Air conditioned dining area. They have plans to open up the first floor once they are settled for good:). Well I went along with dad and three of our friends. I knew it had to be them that i went with coz they had been to ‘The Original’ and knew what to order!The restaurant is not open for Lunch though they do allow takeaways (only biriyani for lunch). Parking is spacious and they have valet parking too.

The ambiance is neat(till date) and the waiters are a real pleasant lot. They know how to deal with impatient and demanding customers with a smile so genuine that you will be forced to pay a tip and wait. Coming to the food, the menu was not ready yet. It still isn’t and will not be till this weekend. The gracious waiter said they have:

• Sweet Corn Veg/ Non VegSoup
• Chappathi
• Parotta (Paratha)
• Chicken Biriyani
• Fried Rice
• Chicken Curry
• Fish Masala
• Prawn Fry
• Chilli Chicken
• Chicken Dry Fry.

Dad was not in a mood to eat so he had the sweet corn soup while we ordered Biriyani, Prawn Fry, Chicken dry fry, chicken curry, fish masala and chappathi. The soup came promptly and the food followed without any delay. The soup was okay, a bit salty. The chappathi, according to me was processed chappathi and was not freshly made. The biriyani had a taste that was different from any biriyani I had eaten. Not exactly in a nice way. Apparently they make the special Biriyani Masala at the house of the owner in Kozhikode and transpport it everyday to Cochin. The Biriyani was not spicy, it had a distinguished garam masala added to it. They call it their ‘Secret Biriyani Formula’. We did warn them that the cochinites are not going to fall for it at all. The chicken curry was wasted coz it had a plush of tomatoes and only its tangy taste stood out surpassing spices, saltiness,sweetness and all that. The fish masala was nice and the only dish worth going back for. The biggest shock was the prawn fry  had a nice coconut and masala combination which was really nice until they billed us Rs 200 for 6 small pieces of prawn!!!!

Overall the five of us ate for Rs. 820 which is not exactly a bad deal but not worth for the food they gave us. I must admit that I will go there again in one month’s time just to see if they have improved and if this was because they did not yet have a fully functioning kitchen. That is for time to tell. Which leaves me to give the MAD VERDICT.

MAD VERDICT:

Location: Prominent and easily accessible.

Ambience: Neat and well lit.

Food: As of now a shame for ‘The Original’.

Service: Excellent and prompt service.

Mad points: 2/5.

Pointers:

• Go after awhile and after you have heard they have settled down.
• Tip the waiters in uniform. The owners also take orders for now so do not mistake and tip them instead!

Salt n Pepper- A review

It has been about a day since my taste buds fell in love with Aasihiq Abu’s Salt ‘n Pepper and they are yet to get over it. You would see what I’m talking about, when I tell you that I drove around a drowsy city on a Sunday afternoon after the noon show, frantically hoping all the while to hit a food joint somewhere, where I could settle down in some corner, and eat, eat and just eat.

Kalidasan (Lal) is an archaeologist who is equally obsessed with food, and the smell and feel of the past. Maya (Swetha Menon) lives in another corner of the city, and has to put up with a job as a dubbing artiste that she enjoys, but which is often contrary to her beliefs. The two strike up a conversation that doesn’t go too well, after one of Maya’s calls to the local Dosa guy ends up on Kalidasan’s mobile. Hate slowly gives way to affection, but when they decide to finally meet.

However, Kalidasan on the spur of the moment sends over his nephew Manu (Asif Ali) instead. And, Meenakshi (Mythili), Maya’s roommate, volunteers to make an appearance on her behalf.

This is perhaps the first film that I have seen, where an entire audience smacks their lips in anticipation, barely two minutes into it. This is a dream-come-true film for any foodie out there, but even for the others there is no escape from the drool and dribble. Get ready for some real flooding in your mouths, as almost everyone in the film digs into food, and more food.

Having struck up an affinity over the telephone, Kalidasan proceeds to let Maya into the secrets of baking a Joan’s Rainbow Cake. Made by a French soldier’s wife as the Second World War raged on, and as she anxiously waited for her husband’s return home, the sumptuous cake with strawberry, pistachio and orange layers placed one over the other, is topped all over with delicious chocolate sauce. Kalidasan and Maya bake their own versions, and the world around them turns a tad sweeter.

Kalidasan almost undergoes a teleportation, courtesy the Unniappam that proclaims Babu’s (Baburaj) culinary skills. Almost everyone at the beauty parlor that Maya’s house owner (Kalpana) runs, bites into her juicy banana fries with a vengeance. Manu stares at Meenakshi round eyed, with the froth of a hot cappuccino plastered over his upper lip. Balakrishnan (Vijayaraghavan), an officer at an excavation site, explains the impact of a steaming hot tea, after a terribly drunken night. And even the lecherous technician who’s after Maya at work, chews into a drumstick in his Sambar as if there is no tomorrow.

As much as the film is about food that comes in all possible delectable forms, it’s about several other things as well. It’s about the lives of people who love to bite into something scrumptious and lose themselves in the glory of the moment. It’s about people unearthing themselves, and on their route to discovery coming to finally comprehend, what they really want from life.

There is so much to be said, of each of these adorable characters. Maya is a struggler striving to confront her own insecurities, and constantly challenging herself to prove that better days lie ahead. She gets the jitters on a driving test, and eventually does grab the driver’s license. She takes one hard look at herself in the mirror, and tries to come to terms with the fact that men aren’t in love with her any more. And it doesn’t help much, that they are lusting after her instead.

Kalidasan has been busy gorging on anything that he could lay his eyes on, and all on a sudden finds that the ground has turned slippery, as he starts yearning for companionship. He is a Self-doubting Thomas all right, and the salt on his beard isn’t reassuring to him either. There isn’t a flavor that escapes his savory tongue, and yet the tang end essence of human relations remain almost alien to him. Until he meets Maya.

I especially loved the wholehearted, keen servitude that characterizes Babu. Over the years, he has comfortably imposed wifely duties on himself, and is every bit what his employer wants him to be. Moopan (Kelu Moopan) is a silent spectator from another culture, who merely has a toothless grin as an answer to most questions. And who would forget K T Mirash (Ahmed Siddique), the irksome, on-your-back guy who eats into your ears with undecipherable, nonsensical advice, as much as you are trying to vigorously shake him off. Last but certainly not the least, there is the dysfunctional radio in Kalidasan’s retro Premier Padmini, that jumps into life each time the car runs into a ditch. It soon dies out again, but not before playing a song that adds a little bit to the story.

Performances are uniformly splendid, and Lal and Swetha Menon head the lot, with feats that are crisp and quite crunchy. Asif Ali and Mythili whip up some real fresh cream with thick sugar syrup. Baburaj has some real spicy fries in store, that are downright yummy. Ahmed Siddique pours over some steaming soup that’s sweet and sour. And the rest of them see to it that the garnishing is perfect.

Shyju Khalid, with his apron right on spot, has captured perfect frames that make Salt ‘n Pepper, a visual delicacy. Saajan wastes no time, mincing it all up and slices and chops with precision. Bijibal and the rock band Avial have mixed up mint and cinnamon with their musical scores, and the very special ‘Kanamullal Ulneerum’ pours honey over raisins.

Aashiq Abu and his team (that includes the fantastic writers Syam Pushkaran and Dileesh Nair) adhere to the golden rules of good cooking, and see to it that the griddle is all hot, before they gently spread out a light hearted Dosa story on it. The batter is rich and consistently textured with much mirth and laughter and it settles down on the tava, with a sizzling hum. They grease it a bit further with a dollop of emotional butter that melts all over it in no time. Just as the crust turns firm, they flip it over, and let it turn a golden brown on both sides. And once done, roll it over to a swank platter, and serve it piping hot.

Chappa Kurish- A review

‘Chappa Kurish’ puts the scanner on the strangeness of reality in a busy city in Kerala, that reeks with life. The title means Heads or tails in local dialects here in Cochin. This wrenching and powerful testament on the politics of power that govern human lives, deals with issues that are real, contemporary and quite complex.

Arjun (Fahadh Fazil) is a dashing young businessman on his way to become a corporate magnate. Living in a swank apartment in Cochin, he likes to see the city move beneath his feet. He is engaged to be married to Ann (Roma), and has an affair on the sly with his secretary Sonia (Remya Nambeeshan). One of their clandestine encounters is recorded on Arjun’s mobile phone as he loves watching replays of his own acts and when Sonia threatens to wreck his marriage, he loses the phone in a scuffle. Where it does land, is before Ansari (Vineeth Sreenivasan), a cleaner boy at a local super market, who quickly grabs it and disappears into the crowd.

Arjun is the kind of man who believes that money has earned him everything possible in the world. His gait is self-assured, perhaps a bit too much at that, and he has selectively ousted lesser individuals from his purview. He is used to having people hop around his fingertips, and is a strategic planner who devises his booming career with as much craftiness and care as his life.

Ansari on the other hand is fast getting used to being jostled at, and has learned that it’s a man-eat-man world out there. He engages in a silent battle every day, with him on one side and the affluent world at the other, where he merely puts up a feeble guard and tries to meekly get away. He never gets to sit on a vacant sit on the bus, is shoved around by the bulky supervisor at the workplace, and gets insulted by all and sundry.

Money is thus the last thing on Anasri’s mind, when he hears Arjun at the other end imploring him to hand him back the phone. For the first time, perhaps in his long and miserable life, he listens to someone talk to him with respect. He is neither aware of the possibilities of a blackmail nor interested in striking up a profitable deal. He is merely fascinated by the voice of a human being, who for a change is eager to take his orders.

It’s a long winding chase that Arjun embarks on, since Ansari soon gets intoxicated by the  contentment that he derives from being in charge. The climatic showdown between the two is all the more vicious and bloody, as they literally tear themselves apart, before finally settling down and resignedly going their separate ways.

Thahir’s film has a deliberate thoughtfulness that is evident throughout. The pace is unhurried hence, and Arjun’s breakdown over the given time frame is complete. There are no jerks and jumps in the narrative, and the buildup is terrific. And yet it remains that perhaps ‘Chappa Kurish’ could have made a crisper film with a shorter running time.

There seem to be ideational similarities between Chappa Kurish and the Korean film Handphone (2009) directed by Kim Han-Min. But the director has pumped in some fresh blood into his characters, and planting them meticulously in the local milieu. Despite all the dark shades of life that the film basks itself in, I found the optimism in it absolutely endearing. People in it do not live in their mistakes for their entire lives; they courageously decide to move on.

The riveting performances of the three lead actors in the film see to it that the blows and bangs that it delivers are right on place. We have seen actors reinventing themselves, but Fahadh literally stuns us with a compelling feat that is easily one of the best leading performances that I have seen in recent times.

Vineeth is a perfect foil, and if you feel he lets himself be outshined by Fahadh, you should realize what an amazing actor he is. And of course, there is the gorgeous Remya for whom I hope there is no looking back hereafter. Three brilliant actors of the new generation, who are here to stay. This review wouldn’t be complete without mentioning two other names as well; the awesome background score composed by Rex Vijayan and Jomon T John, the man who has workded wonders with his camera. The songs and background scores are in sync with the movie and fits perfectly.

‘Chappa Kurish’ is a simple film that is deeply moving, persistent, and eye-opening that tells a story that is undeniably grim. It’s a brave and genuinely heartfelt directorial effort from a young director, who has clearly won the toss this time around.