Nadodigal --Why ?!

I remember once, 'Pudhiya kalacharam' came up an article with the heading 'காத‌ல் ப‌ட‌ங்க‌ள்.. க‌வ‌லைப்ப‌டு ச‌கோத‌ரா !' - the period where 'Kaadhal kotai' started a trend of 'Kaadhal' films. I have been watching since the early TRajendar peak periods - whenever a character talks about love/friendship to the 4thwall [ the dialog meant for audience ], it gets a roaring applause [ Indha ponnungalE ippadi thaan kind of dialogues ]. Of course, it still continues. The writer of 'Alaigall oivadhillai' Manivannan said in 'Gokulathil seethai' that why our films just end in marriage and don't show what happens after the lovers got married. 'Alaipayuthey' dealed with that concept whereas Nadodigal deals with the friends who help and make the love marriage happen.

Samuthirakkani worked as an associate with KB in 'Kalki'[ adhu oru paadaavadhi padam - film that demoralises women power ] and then with 'Paruthi veeran'. Meanwhile, he worked as a serial director [ killer :) ] in many famous TV serials [ I never ever watched a single episode of any serial in my life time ]. He even directed 'Thanga vettai'. He patiently waited for his turn and directed 2 films. 'Unnai saran adainthen' and 'Neranja manasu' ; both didn't do very good at box office. He stunned me as Kanagu in Subramaniapuram with his sparkling performance as an actor.

If Subramaniapuram is Veenaaponavan's poem, 'Nadodigall' is like a poem comes in 'kavidhai solai' of vaaramalar. Yes ! Subramaniapram is a craft and nadodiagall is not.

Nadodigall : Drama/2009/Tamil

Writer & Director : P.Samuthirakkani

Music : Sundar C Babu

Photography : SRKathir

Plot :

In Rajapalayam, there are 3 friends [ Sasi, Vijay, Bharani ] who are closely knitted along with their families [ idhulaye oru 15 charcters therum ]. Sasi loves Ananya and Vijay loves Abhinaya, sister of Sasi. Another friend comes to their town seeking help for his love and intensifies it by a suicide attempt. What the friends do for the couple to get married is told as part one. In the process, the friends loose what they value most. Did the couple live properly ? What is the compensation for the loss faced by the friends ? இதான் க‌தை.

View

Let me take the good things first.. The film has too many characters involved and some of them are etched really well. Epscially Paandi, his father, his noisy atmosphere [ poetically used for another reason ], always munching Nallammaa [ Enna azhagu ! ], 'Pasanga' teacher. Some of the touches are

- Saravanan explains the reason why he approaches Sasi. It's shown in a single shot. A couple sit in a beach and the girl's father comes in and separates.

- Most of the dialogues used by Paandi are really stunning. Unaku valikaaddhadaa.. Nee valichaalum illembe..' The price he receives for his help is stunning. One of the best sound recording happened on screen. The impact it makes to the audience is terrific. His performance in the second half was really good.

- The racy interval sequences.. Though it's just an interval the sequences are filmed as if for an action thriller [ like Gilli ]. This gang has one more friend who doesn't even utter a single dialogue.. Nice characterization [ like Mottai in Anjathey ]

- The local politician 'Chinnamani' character is portayed and used properly.

- The heroines are unusually beautiful. Ananya was too good and steals the show. Equally, the other hoerine Abhinaya also did well [ the fair girl standing first in the left side of the above photo !! ] - The shocking truth is that she is challenged in real life [ unable to speak or hear ]. The director did this after a popular heroine rejected the role stating that she was unable to communicate with Samudrakani in English. Director proved he is good by using a girl who cannot communicate to anyone.

Why I consider Nadodigal as average

Music.. My strong opinion is that a good film always has good music. Whether it is song or BGM [ Veedu ! ]. Even for a plain entertainment movie like Chennai-28, music is so important. That aspect is highly spoiled in Nadodigal. there's not even a single good duet though almost everybody falls in love :) . The BGM part is mostly covered by the siva sambo song - a racy n noisy one.

I never liked 'Ivaar dhaan Sankaran.. Chief accountant' kind of intro. Cinema should be given it's due respect in visuals.

Dialogues : Everybody explains too many things in dialogue.. Varalaaundradhu.. Love-ndradhu.. Natupu-ndradhu.. Every word is explained. Remember the KB's torture days.

Telugu impact - Now the movie is getting remade in Telugu. It's planned one. That's why they introduce the lady MP character and sho all the SUV category of vehicles in high speed [ Scorpio, Tavera, Innova, of course Sumo ].

Through out the movie you get questions about some logic. Most of them are unanswered. A good film never makes me to ask questions at least while watching. The grip is missing. You get those frustrations in most part of the movie.

The climax is the most confusing aspect of the movie. I don't believe that the rich lovers get a moral of Sasi's lecture. On top of it, the 3 friends get ready for one more help. In TN, if anybody says better not to love and go for work/studies, that film will be considered as junk. As per FM radios, one cannot live without having a lover. [ Sorry ! next caller please :) ]

The sister character falling in love is not a convincing one. Why the rich lovers come to Sasi.. Of course, what stops their love to express to their parents ?

The kuthu song on the way to Namakkal - I was disheartened by underestimating the level of audiences. Also, I was shocked to see Sasi resembling T.Rajendar in some dance and action sequences. Sasi.. We expect 'direction' from you and not 'action' !!

Unnecessary insertion of Kanja karupu character - It's purely sentimental and nothing else. The fault is not definitely on Ka.Karuppu. Samudrakani lacks sense of humour.

I am not bothered about the success of the movie. In fact, a successful movie makes so many families happy and motivates the assistant director to think about the story/script. Definitely this film is extremely better than SundarC films [ SundarC is the exact replacement of those days Thiyagarajan/Telugu dubbing movies - I couldn't even sit and watch the trailor of '5-m padai' ]. But the hype made for Nadodigall equal to Subramaniapuram, Paruthi veeran is too much - those comments makes me uncomfortable.

ச‌ரியான‌ ஒரு பட‌த்தை எம‌து ம‌க்க‌ள் ஓட்டினால் அதை க‌ண்டு ம‌கிழ்ச்சிய‌டையும் முத‌ல் ர‌சிக‌ன் நான் தான். அதே ச‌ம‌ய‌த்தில் ம‌கேந்திர‌னும், ம‌ணிர‌த்ன‌மும் க‌ட்டிக் காத்த‌ த‌மிழ் ப‌ட‌ உல‌கில் பிழையான‌ ஒரு ப‌ட‌ம் தெலுங்கு ரைட்ஸ்‍க்காக‌ எடுக்க‌ப்ப‌ட்டு ஓடுகிற‌தென்றால், அதைக் க‌ண்டு வ‌ருத்த‌ப்ப‌டும் முத‌ல் ர‌சிக‌னும் நான் தான்.

To repent for this, I'll come up with a review on POO [ a classic film by Sasi ]. Have you ever wondered, why Director Sasi thanked chinese director Zhang Yimou. in the title cards ? Our directors normally thank Nungambakkam HDFC bank or Kothaalampatti Karur vaisya bank for giving loans :).. யோசிச்சு வைங்க‌..

-Toto.