Mar 25, 2008 01:03 AM
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Failure, in most cases, proves to be disheartening. A mind disquietened by failure, requires adequate fortitude to restore normalcy. Patience and support from those around is also required. Lack of any of these things may lead the person to the wrong path, where recovery may become elusive.
"Anjathey", is about 2 young guys, who are not just neighbours, but also thick buddies. Kripa is aspiring to become an SI(sub-inspector) and is training both physically and academically for the same, while Satya, is heaped with abuses by his family and others for being the looney that he is. Both have a good education to their credit.
Realisation dawns Satya, and using high recommendations, he obtains the SI post. Despite sincere efforts, Kripa fails. That which was his life's ambition and dream was shattered for him, while it was a cakewalk for his close friend, through wrong means. This changes his outlook, and the tables now turn, as it is now Kripa who is insulted by his own family for sitting idle at home. All this, added with revenge and frustration towards Satya, pushes him into the company of wrong-doers and he becomes a confused and pain inflicting person. Now, does Satya barge in and help his friend come out of this? Given the mentality of Kripa(which is that of a dejected loser) how would he react towards Satya and others?
Though somewhat predictble, the director Mysskin, weaves the plot is such a way that the movie is quite unique, given the kind of stereo type ones that we often get to see. There are some points which I would highlight:-
=> TIme and again Kripa's sister shouts to her brother that Satya is afterall a "nice guy", which falls into deaf ears. I couldn't quite follow, why she, even in the climax doesn't reveal the way Satya "saved" her from the clutches of Daya!
=> Prasanna & co. chooses their hideout as a far off sugarcane field. Though this seems a good idea, what with the labyrinth like field making it complex for the police to spot them, the scenes are a bit too elongated, and at one point everyone seems to be running here and there, and the viewer tends to lose patience.
=> Kripa's character, of difficulty to accept failure, is cleverly made clear in the first few scenes where, he tears and throws a page which contains an answer which he didn't get right.
=> The 2 daughters of the policeman who gets kidnapped, have shone in their cameo roles. The way they dodge the villain and escape is a scene well shot.
=> Though there are a couple of gory scenes, the movie does instil the fear and thrill factor to a certain extent, thanks to the mannerisms of Prasanna - He sure deserves an award for this movie.
Music is by Sundar C.Babu. The songs and choreography are ok. Background score requires specific mention and gels well with the excellent camera work by Mahesh Muthusamy.
Prasanna as Daya has given an amazing performance in a malicious character. One could never imagine that this guy with cheerful eyes and boyish face could give a stunning performance in a cruel and loathsome role. He wins hands down. He dons with floppy hair falling over his face, not revealing much of his expressions, but his mannerism(like that of checking the time) does it all. He seems to have reduced weight and so looks quite taller than usual. Pandiarajan as Logu, another dark character in the movie, is in an unusual negative role, though he has more work in the first half. Mysskin has indeed taken a risk by choosing Prasanna and Padiarajan in negative roles, and this seems a risk WORTH TAKEN. Prasanna is a typical lover-boy-like guy and Padiarajan is known for his comic roles, both have proved their mettle in their cunning and wicked roles.
Naren as Satya (of Chitiram Pesudhadi fame), is not quite impressive. I would even say that he spoils the luster of the movie to an extent. His acting seems very strained and isn't natural in any place. The way he runs in an SI uniform seems like he's running to catch something and not someone. He's lucky to get unusual plots, but it would do good for him, to put in more effort and make an impact. Ajmal(Kripa) has shown excellent transformation from being a dutiful candidate in the first half, to a negative character towards half-time.
This movie is certainly a must-watch for anyone who would watch Tamil films, to appreciate the different approach. Approximately near the interval, the end becomes quite clear. But that doesn't steal the charm of the movie. Its not an edge-of-the-seat thriller, but the underplayed heroism and wicked plots of the villain makes the movie a success. That said, this movie, with little more effort would have been a MASTERPIECE.
