second information report - chandramukhi

Hey ..

(Before we proceed any further on this, if you are a Rajni fan, please close the broswer, go to the cinema and just enjoy)

Can one manufacture an atom bomb using a test tube? Yes. Mix and stir in a test tube - 50% Ambulimama stories, 25% of the ghost-movies like BHOOT, a pinch of Harry Potter and the Chamber of secrets and a whole LOT of SUPER STAR in it - you get an explosive hit called CHANDRAMUKHI. Release it in Tamilnadu and in one day in one show in one movie hall it will make more money than what a sum of all the above have managed to collect individually over years. My column being '..on a second thought..', I watched this movie twice and filing my 'second information report' here.

What can one say about a movie for which the District Collector defines the ticket prices in every hall ? My third world town, where a balcony ticket is Rs.12/- fixed the price for Chandramukhi to be a whopping Rs.40/- .Considering other places where the balcony tickets are nowehere less than Rs.225/- I had a good deal. The movie blasted off in the theatres on April 14 with the first shows starting as early as 7:00 AM. There were paalabhishekams for the cutouts at 5:30 AM. The reports started coming in from 10-11:00 AM declaring the movie as a box office hit. One hasnt seen so much anticipation and feverish waits even during election times.

The movie is not in the BAADHSA or PADAYAPPA genre. But it is definitely not another BABA. It is more of the ARUNACHALAM kind. The storyline is too childish and if it were not for the superstar, this movie would have been one another poorly made Vittalachayar remake in Tamil. The first half is better and a bit faster- the second makes one twitch in the seats. There are no political connotations or statements. Some of the jokes are third rated and have not been seen in some of the recent Rajni hits. The songs are not very catchy and the dances are not very impressive either. No one discusses much about the movie after walking out of the theater.

Who the hell cares ???? It is a SUPER STAR movie, for Godssake. From the moment the letters S,U start appearing with the big 'hey-hey' it is applause all the way. Rajni has risen again, after 6 long years and this is unmistakably the superstar in his full form again. Rajni's entry and the first stunt are just way too amazing and nobody is found sitting in his seat in the theater. And when he starts Devuda devuda one can hear just roaring & defeaning applause all around. The Zorro is back!! And back with a bang. There is no need for a story, song, dance, dialogues in the movie - A smile, a style - it is all that is needed.

The costumes need to be mentioned. All lead women in the movie wear sarees all through - even songs. Nayanthara's cotton saree selection is very good - suited for the current season here in the South. Superstar sports my favorite boot-cut in few scenes. The gaja - colorful specs - are a bit too much, though. Rajni's lips and Nayanthara's hips (particularly in Konja Neram song - suddenly she looks fat!!) are to be ignored. Neverthless, Nayanthara looks like a nice next door girl in middle class families.

The song shot in Turkey has a scene where there is a Communist flag flying just over superstar's head .. dont know if it was on purpose. Vadivelu is just way too good in the comedy relief and the way he messes his face is very funny. The other comedy of course is Jyothika dancing ;). The scene where Nasser slaps Rajni is unnecessary and irritating. Also when kites appeared before the herione introduction, I remembered the kite-scene of BABA, thank God - this was not a similar mess.
But those of you who are still reading this rambling - just stop here, go and watch the movie in a big cinema hall full of Rajni fans. Dont miss the beginning...

for this is the RETURN OF THE KING....

Chao..