"Yen iniya Thamizh makkalay, ungal paasathirkuriya Bharathiraaja pesugiraen". When Bharathiraaja addressed the audiences in his movies at it's opening with his characteristic line it was a promise of good cinema, one could be sure that here was a fare that was going to be earthy and entertaining. Kizhakku Cheemaiyilae, Karuthamma, Kadal Pookkal, Anthimantharai, Muthal Mariyathai, Kadalora Kavithaigal were good examples, I've deliberately left out movies that were made and released before 1985.
This movie tells the story of Rana played by Nana Patekar, a fiercely passionate movie director, almost a reel life version of the real Bharathiraaja. He's shown to be prone to temper tantrums, has a wife who is not giving any respite. Inside the man is a person who loves cinema completely. Minutes before the preview of his newest movie 'Cinema' the heroine of the movie is killed in a car accident with Rana escaping, the audience is made to believe that this was a murder? Why? What's the motive? Why would a skilled director like Rana commit a murder without an alibi? The mystery unfolds in the closing moments of the movie attempting to keep the suspense alive until then.
I won't even tell about Arjun who plays Vikram, a "CBI officer". It's good to know that the CBI does the investigation of accident deaths in Chennai city. The Chennai City Police is probably too busy with the traffic arrangements that they've outsourced this task to the CBI. How else could you explain Vikram showing up on the accident spot minutes after the accident? Or maybe CBI stands for Chennai Bureau of Investigation, you'll never know with names mind you. It was Madras before, it's Chennai now. Coimbatore was Kovai always, so was Tiruchy (Trichy), Thanjavur (Tanjore), Puduchery (Pondicherry), it's very likely that the C in CBI was Chennai and not Central.
If this was a movie written and directed by a debutant one could give him a chance for goofing up the car numbers when Rana is chased by the press before the launch of his movie, the front of the car's plate shows a TN-06 registration while the rear shows a MH-06 registration. During flashback the numbers are back to MH-06 on both sides, wow, this is a mystery which the producer could take up in a sequel. Lot is expected from a person of Bharathiraaja's calibre, he's carved a niche for himself and I still believe no one can narrate a story set in a rural town like him. No one can bring out emotions of a brother & sister like him, all these require melodrama in varying amounts. A slick thriller needs action, it's needs a racy screenplay which is not jerky or full of holes, it needs suspense and a good finale. This movie has none of the above, it's fast, but it's fast like a town bus doing 90 kmph on village roads, you keep getting pushed around, your head bangs the sealing, you get a bum ache.
There are tiny surprises, probably to compensate for the 50 bucks one pays to get to see it. The heroine Rukmini is a revelation, Nana Patekar does what he's known for which is 'act'. Nizhalgal Ravi's dubbing for him was a little over done. Himesh's music is a damp squib, Monty's background score had a couple of nice tunes. It was nice to see "Audiography - H Shridhar" on screen despite the fact that the sound effects were overdone. Give us another earthy fare Mr.Bharathiraaja, we deserve better for being your fans over the years.
