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The new kid on the block - Ashok Kumar in Pidichirukku

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Thread started by leosimha on 17th January 2008 03:48 PM



Director Kanagu
Producer Senbakakumar
Music Manu Ramesan
Cast Ashok, Visaka, Saranya, Kanjakaruppu

At last a love story that is not only fresh but also has sense and sensibility that defies moribund concocted formula romance dished out regularly by Kollywood. The debutant director Kanagu, a former assistant of Lingusamy has come out with a cute and sweet love story with riveting and realistic performances by its lead pairs Ashok and Visakha along with a great supporting cast.

What makes Pidichirukku work is the simple narrative and the love between the lead pair is established in a way that is believable at the same time enjoyable. The script is smartly packaged by Kanagu with a winsome screenplay on the bitter-sweet nature of romance; comedy of Kanjakaruppu is part of the story and acts as a catalyst to move the story forward.

The protagonists in the love story are, Vel (Ashok) a Hindu coming from a lower middle class family and a booking clerk at a lorry transport and cargo agency in Tuticorin and Manju (Visakha), a Roman Catholic girl, studying in the local college. Their first meeting is an accident caused due to her negligence when sitting as pillion rider on the back of her father's scooter and trying to go through her examination notes the paper and her 'duppata' flies off blinding the bike rider coming behind!

Vel who was the rider finds his bike skidding and he ends up with bruises and shouts at Manju and her father Mariadas (Sampat Raj) who was riding the scooter, without realizing that he is the new customs officer at the local port whom he has to interact due to the nature of his work! Manju has a soft corner for him, fearing that due to her mistake he may end up with a head injury.

Later she meets him and sends him a note to take a head scan, which leads to hilarious scenes as his assistant 'Tyre' (Kanjakaruppu) thinks it is a love letter! But as always after the initial spats and quibbles, both Vel and Manju are deeply drawn towards each other. One day while they are romancing on the back of an empty but moving lorry, they are intercepted by Mariadas. All hell breaks loose for the lovers as Manju is brutally beaten up by her dad as her mother (Saranya) tries to protect her. A distraught and drunk Vel on the advice of Tyre and other lorry drivers go to her house in the night asking for her hand which leads to bedlam.

Three days later a sobered Vel goes to her house to apologies and finds that they have left town and Mariadas has resigned from customs and just disappeared! How Vel finds her whereabouts and go to Pune in search of her and undergoes real tough times is what the rest of the film is about. The real clincher is the climax which has been worked out in a telling manner with Saranya stealing the show. On the downside the second half drags as the hero and his side kick spends too much time in search of the girl. Kanagu loses his hold on the story as a lot of unwanted melodrama is added. If the second half is trimmed the film would have been crisper.

The music of Manu Rameshan is just ok, but thank God there are very few songs! The two likeable leads Ashok and Visakha is a major plus for the film, their romance is well depicted. On the whole Kanagu has come out with a love story that has savvy freshness to the form, hitherto unexplored. For this alone he deserves to be applauded.

Verdict: PIDICHIRUKKU!


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Hub : Tamil Films Archived