Where is the entertainment?
HARDLY A CHALLENGE FOR VIKRAM: Maja
Maja
Genre: Comedy
Director: Shafi
Cast: Vikram, Manivannan,
Vadivelu, Pasupati, Asin.
Storyline: The tale of three thieves.
Bottomline: Fare belies the title.
It is all right for Vikram to have tried his hand at comedy but his fans will surely find something missing. At the end of it all, one wonders what made Vikram do a film like this?
The Malayalam original "Thommanum Makkalam" might have been a hit but the Tamil title itself is intriguing. Except that the characters utter the word at various places there is nothing to justify ``Maja."
Govindan (Manivannan), living alone, finds two small boys abandoned. He adopts them. The three — Govindan, Arivumathi (Vikram) and Adhikesavan (Pasupathi) — fend for themselves by stealing. This lands them in a crisis.
The role hardly offers a challenge and that perhaps to some extent explains the lukewarm performance of Vikram. Pasupathi, on the other hand, has used the opportunity very well. Vadivelu as Pulippandi is rather redundant.
Malayalam Murali (voice of Rajesh) has done a good job while Vijayakumar is competent in the character that is nothing new to him. Asin has very little work, except the introduction scene where she proves her mettle.
After that she is just a glamour doll dancing with Vikram for the songs.
It is not Vidyasagar at his best that one hears. However, two songs (Solitharava and Thaimasam) are melodious. How come the lyric of ``Chi chi," obviously meant for the frontbenchers, passed the censor? Rerecording leaves much to be desired. Balasubramaniam's camera work is noteworthy. Viji's dialogue enhances the proceedings.
Getting an opening from an established producer like Rockline Venkatesh and with Vikram in the lead, director Shafi should have made the effort to make the fare more interesting.
S. R. ASHOK KUMAR
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