Kaakha Kaakha | Critique

The punches, the kicks, the blood and the bruises… Kaakha Kaakha is all about fights. After a successful Minnale (a romantic movie), Gautham Menon’s second Tamil movie was a contrast to the first one. An action film about a cop. Nevertheless, there is a subtle love story as well which literally becomes the backbone of the plot. Despite of many handicaps, Kaakha Kaakha works because direction is strong, acting has conviction and script is tight. Music is an add-on.

There is a cop who has sworn to wipe out crime from the city. He crackdown on the biggest local goon. In a side story, he marries a simple girl who teaches in school. Now, dead goon’s maniacal brother decides to avenge death of his elder brother and he can go to any length in order to do so. He has no moral, no ethics. Now the question is… how will cop save his wife? Story has almost every masala from 60-90s. Love, romance, action, deceit and twists. Characters are extreme and most of the sequences are clichéd. Still, the treatment of each twist and even the clichés is interesting and one can still enjoy them.

The movie shot Surya to stardom. In his role of a tough cop with soft heart, he is unmatched. His eyes opens up his heart to audience and in the first look you start liking him. The nemesis played by Jeevan can cause goosebumps to young girls. He is rowdy and dangerous. Music is likeable and makes the love making scene a classic one. Editing is crisp, though in some scenes it could have been done in a better way. Script is tight, as mentioned, leaving behind very less complaints. Direction is simply awesome. Your admiration for Menon would grow manifold hence.

Rating: 3.5/5

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Vaaranam Aayiram | Tamil Movie | Critique

When the name Gautham Menon comes across me, something in me wakes up. Such was the impact of Kakka Kakka and Vinnaithandi Vaaruvaya. Vaaranam Aayiram has the best of both. It has perfect blend romance and action, sensibility and wisdom and Surya and Surya. VA is one of the finest movies on father-son relationship, I have ever seen.

Krishnan is a simple person who believes in what his heart says. He loves a girl and marries her. They have a son and a daughter. Son is names Surya. The movie is about father-son relationship between Krishnan and Surya. Krishnan teaches Surya important lessons of life and makes him a perfect man. When Surya falls in love, he supports him and asks him to go for her. When Surya breaks down in the middle, he stands with him and supports him. When Surya succeeds, he is smiles and gives him his blessings. All this and more from Surya’s POV. His interpretation of his father’s love and ideals makes sense and might give you goosebumps as well. There will be a feeling of déjà vu.

Some scenes are really brilliant. Whenever Krishnan vetoes in favor of his son, the expression on his wife’s face world worth a million dollars. Then the romantic scenes in train and academy are brilliant. But the real catch was the retro sequence. It was too good. Remarkable. Thousand light years ahead of Action Replayy.

In double roles as father and son, Surya did a fine job. Divya and Simran complemented well. Sameera was just okay. Music and background score were good. Action was also nice, if not great. Direction and script were the real stars. It’s a movie everyone would be proud of. Gautham Menon… I bow down.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh