|
Kireedam - Heady with realism
Kireedam is a sensible and sincere attempt at realistic
entertainment. And after a long time, Ajith looks very cool and
relaxed --- actually a throwback to his hey days
--- and showcases his undoubted histrionic talent with spunk.
Trisha, as an impish college girl, shines and brings to fore her
growing felicity with comedy.
But the film is not about the funny bone; it deals with a tender
and touching relationship between a father and son. A dream that
a doting dad has for his ward and how fate undoes all the
desires through a catena of compelling events forms the bulwark
of this sturdy story.
A remake of the Malayalam hit of the 80s, the film scores
because its core is about humanism and the values that bond all
cultured beings. Kireedam is a commercial movie, alright. But
there is no over-the-top heroic stuff that undid all the recent
Ajith movies. Kireedam’s strength is its low-key elegance, and
letting honesty of life take over. Ajith has consciously avoided
the pitfalls of his previous movies and dishes out a delightful
performance.
The natural bonding between a father and son is brought out
spontaneously by Ajith and Raj Kiran, who it must be said, has
managed to re-invent himself as a bankable middle-class dad
onscreen. The slow-paced movie holds your attention through its
smart soft-focus moments in everyday life. The ebb and flow of
everyday emotions gets the right treatment from AL Vijay, the
director. He sure knows how to mix the various ingredients, and
shows a level-headedness that can stand him in good stead for
long.
Sakthivel (Ajith) is an implicitly obedient son of a sincere
policeman, Rajarajan (Raj Kiran). Sakthi and his dad’s dream is
the same: That of seeing him enter the police force. The entire
family comprising two other daughters, the mom (Saranya) and a
wastrel of a brother-in-law (Vivek) are cuddly and close-knit.
Rajarajan is from the old school of life and honesty is his
watchword. In a venal system, this lands him in trouble often.
Divya (Trisha), a college girl, is a charming full-of-beans
girl. She has some comical run-ins with Sakthi, and eventually
falls in love with him. Elsewhere, Rajarajan, who books a MLA’s
son for an offence, is hauled up over the coals and sent on a
‘punishment transfer’ to a place, which is run as personal fief
by a local dada (Ajay). On thing leads to another, and Sakthi is
unwittingly sucked into the unholy vortex. Just as he is about
to join the police force, destiny decrees otherwise: His life is
not going to be the same again. A dad’s dream lies shattered
while a son, despite his unwillingness, has to fight a honest
war beyond the matrix of a law. It is a situation that is
actually an emotional cauldron. How the dad and son reconcile to
the new reality is the story.
 Ajith
as Sakthi is suave and oozes quiet charm initially, and shows
the desired intensity when taking on the baddies. There is a new
maturity to his work reflecting his calmness in real life. The
exchanges between him and Raj Kiran are almost tangible in its
realism. The romantic interludes are all-out fun. The bonding
between Ajith and Trisha is cool and has the right comic
touches.
Trisha shines in this effervescent character and manages to
leave a lasting impact. Her comic timing is a big revelation and
she manages to hold her own against the likes of Vivek and
Santhanam, the established comedians. Surely, this is one of her
most enthusiastic performances.
Raj Kiran comes up with all the right touches and adds dignity
to the role, which was made memorable in the original by
Thilakan. Saranya does the mother role with ease and poise.
Vivek and Santhanam provide the right humorous touches at the
right moments. The villains have nothing extraordinary to offer.
KPAC Lalitha as the grandmother is adequate.
 The
other main show-stealer is G V Prakash. The young musician has
shown that his performance in Veyyil is no flash in the pan. He
gives the film all the right aural backing. The re-recording is
neither too loud nor too soft. It is just about right. The songs,
which are pictured beautifully, are cool and come as a balm
among heightened emotional drama. The Akkam Pakkam song holds
you in its agreeable embrace while Kanavellam touches your
heartstrings with its pithy poignancy.
Thiru’s camera also highlights the script in beguiling colours.
The way the young cameraman has captured the cool blue and green
of Kerala and Vizag is a treat for the eyes. Anthony’‘s editing,
shorn of all gimmicks, is very easy on the eyes add to the
visual pleasure. The stunts too, fitting a film of this kind, is
very realistic and reasonable. Thanks a million for going easy
with the graphic enhancements.
The producer Suresh Balaje and Adlabs deserve plaudits for
backing such a sincere project.
And the final word of praise should go to AL Vijay, who despite
his relative lack of experience has handled a sensitive subject
with nuanced ease. The touches he comes up with are worth
savoring.
Kireedam fits the mood of a rainy season with its quiet honesty
and the poignant poetry that life writes daily.
Review by Indiaglitz
|
