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Mixing romance and crime
has had mixed results in tamil cinema. Among recent releases, both
segments were expertly handled in Vaali while in Chinna Raja, the
entertaining thriller portion was preluded by an almost unbearably boring
romance. In general, having more than one storyline results in either one
or both being unsatisfactory. Vasanth  manages
to balance both portions in Aasai. Both these portions of the movie have
their own memorable moments resulting in one of the more entertaining
movie-going experiences in recent times. The crux of the story is the
same as in Vaali. There, an elder brother nurtured amoral thoughts
towards his brother's wife while here, a man lusts after his wife's
sister. When the movie opens, Yamuna(Suvalakshmi) is writing a letter to
her older sister Ganga(Rohini), who lives in Delhi, asking her to visit
her. Ganga, with her husband Madhavan(Prakashraj), an army man, and her
daughter, comes down to Madras. Yamuna meanwhile falls in love with
Jeeva(Ajith) an unemployed youth. Madhavan, after returning to Delhi,
exposes his true nature when he reveals his desire to wed Yamuna. He
kills Ganga who stands in the way, leading to Yamuna and her
father(Poornam Viswanathan) going to Delhi to take care of his daughter.
But Jeeva too follows Yamuna. When Madhavan learns that her father
accepts Yamuna's pick for a husband, he begins plotting to put Jeeva out
of the way too. The Ajith-Suvalakshmi romance is quick but
well-developed. Suvalakshmi is an actress who naturally looks mature and
stable and her presence adds a welcome maturity, which is usually missing
in these twenty-something love stories, to their love affair. Her dialogs
are down-to-earth and her talks with Ajith at the beach and outside the
registrar's office are sensible. Ajith takes care of the
"cuteness" factor, especially in the scene where he gets her a
birthday gift, and they play well off each other. Casting is perfect in
case of Prakashraj, who creates one of the most heartless but  memorable screen villains in recent times. Be it
calmly going about his daily chores while suffocating his wife or working
his way into the good books of his father-in-law, he is a true wolf in
sheep's clothing. The lengths to which he goes to satisfy his craving for
Yamuna are truly chilling. The tone in his voice when he puts down Ajith
in front of Yamuna's father is perfectly condescending and conveys the
character's cunningness. These scenes(such as the one in the restaurant)
are handled very well. Actors of the older generation are usually pushed
to the sidelines in newer movies but 'Poornam' Viswanathan has a meaty
role here. We feel sorry for him when he blindly believes Prakashraj
while proclaiming proudly that he can understand a person's character the
first time he meets him. After the cleverness of the earlier portions, it
is a disappointment when this movie too succumbs to the
"talking-villain" syndrome to resolve things. Here Prakashraj
sees it necessary to completely elaborate his plan to Ajith which
Suvalakshmi conveniently overhears. Again Suvalakshmi, instead of
silently slipping away, utters a scream leading Prakashraj to capture
her. Thankfully, the director recovers and the climax itself is
thrillingly picturised. The way by which Prakashraj gets his due is
unexpected but in line with the rest of the story and the way it has been
executed is clever. With this movie, Deva finally proved his ability to
come out with a blockbuster soundtrack. I still remember listening to the
songs and remarking how "un-Deva-like" they were. Hariharan got
a big break with Oru Naal Poru Thalaivaa..., a melodious number, which
unfortunately is not picturised too imaginatively. Pulveli... and
Meenammaa... are again melodious numbers while Raju Sundaram dances with
Pooja Batra for Shock Adikkudhu Sona.... Technically, the movie is
outstanding with pleasing photography. It enhances the nice locations
chosen for the songs while innovative lighting has been used in the
indoor scenes.
Review by Balaji Balasubramaniam
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