Produced by-Vennila Productions
Directed by-Manoj Bharathiraja
Cast-Shyam Selvan, Rakshana, Naksha Sharan, Suseenthiran and Bharathiraja
Censor Rating- U/A
Running Time-112 Minutes
Rating-***
It is over 45 years since Bharathiraja debuted as a director with 16 Vayathinile featuring Kamal, Rajni and Sridevi in stellar roles. Needless to mention, that flick released in 1977 set a new trend in film making and it was possibly one of the first few films that transported the process of film shootings to outdoors from indoors! More so, the film took the rural setting to new horizons following which very many movies began were made against a rural backdrop!
Cut to the present, Manoj Bharathiraja who debuted as an actor first, probably found that directing a film is his calling (as pointed by Bharathiraja in a voice-over at the start!) and has ventured this tale of teenage love at school level!
The opening sequences make the viewers feel as though they have settled down to watch a Bharathiraja film but as the narration unfolds, Manoj has tried to establish his own credentials as an independent filmmaker and it would only be fair to say that he has succeeded only to a reasonable extent!
Caste related differences still exist in rural areas and that is exactly the premise upon which the plot has been mounted!
Honor killing is one way for settling scores while the other route is to eliminate the boy (or the girl, as the case may be!) so as to retain their caste superiority!
We can come across such themes in abundance in the recent times while this offers nothing new but for the climax twist that is certain to teach a lesson or two to those concerned which are caste-fanatics!
But the characterization of Bharathiraja, especially, at the pre-climax sequence does not jell well!
While the lead pair look good in their performance, Bharathiraja asserts his class as an actor; Suseethiran too has pulled off his role effectively.
There is nothing much to write home about the music of Ilaiyaraja and one can only recall his past glory while tuning in, then!
As a whole, Manoj has landed reasonably well as a filmmaker.