Vettaiyadu Villaiyadu - Showcase of technical brilliance

The much hyped about film of recent times Vettaiyadu Villaiyadu should have hit the screens long back but various factors delayed it which infact created all the more hype for the film. More than anything the movie had Kamalhassan in the lead and to top it all he plays a police officer, what more would a fan expect considering the fact that its been a long time since Kamalhassan made a serious film after Virumaandi. Not to forget, the movie is directed by Gautham Menon who is one of the most successful directors of recent times. He has proved how well he can handle love and action through his previous films Minnale and Kaakha Kaakha.

The movie released when i was busy with my college project and before i could watch the movie i was bombarded with mixed responses about the film, but that cannot stop me from watching a Kamalhassan + Gautham Menon combo.

This movie has one of the best intro scenes of Kamalhassan. The way Kamalhassan is shown as a police officer, his body language, his dialects, it simply rocks. To add more spice, Kamalhassan carries an attitude which many actors have been unable to portray in their police films. As usual the police officer in this movie is also honest and pays a heavy price for his honesty and sincerity, here the price happens to be Kamalinee Mukherjee, Kamalhassan's wife. But after this the story is full of twists and turns and U turns.

Prakash Raj comes on screen for just about ten minutes but remains in your mind all through the film. A commendable work by this veteran, the way he tries to maintain his might when his daughter is missing is an excellent example, the way he breaks down on seeing his daughter's corpse is one scene that's enough to show his acting prowess.

Daniel Balaji comes as a psycho path killer - arrogant, cruel and merciless. He has tried desperately to show up as an excellent actor but has not been able to reach expectations, his performance in Kaakha Kaakha was much better. The way Daniel Balaji along with his friend goes on a killing spree evokes hatred among the viewers which proves that Gautham Menon has sketched the character with perfection to the core.

Jyothika has found a neat role in this film. She plays the opposite to a matured Kamalhassan, and surprisingly Jyothika doesn't look a way too young for Kamalhassan, infact they make a nice pair in this film.

Gautham Menon is again at his best. Minnale introduced him as a director while Kaakha Kaakha gave him the much required break in the industry. Now Vettaiyadu Villaiyadu cannot be said to have take Gautham Menon to the next level because, although the movie has all required elements, there has been a slight mis judgement in packaging. By interval, the audience knew who the culprit was, the only suspense left was how Kamalhassan was going to get them behind bars. Even the reason for Daniel Balaji and his friend to become a psycho path is the ususal lust-taken-over-senses drama. But this script must have been a close-to-heart one of Gautham Menon as it shows the dedication of a director in making it as a movie.

Technical brilliance

The movie can proudly call itself the most technically brilliant film till date. Shot on Super 35 by Ravi Varman and edited by none other than Antony, the movie speaks volumes about the works of its technicians. On the audio note, Harris Jayaraj and Gautham Menon combo strikes a hatrick. Thanks to the MP3 and FM boom, all songs of Vettaiyadu Villaiyadu was available 24*7 in one channel or the other. Paartha mudhal naale and Manjal veyil are the best among the five songs in this movie. The song Sikki mukki nerupe could have been more marketable if it had the lyrics entirely in english, for the kind of music Harris Jayaraj had given and the way Antony had edited it, the song should have been a chart buster. The song if it was in english would have been a kick ass response to both Bollywood and Hollywood, might have even become a trend in the following films. The re recording and back ground score makes the movie all the more intersting.

Gautham Menon seems to be obsessed with his Kaakha Kaakha that there are some traces of Kaakha Kaakha on Vettaiyadu Villaiyadu. The movie is claimed to be the second one of a police film trilogy following Kaakha Kaakha. If Kaakha Kaakha was an episode in a police officers's life, Vettaiyadu Villaiyadu is another episode in a police officer's life. The movie despite a late release and mixed response is slowly gaining momentum. The best film of 2006 award given to Vettaiyadu Villaiyadu gives the movie the much required support and confidence.