One expected a different viewing experience from 바카라Navarasa바카라 after it was publicized as an anthology anchored by the famed Mani Ratnam and the talented director Jayendra Panchapakesan. But the end product is nothing but disjointed storytelling as the short films fail to lend gravitas to the nine emotions they set out to portray.
But for the three veterans 바카라 Priyadarshan, Vasanth Sai and Gautham Menon 바카라 the package would have proved to be a total disaster. The young directors like Bejoy Nambiar, Karthick Narain and Karthick Subburaj, who were supposed to showcase their out of the box narration have instead churned out shoddy films. In contrast, Arvind Swami is a revelation with his first directorial venture.
The first film 바카라Ethiri바카라 (Enemy) is supposed to portray 바카라Karuna바카라. Vijay Sethupathy in a moment of madness kills Prakash Raj whose wife Revathy has not spoken to him for ten years. The remorseful killer meets the widow attempting to explain his position and the lady forgives him. The scene where Vijay Sethupathy and Revathi meet at a temple reminds one of the famous scene from 바카라Thalapathy바카라 by Mani Ratnam, who has penned this story as well. Directed by Bejoy Nambiar, Karuna gets defined as remorse and forgiveness after a vengeful act - but what it finally conveys is an unconvincing emptiness.
Thankfully Priyadarshan lifts us out of the morbid opening with his 바카라Summer of 92바카라 and the king of comedy proves to be the right choice for 바카라Haasya.바카라 Based on a true story in the life of Malayalam comedian Innocent Vareed Thekkethala (who also became an MP) and featuring Tamil바카라s present comedy superstar Yogi Babu, Priyadarshan stitches together an earthy fun filled throwback to the school days of a successful actor who returns as chief guest to a school annual day.
As Yogi Babu recalls how fate and events conspired to keep him nailed to class nine for four years, the laughter keeps rolling. And the last incident involves a dog (after emerging from a shit pond) that gatecrashes a lady teacher바카라s engagement rendering her an eternal spinster 바카라 and poor Yogi Babu is seething with guilt on learning his act was the culprit. But the teacher바카라s words prove a soothing balm, 바카라If you had not failed ninth again you would not have gone on to become such a big film star. Only problem 바카라 even today we get the stench in the house.바카라 The humour gets doused in sympathy in typical Priyadarshan style.
Karthick Naren바카라s 바카라Project Agni바카라 is supposed to illustrate 바카라Adbhuta바카라 (Wonder) and instead proves to be a mish mash of Christoper Nolan바카라s 바카라Inception바카라 and 바카라Interstellar바카라 including dialogues in English 바카라 this one requires subtitles in Tamil. Even the final twist can be anticipated easily if you know how Karthick바카라s climaxes work. Another big letdown was 바카라Peace바카라 by Karthik Subburaj who proves that his recent disastrous Dhanush starrer 바카라Jagame Thanthiram바카라 was no flash in the pan. He is having a really poor run since his 바카라Iraivi바카라 and it is unbelievable that someone who initially made his mark through short films fails on the big stage for short films.
Director Vasanth Sai (the surname is a recent addition) proves that the tutelage under a master director like K. Balachander can never go waste as he adapts 바카라Payasam바카라, the short story of T. Janakiraman (a Tamil literary legend) to show what 바카라Bheebatsa바카라 (Disgust) means. One really feels disgust at the jealousy and resentment that veteran Delhi Ganesh exhibits during a wedding of his very successful nephew바카라s daughter. Ganesh proves yet again that he is one actor who can ace any role - in this case the bitterness and insecurity of a poor Brahmin from a small town. The sights, sounds and smells of a typical Brahmin wedding that used to be held at one바카라s sprawling homes are evocatively captured by Vasanth and his team.
Fear is what one is supposed to feel while watching 바카라Inmai바카라 (Devoid Of) directed by Rathindran R Prasad. Rather than conveying the effects of the fear born out of guilt, which is the original premise of the story, the director depends on 바카라Djinn바카라 and voodoo. There is even a spin around cancer turning dormant after an old man falls in love but relapses due to black magic. The visuals and art direction make this film just watchable.
Anger and revenge go hand in hand in our films and first-time director Arvind Swami (the actor) has spun this combo into a racy film. 바카라Roudhram바카라 (Anger) tells the story of a poor mother forced to sleep with a money lender to support her son and daughter. On finding the truth, the son expends his anger on the man while the daughter takes it out on the mother. The way Arvind Swami flits between the past and the present, with anger of the two kids as the only common thread, heralds the arrival of a skillful director in our midst. Santosh Sivan바카라s visuals are another big plus.
바카라Thunintha Pin바카라 (Being Courageous), though written by Mani Ratnam, fails to live up to the master바카라s caliber and the young director Sarjun KM is left holding the baby. A shoddily told police and maoist chase, this short film should compete with Karthik Subburaj바카라s 바카라Peace바카라 for the wooden spoon.
Thankfully the finale 바카라 Sringara - belongs to Gautham Vasudev Menon, an old hand at telling love stories. And he doesn바카라t disappoint with his 바카라Guitar Kambi Mel Nindru바카라 (Tugging at My Guitar Strings). A musical about a singer and his new found love get the Gautham Menon treatment with breathless dialogues, breathtaking close ups, a superbly matched lead pair warming up in an everyday informal set up. Suriya, looks refreshingly young while Pragya Rose Martin proves yet again Gautham Menon바카라s penchant for stylish and beautiful heroines who can also act.
Like most of Gautham바카라s previous heroes, here too Suriya loses his lady love 바카라 under what circumstances no one knows. But no one is complaining as the byproduct of this love story and its failure are some brilliant songs 바카라 music and singing by Karthik and lyrics by Madhan Karky.
The intent of 바카라Navarasa바카라 바카라 to help cine workers hit by the pandemic - is praiseworthy but the content fails to live up to the hype. But for the four films by Priyadarshan, Vasanth, Arvind Swami and Gautham Menon, 바카라Navarasa바카라 would have plunged into another feeling 바카라 boredom.
