Vettaiyadu Vilayadu - Hunt the Unknown

Whew!!! After a long await the movie has released with a big BANG! So much confusions and problems in getting the tickets for the first weekend in the much praised "Satyam" Complex, staying awake the whole night to book the tickets through "thecinema.in". All not in vain! I got the fruit of my strenuous attempts!

The movie begins with DCP Raghavan making the villains leak in their pants by just giving a piercing look. (The most circulated picture of the movie having Kamal his left eye wide open) followed by "Karkha Karkha" song. Gautam has tried something different in the presentation of this song (Though I couldn't understand it :-) ). We can find many similarities to Gautam's previous movie "Kaakha Kaakha" with many of the characters like Ilamaran, Maya etc.. Being replicated here. The transformation of Anbuselvan to Raghavan has been brought out nicely. Kamal's age and belly betrays him but he has very well under played his role with much dignity, not forgetting his age.

The plot as such fits well into the movie, except that Gautam has interlaced it with romanticism and peppy songs. Kamal has been used extremely well by Gautam - the instinctive cop. The biggest disappointment for me is "Paartha mudhal naale" song. On listening to the music I had expected a romantic sequence like "Onra Renda" or "Vaseegara", but alas it turned out something like Leo Coffee advertisement. There's not much to say about Kamalini Mukherjee as there's not much role for her. But talking about her, Gautam has shown a ways for today's youngsters, to propose to their sweethearts in a different way:-). It was different to see Jyothika in a subdued character from her usual bubbly self. She has done justice to her role.
The onscreen chemistry between Aradhana (Jo) and Raghavan (Kamal) has not worked out even to a hair's width. May be Gautam wanted to portray a matured relationship between the two. Accolades should go to the camera man, "Anniyan" fame Ravivarman. The cameras move in and out of the busy new York city streets deftly. The most brilliant shot is the Manhattan sky line with the introduction of the Villains. Coming to the Villains, "Daniel" Balaji has played psychopath well enough with his stylish English (No way he can match that of Kamal) and cool hair style. Has Gautam decided that his baddies should sport long hairs? Balaji has "Amudhan" has etched his performance, but the other fellow as "Ilamaran" is a dummy. I think he is used only for Kamal to blurt out a comment in the climax "Are you both homos?".

The positive aspects of the movie are:

1. Thalaivar Kamalhassan - Dignified cop
2. Jo - Yet another marked performance
3. Ravi varaman's Cinematography
4. Good story line
5. PG Wodehouse style subtle humor with no separate comedy track

The negative aspects are:

1. Indistinct narration of the story - It gets too slow sometimes
2. Unclear reasoning for the killings - The director associates the psychotic behaviors of the villains to juvenile mind set. But it is still unclear.
3. Wasted Prakash Raj - A versatile actor has not been used worth while

Much of the brutal killings could have been avoided. Gautam in the back drop of the "Vennilave" song looks good. Though the movie has some minor set backs, it's worthy to watch it, if not for anything, at least for the Hollywood style story line and Kamalhasan.

P.S: The movie lacks the KamalHasan "Romance". But Kamal being a versatile actor has the mettle to don different roles and bring out his best.