Amid the usual and the not-so-interesting films that have released so far in this year, here comes a film which is refreshingly different in more ways than one. Produced by S.P. Charan and directed by debutant Thiagarajan Kumararaja, the bold attempt of the makers ought to be appreciated as they have set out to portray the ugly, cruel face of North Chennai’s underworld without relying on clichés. Though Kollywood has witnessed many films about gangsters and their lifestyles, ‘Aaranya Kaandam’ is surely very different from all those as it strikes the viewers with its realistic approach to things.
Let’s have a peep into the story first. Singam Perumal (Jackie Shroff) is a dreaded don who heads a gang which would do anything for money. Perumal’s ‘right hand’ is Pasupathy (Sampath Raj), a trusted aide. Sappai (Ravikrishna) is a weak link in the gang who is mocked at by the rest. Perumal’s pretty-looking wife Subbu (Yasmeen Ponnappa) is totally at loggerheads with her husband’s violent ways and is itching to escape from his control.
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Pasupathy suggests to Perumal to lay his hands on huge amount narcotics in a bid to win over his arch-rivals. Perumal appears seemingly disinterested whereas Pasupathy wants to make at attempt. When he comes to know about this, Perumal hatches an evil plan to eliminate Pasupathy and go about securing the deal in his own style from his rival Gajendran (Rambo Rajkumar).
In the meantime, an unlikely affair brews between Sappai and Subbu, as the latter wants to use the former to get out of the gang and save her own life. As it turns out, the parcel the rival gangs are fighting out to lay their hands on lands up with a poor man. Watch the film to find out whether Pasupathy survived and what happened to the parcel and the Sappai-Subbu love affair.
Almost three decades after he made his debut in Bollywood, Jackie Shroff surfaces in Tamil films and proves his class. He shines in the don’s role as it fits him like a pair of gloves. Sampath breezes through his character with ease and displays his histrionics. After Nasser, here’s another actor who can get into the skin of any character he is offered. Ravikrishna plays his part aptly in his comeback film and is ably supported by Yasmin, who has a very expressive face and puts it to full use in emotional sequences. She excels in the climatic sequence.
There are almost no loopholes in the narrative as the film is made near-perfect. The twists and turns are credibly scripted and neatly portrayed by the actors. Dialogues, penned by the director, are to the point and are enjoyable. Yuvan Shankar Raja’s background score is very catchy and nice though the film doesn’t have any song. Even ‘silence’ plays a big part in some sequences!
Cinematographer Vinod has done a terrific job and should be considered a major factor for the film’s success at the box-office. The camera angles are novel, especially in the fighting sequences. The film drags a bit in the second half but in the overall context of the film, it can be excused.
Over-dose of violence and casual of filthy language by the lead actors might prove to be irritants for many cine goers. In the face of some stunning performances, sharp dialogues and excellent camera work and music, the movie becomes a likeable fare.
Definitely not a movie you would want to miss out!
Tags : Aaranya Kandam,
S.P. Charan,
Thiagarajan Kumararaja,
Jackie Shroff,
Ravi Krishna,
Sampath Raj,
Yasmin Ponnappa,
Somasundaram,
Master Vasanth,
Rambo Rajkumar,
Ajay Raj