Online Galatta - Kana Kadein

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It is a romatic thriller, not just romantic one as the title suggests. It is all about three main protagonists a PhD scholar Bhaskar (Srikanth), working for a noble cause, Archana (Gopika) a modern girl who stands up for her beau's hardwork, and Madhan (Prithviraj) a suave money lender with impeccable behaviours, whose intentions are anything unhonourable. Bhaskar, being fed up of banks' beaurocratic ways to fund his desalination project, lands up in the doors of Madhan, an old friend of Archana, without knowing his true colour. Unknowingly they fall into his trap with an agreement that if Bhaskar is unable to repay the debts, he should handover the project rights to him. By the time they come to know about him,the noose had been tightened. How they manage to get out of it leads to impressive sequences and a taut screenplay.

One thing that's best in this story telling is the characterisations breaking the conventional rules of lead players. Hero Srikanth is an occasional boozer, unshaved and easily provokable while Prithvi, villian doesn't even touch a drink and is highly controlled in public behaviours, like he doesn't raise his voice, even while torturing. Heroine Gopika calls her assiduous husband to have sex, which is highly unimaginable in a chaste homely heroine. Prof. Vasantha (played superbly by small screen star Amirtha) is not a typical professor, she boozes and teaches Vivek about "mixing", and has a "broad" outlook towards sex (Can you buy an estate for a cup of coffee?). These out-of-box characters are well balanced by conservative characters like Vanitha, sentimental mother of Gopika, Shalini as dasmel in distress who suffers in the hands of Prithviraj.

Story takes its own time to reach to the right track, while the first half is filled with romantic scenes that are delight to watch and novel picturised songs. It is like a typical mushy romance movie. K.V Anand has a flair for picturising the songs in an artistic manner. "Kalai arumbi..." is the first and best picturised number of the movie, with impressive fish eye lens and in the beautiful beaches of East Coast Road. Who said you need Mauritius to shoot a beach song beautifully? Anand creates the magic with Kasimedu and Pondicherry beach. Same can be said for controversial "Chinna Chinna Sigarangal..." that was shot brilliant in a granite quarry in Chennai itself.

Kana Kandein

An unmarried heroine shedding all her inhibitions to make love with the hero in a daytime, yet doesn't make a scene that they are not married, is bit bold for the otherwise conservative Tamil cinema. The way it was aesthetically shot, when the world is moving with its routine day-to-day chores, lead pair is making love. The on screen chemistry between Gopika and Srikanth is terrific. You can't stop wondering whether it is the same shy & coy Gopika you saw in "Autograph". Gopika represents the today's ambitious girls who balance their love life with professional. Her role comes as a refreshing change to conventional heroines of Tamil cinema.

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Prithviraj makes an impressive Tamil debut as a suave villian. His impeccable manners make him loveable in the first half and menacing villanous acts dreading in the second half. He sets a benchmark to all sophisticated villians, other than him only person who could have carried off this role convincingly will be - Arvindswamy. Prithvi's best body language and fluent use of cool words like "Hey man, give me a break", "It really hurts" and that sensuous smirk while torturing the victims are simply wonderful. They definitely keep him apart from the current generation of actors. His voice devoid to typical malayalam accent adds to his performance. Welcome to Tamil Cinema, Prithvi!

Srikanth as noble Bhaskar had done a good job. His "good boy" looks compliment for his research scholar role.

Noted novel writers Suba (Suresh and Balakrishnan) make their transition from print medium to big screen graciously. Let's expect more creative works from them in future.

When a cinematographer becomes a director, expectations about the camera work in the movie will be normally high. K.V Anand hadn't tried any gimmicks instead he preferred to give what actually story wanted. Camera by Soundararajan, erstwhile assistant of K.V Anand is wonderful. He had learnt his ropes properly under the aegis of eternally talented K.V Anand.

Kana Kandein

Vidyasagar both lends a musical support and lets you down at the same time. He had given a typical "masala mix" score for this movie. One melody (Kalai Arumbi...), one sensuous number (Chinna Chinna Sigarangal...), one mother sentimental number (Thaai sollum uravai.....), one club song (Ayya Raamaiyya.....) and a carbaret (Chinna Ponnu Sonna....). His "Chinna Chinna Sigarangal..." and "Kalai arumbi..." are hummable while "Chinna ponnu...." is the rework of his old number "Joot".

On the whole K.V Anand had made an engrossing product that was rightly packaged. I waited for a while to see it on large screen only and the waiting was worth. Watch it on the big screen with good sound. I'll be an experience you'll surely enjoy of movie watching.

Titbits:- The movie underwent so much changes from the initially planned stages and the changes were for better. Meera Jasmine who was the original choice was replaced by Gopika due to date hassles. All the leading heroes refused to do the role which eventually Prithviraj did. A.M Ratnam (of Boys, Gilli fame) was to produce the movie initially but PL Thenappan produced the final product. Controversies about the sensuous banners & hoardings haunted and kept the memories alive in the public about the movie while making. The whole movie was shot in a short span of 50 days in and around Chennai alone, yet made it a visual feast.