Manmadhan Ambu (2010) Poster

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7/10
Manmadhan Ambu- Half Baked
kannan_fifa14 May 2011
Man Madhan Ambu can be described as a intelligent comedy by the successful duo Kamal Hassan and K.S.Ravikumar. From a promising casting, writer and strong technicians, Man Madhan Ambu does not disappoint to deliver.

Firstly talking about the story, this film has a simple cute love story with comical elements. It is about possessive Madhan (Madhavan), setting up a detective, Mannar(Kamal Hasaan) to spy his ex girlfriend, Ambu (Trisha) during her holiday trip to Barcelona with her friend, Deepa (Sangeetha). The simple story has unexpected twists here and there which sets the pace of the film. Kamal interestingly feeds messages on the rich stepping the poor intelligently. Kamal Hassan has written a light hearted story after delivering a gigantic Dasavatharam two years ago. The film contains strong clever dialogues and the play of words at each scene is interesting to watch. Kamal Hassan's idea of revealing flashback in reverse mode needs applaud. Thinking out of the box is not new to this veteran and he has proved his talent once again. However the screenplay lacks punch and pace at the first half, It wonders aimlessly until a major twist before the interval. But the 2nd half sets momentum and leads to a super comical climax. But however it is quite disappointing as it is from Kamal Hassan who always comes with a strong screenplay, comes with a simple story with sprinkles of illogic.

Man Madhan Ambu's next strength is its music. The music is cool and calm just like the movie. The songs are well picturised and suits the movie well. Neela Vaanam's picturisation makes the whole film's mood and in fact saves the film! The casting of the film is also the major strength. Trisha who is speaking in her real voice for the first time evokes emotions well and renders tamil perfectly with her own style. Sangeetha steals the show from the 2nd half onwards with her comic acts and does terribly well during the climax potions. Kamal Hassan as usual does well and proves his talent but one could wonder why his character is designed in such a way the it is too simple for an actor like him to play. Madhavan steals the show by his timing sense and drunkard acts. He is the true hero of Man Madhan Ambu according to me. Other small characters of Ramesh Aravind, Oorvasi, Usha Utup, Kurup couples and the small kids gels well with the flow of the narration.

Man Madhan Ambu also scores in technicality with excellent cinematography. The cool tones and breezy place is showcased beautifully. There were lots of crane shots in the film which makes the film look rich. The films marks its innovation by recording live sounds by avoiding dubbing. Its something new in tamil movies and worth a special mention. The set designs were classy and rich. The colourful, stylish costumes make the film more light hearted like its story.

In overall, the film certainly creates a new skin to Kollywood, thanks to the team of innovation lead by Kamal. The film starts off slowly but takes off in a jet speed in the second half. A novel attempt! VERDICT - 7/10
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7/10
Pleasant..! Warning: Spoilers
The master story teller is back this time with a romantic comedy drama "Manmadhan Ambu" (short for "Man"nar , "Madan"agopal , "Ambu"jakshi ) . The manner in which screenplay is etched out lucidly with each & every details propounding a meaning in itself which comes out neatly & effortlessly is in itself a treat for cinema lovers.

The dialogs are crisp , intelligent & razor sharp & Kamalhassan has played with the language be it Tamil or English. "Intha ulaguthula nermaya irukaravangalukku thimiru than sir veliye.." , "Matrimony was lousy , but alimony was superb " are just two of many such genius writing. The scene in which the lead pair exchange with their poems is not only a great piece of cinema in recent times it also evokes nostalgic memory of such a sequence in one of yesteryear Kamalhassan movie "Varumai Niram Sivappu" -"Chippi irukuthu muthum irukuthu".

Story is nothing new but the treatment Kamalhassan has given is different with many characters whom one may think not related to the story comes to their own as the story unfolds. The way in which romance , drama , sentiments & not the least of them all comedy are blended into the story makes it a healthy cocktail refreshing your tired mind. And the last 30 minutes is one of the most rip-roaring hilarious sequence Tamil cinema has seen in recent times. Look out for the way in which the words are just played with & the " crazy" Mohan influence is all for one to see.

KamalHaasan has not only excelled in these mentioned three departments of the movie , he is gracious enough to give a more challenging & more attractive role to Madhavan & let his role do the underplaying. Movie has nothing much to showcase the acting talents in him , however in couple of instances he shows us why he is regarded as the most talented actor the country has ever produced. The sequence in which Trisha reveals the truth about the accident is the just an example. All there was glimpses of his suave stylishness in couple of instances like when he rearranges the fallen garbage can , put his mobile into his pocket & the initial steps of the ""Dhagudu Dhattham" song.

Madhavan has the plump role in the movie & boy he has utilized it to the max. He steals the show & this will be one of his career best performances. He looked absolutely confident in his role & the manner in which he effortlessly managed to bring out those slapstick acts of his were commendable. His dialog delivery has grown leaps & bounds & it was a carnival seeing him perform his role in this movie. Trisha has also done her part well & "act"ed this time after she started doing so in "VTV". Her dialog delivery was also good especially the confidence in which she has mouthed those poetic lines were praiseworthy.

Sangeetha is yet another performer , who has done a good supporting job. Though initially her role irritated a bit , she more than makes up for it in the last 30 minutes or so. Others like Kunjan , Manju Pillai , Urvashi , Ramesh Arvind also have done well.

Music by Devi Sri Prasad is good. "Neela Vaanam" is a good melody while "Who's The Hero" & "Dhagudu Dhattham" are foot tapping numbers. BGM was also fine , no qualms.

Manush Nandan's cinematography aids in the travel of the story without undue gimmickry.

K.S.Ravikumar is the director who has helped his bit in bringing out the final product.

On the whole, initially though the pace is sluggish , after "Dhagudu Dhattham " the movie picks up the pace building up expectation in the interval slot & after which it again reaches a plateau then really taking off in the final 30 minutes.

Bottomline : Pleasant..!
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7/10
A magnificent comeback from the Kamal Haasan / Madhavan combo !!!
rkuna-2296310 November 2020
The film is super funny! I laughed so much during the film I had a stomach ache! A good comeback of this combo! The 4th movie of the Maddy-Kamal combo! K.S.Ravikumar nothing to say he sculpted the film! The song Neela Vaanam, I don't know whose idea it was but good idea !! Trisha did not give everything to play her role well, because in many other films she plays very well but not this film! Madhavan still a good actor in Tamil cinema! I don't know why this film has become an average, when it deserves to be a superhit !!
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Double Agent Cupid
AvinashPatalay16 November 2011
The movie has a fair bit of glitters. And to be honest if more effort was put into pre-production essentially the writing, the end result would have left a lasting impact. The Europe tour served no purpose to the storyline. The narrative scores a brownie point on unfolding the past sin just before intermission. Maintaining the format of his earlier outings, for format of the climax is expected to be "comedy of errors" culminating into a madcap laugh-riot. Safe to say it had enough scope for better writing.

Madhavan:: I am certain that his fans would demand a justify his reason to be associated with this project.

Trisha:: Her character has scope to display variety of emotions and she pulls it off effortlessly. Her affinity towards "Johnny English" detective had scope for improvement as it comes across more like "love out of pity".

Kamal Hassan:: As always expectations ride high to see the maestro pull a rabbit out the hat. There are no doubts on his acting capabilities. But on the multiple hat he dons for the project as a writer, he seriously need to re-think. Best left to the worthy and concentrate on what he does best.

Sangeetha: Offers some good post-marital advice on how to be loser and yet portray a victorious winner.

If there is a reason you should watch the movie, its for the flashback sequence shot in a single song in reverse. Yes - it certainly deserves kudos!
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4/10
A Big bore
sanjayppc23 October 2014
Manmadhan ambu is a classic example of talent gone waste. It has a wafer thin story line & is a pathetic attempt at comedy.

Kamal haasan is a good actor but he should stick to just that. Wonder what madhavan was doing in this movie. Trisha speaks in her own voice for the first & the last time in a film. Being a tamilian, wonder why her tamil is so bad! Urvasi has been totally wasted.

It is only sangeetha who tries to salvage the film with her performance.

The malayali duo irritate. DSP's music is crap.

Kamal looks like Trisha's dad, with his unshaven look.

One of the worst films of kamal & no wonder it bombed badly at the box office.
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10/10
Manmadhan Ambu (2010)
santhosh-102901 January 2018
The movie was excellent. Kamal Haasan amazing acting. Madhavan also acted very good in the movie. There is many humor and comedy scenes which are so funny.
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9/10
Manmadhan Ambu....A Good Entertainer with and Excellent Storyline...and Excellent Cast...
charuc147 January 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Doing a hilarious entertainer is no tough task for Kamal Haasan and K S Ravikumar duo. Their previous encounters (barring 'Dasvatharam') proved a point that they are masters in the trade. 'Manmadhan Ambu' is obviously a cakewalk for the two, who give one of the best entertainers for Tamil cinema.

Hold on. Who said comedy movies should not have a strong storyline? 'Manmadhan Ambu' does have strong script backed by a taut screenplay. Forget the likes of 'Thenali, Avvai Shanmugi' or 'Panchathanthiram', fasten your seat belts to laugh out loud with logical sequences, and 'Manmadhan Ambu' is right there to entertain you.

It has some entertaining elements, sentiments and emotions. Spying on one's beloved seems to be the crux. A possessive industrialist hiring a private detective to follow his ladylove, who is on a holiday abroad and the sequences aftermath the mission is what the movie is all about.

Lace it up with Kamal Haasan's perfection, Madhavan's buoyant performance as possessive lover, bubbly Trisha and Sangeetha, Ravikumar's directorial touches and Udhayanidhi Stalin's production values, the film no doubt impresses.

Unlike recent run-of-the-mill-stuff, the movie has signature Kamal Haasan style of sophistication from the word go. No flashy introduction, easy dialog without punchlines and candy floss romance is what all the movie is.

If Kamal Haasan is the flesh and blood of the movie, Ravikumar injects life with his screenplay. He ensures that momentum is not lost anywhere (how when Kamal Haasan is at the scheme of things).

Devi Sri Prasad impresses with foot-taping peppy numbers. The combined effort of Manush Nandhan's camera capturing the huge cruiser and the landscapes of Paris, DSP's racy re-recording and the wizardry of Kamal Haasan and Ravikumar makes the movie count.

Madhanagopal (Madhavan), is the son of rich industrialist couple (Kitty and Usha Uthup). He is in love in Ambujakshi (Trisha), a popular actress. He happens to visit her at a shooting spot in Kodaikanal, where she shoots with actor Suriya.

Possessive by nature, Madhanagopal mistakes her when she speaks to Jyothika and Suriya's daughter over phone. Madhan and Ambujakshi pick up quarrel and eventually ends up in an argument.

Madhan, who had been to present a car to her as gift ends up traveling in the car with her arguing which meets with a freak mishap. Meanwhile there is one Deepa (Sangeetha), a divorcée with two children, who wants to live in her own way. She decides to spend her vacation abroad.

When Ambujakshi plans to go abroad for a break to spend her vacation, Madhan suspects her and hires the help of a private detective Mannar (Kamal Haasan). Mannar assures to do the task with a promise that Madhan sponsors for his friend Rajan's (Ramesh Aravind) medical expenses. He suffers from cancer.

Mannar sets out to Paris and later on a cruise where Ambujakshi and Deepa been to. Both Deepa and Ambujakshi become acquainted and spend time with gusto. Enters Mannar, who after following Ambujakshi closely finds out that she is a upright and a sincere girl, who thinks of no one but Madhan. When he informs this, a relieved Madhan backtracks from the promise he made to Mannar.

Hence Mannar hatches a conspiracy and comes out with a story saying that she is actually dating a man. An insecure Madhan now comes to Mannar again and urges him to stay there and follow her more closely.

Meanwhile, coming to know of Madhan's act, his parents go dissatisfied with him. Actually his mother wants him to marry one of their relative (played by Oviya of 'Kalavani' fame).

As it happens Mannar and Ambujakshi come to know each other. Mannar reveals that he was a commando in Indian army and that he was married to a French woman, whom he rescued from militants in Jammu Kashmir.

But Ambu is in for a shock when Mannar says she was killed in a recent mishap at Kodaikanal and that too when a luxury car knocked her down. All is now between Ambujakshi and Mannar. What happens from here on is narrated in an interesting manner. Did Madhan get Ambu or he repent for his act forms the climax.

Kamal Haasan is there right in every department. Be it the duologue's or the subtle silent expressions, he is breezy and entertaining. He is as solid as Sachin Tendulkar, fresh even after completing 50 centuries on the Test cricket ground. His one-liners and the agile stunt sequences are a delight for audience. Kamal has ensured that his fans are not disappointed all through.

Madhavan plays a bubbly romantic youth. The complex character of an over-possessive lover is handled well by him. Trisha is not far behind. She matches Kamal Haasan in every scene with her performance. Especially her subtle emotions, cherubic dance deserve a special mention.

Sangeetha is apt for the role. She casually dons it and gives one of her best. Also the likes of Ramesh Aravind Urvashi as Ramesh Aravind's wife Mallika, Kitty and Usha Uthup among others impresses. Malayalam stars Manju Pillai and Kunjan, who play producers running behind Trisha for dates, strike with their comical performance.

Shooting in a star cruiser and a majority of film in a foreign land has been made possible by Udhaynidhi Stalin. Having made a name for himself producing and distributing quality fare, he ensures 'Manmadhan Ambu' tops the list.

If the first half settles down to a pace, the second half takes off in a bigger way sustaining the momentum all through.

Three cheers to Kamal Haasan, a man who has entertained us for over 50 years, for continuing his job with same energy, enthusiasm and vigor. 'Manmadhan Ambu' may not be a 'Panchathanthiram' or 'Dasavatharam', but a perfect holiday entertainer with Kamal stamp all over it.
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10/10
a very entertaining movie
drsnehithmd6 February 2011
Good story,tight screenplay,decent direction,nice music and excellent acting makes this kamal hassan starrer a must watch. PLOT:Madanagopal/Madan (Madhavan), a wealthy entrepreneur, suspects that his girlfriend, actress Ambujakshi alias Ambu (Trisha) may be having affairs with her colleagues in the film industry. To that end, he hires private detective Major Raja Mannar (Kamal Haasan) to follow her when she goes on a European cruise for a vacation. Mannar accepts, as he desperately needs money to pay the hospital bills of his friend Rajan (Ramesh Arvind), who is afflicted with cancer, and his wife Mallika (Urvashi). Contrary to Madanagopal's suspicions, Ambujakshi is loyal and virtuous; when Mannar reports this, Madan refuses to pay him as his suspicions were unfounded.Disappointed, Mannar to save his dying friend Rajan fabricates a story and tells Madan that she is having a secret affair during her trip. In the process, he introduces himself as a tourist to Ambu, her friend Deepa (Sangeetha) and Deepa's children, and becomes close to the group. A good comedy which has its heart in the right place.Trisha is pretty and has performed well but the real strong performances comes from madhavan and sangeetha.Last but not the least kamal hassan as usual is the best.After the badly done movies like dasavatharam and aadhavan,k s ravikumar has returned with a winner.
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