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Reviews
Nayakan (1987)
No doubt it is a classic but....
Yes it is a classic and this can't be denied for any reasons. Yet after watching this movie for nearly 27 years I have certain doubts regarding this movie which still remains unanswered.
Before going into the confusing portions let me first type the positive aspects of the film.
Kamal, Maniratnam, Karthika, Nasser,PC, Ilayaraja, Thotta, Tinu Anand.... need to say more.(Pls ignore the order. I just typed the names that randomly came to my mind when I remembered nayakan).
Now for the confusing part.
If you watch the movie right from the beginning, velu Nayakan starts helping Hussain Bhai in his smuggling business even when he is a kid. Then why does Hussain Bhai refuse Velu's idea of entering into the smuggling business?
When Velu demands Rs:2000 from Durai(Vijayan), Vijayan orders his henchmen to kill Hussain Bhai. In the next scene it is the inspector Khelkher who kills Hussain Bhai. How? And why??
After killing Khelkher, Velu Nayakan decides to pay khelkher's family Khelkher's monthly salary. But does he follows this principle to everyone who is murdered by him?(Thankfully he does not marry Khelkher's widow).
Why doesn't Velu kill Vijayan? Should we assume that he does not know that it was Vijayan who arranged Hussain Bhai's murder? Right from the beginning Velu does not get along well with Vijayan. Then with whom does he continue the smuggling business? What happens to Vijayan after wards? (Infact in the initial scenes it is Vijayan who is treated like a godfather).
In the climax scene Tinu Anand who is the son of Inspector Khelkher kills Velu Nayakan with his dead father's pistol. When a policeman dies during his service, the police department will definitely take custody of the pistol along with the bullets. Then how does Tinu Anand use his dead father's loaded pistol to shoot Velu Nayakan? Why is it that not even a single policeman tries to prevent Tinu from shooting Velu Nayakan?
Nasser after taking charge,immediately arrests Janagaraj. In the next couple of scenes arrest warrant is issued for Velu nayakan. Why does Nasser show the arrest warrant document to his wife? How does he disclose such a confidential matter to his wife?
When Velu visits the hospital to see the injured people, how does he easily enter the hospital when he is being searched all over the city by the police? And how does Janagaraj accompany him? When/how does he gets released?
These are some of the questions that are never answered.
Aayitha Ezhuthu (2004)
A Coming of the Age Movie
When this film was released 10 years ago, it was widely panned by the critics as they felt the film lacked the seriousness or intensity that always existed in a Mani Ratnam's film. But now after watching the film after 10 years of its release, it seems the movie was much ahead of its time.
Madhavan's role is definitely a first of its kind role in Tamil cinema. This was perhaps the earliest movie that showed the lifestyle of people in North Chennai, a trend which was seen in many realistic movies made in the years to come(like Pudhupettai, Polladhavan, Aranya Kandam etc).
If Madhavan was the typical North Chennai guy, then Siddarth is a typical south Chennai guy who falls in love with a girl from Taramani. (which again would become a trend in the films made after Ayutha Yezhuthu).The differences/variations between the characters has been brilliantly brought to the screen.(Background music, Cinematography, art direction and costumes need special mention).
This is one of the most matured performances Surya has given in his career. The recent commercial movies featuring Surya, definitely seems to have ruined the career of an otherwise brilliant actor.
Barathiraja's casting is indeed a real surprise. He adds more dignity to an otherwise typical villain of tamil cinema.
The movie has its own share of flaws which becomes inevitable whenever such a complex story narration is used. Nevertheless going by the number of movies that have been inspired by this film, Ayutha Ezhuthu remains a classic film of Tamil cinema.