GODLY ALL THE WAY. Review on Pithamagan - Tamil Movie

It was 12PM in the midnight and the continuing rains raised suspicions of something thunderous.. However the thunderous feeling evoked inside Ganga Theatre, as the 2000 odd fans(in unison!) gave a fitting standing ovation to everyine involved in PITHAMAGAN. Nearly 5000 collars wear stylishly up and pride cum satisfaction was writtenall over the faces of people who descended down the theatre to hit out the first quarter of the day.Reflecting upon PITHAMAGAN, the most awaited Tamil Film after BOYS, the film was a pleasant one. It was no surprise that the film easily out toppled competitiors THIRUMALAI, OTTRAN and ANJANEYA to emerge as the undisputable topper amongst Diwali 2003 releases. The sucess of PITHAMAGAN also marks a hatrick of successes (or hatrick of Diwali successes, whatever you call it) for its director Bala.

After watching the film with bated breath, I was absolutely astonished for more than one reason. Lemme present them as the assets of PITHAMAGAN

HOMEWORK HONOURS

Homework is something entirely foreign to Tamil Cinema(most themes never need it). The film involves characters that have hardly been shown in mainstream cinema and Bala always believes in making an impact with his characters. Yet it came as a surprise as the unsystematic Bala reportedly spent a month with the heroes identifying and studying the actions of persons with similar traits to those of the characters. The cast and crew had strained a lot too. The mainstream actors didnt accept any other offers. Laila has reduced a lot of weight and the heroes have undergone a plethora of changes as well. Raju(Sound Effects) had worked cats and dogs for studying the sounds of animals for using them in his sound effects. It is also believed that Balasubramaniam had done a lot of natural exercises to focus the dense forests. Overall it is nice to see good homework being done in Tamil Cinema.

''CAST''ING A SPELL

I had always reckoned only Surya and Vikram(to some extent Maddy) as the prospective actors amongst the current generation actors. Both of them perform powerfully, make their performances look easy, choose healthy films, give success consistenly and never make sound of their successes. Bala respectively recovered their careers in his previous two films, after which these stars have exhibited maturity, consistency, talent, skill, hardwork,power and discipline. In Pithamagan Bala adds the dimension of versatility(the main aspect I look in for any actor) to both these gems. After producing power packed performances as police offers in their previous films'(both super hits) these two people revel as an undertaker(Vikram) and petty thief(Surya).

Vikram as the undertaker never speaks on the screen, but his every expression conveys more than mere words could. Surya is loveabale as the jolly going loudmouth thief and deserves special credit for his voice modulations and expressive(highly comic) performances. It is indeed a stellar performance from the two top stars in the very top of their limelight. No other existing stars could have handled these roles and really no one would even dream of doing such critical characters in the pinnacle of their careers.

HATS OFF to Vikram and Surya for their great rendering of two unusual characters.

A real surprise in the film comes from the lead ladies. Sangeetha(formerly glamdoll Rasiga) and Laila(looking kewl after weight loss) attach great value to their performances and should have won many hearts. Laila is able to easily evoke laughter and Sangeetha is more than convincing as Gomathi, the drug distributor. All the others be it Karunas, Manobala or the Telugu export villian Mahadevan chip in nicely to the film. And let me not forget the aesthetic appearance by Simran which enlivens the proceedings. And as usual, Sims is a visual delight with her dances and expressions.

THE KING IS ALIVE AND KICKING

Even the unflippable critic Malathi Rangarajan(The Hindu) came in lavish praise for all the crew, which in itself is an achievement of tall order by Bala's PITHAMAGAN crew. But one person in the crew needs singular, specific and special recognition, and he is none other than the evergreen king of music Illayaraja.

This year Tamil Cine music had seen a lot of appreciable hits and compositions from various composers. Even Rehman came back from hibernation and breathed fire with BOYS. The veteran Illayaraja dosent miss the party and impresses one and all with PITHAMAGAN. The heart touching compositions of ''Illangaatru'' and ''Piraye Piraye'' are melodious masterpieces from the magnificent master. Illayaraja also has a lesson for all DJs of today with a ravishing remix that brings to life the otherwise paralysed audience. And trust Illayaraj to redefine his own standards of rerecording to another high level. The re-recording is undisputedly the best in the year.

In this stead, special appreciation should be given to the sound effects Raju for performing with perfection to make the film an audible delight in all dimensions

THE BALA BENCH

Headed by Bala, the other crew members have contributed exceedingly well to the film, be it Balasubramaniam with the photography. Shiva with the action choreography, the editing of Suresh Urs, the lyrics of Vaali, Pazhani bharathi and Mu.Metta all the performances are of the highest ranks. In the top of them all, Bala comes up trumps yet again. To quote Malathi herself ''Bala was unforgettable in SETHU, appreciable in NANDHA and incredible in PITHAMAGAN''. Bala's efforts are evident in every frame of the film and he maintains his position in the league of Mani and Shankar. All the same, Bala is yet again insistent on sending us out with a heavy heart.

Howevwer PITHAMAGAN hasnt been hassle free and the crtics have thrown a few brickbats as well, which I would love to answer for Bala

There arent any scenes that depict the intensity of friendship between Surya and Vikram!

There neednt be any, as the friendship seems so natural. Science and Psychology agree that opposite poles attract, and can we find two characters as diverse as those of Vikram(Sittan) and Surya(Shakthi). Moreover the character of Sittan is like that of a dog and it is only binding that he is attached to his greatest caretaker Sakthi.

Why does Laila roam about freely with the fradulent gang?

Bala always deals with serious and mature characters, and in that background the portrayal of a lively, humorous and immature character like that of Manju(Laila) is somewhat unacceptable by fans. However I dont see any problem in a joyful girl hanging with her equally joyful lover.

It is hard to understand the reaction of Vikram after Surya's death!

Even a normal person gets crestfallen on the death of his near or dear. Just imagine the character Sittan(his 6th senses are still to take off), who cannot even tolerate Sakthi's girlfriend teasing him? He needs more time to come to terms with reality, to understand the death of his dear friend, avenge the same and share the sorrows, which he does ultimately. Bala couldnt have come up with a better climax, and full marks to him.

In a nutshell, PITHAMAGAN was worth its wait. The novel characters, entertaining starts, eventful happenings and tragic end reminds me highly of R.K.Naraynan's works.PITHAMAGAN means God's son and all the people involved behind this films are indeed Pithamagans. Thanks to the tumultous theme of the director, passionate performance from the crew, amiable acting by the cast, the excellent execution of the film ,the rejuvenating response from the audience, there is Godliness in every frame of the film. GODLY ALL THE WAY