Kazhugu (2012)

Simply Perfect

Don't Believe the Hype

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

It is a promising debut by Sathya Siva, writer & director of "Kazhugu". He has taken up a simple story, woven a lucid screenplay & executed the same with panache of a veteran. Nothing over-dramatic, not a complicated screenplay, it is the simplicity of the attempt which captures the viewer's heart. It is yet another example of how many youngsters these days are moving towards the realistic cinema with penchant for raw emotions of real people in remotest areas of Tamil Nadu. Sathya Siva seems to have a good eye on visualization of what is in the paper and the manner his vision has translated on screen is praiseworthy. He once again proves that simplicity in thought, conception & execution is all needed to make a good cinema. Movies moves at a comfortable pace , keeping the viewer engaged throughout the length with no scope for boredom. Dialogues are earthy. There are umpteen of one-liners which would bring a heartfelt smile. Sathya Siva has written the dialogs as well.Krishna seems to have a nice eye for good scripts. His debut "Alibaba" was a very well written & made movie , it was a shame that it didn't do well at the Box-office. His second "Katrathu Kalavu" also had a novel script but the execution played the spoilsport. This time in his third attempt , once again he has chosen a good script & this time execution is also good. He is earnest in his acting & seems to have undergone lots of hardships to enact this role. He comes out with flying colors in this role of the retriever of the dead bodies of those who commit suicide.Bidhu Madhavi has very expressive eyes & also has the talent. She has done her part sincerely . Thambi Ramaiah once again scores in his supporting role. He has done excellently well both in the comic as well as serious sequences. Karunas lends a neat support while Jayaprakash with his calm & cold demeanor is apt for his role .Sathya is the cinematographer & has captured the complicated landscapes of Kodaikanal in all its natural glory. He & his crew deserve heaps of appreciation for all the hardships they might have undergone in shooting in those unforgiving terrains."Aathadi Manasudhan" is yet another excellent melody from Yuvan Shankar Raja while "Ambalaikum Pombalaikum" is a foot-tapping number with meaningful lyrics by Snehan. Background score is mixed bag hovering between excellence & mediocrity.On the whole, "Kazhugu" is a neat , simple , creditable cinema by a promising débutant just falling short of excellence.Bottomline : Highflying Eagle