Two heroines, two phases of life - the
instinctive prediction is that it is a typical romantic saga. However,
''‘‘Thangamagan’’'' is not the ordinary rigmarole. Velraj is a
director-turned-cinematographer who created a revolution in his debut
directorial. Does the spirit of VIP sustain through to ''Thangamagan’''
too? Family drama, romantic sweet tale, or a mystery story? Gear up for a
roller coaster entertainment that is '' ‘Thangamagan’.
Story:
Son of a simple middle class family,
Tamizh (Dhanush) is a happy-go-lucky lad, roaming about with his best
bud (Sathish) and his cousin Aravind. All is well till Tamizh is smitten
by Hema (Amy). While Sathish and Dhanush get along in wooing the lady
love, Aravind feels left out and leaves their company hastily but
willingly. Over time, Hema and Tamizh fall apart, and eventually Hema
gets married to Aravind; Tamizh finds Yamuna (Samantha) and they are two
happy families. The happiness cracks down from its pinnacle, one fine
morning, when Tamizh''s father commits suicide. When no one understands
why, the film is the story of Tamizh uncovering truth and finding
answers, as a ‘Thangamagan’.
Screenplay:
The first forty minutes are spent in
fun and romance. Amy and Dhanush share a juvenile, lively chemistry;
their rapture is one that captures the spark and energy of first love.
The point where it touches you strongly emotionally is their breakup.
Highlighting the point where threshold breaks for every young couple,
the dispute between dreams and duty is highlighted in its niché in this
scene.
The family set up is portrayed in
Titch reality, in every move of the Radhika-KSR couple. Importance given
to the little nothings and the corresponding dialogues paints a
complete rosy family portrait. As a dutiful man, questioned of his
capacity, Ravikumar plays a realistic confused man. Radhika, a typical
warm housewifely lady, acts the mom, like in every household. Sathish
plays Kumaran, who aids a great deal in keeping the first half lively;
his timing comedy is the perfect relief amidst all the dripping sweet
romance.
While Amy''s role is appreciative in
most parts, her strongest comes out only in the second half, as
Aravind''s wife. Aravind plays one of the baddies; though
straightforward and brief to put in words, he does justice to his role
in its entirety. From holding a simple grudge, to holding back a sin,
his role is one of the strongest in the movie. Jayaprakash plays another
strong role, and as always, his presence is powerful in the film.
Samantha breezes into the second half, and plays a predominantly
supportive role, than grab the limelight as a heroine. Her presence is
what adds the emotional in the present to the revenge story. This
romance story is mature with age, yet simple in its purity.
The protagonist is captured in a
different meter this time. Instead of jumping high with adrenaline,
Dhanush plays a relatively composed and calm hero, always in control of
the situation at hand, no matter how bad be it. This composure is what
makes for the style of his on-screen role, as Tamizh. Without much
stress on a signature, Dhansuh has still managed to convince as a strong
hero. Tamizh is a charm to watch for, truly a golden son.
Backstage:
At his second attempt, Velraj has
carved a spot for himself in the family entertainer sector. The film has
a detailed story; however, most of it is pleated in the second half,
while the first half is elaborate on the introduction alone. Albeit,
this time allows for absorption of the characters, but also keeps us
entertained tirelessly.
Kumaran''s camera is a classic piece
of work. His intent in capturing the fine little intricacies has fallen
well in their place in the movie. One of the strongest pillars of a
movie is music - the album was brief, but the score compensates for the
void. Background score by Anirudh is powerful, as would be expected of
the rockstar; yet, it inevitably obviously bears resemblance to his
previous works. Dialogues are strong and stand alone power-packed in
places.
