Alaipayuthey

Alaipayuthey
(translates as "waves are moving")
2000
3/5 stars

In this romantic drama, Karthik (played by Madhavan) falls in love with Shakti (Shalini), woos her for some time, and eventually wins her. They marry, against the wishes of their fathers, and find that marriage is much more difficult than romance.

The realistic portrayal of marriage is excellently done and the plot is well written.  However, it was hard to sympathize with Shakti, whether it was the character or Shalini's acting; Shakti was too sharp and smug, especially when compared to Karthik's openness and innocence (or Madhavan's generally good, award winning performance).  The music was mostly good, with one song particularly memorable.  I expected to fully enjoy this movie, based on reviews, but the difficulty with Shakti and a lack of convincing emotional buildup kept me from completely connecting with the film.

Dumm Dumm Dumm

Dumm Dumm Dumm
(literally: the sound of wedding drums)
2001
5/5 stars

Ganga (played by Jyothika), having scored second in her state in school board exams, wants to go to Chennai to study engineering. Adhi (Madhavan), from the same village, is currently in Chennai studying law, and enjoying his freedom from home. His father and her father greatly esteem each other, and arrange a match between Ganga and Adhi. The young people are in agreement that they do not wish to marry, and secretly work together to stop it. Their attempts fail, and they have just decided that perhaps marriage isn't such a bad fate when a terrible misunderstanding occurs between the two fathers and the wedding is called off. Ganga goes to Chennai to study, and Adhi runs into her there. To their surprise, they fall in love, but the enmity between their fathers is too great.

This movie is a delightful mix of drama, romance, and comedy. All the acting is solid, and Jyothika and Madhavan have excellent chemistry together. With one exception, the music is enjoyable, and there are two particularly nice dance scenes. The plot, though mostly predictable, is engrossing and entertaining. Overall, this is a charming film, and one that I will certainly watch again.

Rowdy Fellow

Rowdy Fellow
2014
4/5 stars

Rana Prathap Jayadev (Nara Rohit) is extremely wealthy, with an insanely big ego.  Because of a perceived slight by a senior policeman (played by Ahuti Prasad), Rana uses his money to gain a  position as a sub-inspector in the same district with the intention of causing trouble for the ACP. A missing-person case leads back to the powerful MP of the district, Asuragana Durga Prasad's (Rao Ramesh), and Rana begins to take his position seriously, seeking justice for the common people by whatever means it takes.

Vishakha Singh plays the love interest; the cast also includes Ajay, Posani Krishna Murali, and Praveen.

Rana is a well-written anti-hero, and Nara Rohit does a great job walking that thin line between good guy and bad. While Vishakha Singh is not always fully convincing, and Ajay overacts at times, both Praveen and Posani Krishna Murali are excellent in their comedic roles.  The songs are catchy, memorable, and appealing, and the film makes good use of incidental music.  Rowdy Fellow is compelling, often amusing, and an overall solidly good and satisfying film that just falls short of five stars.

Singh and Rohit

Priyamaana Thozhi

Priyamaana Thozhi
(translates as "lovable [female] friend")
2003
3/5 stars

Julie (Sridevi Vijaykumar) and Ashok (Madhavan) have had a deep, platonic friendship since they were children. When Ashok becomes engaged to Nandini (Jyothika), Julie is ready to make any changes needed for the happiness of the marriage. By the same token, when Julie and Michael (Vineeth) fall in love, Ashok is willing to sacrifice his dreams for the benefit of her future.

This is a sweet, but sometimes sappy, movie about the beauty of true friendship.  The plot, while not fully believable, is enjoyable.  The acting is generally good, but Madhavan's emotions were not always convincing.  The music is quite lovely, though the choreography leaves much to be desired.  Priyamaana Thozhi won't necessarily be memorable, but it is still entertaining.

Sridevi Vijaykumar and Jyothika

Un Samayal Arayil

Un Samayal Arayil
(translates as "in your kitchen")
2014
5/5 stars

Kalidasa (Prakash Raj), a gourmand, is still single in his 40s. A miss-dialed phone call introduces him to Gowri (Sneha), also single in her 30s. They begin a phone friendship based on cooking, which becomes deep enough that they want to meet in person. When the time comes, though, Kalidasa becomes nervous due to insecurities and fears, and so sends his nephew Naveen (Tejus) to scout out the situation first. Unbeknownst to Kalidasa, Gowri, for the same reasons, also sends her young friend Meghana (Samyukta Hornad). This sets up all four for heartbreak.

Un Samayal Arayil is a gentle movie with a compelling plot and believable characters. All four principle actors do a wonderful job, especially Raj, who displays emotions so well. In this film, music does not play as important a part as usual in Indian Cinema, but it is still lovely.  This is a beautiful movie that I can recommend universally.

Prakash Raj and Sneha