At
last, the movie we have all
been waiting for has come
on. Rajinikanth’s Chandramukhi
raised feverish expectation
after the dumping of Baba.
Rajini needed a dose of vitamin
S(success) to revitalize his
career. While he has reached
the pinnacle in terms of popularity,
there is a craving for more,
which is the hallmark of a
good entertainer. Chandramukhi’s
story is a veiled adaptation
of a very sensitive Malayalam
movie, Manichitrathazhu.
However, in fashioning the
story to suit Rajini’s
persona, the soul of the plot
seems to have been lost. As
an example, one could say
the use of fire-spitting action
scenes which do not correlate
in the whole scheme of things.
Saravanan(Rajinikanth) is
an accomplished psychiatrist,
whose is summoned to cure
his friend, Prabhu’s
wife, Jyothika, who has the
Jekyll and Hyde syndrome.
The split personalities become
pronounced after the couple
move into the large mansion
where Chandramukhi lived
and was killed by her paramour.
Jo is the devoted wife who
turns nasty when possessed
of the spirit of the estranged
courtesan, Chandramukhi.
Saravanan follows a methodical
approach to treat the woman
and everyone is happy at the
end.
Let us see the good things
first. Rajini belies his age
on the screen and performs
his antics with enthusiasm.
His comic interludes with
Vadivelu are the highlight
of the movie. Shankar Josheph’s
camera work is impressive.
Vidyasagar’s music has
enriched the songs which are
soothing.
On to the flip side, the first
casualty is the screenplay
where the director seems to
be in a dilemma as to give
importance to the story or
the star. His balancing act
is quite precarious and the
end result is mishmash. The
use of excessive epithets
praising the hero’s
virtues is irritating. Almost
everyone in the supporting
cast (a real jumbo one) seems
to be mouthing the same ideas.
Nayantara as Rajini’s
heroine is a mere prop and
does nothing much. Jo’s
attempts to breathe life into
the character flounder and
her verbal and facial pyrotechnics
are jarring.
The film is hitched to Rajini’s
band of diehard fans and can
be watched once.
Verdict – HUMDRUM FARE
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