GOURAVAM MOVIE REVIEW

Radha Mohan is back in the fray with Gouravam after the successful Payanam in 2011. Prior to the release, there was a buzz around the film as it was seemingly about honor killings, a controversial subject particularly considering the recent Dharmapuri incident which happened in November 2012.

Allu Sirish makes his debut with Gouravam, which also releases in Telugu along with its Tamil version. Yami Gautam who wowed audiences with her presence in Vicky Donor is another debutante who enters the South with this Prakash Raj production.

The script of the movie has some purpose as Arjun (Allu Sirish) decides to uncover the mystery around the disappearance of his college friend Shanmugam, after he happens to pass by Shanmugam’s native village T.Vennur. This is one village where the caste system still reigns and a section of people are kept aside as ‘untouchables’ by those with a superior sense of prestige and self-worth.

What begins as an inquisitive search carried out by Arjun and his friend Venky soon booms into something huge involving like-minded students and the media. We also have Yazhini, a qualified lawyer, who joins this youth crusade which ruffles quite a few feathers in the village. 

Radha Mohan has to be appreciated for centering his script on a topical and relevant issue. But, his execution is what lets the movie down as melodrama scores high in most of the scenes. The utopian motives of the youngsters in the movie also come out as being contrived due to the screenplay. That said, the segment towards the end surrounding the investigation scenes gives the movie some momentum.

And the humor that you generally expect out of Radha Mohan movies is missing here and all those attempts at making us smile fall flat.

Allu Sirish makes an earnest effort in his debut and he needs to put in more work on his expressions and other requirements that are expected out of a hero in the South. Yami Gautam is really pretty and she performs decently as well, particularly in the courtroom scenes..

A Radha Mohan constant, Kumaravel, comes up with a typically praise-worthy show in a role which gives him scope for myriad emotions. Veterans, Nassar and Prakash Raj, are adequate in the few scenes they appear in. Sricharan is the other actor who occupies some screen-time and he is spontaneous. Telugu actor Brahmaji proves his experience in the emotional scenes. There is a typically loud villain here and that is something you didn’t expect from Radha Mohan, a man known for subtlety.

The lip-sync is perfect and the team must be appreciated for living up to the spirit of the term ‘bilingual’, rather than opt for dubbing in a few scenes here and there.

Thaman’s background score goes with the movie’s flow and his songs are also likable. The ‘anthemic’ Ondraai Ondraai, the moving Oru Graamam and the lively Mannadacha stand out, though not spectacular.

Cinematographer Preetha’s work is par for the course with the climax shot of the windmill’s shadow being vivid.

In all, fans of Radha Mohan’s previous stellar works will feel sort of let down by Gouravam which is not a bad film on the surface but pales in comparison to his other movies.