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Sila Nerangalil Movie Review |
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| Behindwoods
Movie Review Board |
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Cast:
Vincent Asokan, Navya Nair, Vineeth, Sriman, Raghuvaran,
Ramesh Khanna, Sukumari
Direction: Jayaraj
Music: Srikanth Deva
Production: Ram New Light Productions Ltd. |
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Rebirth,
an avaricious and vengeful relative who would kill for money,
an apprehensive protagonist who thinks his wife is cheating
on him, and a murder mystery. That pretty much sums up the
national award winning Malayalam director Jayaraj’s
Tamil debut Sila Nerangalil, a part period, part contemporary
thriller. The movie’s attempt – a desperate one
at that – to be different is glaringly evident in every
frame. Clever in parts and lame in some, Sila Nerangalil plays
hide and seek with logic and evokes a déjà vu
feeling of the late 80s Tamil cinema. |
Vincent Asokan and Navya are a happily married millionaire
couple living in the 60s. Navya’s fondness towards
Asokan’s singer friend Vineeth wreaks havoc
in their love life. A vicious Fatima Babu, Asokan’s
sister who has an eye for his money, sets them up
and Asokan falls prey for Navya’s murder and
eventually gets a death sentence.
Cut to the present, Navya – no price for guessing,
she is reincarnated again – is in rehabilitation
owing to depression following the aftershock of Tsunami.
Asokan – the reincarnated – is a psychiatrist
and treats her back to good health, in order to have
her reunited with her family, Asokan’s advertisement
in the newspapers catches the attention of Raghuvaran
– yet another psychiatric consultant. Enter
Raghuvaran and his hypnotic tricks, which enable Asokan
and Navya to discover they were a couple in their
previous birth. Hypnosis also reveals many more such
shocking secrets.
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Vincent
Asokan plays the role of a loving husband who transforms
into a doubting Thomas to flawless perfection, especially
in those scenes showing this transition. Navya’s
role of looking good pays off well in her 60s-styled
role where she seems to totally belong, but loses
luster in her more contemporary look. Raghuvaran’s
character loses dignity the moment he reads Navya’s
mind to the extent of discovering her previous birth.
Vineeth is admirable, while Fatima Babu as the vicious
vixen comes across as exactly that.
Of the few highlights, the camera steals the show.
While the minute details of the sixties sets deserve
a special mention, Rajavel’s cinematography
attempts to present it in a more than make-believe
manner is commendable. Same with the impeccable make
up and costume that enhances the period look and feel
of the movie.
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Srikanth
Deva’s Pongude pongude and Enpaavai are songs worthy
of downloading onto your music player. Sirkar Prasad’s
expert editing helps you follow this twisty plot clearly.
Calling Ramesh Kanna’s comedy boring would be an understatement
– it’s that lackluster. While director Jayaraj
manages to keep the suspense intact in a few places in this
two-hour movie, it is clear that crafting such a shape-shifting
screenplay has eluded even a good director like him.
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Verdict: A murder mystery - clever in parts, lame in some
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