HARIDAS MOVIE REVIEW

Director G.N.R.Kumaravelan, who gave us movies like Ninaithale Inikkum and Yuvan Yuvathi, is back with Haridas, a movie which intends to be an ode to fatherhood. Kishore and Sneha lead the cast list along with support actors like Parotta Suri, Pradeep Rawat, Yuhi Sethu and Raj Kapoor. Prithviraj Das plays the ‘special child’ - Haridas in focus.The movie is a tribute to parental love and sacrifice, shown through the characters of Kishore, Sneha and Prithviraj Das. It is about the journey of a ten year old boy and his father. Will Haridas find his calling, given his cop father’s relentless persistence on him, against naysayers and pessimists?

First things first, the director ought to be patted on his back for taking such a sensible subject and delivering it in a convincing manner. The director has been aided in his vision majorly by cinematographer Rathnavelu. Each frame is picture-perfect, has a specific color template and has been well-planned and executed. Good work by the ‘Enthiran’ cinematographer. Vijay Antony’s involved background score lifts the emotional scenes but tends to become loud at times too. Among the songs, the ‘Police Gaana’ provides some light-hearted solace while the other tracks go along with the movie as montages.

Among the performers, it is Sneha who turns out on top with Kishore coming a close second. Sneha’s role is among the most dignified in recent times and the actress has put her heart and soul into the role. Her character’s motherly intentions will surely leave a lump in your throat. Kishore scores heavily in the heart-wrenching scene in the rain with his son. The actor’s physique and manly charm gel with his police garb.

The kid, Prithviraj, who is being introduced to films, is a Coimbatore based boy and is really genuine in his reactions and gestures. You would root for him, all the way. Audiences always have a soft corner for underdogs and Haridas is no exception. His transformation has been shown in a very gradual and realistic manner. The director has shown where the kid’s interest lies in a metaphoric manner with support characters like Yuhi Sethu and Raj Kapoor playing their own crucial roles in the boy’s transformation.

Parotta Suri’s antics and attempts at romance, though half-funny and sticking out from the main track, fits into the scheme of things well-enough towards the end. That said, we also tend to feel that the director could have eschewed the comedy portions. Though the scenes dedicated to the police work have also been seriously handled, it takes the focus away from the central plot. Still, one may excuse the director’s shifts in focus and the over- dramatization at instances, as the movie provides plenty of uplifting and heart-warming moments.