VEERAPANDIYA KATTABOMMAN MOVIE REVIEW

After the success of digitized version of Karnan, Sivaji’s another monumental masterpiece, Veerapandiya Kattabomman has been re-mastered and also shortened to suit the present moviegoers.

No doubt Veerapandiya Kattabomman will be a classic any day. It is an epic that involves some of the all-time greats that the world of Kollywood has ever seen.

The late Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan is undoubtedly one of the best when it comes to dialogue delivery. He was a powerhouse of a talent. Majestic is the best you could look to associate with Sivaji as a king; the way he walks, the way he speaks, his gestures and body language were all magnificent and stupendous. He has not acted here, he has literally lived as Kattabomman. Sivaji also shows that he is the Godfather of all mass heroes; the scene where he has this epic one-on-one with Jackson Durai stands testimony to that. To pull off such an intense powerful role at the age of 30, takes great skill and courage. The film hence proves that legends die but not their legacy.

Padmini plays a decisive part in the film. She is called Naatiya Peroli for a reason, the grace with which she dances and her heavenly expressions, added with some of the best lyrics that you can ever find, take you to a different world altogether.

G. Ramanathan’s music is another plus for the film; all the songs in the film are standalone masterpieces. 'Inbam Pongum Vennila' in particular works big time on screen even after 60 odd years but a couple of songs do hinder the narration and pace. Kaviyarasu Kannadasan’s irreplaceable lyrics deserve a special mention.

There are some elaborate war sequences which may not fascinate the modern gen who are exposed to so much of technologically advanced action scenes but to do such a grand action war saga with absolutely no CG involved makes you appreciate the efforts. Apart from this, the film has all the qualities to pose challenge to any current film.

The film can get a little melodramatic at places which make you think – are our ancestors so emotionally inclined when it comes to relationship? Or is it that we have become more mechanical now? But nevertheless the film can be a little theatrical, something the current generation might find it hard to digest.

The re-mastering has its own pros and cons; at places you feel the originality of the product is tamed a bit but it also adds flavor particularly in war scenes which are mastered with some new age sounds.

It’s a must watch film for anyone who is aspiring a career in film industry, irrespective of what field it is, since the film has some of the best in the business in all categories, be it acting, dialogues, songs or lyrics.