(by SI blog reader Racer44)
Well folks, a spoof movie (that is, a proper one, not a bits-and-pieces-spoof, most-parts-torture movie like Goa) finally makes its way to Tamil cinema.
To some, that ought to be reason enough to go watch this film. And I wouldn’t stand in their way.
Compared to the unwatchable tripe trotted out by so-called “commercial” directors, which are masqueraded as Tamil films, Tamil Padam is miles ahead.
But if you are looking for some serious spoof (pun intended) of the quality of, say, “airplane!”, I’m afraid you will be sorely disappointed.
One reason for this is that debutant director C.S.Amudhan has chosen to spoof not merely typical masala movies, but just about every single megahit Tamil movie that an average Tamil movie buff can recall fondly, ranging from Mouna Raagam to Kaakha Kaakha.
Surfeit of Gags But Few LOL Moments
The story itself is absurdly simple: an old lady (Paravai Muniamma), along with her new-born grandson, set forth from a village named “Cinemapatti” to Chennai to escape the wrath of the village head who, in a comically bizarre decision, decrees that all baby boys born in the village be killed with kalli paal (poisoned milk).
The old woman is also motivated by the newborn’s promise to make a name for himself as a big hero if she spares his life. The events that follow upon their arrival in Chennai and whether the promise is made good form the rest of the story.
The film begins well, with a few neatly aimed potshots at memorable characters like Sarathkumar from “Nattamai“, and Simbhu from “Kuthu“.
Beginning from the scene where the hero, as a small boy, pedals furiously on a locked bicycle and gets transformed into a twenty-something young man,till the ones spoofing such old classics as Baasha, Thalapathi and Nayagan and a few recent duds like “Kanthaswamy“, the film runs along pretty smoothly. The highlight of this segment is the “Pacha Manjal” song which superbly parodies the concept of “build-up” songs.
Alas, the rest of this film is not so smooth. Continue reading »
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