Reviewer's Summary - Horrid
Language: Tamil
Year: 2000
Actors: Kamal Haasan, Jyothika, Jayaram, Delhi Ganesh
Director: K.S.Ravikumar
Producer: R.Karpagam
Music: A.R.Rehman
Screenplay: K.S.Ravikumar
Dialogs: Crazy Mohan
Thenali is an insufferable lift of that nice Hollywood film What about Bob?
Where What about Bob delights with fine performances by Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss, Thenali disgusts with its crude jokes, silly song/dance scenes and a pitiful performance by Jayaram.
Kamal Haasan plays the character that Bill Murray played in What about Bob.
Like Bob Wiley in the English version, Kamal Haasan is a neurotic wreck who is afraid of everything.
When a difficult neurotic patient Thenali Soman (Kamal Haasan) is dumped in the lap of Dr.Kailash (Jayaram) by a rival doctor Panchabhootam (Delhi Ganesh), who is jealous of Dr.Kailash's professional success and media attention, things start to happen in unexpected ways.
After an initial meeting with his new patient Thenali, Dr.Kailash heads off on vacation to Kodaikanal. Thenali, who sees in his new doctor a savior for his mental ailments, follows Dr.Kailash to the vacation spot.
Although Dr.Kailash is greatly irritated by Thenali disturbing his vacation, his anger multiplies manifold when his sister Janaki (Jyothika) ignores her fiancee and gets close to Thenali.
In director K.S.Ravikumar's clumsy hands, what is a novel story is turned into an untidy mess.
While Richard Dreyfuss was delightful as the psychiatrist Leo Marvin in What about Bob, Jayaram is absolutely horrifying as Dr.Kailash. This bloke - Jayaram - is clueless in the acting department.
Besides the rotten acting by Jayaram and sophomoric narrative, another jarring element is the lengthy Thenali-Janaki love angle.
To describe Jyothika's performance - her skimpy attire and all - as ridiculous would be a gross understatement.
Kamal Haasan lacks the elan and verve that Bill Murray brought to What about Bob.
The sole distinction of this horror show is in the music. Athini Chithini, Aalangati Mazhai, Injirango Injirango and Tenali are all pleasing songs.
All in all, Thenali is a composition of all the worst, lowest and horrid elements in Tamil cinema.
Even after stealing a fine Hollywood plot, Thenali director K.S. Ravikumar seems all at sea in delivering entertaining fare. - Copyright SearchIndia.com.
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