An MSc (Gold Medallist !!!) from a remote hill station in Tamilnadu and a Photographer with Indian roots settled in London are forced to live together in the same flat in Chennai, because of a scheming broker. Their constant comic squabbles leading to a budding romance which is predictably interrupted by a ‘Foreign Mappillai’, constitute ‘Vanakkam Chennai’.
Language:
Tamil
Running Time:
151 mins
Rating:
U
Release date:
11 October 2013
Directed by:
Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi
Produced by:
Udhayanidhi Stalin
Written by:
Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi
Starring:
Shiva
Priya Anand
Santhanam
Rahul Ravindran
Urvashi
Music by:
Anirudh Ravichander
Shot by:
Richard M. Nathan
Editing by:
T. S. Suresh
Distributed by:
Red Giant Movies

What’s Hot

  • Priya Anand’s angelic looks, cute expressions and awesome dressing sense are captured wonderfully on screen. Kudos to the Rajini Natraj’s costumes for this.
  • Most of Siva’s one-line-mumblings work, but there ends his positive contribution to the movie.
  • Santhanam is good with his rhyming one-liners (The ‘Arnold-Anirudh’ line especially receives huge applause) as well but the star is in danger of being highly repetitive in his comedy track.
  • Richard M.Nathan’s camera is sensational and his work outdoors as well as indoors is fabulous. A special pat on the back for the art director, V.Selvakumar’s work in the beautifully decorated flat that the protagonists share.
  • Anirudh songs and BGM really aid the movie in striking a chord with the audience. He is fast developing into a composer who can carry even an average film to the masses.

What’s Not

  • Not sure why this film is titled ‘Vanakkam Chennai’ since the story and the title have no relation whatsoever. Perhaps it was done for cheap publicity in the name of glorifying the city through the ‘Chennai City Gangsta’ song.
  • Lots of logical loopholes throughout coupled with blink-and-you-miss-it roles of stalwarts such as Nasser, Oorvasi and Nizhalgal Ravi show real immaturity in the script of the first-time director, Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi. It is really mysterious how Nizhalgal Ravi’s hairline recedes so much in just a span of a few months, that you suspect some Asst. Director forgot the all important continuity angle.
  • Siva’s body-language and expressions are really not upto the mark and his lack of dancing skills glaringly show up when compared to the agile Priya Anand.
  • Santhanam’s role and lines remind you of a lot of his previous films especially the recent ‘Theeya Vela Seiyanum Kumaru’.
  • The film is really long at 150 odd minutes and the second half really tests the patience of the audience. The editor T.S.Suresh should have been stricter with the debutant director.

Badges

Verdict

Verdict Stamp

Stunning cinematography, costumes and music fail to lift this average script into a winner. Still, there are notable positives from 'Vanakkam Chennai' for this new director.