Oru Kanniyum Moonu Kalavanigalum Review

Chimbu Devan sure knows how to make heads turn. Since his debut as director with 'Imsai Arasan 23m Pulikesi', all his projects have carried a long, wacky title and been movies with never ending laughter. His fourth prestigious and the latest to join the laughter club is 'Oru Kanniyum Moonu Kalavaanikalum'. But the story goes far beyond a lost babe stuck among bandits. Packed in comedy, backed by a simple yet sensible thought, Chimbu Devan had ensured entertainment in a highly involving screenplay.

His beloved girlfriend is forced into marriage with someone else and he is in tearing need of money; and that is when Tamil (Arulnidhi) gets the dream offer which can put his life perfectly back on track. Isabella (Ashrita) is to get married to her father's choice of groom. And the only way to threaten the business tycoon - Isabella's father - is to abduct the pretty bride on the day of wedding and bring shame to the family, as conjured up by rival business magnate Hippy Lahari (Nasser). Of all the people, Hippy chooses Tamil for the job and offers him a hefty sum. And the story begins with Tamil pondering with two of his friends - Malar (Bindu Madhavi) and Isaki (Bhagavathi Perumal) on how to go about it.

It is nothing close to easy, to kidnap a high profile bride, despite all the security. And given that it is only these three friends with hardly any security, expertise or backup, the task becomes more impossible than not. But that is not what the story is about. It is in fact much simpler and uniquely Chimbu Devan style. The film, in all, is based on the simple yet compelling concept that time defines everything. And therefore, it is not one, but three different scenarios to the same story, with a shift of just sixty seconds - each with equally riotously comic yet different incidents, coordinated in precision perfect screenplay.

Be it the story or be it the concept, everything about the movie is a new idea. But what makes the movie stand out is it's screenplay and well conceived direction. With the story in place, a lot of minor incidents are put together to make a completely appealing movie. And all these incidents have been shot with utmost care, keeping in mind all the fine details. Kudos to Sreekar Prasad's editing to have sequenced all the scenes in perfect order all the times. Adding to the positives is Kathir's cinematography. Picture in every frame is clear, colourful and inviting. Further, even the minutest detail of graphics has been done so finely that the visual experience of the film glues you to the seat. Given that the skeleton story remains unaltered, it is natural that repetition may jar or bore. But this is where Chimbu Devan stamps his mark yet again, as all of the two and half hours is is unique and entertaining.

As the protagonist of such a unique movie, it requires a lot of dedication and expertise to bring forth all sorts of emotions and also do it only just enough so that it doesn't spill over and spoil the continuity of the film. And in his fourth project, Arul had performed like a seasoned actor, justifying his screen presence in every frame, displaying the right attitude and emotion for all the scenes. Bindu has, thus far, come around as a romantic heroine; but in this film, she's gotten the mask makeover of a chic girl with a sharp focus on her aim. Bindu has forgone her romantic appeal to present herself as the cool buddy. She has done justice to her role as both the hero's friend and also as a good friend to his love interest. Though her screen presence is limited, Ashrita on the other hand has adapted herself to the screen - as a charming friend, a sincere lover, an understanding daughter and a gorgeous bride. Bhagavathi plays the role of a man in dire need of money, but also sloppy due to his fears and under-confidence. In all, this makes for a great team!

If comedy and out-of-the-box could be mixed in the same film, then probably no one can do it with the finesse of Chimbu Devan's. We have already seen his magic work wonders in his earlier projects, and now in his fourth, the director has re-established the fact. As it has always been, Chimbu Devan's movies are not only comedy, but also a good share of other emotions too, and 'Oru Kanniyum Moonu Kalavaanikalum' is no exception. There are mother-son and father-daughter sentiments, but they only merely highlight the underlying emotion without exaggeration and not getting too touchy-feely about it. Romance is near zero in this film, but the scenes involving love story are more realistic than cinematic and mushy. There is also anger in the film, which is realistic too. With a pack of youthful talent and a realistic screenplay, 'Oru Kanniyum Moonu Kalavaanikalum' is practical, which doesn't end with being just an on-screen show, but is one that you can relate to.

Verdict: Practical take on a funny note

Rating: 3/5