Attakathi Review

We all know what kind of films director Venkat Prabhu can present - cool themes that would lure youngsters. When his protege Pa Ranjith forays independently as filmmaker, he has done his mentor proud by giving a similar movie that is entertaining and catchy.
Set around the lives of youngsters in rural areas around Chennai, the movie has funny moments to keep you glued to your seats.

The travails of a youth who falls in love with every girl he comes across and the rejections he faces have been narrated in a lighter vein. Ranjith deserves a pat for touching upon the lives of the young from the semi-urban areas, perhaps for the first time on screen. He has ensured that the film is no tear-jerker and the scenes drive the story.

Debutant Dinesh plays the lead role who is a real reflection of youngsters coming from such areas. He has given his best shot and lived to the adage 'Atta Kaththi' (as his friends call him)- one who boasts of himself a lot and gets caught in situations that are difficult to escape from. Almost all the characters are played by the newcomers and it is the mastery over the medium of Ranjith that manages to extract the best from the team.

Dinakaran (Dinesh) is a happy-go-lucky-youngster for whom life is all about friends and romantic escapades. He comes across Poornima (Nandhitha ) in a bus and falls for her. He tries to woo her until she rejects him saying he is like her 'anna'. Though dejected, Dinesh proceeds to another girl, and again gets jinxed. The rest is all but how some funny moments in his life until he joins a college where he comes across Poornima again.

She gets acquainted with him again and they become thick pals. Dinakaran tries to revive his love for her. But there is a twist in the story.

Dinakaran is the highlight of the movie. He is right there all through the film giving a neat performance. Be it among his friends, celebrating the death of an elder in the locality, boasting himself or surrendering meekly to his opponent in a gang war, he is immpresive.

Nanditha is bubbly and energetic. She is homely and gives her best on screen. The rest of the cast including Velu (Dinakaran's father) and Meenakshi (Dinakaran's mother) are tailor-made for the respective roles.
 
Three cheers to cinematographer P K Varma. His camera captures the campus of a government college in style. Also the scenes in a bus where students go to college everyday have been canned close to reality.

The highlight of the movie are songs by Santosh Narayanan. The background score is another plus. The movie has its own moments in the form of dialogues that are the ones we can hear often when we travel in a bus among students of today.

The surprise and thrill one felt watching 'Chennai 28' is aptly recreated here too. Kudos to Ranjith, for the movie produced by  Thirukumaran Entertainment and presented by Studio Green is bang on target. The first half is hilarious and light-hearted while the latter part too is interesting, but lengthy. All said, 'Attakatthi' is a refreshing film.