Bichagadu Review

'Bicchagadu', an unattractive title, has an impressive screenplay.  That's Kollywood for you.  It can come out with flying colours with a colourless title.  Starring Vijay Antony in the lead role, this one is directed by Sasi.  The question of the film living up to expectations doesn't arise - for it was never released amid expectations.  But it nevertheless entertains, making the audience laugh and sob.

Vijay Antony is the only scion of a multi-millionaire mill owner family. He comes back to hometown to take over the administration of the family business from his widowed mother. Hell breaks lose as his mother falls down in coma due to an accident, and the medical treatments fail to improve her condition. Heeding the words of a seer who comes like a sudden divine intervention, he decides to live as a beggar for a period of 48 days for the recovery of his mother.

What follows next?  What kind of hardships does the male lead face?  Does the mother get cured?  These are what the film is mostly about.

Director Sasi’s forte has been selecting a story with human values and emotions and creating powerful scenes with touching dialogues.

The film starts with typical mother-son sentiment scenes, but there is hardly melodramatic fare. Once the hero turns a self-made beggar, the film introduces neat humour, among other things.  While there are portions where beggars laugh at others or laugh at themselves, there are poignant moments that are heart-rending.

Based on a true story, the film is rich in human emotions.  The way Vijay Antony's character feels the pain of the hungry and the destitute is heart-touching.  Along with them, the audience too feels their pain.  This review-writer was surprised to see audiences of all kinds thoroughly enjoying healthy comedy.

There is space for action and Vijay Antony, with his intense looks, shines through an ordinary tempo.

Sasi has dwelled into the day to day lives of beggars who are crossed by most of us by shelling a penny or two if we are in good mindset and by offering free food and gain the satisfaction of having done a "social service" on special occasions like birthdays.

The transformation of a millionaire as a beggar has also been neatly and convincingly portrayed and we should appreciate Sasi for not resorting to the easy way out options.

The Telugu writers have effectively translated the original without giving the soul a short-shrift.  There are many impactful dialogues which get claps from the audience. Especially the exchanges between the hero and his friend in the pre-climax scene are so neatly written in a way that conveys a convincing reason for the decision of the hero which might have looked highly superficial, initially.

Yes, like every other commercial entertainer this film has its usual problems. There are clichés and commercial compromises. The character sketches are also archaic. The hero's mother is extremely kind, heroine is kinder than her and the hero is kindness and valor personified. He is a man who can beat any powerful goon and make him fall down with his fists and at the same time be compassionate to the good hearted people and the destitute.

Vijay Antony is impeccable in sentiment and action scenes.  He doesn't have features that click with the Telugu audience though. Satna Titus in a typical ‘good-hearted girl falling for the hero’ character does make a mark with her good looks and right expressions. Bhagavathy Perumal as the friend cum manager of Vijay Antony gives a neat performance. The artist who has acted as Vijay Anotny’s mother is adequate for her role. The actor who could not control his laughter while his colleagues get beaten up by the hero is a scream.

The song on the mother stands out among the songs of Vijay Antony while the others are passable. Re-recording matches the mood of the scene in most parts.  Prasanna Kumar’s cinematography and Veera Senthilkumar’s Editing are adequate for the film.

Verdict: 'Bicchagadu' is a humble film that makes the cut.  A heart-touching film with poignant moments.  Healthy humour.  Could become a sleeper hit.