Bommalattam Review

After watching Bommalattam, Bharathiraja's bilingual venture, one cannot help being overawed by the excellence of Nana Patekar - easily one of the best actors India has ever produced. Designed as a film within a film the movie explores the quintessential life of a talented film director viewed as an eccentric from time to time.

Bharathiraja is a name known for bringing rural India to life with scripts that are highly metaphorical in nature. The director who had also rendered an exquisite film noir in 'Sigappu Rojakkal' decades ago is back with a film that treads along the lines of murder under vicious circumstances. 

The fallacies of a world that fails to recognize creative angst has been captured on celluloid rather effectively. Arjun plays a CBI officer (Vivek) thirsting after the truth while Rukmini Vijayakumar plays the heroine of the film that is shot by Rana (Nana Patekar).

The life of Rana (at the work place and at home) is shrouded by his eccentric nature that keeps all people around him not knowing what to expect..and yet a girl (Kajal Agarwal) who has a penchant for poetry admires him for his creative genius. From Rana's viewpoint she comes across as a breath of fresh air who even succeeds in revealing a pleasant side.

Filmmaking is tough work with provocation coming in as distraction all the time. This obviously irritates Rana..to boot there are dead bodies that are discovered. The CBI investigates the film director on suspicion of multiple murders. Flashes of the director's life are showcased and the audience do get engulfed with the suspense element from time to time.

Why does the director have such an affinity for his heroine? How can a man who loses his temper at the drop of a hat be calm and even sweet to some people? Who is responsible for the murders? These are the questions that are answered as the film unfolds.

Comic relief is provided by Vivek and Manivannan. Although funny at times their interludes derail the intensity of the story big time. Compared to the brilliance of Nana Patekar, every other actor appears ordinary except Rukmini Vijayakumar who has done justice to her role.

Cinematography is brilliant and the background score is passable. None of the songs impress. Though nowhere in the vicinity of Sigappu Rojakkal's brilliance, Bommalattam does succeed in arresting audiences' attentions during a major twist in the story which in actuality is the very crux of the film.

Nana Patekar's brilliance has been watered down considerably with an inappropriate voice (Nizhalgal Ravi). The Bommalattam think-tank could have had second thoughts on this and probably introduced a voice that goes with the intensity of the lead character.