If cricket fans in Chennai are disappointed at the early exit of India from the World Cup, here comes director Venkat Prabhu with Chennai 600028 which revolves around the youth's unbridled passion for the sport. The whole thing is presented in an interesting and chic manner. The director has succeeded simply by marrying the essential joi de vivre of youth and the inherent sense of fun in a game like cricket. When fun and fantasy meet, there is jollity all around. And it is certainly in Chennai-6000028, which is a kind of coming of age film where youths discover about many things including themselves through the game of cricket.
Venkat Prabhu has simply tapped into the youthfulness, energy and exuberance available on our streets. Even though the crux of the film is cricket, it is not in the shades of Iqbal or that other tour de force Lagaan.
The movie is a mix of all drama elements with the characters being the boys living next door wielding willows in every open space under the hot sun. In a nutshell it is the contest between two local teams fighting for honors on the ground in Gully cricket. The director has used the drama of every-day life, which is usually gripping than anything any scriptwriter can think of, and made the story move forward. Quite smartly, he has also used fresh faces, but which fit the roles. It takes guts to think out of the box. But Venkat Prabhu has showed that he has that. And S P B Charan, the producer, deserves praise for giving the director such a free hand.
The movie revolves around Sharks, a local cricket team comprising a group of friends who spend their entire day on cricket field. Their ambition is to inflict defeat on their fellow cricket team Rockers. Did they manage to succeed in their ambition forms the crux.
Karthik (Mirchi Siva) leads the Sharks cricket team. Cricket and friends are his priorities. The game binds them together. The game makes them laugh and cry. A sequence of events (romance) leads to a split in the team. Karthik and Arun (Nithin Sathya) cross swords as the former falls in love with latter's sister. But how the friends manage to overcome all odds and stand united to realize their dream makes up the movie.
Mirchi Siva as Karthick is impressive. A radio jockey-turned-actor Shiva has dazzled in the lead role. Proficient in the game of cricket, Shiva has enough opportunity to perform in the movie and the young lad has utilised it well. Vijayalakshmi (director Agathiyan's daughter) plays Shiva's ladylove.
Hogging all the limelight are Jai (Deva's younger son) and Premji Gangai Amaran (Gangai Amaran's son). They fit the roles to a T. The former, who resembles Vijay in several sequences, has performed with ease while the latter has emerged successful in tickling the funny bone. Aravind, Prasanna, Cristine and a host of newcomers have just lived the characters in the movie.
Cricket is one sport which no doubt binds people together cutting across caste, creed and religion. Venkat Prabhu has not gone overboard. Considering this to be his maiden attempt in wielding the megaphone, Venkat Prabhu needs to be appreciated. He has handled all his characters with ease and conviction.
Lending a strong support to the movie are Yuvanshankar's catchy tunes and Sakthi Saravanan's camera. Yuvan's youthful tunes coupled with catchy lyrics by Valee and Gangai Amaran are good. Sakthi Saravanan camera has freshness in it. It has captured the images on a cricket field in an excellent manner.
S P B Charan and J K Saravana deserve a special mention for gathering guts to sponsor such a unique film.
Venkat Prabhu, son of Gangai Amaran, can hold his head high and walk proud for giving a film that is technically glossy and rich in content.
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