Aishwarya Rajinikanth the eldest daughter of Superstar Rajinikanth made her directorial debut with '3'' starring her then husband Dhanush and Shruti Haasan. She received critical acclaim for her handling of a sensitive subject and now come out with her third film 'Lal Salaam' that has her dad making a special appearance. Whether the film proves to be a hattrick hit for the talented female auteur remains to be seen.
The story is set in 1993. In a village called Murarbad where the Hindu and Muslim communities live in harmony. However a wannabe MLA assigns his brother in law (Vivek Prasanna) to create trouble between the villagers so as to gain a majority vote. Samsudeen (Vikranth) the captain of the Muslim team and Thirunavukarasu (Vishnu Vishal) the captain of the Hindu team are enemies from childhood and their rivalry often spills out on the cricket turf. The wily politicians use the cricket match between the two teams to instigate violence and Samsudeen is grievously injured by Thirunavukarasu. Moideen Bhai (Rajinikanth) the doting father of Samsudeen who is also a don in Bombay vows to kill Thirunavukarasu. There is also a subplot involving Vishnu Vishal's vow to build a temple car for his village. Did he succeed in his mission or get killed by Moideen Bhai's henchmen is what the rest of the screenplay is all about.
Superstar Rajinikanth's subtle yet strong screen presence is the biggest plus of 'Lal Salaam'. He is a treat to watch when showing his dark side as a don as well as showering love on his son. His fans also get their due in an excellently choreographed fight scene in the climax that showcases the style king in his glory.. Vishnu Vishal as the protagonist has done a neat job while Vikranth as the fiery cricketer serves as a perfect foil. Vikranth especially scores after he suffers a tragic blow. Thambi Ramaiah and Senthil appear in melodramatic roles that are in sync with the time the story is set. Nirosha, Vivek Prasanna, Livingston, K.S. Ravikumar and Thangadurai form the rest of the cast.
What works best in 'Lal Salaam' is the emotional climax that truly shows what communal harmony should be. The cricket matches featuring Vishnu and Vikranth are exciting.
On the downside the screenplay lags at several points. Some of the crucial characterizations are weakly written with the exception of Rajini that could deter the more demanding among the audiences.
A.R. Rahman has gone for a semi rural type of background music that comes as a surprise to fans. The songs, as usual, are catchy and play out well on screen. The rest of the technical aspects of the film are up to the standards the film demands. Lyca Productions has once again bankrolled an entertainer that also contains a strong message at its core. Aishwarya Rajinikanth whose first two films were classy has opted for an out and out rural entertainer with 'Lal Salaam'. She has succeeded in giving fans all the necessary ingredients of the genre. Credit is also due for her for not disappointing Rajini fans.
Verdict : Go for this well intentioned film that is worth the strong message and the Rajini magic.
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