Pooja Review

Pooja stands for attack, when it is not counter-attack.  Yes, there actually comes a point where we realize its inner meaning without having to be explicitly told.  They have said 'Nee pooja chestanu..' for years now but no body took it more seriously than director Hari.  There is our hero who is a crorepathi and who has been disowned by his illustrious family because he has apparently embarrassed the entire khandan.  So far, so good.  The funny thing is that this allegedly ethical dude from a respectable family of repute has a "decent bank balance" from lending money at astronomically high rates.  In a serious Pooja No. 1, he is attacked by rowdies from a rival lender, and after beating them to the pulp our hero says that he will offer lending services in more and more localities come what may.  Hope we are not expected to think of this as a punchline.  There follows an item girl's song, in which our hero with a respectable family takes a joyful part.

Divya, played by Shruthi Hassan, calls herself 'D' and whenever she spots him by chance or by design, her face lights up more than Vasu's (Vishal), even though it is he who loves her.  He walks up to him one day and says "I love you", giving an occasion for his faithful, funny follower to talk about his real identity.  Vasu hails from a family comprising of Radhika (the veteran actress), among other illustrious people.  The family has a rival in Mukesh Tiwari, a contract killer in the guise of a businessman, whose roots can be traced to the lawless Bihar of yesteryears.  There is a second hero, played by Sathya Raj, this dreaded, efficient and upright cop can't find a shred of evidence which can nail Mukesh Tiwari.

All hell breaks lose when an illustrious family member is slapped in public.  The reunion happens with Vasu teaching Mukesh Tiwari a preliminary lesson but from this point, the film drags on more so because it becomes clear that there is nothing more to be revealed, except mounting some more 'poojas'.  As if all the veritable attackers and counter-attackers are not enough, another chap eager to do 'pooja' is introduced from another State.  Amidst this, the cop deploys his Man Friday (Vasu) to get a licensed revolver! More 'poojas' follow.  During one of the several 'poojas', a clinching song that describes the clash in evocative words plays out, and this, finally, entertains.

The storyline is nothing new and all the mundaneness is fruitlessly tried to be glossed over by the Bihar element.  Besides the good settings for the fights, the element doesn't add anything else.

The film has a solid performance put up by Vishal.  He looks ever more confident and his verve and grit in the action sequences is enjoyable.

The comedy scenes involving Soori and others entertain, although they come with a Tamil flavour.  Yes, there is the regular dose of male chauvinism delivered through him.  There is also a dose of dosti sentiment delivered briefly but effectively.

Mukesh Tiwari dons the role of a villain with chutzpah.  He looks menacing but all throughout he is seen making angry grimaces.   Shruthi Hassan plays no meaty role here as she has no much role in the story.  She is a glam doll with no distinction.  Sathyaraj and Raadhika shine in good roles, others like Abhinaya in cameos are OK.

Cinematography by Priyan works well.  Yuvan Shankar Raja proves an apt choice, his BGM is good.

Verdict: An action film with touches of rom-com and family sentiment.  But the storyline is unexciting and the narration lacks the zing.

Rating: 2.25/5