Thillu Mullu Review

Alright, the movie which sent family audiences on a laughter journey in the 80's is back again, only this time reprising with a fresh new gen flavor. Now after all these years, director Badri has remade this movie with comic boy Shiva and Isha Talwar in the lead. Shiva  plays Rajini's role and Prakash Raj takes up Thengai Srinivasan's. Kovaisarala, Sathyan, Parotta Soori are the rest of the cast. Music is a classic retouch of MS Vishwanathan & Yuvan. The movie produced by Madan of Vendhar movies releases all over TN on June 14, and we give to you a sneak peak of what the movie has to offer

What are they Thillumullying about:

For starters, let's say kudos to the director and his team to have taken up just the theme of the original Superstar's  movie and not have it copied inch by inch. Be it the screenplay or the acting, as by any department, the movie has been modified to relish the tastes of today's
 viewers.

Pasupathy(Shiva) the nomad is in search of a job desperately so that he can clear his loans and also get his sister married off, like a "one shot two mango" thing. So just as in the original he gets a job not without unleashing a volley of lies to the MD essayed by Prakashraj. The interview scene is a train of  funny wits from Shiva, and his amazingly innocent answers just floor you away. Post winning the heart of the company's MD, Shiva's dice of life rolls out as a  stack of lies that keep piling up.

He tricks the MD by claiming he has a twin brother who is a menacing Karate master, but full of rotten values. The mere look  of Shiva in a Karate clad costume is enough to bring tears out of laughter, and the extent of his gimmicks by trying to teach the MD's daughter ( Isha ) Karate
 is nothing short of tummy tickling. One lie just leads him to another and that just doesn't stop there, as he has no other option to retain his Samaritan  character.

The striking difference between Pasupathy and his brother Kandan is cat eyes and riding on that he shuttles between Karate Classes and his work, not  to leave out the maid-turned-mother played by Kovaisarala. Shiva's good boy image just keeps peaking and so does his lies and as always truth is very bitter, and  has to come out one day. The rest is all history unveiling itself.

The Old, The New:

Movie as a whole is a watchable entertainer entirely owing to Shiva and  Prakashraj, the duo just have an immense "presence of mind" bonding. Turning back and seeing Shiva the RJ in chennai28 can just make you realize how charmingly  funny he has matured over time. For some of you who have listened to his non-stop witty gimmicks on the Radio, he is still the same old guy who continues to  crack jokes with his innocently witty one liner. As for Prakashraj, no words about him, he dons the role of a very honest and devout Murugan disciple bound by an  array of principles, and does justice to Thengai Srinivasan's role.

For diehard Rajini lovers, who were a lot concerned about how this movie would fare off and will it do justice to the original, yes this has no way harmed the original indeed. If Superstar's Thillumullu was clean and a complete family entertainer, so is  this remake. Isha Talwar is gorgeous and has bagged a meaty role indeed and her dubbing, lip sync is pretty amazing for a non-Tamil speaker. Oh and what can we  say about Kovaisarala, she is such a delight as a localite and boy does she spice the audience with her Madras Baashai. Rest of the cast; Manobala, Soori,  Sathyan and all do their roles pretty neat and tidy enough. Santhanam's brief cameo is such a delight and he is at his usual best indeed.

Badri has done a decent  job of remaking Thillumullu to entice the current audiences, his ditch at clean comedy seem to have paid off well, as he shoulders the length of comedy on Shiva who breezes this part well. Taking only a page out of the original, Badri has made a whale of changes and the biggest strength of this movie is probably the  dialogues.

The downside of the movie is clearly the editing, with the first half suffering a lot of unfinished gaps, some of the scenes are left untold, and some  have total unmatched lip syncs. The first half is a fun load, while the second half bores you slightly however the presence of occasional songs does cheer you  up. Music is not a complete winner, with Kai Pesi the best of the lot.

Verdict : Staying true to the original, Badri's "Thillu Mullu" is a clean entertainer, sure to strike a chord with the family audience.

Rating : 3.25