Who said Mani Ratnam can excel only in romantic movies? He had proved in the past that action films too are his familiar territory. The likes of Nayagan and Thalapathy speak volumes about his skills in handling such genre. Now come Chekka Chhivantha Vaanam.
The ace filmmaker speaks about gang war, sibling rivalry and family emotions in right mix that makes it count among audience.
Three cheers to Mani Ratnam for getting the right star cast for a multi-starrer and giving all an ample scope to perform their best. It is not a mindless non-stop action drama. Rather it has plots and sub-plots that makes it an interesting fare. And with a technically brilliant team to back him up, Mani Ratnam has delivered a spectacular show on screen.
Multi-starrers are never an easy task to do on screen. Every character should have some screen space or else it would be a letdown. Knowing this pretty well, Mani Ratnam has come up with a strong film that has enough footage for Arvind Swami, Arun Vijay, Simbu and Vijay Sethupathi.
They have all come up with top–notch performance. Nort far behind is Jyothika who excels in limited space given to her. There is Aishwarya Rajesh, Aditi Hyadri and Dayana Erappa who chip in with their best.
Chekka Chivantha Vaanam revolves around Senapathi (Prakashraj). He is attacked brutally by a unknown men. Senapathi who is a mafia entrusts his dealings to his elder son Varadan (Arvind Swami) to handle. Chitra (Jyothika) is Varadan’s wife.
Meanwhile Senapathi’s sons Thyagu (Arun Vijay) and Ethi (Simbu) return from abroad to visit their father. The sons go around finding those behind the attack. However sudden death of Senapathi leaves more troubles in the film. The war to succeed Senapathi’s legacy begins between brothers, which becomes a bitter battle between them.
Enters Rassol (Vijay Sethupathi), a suspended cop entrusted with the job of ensuring the safety of his childhood friend Varadan. It’s Aravind Swami all the way. He is at ease and delivers his best. His body language and emotional outburst adds value to screen.
Watch out for his performance towards the climax. Vijay sethupathi walks away with applause. He is himself on screen. His one-liners evoke appreciation. And the likes of Simbu and Arun Vijay electrifies the screen with their performance.
Santosh Sivan’s lens do all the talking. It is glossy, catchy and colorful. Technically one of the brilliant, the frames and the hues used by Santosh Sivan elevates the mood. As usual it is another Rahman brilliance for Mani Ratnam. Super BGM for action scenes are the key.
Mani Ratnam has proved yet again that he is master of the trade, A superb effort indeed.
Verdict : Chekka Chivantha Vaanam – Action aplenty
Rating: 3.5/5
