Anjaan - Kerala/Malayalam posters - Suriya, Samantha

Anjaan - Music Review - Suriya, Samantha

Song Name - Bang Bang Bang
Movie - Anjaan
Singer - K.G. Ranjith
Music - Yuvanshankar Raja
Lyrics - Karky

The song that was featured in the teaser. As a song its an above average one, but considering the fact its used as the face of the album, should have been better. The 'Bang Bang' portions may cause unintentional laughs, the first few times, but if you get used to that its a fairly okay song, but disappointing to be called the flagship song of the movie. The lyrics do have punch but overall its underwhelming. The song has been shot and cut stylishly with Suriya is great style and attitude showing of 'Raju Bhai'. The choreography is just average.

Song Name - Sirippu En
Movie - Anjaan
Singer - M.M. Manasi
Music - Yuvanshankar Raja
Lyrics - Viveka

The item song in the film, picturised on Chitrangada Singh. Item numbers are like mass masala movies, the lyrics may make no sense and at times absurd. Same is the case here. But since i heard the song in a 'Lyric video' made matters worse. Lyrics were laughable, music is below average. Thesongs lacks the punch or energy to be called an item number, Now everything depends upon the video and Chitrangadha, if the song has to work. Manasi has done great job singing the song, just that the song doesn't deliver.

Song Name - Ek Do Teen
Movie - Anjaan
Singer - Suriya & Andrea Jeremiah
Music - Yuvanshankar Raja
Lyrics - Na. Muthukumar

Suriya too jumps into the actor-singers bandwagon. While most of the actors chose a genre f song comfirtable to them unfortunately Suriya isn't that lucky. First of all, it doesn't sound like Suriya, and one who doesn;t know wouldn't recognize him at all. Second, eventhough he sound good a melody would have been apt for him than this unexciting dappam kuthu type track. The choreography is average once again & Samantha's costumes were horrible, not suiting her at all, hope atleast the situation or character justifies it.

Song Name - Kadhal Aasai
Movie - Anjaan
Singer - Yuvanshankar Raja & Sooraj Santhosh
Music - Yuvanshankar Raja
Lyrics - Kabilan

One of the better tracks from the album, but really wish somebody other than YSR had song the song or at least there is a reprise version with somebody else. The lyrics are good. YSR has given a neat composition. Talked about as the best melody in the album, the song can grow on you after multiple listening. 

Song Name - Oru Kan Jaadai
Movie - Anjaan
Singer - Benny Dayal & Shweta Pandit
Music - Yuvanshankar Raja
Lyrics - Viveka

Undoubtedly the best track from the album. Finally a song that gives the glimpse of vintage YSR. Feels like will be another stylishly shot song. Benny Dayal has done a great job, like they always but all Shweta gets to do is humm here & there (May be there's another version, waiting for Jukebox) . Lyrics suits the mood of the song. 

Another disappointing audio album for a Suriya starrer. Expectations were higher considering the magnitude of the project, but YSR fails to deliver. Anjaan is a better album compared to Singam 2, but expectations were also more  from the team. Singam 2 did exceedingly well at boxoffice despite of this, so hoping for the same for 'Anjaan' and (still) waiting for a grand YSR come back.

Anjaan - First Look HD Posters - Suriya, Samantha

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Biriyani - Tamil Movie Review - A Half Cooked Venkat Prabhu Diet

Biriyani - Tamil Movie Review

 

 Directed by     Venkat Prabhu

Produced by     K. E. Gnanavel Raja

Written by     Venkat Prabhu

Music by     Yuvan Shankar Raja

Cinematography     Sakthi Saravanan

Editing by     Praveen K. L, B. Srikanth

Studio     Studio Green

Release dates   20 December 2013

Running time     149 minutes

Country     India

Language     Tamil

 Cast

    Karthi as Sugan
    Hansika Motwani as Priyanka Sharma
    Premgi Amaren as Parasuram
    Ramki as Ramakrishnan
    Mandy Takhar as Maya
    Nassar as Varadharajan
    Prem as Vikram
    Jayaprakash as AC Sampath
    Madhumitha
    Nithin Sathya
    Subbu Panchu
    Uma Riyaz Khan
    Sampath Raj as Riwaz Khan
    Shanmugasundaram as Kasi Vishwanathan
    Vijayalakshmi
    Tharika
    Sangeetha Gopal
    Leena Maria Paul
    Badava Gopi

 

 'Biriyani' is the story of buddies Sugan & Prasuram, whose life goes for a toss after a visit to a hotel to have 'Biriyani'. They get trapped in a situation and its a run to to save themselves with a race against time.

Each Venkat Prabhu movie will be waited with beated breaths, same was the case with 'Biriyani'. when the film was pushed from Diwali to accomodate Azhagu Raja many were disappointed. After a long wait, and a long gap since Mankatha, finally the Venkat Prabhu got released.

First things first, Biriyani is Venkat Prabhu's weakest work till date. It is a multi genre film starts as usual Karthi film, family, job, lover, comedy, turns naughtier and then enters thriller mode. The actual story begins only towards the interval, once they enter the 'Biriyani' shop & Mandy Thakar's character enter. Till then nobody had a clue what the hell was going on. Felt like lots of irrelevant, uninteresting scenes sewn together to reach the pre-interval portion. Even the twists and turns in the second half are very much predictable and the movie ends in a lame climax (followed by a twist and then the real climax, which was also ZZzzz). It would be better if you keep your brain locked up in the house before going to watch Biriyani as many scenes don't have any explanations.

 Karthi tried hard to shed the boy next door image/looks to get into the Casanova avatar, and succeeded to a large extent. He was good in the sister kidnap scene, other than that it was blant, nothing special. Premgi Amaren unlike Mankatha got a throughout role and raised few laughs. Actor Riaz Khan's wife Uma who played a conract killer was impressive. Nassar's Premgi act was howlarious. Among the ladies in the film its Mandy Thakkar who gets noticed, who fit he bill perfectly. Hansika's character just comes and goes, nothing special. Rest of the cast were okay, nothing worthy of mentioning.

Its Venkat Prabhu's half cooked recipe (script) that spoiled this 'Biriyani'. As a director he still showed his caliber, but as a writer he failed. Camera work was very good, tried to make it appear rich and peppy. Editing was crisp, prevented fast cuts and no lag helped prevent further embarrassment for makers. 

Songs & BG were the 2 major points of Mankatha( apart from the outstanding act by Thala). Except 'Na naanah' were disappointment when saw in the film, acting like speed breakers. Was disappointed with the way 'Na naah' was shot & choreographed. BG wasn't that exciting either.

So in all 'Biriyani' is a half cooked diet, spoiled by too many cooks (genres)

Rating: A generous 2.5/5

Verdict: Average

Last Word: Statuatory Warning :- "Half  cooked 'food items' are not good for your health !!!! "

PS:  There is a sequence in the film where popular stars from previous VP movies are seen doing a flash mob to Mankatha title song celebrating Thala B'day

Arrambam - Exclusive Movie Review

 Arrambam - Exclusive Movie Review

 Directed by     Vishnuvardhan
Produced by     A. Raghuram
Written by  Vishnuvardhan, Subha
Music, Re-Recording by     Yuvan Shankar Raja
Cinematography     Om Prakash
Editing by     A. Sreekar Prasad
Studio     Sri Satya Sai Movies
Release date(s)   31 October 2013
Country     India
Language     Tamil

CAST

    Ajith Kumar as Ashok
    Arya
    Nayantara
    Taapsee Pannu
    Rana Daggubati
    Mahesh Manjrekar
    Atul Kulkarni
    Suman Ranganathan as Ramya
    Kishore
    Akshara Gowda
    Krishna
    Prashant Nair
    Lee Whittaker

 Story

Arrambam tells the story of Siva, a commando officer, and his mission to find the ones who are responsible for an irrecoverable loss in his life and bring to justice those villains who are also a threat to the nation, with the help of few of his friends.

Arrambam was one of the most publicized Tamil movie since Enthiran. Even the title which was kept a secret till 2-3 months to release was done with much fan fare. An Ajith release after almost 15 months, Billa team reuniting for all these reasons the film had baggage of huge expectations. With a check mark against all the necessities before the release of a biggie, the film had humungous expectations surrounding it.

Now let's see if the film managed to live up to those.


Arrambam which was expected to be an out and out action thriller just fell short thanks to the half baked script. The first half of the movie is infact just average. Aarya-Taapse track should have very much been avoided. The movie never gets into pace till the pre interval portion, even though that sequence was executed tackily. Also Aarya surprisingly gets as many or even more screen space as Ajith in the first half, taking over the 'humor' part. The second half is much better, and in pace. Even though lots of things happens it has been conceived neatly. Logic goes for a toss in the movie, which is not a crime for mass entertainers.

Ajith is the mega plus of the movie. He never looked this dashing, stylish handsome and fit.
The character gets more scope in the second half & Ajith has done it with elan as always. Also credit to the actor for doing all those stunt sequences despite getting injured many times. Aarya too got an important role to play, especially in the first half its his character that help the narration move forward without much lag. Nayanthara just had to do the Billa act-nothing much [looked stunning eventhough], Taapse was OK. The supporting cast were very good.

Vishnu Vardhan is one such director who gives more importnce to the visuals than the script. Most of the times the narration suffers in the effort to make each scene rich [which infact is a plus of the movie]. In Arrambam to its more or less like that. Scripting by Subha should have more crispier, especially in the first half. But the dialogues were good with plenty of quirky and massy one-liners.

Special mention to the stylist - costumes, makeup man etc. All of the characters were looking their best, lead by Ajith.

Yuvan's music has been very good, the tittle/intro song and Tamizachi song were huge hits even before the release, now with the visuals expecting more to join the hit charts. His Background score was okay this time, nothing exceptional, but the genre had limited scope.

Camera work was top notch.Needed a bit more crisp editing as it drags here and there - a big no no for action entertainers.
.

The story has similarities with Sivaji and many other films that we have seen in the past, its the making and performances that saves the film. Thanks to the average first half , a great opportunity wasted (almost)

So in all Arrambam can be a great watch for 'Thala' fans, and above average time pass movie at the best for others.

Thala fan power and carpet bombing release coupled with immense hype should make the movie a hit.

Rating : 2.75/5

Verdict: Above Average

Box Office - Should be a Hit

Last Word: Go with less expectations

Arrambam - Exclusive Preview/Story/Synopsis

It has been 15 months since the last Ajith film hit the screens. Ever since it was announced that film following 'Billa 2' will see a reunion of Billa team [Ajith, Vishnu Vardhan, Nayanthara, Yuvan, Sreekar Prasad] etc the hype has been paramount. Everything including the title of the film was kept under tight wraps. Now with just 2 weeks to go for the mega release majority have no idea about what the plot of the film, well according to sources got a basic idea of what the film is about. [What follows the image might end up as Spoiler, so continue at your own risk]

According to sources Ajith plays a commando in a security force like NSG & Rana Daggubati as his 'buddy pair' & close friend. The get called into action during the Mumbai 26/11 terror attacks where something unexpected happens. The event shooks Ajith's character so bad that he goes to unexpected lengths to solve some mysteries and find the culprits who are responsible for 'something' that happened that day.

The negative shade of Ajith that we saw in the trailer could very well represent this change.

Aarya plays the role of a computer hacker whom Ajith seeks help from in his mission [just like in sword fish/Die Hard 4] . Nayanthara is reportedly paired opposite Rana [unconfirmed] & Taapsee opposite Aarya. Talking more about the film might ruin the suspense, so lets leave it at that, plus sources can also go wrong at times.....

Unlike usual action films the film deals with a very important issue underneath, something that even the media ignored during the 26/11 attacks. So Arrambam is the mission of one man to find the truth and bring to justice the culprits.

The film has been censored yesterday with clean 'U' certificate by Chennai censor board. Censor board members reportedly appreciated the makers for their noble intentions and making an entertaining film out of it. The film will hit the screens on October 31st as Diwali release world wide.

Arrambam - Exclusive Music Review

 Arrambam - Music Review

Any Yuvan Shankar Raja musical is waited with bated breaths & if its for an Ajith film the hype even increases. Ajith-Yuvan combo have always given hits, Yuvan is also on a roll with super mega success of Biriyani, so lets see how this one turned out.

 Track List

  

 1. Adada Arambame

Feels like the Intro/opening song for Ajith. Its a festive mood song. It has got that zip and energy that should be associated with such songs. Shankar Mahadevan's voice should match like anything with Ajith. This is the song in the album that's gonna be an instant/first hit. With visuals the impact of the song is surely gonna grow

3.25/5

 2. Stylish Tamizhachi

 Song begins in super style with English rap portions that are simply rocking. It makes one feel that if we are listening an 'English' track for real. The energy gets transferred to the remaining portions of the song too. Its an out and out party blast track, this one is my favorite pick of the album, even though didn't like much after first listening. Singing, Instrumentation, lyrics, rap everything is Kick-Ass

3.5/5

3. Melala Vedikuthu 

A typical friendship song, might be picturised on Ajith-Arya-Nayanthara. This is the Holi song in the film.. Loved the lyrics of the song, 'messages infused' one. A particular portion in the music is also quite infectious. An above average song even after multiple listening, may be the video could change the opinion.

2.75/5

4. Hare Rama

Te song begins with high energy, but it soon fizzles out. The instrumentation is once again good but wish if the punch was carried throughout the song. The song has '50 Cent: Candy shop' inspirations here and there I think. Singing is energetic and apt for the song

2.75/5

5.  En Fuse Pochu

Looks like a fun romantic duet picturised on Aarya & Taapses. Has got funky lyrics too. Didn't like the song too much. Considering the theme of the movie a song like this could also end up as speed breaker. The only song in the album that i didn't like. But its not completely bad, liked in bits and pieces, but as a complete song its not up to the mark.

2.25/5

Arrambam in total is a Good, different album but definitely not an instant hit. It lacks that one 'blockbuster track' which can sell the entire album and even the film. Its a complete youth/urban album, maybe specifically orchestrated to cater the theme of the movie. It takes atleast 2-3 listening before you start to get a liking towards the songs. Its everyone's cup of tea and there is very little for the masses.

But for those who like a bit of difference and are fans of Western songs, this one should definitely work for you. I seriously think that once videos are out the songs are gonna be liked even more.

So all in all Yuvan fails to meet the humungous expectations that everyone had for the album. If you have no expectations you might like the album very much, for others I recommend you wait till the video promos are out or listen to song promos multiple times before buying it.

Rating: Above Average to Good

Rating: 2.9/5*

Last Word: Mixed BAG !!!

Buy/Download/Listen Songs Officially from following links

Nokia Music

iTunes

 Saavn

YouTube

* ([3.5+3.25+2.75+2.75+2.25]/5) = 2.9/5

Thala 53 finally gets a title - 'Arrambam' - Official Press Release

Finally the title of the much awaited forthcoming Ajith Kumar film has been revealed - 'Arrambam'. There were many speculations going on for the past few months regarding with various sites & trade analysts reporting a different name each time quoting their non-existing sources. But everything just added to the curiosity and hype regarding the film. The makers even teased everyone in the first look teaser (See at the bottom of the page). The film was titled 'Thala 53' by fans and the press, noting the 53rd film of Ajith Kumar.

Ajith is believed to be playing a cop or a secret agent in the film. Details of the film has been kept under tight wraps. It is said to inspired from a real life incident. The teaser promises us a slick action thriller. The film is scheduled to release on September

Arrambam directed by Vishnuvardhan stars Ajith Kumar, Aarya, Nayanthara etc. Music department is handled by Yuvan Shankar Raja.

Cast

Ajith
Nayanthara
Arya
Daggupathy Rana
Taapsee
Kishore
Atul Kulkarni
Mahesh Manjrekar
Suma Ranganath

Crew

Subha - Dialogue
Vishnu Vardhan  & Subha - Story, Screenplay
Illaiyaraja - Art Director
Lee Whitaker, Kaecha, Tinu Varma & Jagan - Stunt
Dinesh & Shobi paul raj - Choreography
Vishnuvardhan - Director
Pa. Vijay - Lyrics
Om Prakash - Cinematographer
Sreekar Prasad - Editor
Yuvan Shankar Raja - Music Director

'Aarambam' - Teaser Trailer & HD Screen Shots

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