Review of
Padayappa
Rajini Kanth as Padayappa.
Ramya Krishnan as Nilambari. Directed by K.S.Ravikumar (of Muthu and En Swaasa
Kaatre fame !!!!!) music by i-know-only-thagaradappa A.R.Rahman. I pity those
souls who drove 21 hrs from the midwest all the way to New Jersey or New York to
watch this movie (they even took pride in calling me over the phone to tom-tom
their achivement). This movie is Rajini Kanth's worst movie even surpassing
Sundar.C's Arunachalam. I heard from fans close to Rajini saying that he
considers K.S.R as the best movie director ever to direct his movie. Jeez Rajini
don't just get lulled in to thinking that what you ever u do you would do it
right. As a fan of Rajini i feel Suresh Krishnaa is the best. His baasha was the
ultimate entertainer. As usual A.R.Rahman's songs were so-so. Again he fails in
trying to ape folk music.
About the Movie
There are two big families in the village. One is
Rajini's and the other is ofcourse Ramya Krishnan's. Rajini's family comprises
of Rajini, Sivaji (his father), his mom (lakshmi)and his sister. There's also
this Sivaji's brother (born of Sivaji's father and his mistress) and his three
udavakarai sons. Ramya Krishnan's family is made of RadhaRavi (father) and Nasar
as her brother. There's also this secretary to radharavi who tries to ape a
Coimbatorical accent to whatever he says. Alas ! he doesn't know he fails in
every one of his attempt.
Rajini has just come from the city, where he went
to work in auto mechanic shop to earn his own living. Ramya Krishnan also comes
to the village in her too-good-looking car. I think it's a Toyota. The car was a
red color one. And Ramya krishnan is dressed up to kill. What with short skirts
and cleave revealing blouses !!!! Oh boy ! are we seeing something from
hollywood. That's what we think till we see Soundarya and a host of others in
munda banian and mundasu over the head with dirty veshtis chasing a king cobra.
Now we come back to earth. This is after all a Tamil movie.
All these
fellas, run directly in front of Ramya Krishnan's car. Ramya Krishnan who was
thinking that she was driving in I84 or some freeway and not used to such
animals running in front of her car has to stop suddenly. Then she realises that
she is in a village in India where Nagapaambu is being worshipped. Having been
educated in US, all that she knows about snakes is that they belong to a species
known as serpentica paambica. How can an ordinary snake stop Nilambari
(that's her name and i feel it's much better than the name padayappa !!!). She
orders the villagers to kill the snake. But soundarya begs her to leave the
snake alone and touches her feet or hand or whatever it is. Ramya krishnan gets
angered and slaps her. How dare an ordinary peasant touch Ramya Krishnan
????(Only wealthy telugu directors have that privilege you dumbo soundarya
!!!!).
Now jumps in our hero Rajani kanth. The snake has gone inside it's
anthill. And the villagers are ready to destroy it. But Rajini puts his hand
inside and takes the snake out and even plants a kiss, reminds of that
Australian guy,Steve, in the Animal Planet channel. Ramya falls head over heels
for Rajini. But Rajini falls for simpleton-Soundarya. And now is the first
dappanguthu of all. "En peru padayappa, enakkula soriyappa.....". Everybody at
their worst. That's for the intro of the hero and heroine.
Since Sivaji has
no practical use alive in this movie he needs to be killed. So this half-brother
of him asks for half of the estate. Sivaji is enraged. But refueses to halve the
estate and gives everything to him. And he leaves the house with his family but
dies because he can't think of himself living in a thatched hut !!!. Now Rajini
and his family go and live in a mountainous region full of rocks. Meanwhile
Rajini goes behind Soundarya and Ramya goes after Rajini. Rajini also shows of
his talent in sanskrit with three words "Saathveegam, Pratchothagam and
Bayanagam". Poor sanskrit !!!. Whoever gave this idea to Rajini. He can't even
pronounce properly in Tamil (see the movie Raghavendra). Rajini's sister is
supposed to be married to Nasser but now since Rajini has become a pauper Nasser
marries another girl from the half-brother family.
Ramya Krishnan refuses to
see any other boy and is determined to marry only Rajini. Radharavi comes to
Rajini's house to request Rajini's hand for his daughter. Rajini's mom promises
to come with seer senathi to his house. But in the house she exchanges the
thaamboolam with soundarya's mom, thus giving the green signal to her son's
kaadhal. Ramya krishnan tries some cheap tricks to kill soundarya like donating
a red sari to Soundarya and letting out a wild bull on her. But Rajini now adorn
the mantle of a matador and stops the bull with his legs. These scenes are so
childish. The bull stops like a screeching car. These are scenes that would have
helped the movie if they weren't there. But finally the wedding goes thru and
Rajini also becomes rich from that rocky mountainous region because it is full
of granite. He has a daughter played by the varisu from kalai kudumbam and going
by the name of Preethi. It is one face which i love to hate in any movies.
Nasser has a son played by ALI NO.1 Abbas. In all these years (about 20 yrs)
Ramya krishnan does nothing but watch the video of Rajini's marriage with
Soundarya. She is seething with anger and wants revenge. She hasn't come out of
that room for all these years. Nasser tries to convince her to come out and says
that Rajini has a happy life with his wife and daughter et all. Now Ramya
krishnan gets an idea of what to do. She calls Abbas and asks him to act as if
he is in love with Preethi. Nasser has also risen to be a home minister. Atlast
Ramya krishnan comes out and wants to meet Rajini. This a good scene befitting
Rajini. There's only one chair in the room and Ramya Krishnan sits in it. Rajini
seeing that he is being slighted acts swiftly and brings down the swing with is
thundu. oh wow !!!! Super scene.
While Ramya thinks that Abbas is acting as
if he is in love with preethi, the truth is he is actually in love with her.
(Ali in love with another !!!!). But now Ramya refuses to let Abbas marry
Preethi. But Rajini Alinaps Abbas and while they are on the way to marriage,
Ramya sends in her troops to stop them. They are surrounded by some goondas in
lorry. Now Rajini takes his shirt off (fall no:1 for Rajini!!!) and fights these
goonds with his ali maapillai in the car. The ultimate stab for Rajini comes
when Abbas exclaims "Uncle neenga innum youngadhan irukeenga !!!!!". As if
Rajini needs some certificate feom such kathukutties like Abbas. Oh Rajini what
has befallen you !!!! As usual Rajini wins the fight and gets Abbas married to
his daughter.
Ramya krishnan having been defeated again comes to the place
where marriage is going to take place and shoots at Rajini. While Rajini throws
in the vel vel vetrivel at her. But actually it is thrown at a bull which comes
charging towards Ramya. The bull stops after seeing the vel from Rajini. Now
Ramya realises how good Rajini is. But she can't digest the fact that she has
been defeated twice and takes her life.
END OF AN EPIC
My pulambals
Watching Ramya Krishnan dress like this was a feast to very
many eyes. I'll tell you what it was for me when my wife is not around ok !!!! I
am not sure whether Rajini is the hero or Ramya Krishnan is the heroine. For
sure Ramya has stolen the limelight from Rajini. Whoever selected this story for
Rajini has done a great injustice to him. As i told you he doesn't need any
certificates from I-DON'T-KNOW-WHAT-A-MEESAI-IS guys like Abbas. Abbas wouldn't
have been born when Rajini started acting. Considering the standards of Rajini
movie i would rank this as the worst of his. I saw this movie in Portland and
when i went to India for my engagement i had to go with now-my-wife and
then-my-fiancee, for this movie. I was surprised that i was able to sit thru
this movie two times. Mainly because of the presence of Rajini i suppose. The
music as i said before can be reproduced with just a thagara dabba. All in all
not worth $7.00 in US and Rs.50 in Udayam theater.
About K.S.Ravikumar
With this movie K.S.Ravikumar joins an illustrious
group of directors like P.Vasu, R.V.Udayakumar etc etc. These directors
specialise in creating an ideal village with some very peculiar customs. My
relatives also live in villages deep south and to tell you i am still searching
for such villages. In P.Vasu's village no boy should see the naatammai's
daughter, in R.V.Udayakumar's village the naatamai can keep as many girls as he
wants as mistress. In K.S.Ravikumar's village there is this strange custom of
carrying out a marriage in the temple with the village headman asking the ponnu
and maapillai as to whether they are marrying without any force. If anyone of
them say no then every preparation done for that marriage is thrown in to a
well. This well is kept just for this purpose. They don't use the water from
that well. This is because some 2000yrs ago, when Sivaji's ancestors were the
naatamai's of this village, they allowed a forced marriage, the girl was in love
with someone else, and the boy and the girl jumped to their death in this same
well. What a nice story !!!!!!!. Hey guys get a little bit mature ok. You guys
are so immature that i would rather watch a movie made in 1940's, 50's, 60's
70's and even early 80's.
About Rajini
When i said "End of an Epic" at the end of story, i didn't
mean the story. I meant Rajini. If he continues to act in such stories then even
the japanese fans would desert him altogether. My heartfelt sympathies for this
man. He has been a great hero and would still continue to be one if he doesn't
act in such half-baked movies like these. He has to be careful in selecting his
directors. Everyone knows that he is old. And why does he want to project
himself younger and that too certified by some podiyans like Abbas. Beats me as
to how the minds of geniuses work. Rajini your role model should be Clint
Eastwood. Act in movies that befits ur age.
About Ramya
If this movie has done any good to any of the persons
involved, it would be for Ramya Krishnan. Having been sidelined in Tamil Movie
field she has come back with a vengeance. Her acting was measured. No over
acting no alatufying. The way she dressed was a little too much for a movie
based in a village but K.S.Ravikumar should be blamed for this fiasco. Why are
all female villains shown as wearing such sexy dress ????
About A.R.Rahman
I need to see whether he can score a music much worse
than this. Hey dude is this ur worst or have we not seen ur bottom yet. Anyway
keep going, keep going. Whatever trash you churn out it would be a hit with the
sheep like Indian mentality. So keep churning. By the way just let me know from
which beggar u surutified ur thagara dappa. Too good a thagaradappa dude, too
good. I thought you are a western musician bringing a change in Indian movies.
But suddenly you have started tuning in a 2000 yr old music called carnatic
music ????? Enna avalavu dhana sondha stuff. Venumna naa konjam USlerndhu
English CD's vaangi anupatuma ?????
About Vairamuthu
The lyricist has done his job. Not an A-grade work. But
have no choice.
My humble views
Can be seen once for the following reasons.
1. Ramya
Krishnan's acting.
2. Ramya Krishnan's dress.
3. Ramya Krishnan's car.
Did i hear somebody asking about soundarya ???? Soundarya who ????? She was
just an extra in the movie. This movie could have been better named as Nilambari
rather than padayappa. But would Male chauvanism and Ego allow that ???? Rajini
needs to do roles befitting his age. The best subject that i can suggest is
something like Clint Eastwood's "In the Line of Fire". If you guys haven't seen
this movie just watch how Clint Eastwood proves that he is still a hero with
absolutely all failings that comes with age. We need that kind of practical
thinking in our movies. I can give something like 20/100 for this movie and
suggest that you can watch it once, just once. If you watch the second time,
either you watch it for ur girl friend/fiancee or you are an absolute dumbo
!!!!!! Email me at karthigeyans@hotmail.com
Thanks,
Karthik