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Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu

Tamil (U/A) PVR Cinemas, Inox, Lavanya, Poornima, Sampige Cast: Kamal Haasan, Jyothika, Kamalinee Mukherjee, Prakashraj Director: Gowtham

More than two years in the making, mired in many controversies, production changing hands thrice and the first producer attempting suicidc--Kamal Haasan’s latest offering made gave much fodder to the media before its release. Even its actual release was in doubt with the hero lodging a complaint with the South Indian artistes association about non payment of his dues.

Finally , the dust seems to have settled and Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu is here. Technically the movie is good but lacks what is most important --good story and script. Gowtham who earlier gave the brilliant Kakka Kakka with Surya in the lead seems to have run out ideas and what emerges is a hodge podge of his earlier film, some Hollywood thriller and recap of some local crime.

Kamal does the mantle of a police officer, a role which he had done a decade earlier in Kuruthi Punal. In his fight against gangsters--mainly two medical students turned criminals -----he loses his wife Kamalini, colleague Prakash Raj, his wife and daughter. All of them are brutally murdered but there is a common thread which acts as a clue to his investigation. It leads him to New York where he discovers some more rape and murders committed by the same duo.

In the US he also meets Jyothika who has a broken marriage and a child. He saves her and love blossoms.

Gowtham alternates between action, thrills and

romance . But it is quite obvious that he is unable to use Kamal Haasan’s talent fully. He lets things to drift, and the story drags on.

Jyothika as usual gives a neat performance. It is muic director Harris Jayaraj and the lady lyricist Thamarai who steal the show with some good situational songs.

Whenever one sees a new Kamal Haasan film, one can look forward to something new. But in VV, one only gets a feeling of deja vu .

G Ulaganathan