Polladhavan - Review
'Polladhavan' is a name that is straight out of Rajnikanth's impressive film CV. So the fears that whether Dhanush would set out to imitate his illustrious father-in-law are rife when you settle down to watch the new 'Polladhavan'. But Dhanush seems to be shrewd as he has just borrowed the name, and the film's fare is typical Dhanush's wherein Chennai's sub-culture (carom-playing youth. cheesy middle-class flats, mean streets that are also strangely suffused with humanism) comes alive. Infact, the unique Chennai flavor and ethos have been a quintessence in almost every Dhanush film. And in this too it is so. Whether this is good (as some kind of a handy reference point) or not is hard to tell.
Dhanush is in his elements playing a kind of prodigal son who lives life in his own aimless terms to perfection. His under-rated intensity is really something that takes over you without you realizing that. The director, Vettrimaran, has shown some novelty in the script and given a 'bike' a vital role in the script. It is on its wheels the script moves on.
Dhanush and his friends (Santhanam & co) see the world as their oyster and fun is their touch stone. In between, Dhanush also falls for the charm of a buxom girl (Divya aka Ramya). aturally, this kind of local bohemian lifestyle is at cross purpose with their folks. Dhanush's righteous father (Murali) bristles with anger at his son’s wayward ways. There is angry showdown between the two, and Dhanush blames his dad for his irresponsible lifestyle. Eventually, he gets some money from his dad to prove himself. But the twist begins from here. He gets a bike rather a new life. And it is this bike that sets him onto unchartered territories, one that is infested with strange curves and stranger twists. He is sucked into the underbelly of the city that sees blood as a matter of fact. It is one hell of a roller coaster ride, over which he has little control.How he handles it all is the rest of the gripping story.
Vettrimaran sure has the nous to keep the narrative flowing with some novelty. Dhanush is his able ally, giving pith and poignancy to the character of a youngster who is typically intelligent as well as irresponsible. It is a role that Dhanush has lived out of his skin.Ramya who is now Divya has little for emoting but does a decent job of a smallish role. Murali as the stentorian father and Bhanupriya as the typical mother are adequate.
Santhanam's comedy is rib-tickling and he sure has the timing for one-liners. The chutzpah-laced lines carry the Chennai's in-your-face ethos brilliantly. Karunas too is okay.Daniel Balaji as the arch villain shows his form in Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu was no flash in the pan. And if he can curb his tendency to goover-the-top, he can surely be a bankable actor.
G V Prakash's music is a major plus of the film. The remix Engayum Eppodhum works perfect on screen. The camera too is easy on the eye.
Vettrimaran promises to be a talent to be watched. He has the skills to suit the needs of potboilers. He could go easy on the excessive violence and the flow of blood.'Polladhavan' works, for most parts at least.