Velayilla Pattathari|
DIRECTOR: Velraj
CAST: Dhanush, Amala Paul, Vivek, Samuthirakani, Saranya Ponvannan, Surabhi
CLASSIFICATION: TBA
RUNNING TIME: 133 minutes
RATING: ***
Dhanush returns to the screen with the commercial entertainer Velayilla Pattathari, aka Velai Illa Pattadhaari, which is targeted at family audiences.
This is Dhanush’s 25th movie as a hero and, interestingly, the actor has not chosen a big-name director’s movie for his landmark venture, but gave an opportunity to cinematographer Velraj to make his directorial debut.
The movie features Arun Babu’s photography and MV Rajesh Kumar’s editing. Its main attraction is Amala Paul, who has her first release since her marriage to director Vijay.
As the title suggests, the movie is about an unemployed youth. The day-to-day struggles, frustrations, pain and the joy of getting the first break have been cleanly packaged into a movie. The role is not something new to Dhanush and he pulls off the character in his usual style.
Raghuvaran (Dhanush) is a civil engineering graduate who is frequently insulted by his father (played by director Samuthikirani). Comparisons are drawn in the house with his younger sibling, who is into IT and earns a handsome salary. It is his mother who consoles him and tries to boost his confidence. And there is his childhood friend Shalini (Paul), who is in love with him.
In a bid to make it a successful commercial film, the team has taken too many liberties. In the process, the story becomes predictable in the second half. This is the biggest drawback of Velayilla Pattathari. In a fantastic performance, Dhanush performs comedy, action and sentimental scenes with perfection. Indeed, it is a tailor-made role for him.
Paul is well suited for the role of Shalini. Samuthikirani, Saranya and Vivek have done justice to their roles. Anirudh Ravichander shines again with his songs and back-ground score. There was not much scope for the cinematography, while the editing work is okay.
Velayilla Pattathari is a perfect entertainer for Dhanush’s fans. – oneindia.in
• Velayilla Pattathari screens at Ster-Kinekor cinemas.