User Reviews

This movie deals with a very delicate subject of human trafficking. Although this story is somewhat new to Tamil cinema, the idea is in fact taken from "Taken" (no pun intended!). It might be too much to say that this movie is a remake of the Hollywood "Taken", but there were quite a few similarities. (I am refraining from quoting instances. Don't wanna give too much away!)

But the gist of the story goes like this: A working girl Yamuna goes missing after her night-shift work. Her lover teams up with a veteran cop to nail the bad guys. Sounds simple, but the movie is definitely not your "boy-kicks-100-asses-and-rescues-girl" movie.

For one thing, the director depicts the scenes with shocking detail that your heart goes out for the victims. Then again, it is that obvious that the director has borrowed some thoughts from the Hollywood movie. Another thing is that the movie deals with a relatively new subject in Tamil cinema. That keeps the audience engrossed for they are curious to know the fate of the victims.

But the climax was a bit of a let-down. It was almost like the director had run out of ideas as to how to finish the movie. He resorts to something Vijaykanthish (you know what I am talking' about!). Couple of other things were also mediocre at best: location and sets were pretty ordinary. In fact, the sets were so ordinary and out-of-place that it was hard to digest that that is where kidnapped victims are secured. But you cant really blame the director for insufficient budget.

Bottom line: Something out of the box and intriguing. Watch if you have nothing else to do.

Who said movies are for mere entertainment? It is also a medium to propagate a strong message that is most needed for today's society. The director in his debut venture, has handled a sensitive issue and arrives at offering a strong solution to it.

Women and child trafficking is the most common news one would find in newspapers these days. Kudos to the producer and his team, who have gathered guts to take this issue, in their first venture itself.

Aanmai Thavarael is a compilation of events that happens in real life. Seemingly inspired by media reports and intense research on the subject, Kulandai has etched a story and screenplay that is strikingly different from the commercial clichés that dominate Tamil cinema.

He gets into a rhythm in the first frame and settles down to render a wholesome product that speaks about safety and security of womenfolk in the country. The need for the government agencies concerned to tackle the crime against women has been highlighted in the best possible manner.

The filmmaker also succeeds in convincing us with lesser known star cast. The actors have fit the role well. Maria Manohar's peppy background score, Arabindhu Sara's cinematography and V J Sabu's editing deserve credit for they set up the right momentum.

Vettri (Dhruva) is an executive with a call center while Yamuna (Shruthi), his neighbor, works in a BPO. There is romance between them and the couple meets every morning after Yamuna returns from her night shift.

One day, Vettri waits for her, but Yamuna goes missing. The issue takes a turn when Yamuna's mother (Lakshmi Ramakrishnan) prefers a complaint with the police. The blame falls on Vettri. But inquiries reveal that she was kidnapped by a gang in a car.

Vettri promises to return with his beloved and sets out on a search. He knocks the doors of the police who keep passing the buck to various departments. Understanding that he is running short of time, he takes the help of Charles Antony (Sampath Raj), a former official at the anti trafficking wing.

He helps Vettri obtain some vital clues and finds out that Yamuna was kidnapped with few other girls only to be pushed to flesh trade in Goa. Vettri embarks on a journey to trace the car and redeem his lover from them. The search begins in Chennai which eventually after many twists and turns ends in Goa.

Dhruva's is an impressive debut. He portrays his role with utmost dignity. Not once do you feel that you are seeing a newcomer. Its a very subtle and realistic performance from him. Watch out his action scenes. Shruthi is a welcome addition to Tamil cinema. She fits the role to T. The fear and agonies of a kidnapped girl are brought out well by her as well as the other girls. Such roles are a cakewalk for Sampath Raj and he does play his part exceedingly good. The soft-spoken Subbu Panchu in the role of a villain is quite a surprise after his performance in Boss Engira Bhaskaran.

A fine movie, without the trappings of commercial Tamil cinema. - IndiaGlitz and Shiva Subramanium