Film Review: ''Dumm...Dumm...Dumm...''

THERE IS a Mani Ratnam touch in many a frame. Quite understandable -``Dumm...Dumm...Dumm...'' has been produced by Mani Ratnam and Srinivasan for Madras Talkies and the former has penned the story and script along with R. Selvaraj and N. Azhagamperumal. Though the film has been directed by Azhagamperumal, in many places it bears the indelible stamp of Mani Ratnam. Again, quite inevitable - the man is Azhagamperumal's mentor.

After the ``Ennavalae'' debacle Madhavan seems to be choosing his films with care. If ``Minnalae'' saw him rise again ``Dumm Dumm...'' has further stabilised the position of this young man, whose charisma lies in his smile.

The green fields, the lush plenitude and the gushing waters of the village scene are an utopia that make you yearn. But the similarity among ``Roja's'' Madhubala, ``Kandukondain..''s Ash and ``Dumm Dumm''s Jyothika is too striking.

Adhi (Madhavan) is a fun loving city man. Ganga (Jyotika) is a cheerful village belle who wants to do her graduation in Engineering. Marriage between the two is fixed by the elders. The pair resents it and so they collude to find ways to stop the `doom' as they see it. Yet when the apple cart does get upset, they realise that they are interested in one another after all. But it is too late as by then the two families have turned totally inimical to each other.

The first half of the film is enjoyable, but later on there seems to be some fumbling, with the director groping a little.

A mere game of cards snowballing into sworn enmity between the parties of the bride and bridegroom, seems unbelievable. Manivannan, a family friend of the bride who goes to the extent of finding henchmen to harm the groom, does a volte face when he knows that the girl is in love with the young man. Neither the magnitude of the anger, nor the sudden reconciliation appears realistic.`Delhi' Kumar is majestic as the father of Adhi. So is Murali, the father of Jyotika. Jyotika sparkles as the chirpy villager, the serious city girl and the pining romantic.

Music is by Karthik Raja. The background score of the number ``Desingu Raja'' may have many nuances, layers and appreciable arrangement but is more like recitation than music. ``Rahasiyamai'' is melodious and ``Sutrum Bhoomi'' in Harini's scintillating voice is an aural delight. The choreography for ``Aththan Varugai'' is enjoyable.

Kalpana is seen after a very long gap. The primary aim seems to be to make her look frightening. The character could have been made more appealing and less crude.

Television viewers may remember Suhasini's ``Penn'', the serial telecast a few years ago, that dealt with different stories every week. One story had Shobana and Raja in the same situation as Jyotika and Madhavan in ``Dumm...'' And again as in ``Dumm...'' they get interested in one another. But what is remarkably similar is the last scene where the two meet and get together on the middle of the road, at a pedestrian crossing, and profess their love for each other. A neat entertainer that seems to lose focus on and off.

MALATHI RANGARAJAN

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Section  : Entertainment
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