"Anjaneya"
"Anjaneya" ... the haphazard approach is quite evident.
WHEN "VALLARASU," the slick, fast-paced blockbuster starring Vijayakanth, was released a couple of years ago, its writer and director N. Maharajan, made quite an impression. He then went on to remake the same in Hindi, with Sunny Deol in the lead. Hence expectations about his second Tamil release, NIC Arts' "Anjaneya" were quite high. But debut attempts of filmmakers have never been a dependable yardstick — many have proved it, as Maharajan has now. First time they seem sure, but with the second film they fumble.
There are too many tales of good vs. evil, or in other words, the policemen vs. the mafia. So much so that only if the treatment offered is something new, can one sit through the film. Otherwise it just falls flat, thanks to sheer monotony.
"Anjaneya" is the fourth police story that comes the audience's way this season and a disappointing one at that. Kumaraguru IPS (Ajit Kumar) will brook no wrong (which of our heroes would?). So the number of villains he has to take on is countless. As if the `villains' here are not enough, you have one each from Andhra and Kerala, as is the trend. There is a bad man making an entry at every turn that it is difficult to keep track. Kumaraguru takes it upon himself to rid society of its ills.
He also enjoys a romantic interlude with law college student Divya (Meera Jasmine). After a couple of songs and just about four scenes, Meera vanishes from the film. And it is a long time even before you realise it.
Sita as the widow, who loses her only son to the villains, makes an impact even in the two-scene role. So does the young man, Mohan, who plays her son. Raghuvaran's enactment is getting too clichéd and predictable. Also the actor seems to be getting thinner with every film.
"Anjaneya" is a classic case of miscasting. Raghuvaran does not in the least look like the father in law of Ilavarasu (of all people) nor can Anu Hasan pass off as Raghuvaran's daughter or for that matter as Ilavarasu's wife (!) And Anil Menon looks more a hero than a villain's henchman. It's sad that capable character actors (Ilavarasu, for example) have been wasted in "Anjaneya".
Kumaraguru is more brawn than brain. The court scene where he grills witnesses is an exception. Of course, the melodrama in the latter part of the sequence is best forgotten. Certain scenes have been well conceived and therefore "Anjaneya" appeals in fits and starts. The lack of consistency in the treatment affects the film no end. Ajit, the roly-poly hero, could have tried to give an intelligent slant to the portrayal. He doesn't. Completing the project early seems to have been the criterion. Thus the end product is not what one would expect from a hero of Ajit's calibre.
Erroneous positioning of song sequences adds to the irritation — an example is the item number with Rathi. Mani Sharma's loud music is another sore point.
Maker Maharajan could have worked harder to sustain the name that he had secured with his first film. It is sad that he has let go a good opportunity.
MALATHI RANGARAJAN
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Entertainment
