Mersal: Twin it to win it

[Kool_SRG]

Mersal feels like deja vu, but a pleasant one

There’s no escaping a feeling of deja vu when you watch an Atlee film. But that feeling has never been as strong as when one watches Mersal. The director must really have been Shankar’s most diligent assistant.

Ten minutes into Mersal and all you see is Shankar, not just in terms of treatment, even in the tropes and plot points. Even so, Mersal is a Shankar film the man himself can be proud of.

That’s not necessarily a good thing for a director as young as Atlee (Mersal is just his third film). Sure, he can easily pull of a ‘massive’ film with a gargantuan budget but he seems to have already run out of ideas.

As you watch the film, it’s like you’re playing ‘Spot the Original’. So when Maaran (Vijay in great form) is taken away to jail to the sounds of a wailing crowd, you’re thinking Sivaji. And when Vetri (another Vijay) goes into flashback mode, about how a young girl dies due to the result of a corrupt system, you’re thinking Anniyan. And again, when Thalapathy (Vijay one more time) pulls down a water tanker to douse a major fire, you’re thinking Baahubali or any Vijaykanth movie.

But the film you keep going back to most is perhaps, Aboorva Sagodhargal. How different can you make a film about two siblings avenging their father’s murder.

In a sense, it feels like a compilation of sequences from earlier blockbusters. But that doesn’t make the film dislikable; in fact, it’s quite enjoyable.

A lot of that has to do with the theme Atlee has picked. Though revenge, predictably, seems to be the narrative motor, it’s the emphasis on corruption in the medical profession that holds the film together. While Shankar obsesses over corrupt medical college admission processes, his student Atlee seems to prefer how those corrupt students turn a ‘service’ into a business.

The supporting cast, barring a wonderful Nithya Menen, have nothing much to do in this film. Even SJ Suryah, who rocked the villain role in Spyder, seems to have surprisingly little to do here.

Technically though, Mersal scores on most fronts. The visuals (by GK Vishnu) are terrific and AR Rahman’s music chips in to make the overall ‘product’ worthy of a big festival release.

For now, Atlee has extended his golden run into his third film. I guess he can afford to do so as long as there are older blockbusters he can remix. Even with the wine being so old, there’s still a lot of fun in admiring the bottle.

[Kool_SRG]

Mersal

• Director: Atlee
• Cast: Vijay, SJ Suryah, Nithya Menen
• Storyline: A man’s effort to cure the ills in the medical profession

[Kool_SRG]

Cinema Hit la undi..

[Kool_SRG]

Mersal: 10 thoughts we had while watching Vijay's latest entertainer first day, first show of

I wouldn’t call myself a Vijay fan, and yet at 4 am on a Wednesday morning, I found myself seated in a theatre, waiting expectantly for his latest release — the Atlee-directed Mersal — to begin. Was it the hype, the pre-release buzz that had pulled me here? Was it the super-charged promotional campaign that made this film seem like an all-your-entertainment0needs-answered package that prompted me to make this early morning trip to the theatres? I didn’t quite know — what I did know was that I very badly wanted Mersal to move away from the clichés that infest Tamil/Telugu cinema, and offer something new. I wanted to be entertained, and I wanted Vijay to do something new on screen.

Having sat through the nearly three-hour-long film, I can tell you this: Mersal is an out-andout Vijay entertainer (and all that it implies). It is also an extremely engaging viewing experience.

The minute Vijay walks onto the screen — a hyped entry sequence that comes second only to those enjoyed by Rajinikanth, perhaps — you’re hooked. Slow motion shots, dialogues that play to Tamizh sentiments and lots of cheers and hoots from the crowd later, you’re pulled onto the Mersal roller coaster ride.

Vijay plays a triple role in Mersal

A brief summary here of the plot: Vijay plays three characters — Thalapathy, a much-loved village chief who is murdered along with his wife (Nithya Menen) by the villain (SJ Suryah); Thapathy’s sons, who are separated when their parents are killed (Vettri, who becomes a magician, and Maaran, who grows up to be a doctor). The sons reunite as adults, and seek justice for their slain parents.

The film has its flaws, but also several aspects that deserve appreciation. And while you’re sure to have read reviews of the film, here are 10 thoughts we had while watching Mersal:

1. Every role of Vijay’s is structured to be a crowd pleaser, but in Mersal, the superstar is even more of a treat to watch. His turn as Vettri is particularly intriguing. And as Thalapthy, he touches quite the emotional chord with audiences.
2. Vijay steals every frame with his triple role, but Vadivelu keeps us thoroughly entertained with his comic timing. It’s a delight to see the veteran comedian back on screen after a long gap.
3. Mersal reminded us of the recent Junior NTR-starrer Jai Lava Kusa (especially with one superstar playing three roles) and the story of separated-then-reunited brothers, but Vijay’s film proves to be a tad better than NTR’s.
4. Director Atlee deserves full credit for pulling off this story, with the triple roles for Vijay, he keeps the plot well-concealed even into the second half, so that you’re never quite sure of what’s going to happen next.
5. What truly deserves our appreciation are the choreography and action sequences in Mersal. For a change, the action sequences aren’t monotonous, and Vijay’s magic tricks (as Vettri) add a nice dramatic twist. AR Rahman’s ‘Macho’ and ‘Azhapooran Tamizhan’ come alive on screen thanks to the subtle, yet fast-paced choreography.
6. Okay, we’re just going to put this out there: Mersal proves to be far better than Ajith’s Vivegam [Cue gasps of shock]. Thala fans might not agree, but this is a verdict Ilayathalapathy fans have hailed. Mersal scores over Vivegam, right from the acting to the music, cinematography.
7. You’ll find a mish-mash of various ingredients from several older films in Mersal, such as Kamal Haasan’s Apoorva Sahodarigal, and other twin dramas.
8. SJ Suryah’s role as the bad cop has shades of Arjun Rampal’s act as the baddie in Om Shanti Om. Many of Suryah’s scenes will remind you of Rampal in the Farah Khan-directed film.
9. Of course, whether the film stars Thala, Thailavaa or Ilayathalapathy, one thing never changes — the leading lady (in this case, three ladies) serve as props. Kajal Aggarwal and Samantha Ruth Prabhu play the love interests to the two brothers — Vettri and Dr Maaran. That’s about it. Nithya Menen gets a better deal and manages to make an impression in her role as Thalapathy’s strong, bold wife, who doesn’t shy away from fighting for the betterment of her people. You see the women in the songs, and they denote the different phases of the film, but that’s about it.
10. The plot twists, while unavoidable, take away from the experience. While Mersal is still a step up from Bairavaa and Theri for Vijay, this is by no means KV Vijayendra Prasad’s best — especially after writing a magnum opus like Baahubali.

[Pipucbn]

Veedevado die hard fan anukunta.... intha rasadu

[Kool_SRG]

6 minutes ago, Pipucbn said:

Veedevado die hard fan anukunta.... intha rasadu

 

First Post lo vesaadu idi..

[TamrajKilvish]

indulo dichulu scene lu kokollalu..

Rope eskuni Giant wheel lagadam..

Oopiraadani patient ki airport lo emergency ga Credit card tho gonthu ku hole petti straw tho oopiri andhinchadam..

oyammo okkati kaadule 

[Kool_SRG]

1 minute ago, TamrajKilvish said:

indulo dichulu scene lu kokollalu..

Rope eskuni Giant wheel lagadam..

Oopiraadani patient ki airport lo emergency ga Credit card tho gonthu ku hole petti straw tho oopiri andhinchadam..

oyammo okkati kaadule 

vammo 

[Kontekurradu]

1 hour ago, Kool_SRG said:

Mersal: 10 thoughts we had while watching Vijay's latest entertainer first day, first show of

I wouldn’t call myself a Vijay fan, and yet at 4 am on a Wednesday morning, I found myself seated in a theatre, waiting expectantly for his latest release — the Atlee-directed Mersal — to begin. Was it the hype, the pre-release buzz that had pulled me here? Was it the super-charged promotional campaign that made this film seem like an all-your-entertainment0needs-answered package that prompted me to make this early morning trip to the theatres? I didn’t quite know — what I did know was that I very badly wanted Mersal to move away from the clichés that infest Tamil/Telugu cinema, and offer something new. I wanted to be entertained, and I wanted Vijay to do something new on screen.

Having sat through the nearly three-hour-long film, I can tell you this: Mersal is an out-andout Vijay entertainer (and all that it implies). It is also an extremely engaging viewing experience.

The minute Vijay walks onto the screen — a hyped entry sequence that comes second only to those enjoyed by Rajinikanth, perhaps — you’re hooked. Slow motion shots, dialogues that play to Tamizh sentiments and lots of cheers and hoots from the crowd later, you’re pulled onto the Mersal roller coaster ride.

Vijay plays a triple role in Mersal

A brief summary here of the plot: Vijay plays three characters — Thalapathy, a much-loved village chief who is murdered along with his wife (Nithya Menen) by the villain (SJ Suryah); Thapathy’s sons, who are separated when their parents are killed (Vettri, who becomes a magician, and Maaran, who grows up to be a doctor). The sons reunite as adults, and seek justice for their slain parents.

The film has its flaws, but also several aspects that deserve appreciation. And while you’re sure to have read reviews of the film, here are 10 thoughts we had while watching Mersal:

1. Every role of Vijay’s is structured to be a crowd pleaser, but in Mersal, the superstar is even more of a treat to watch. His turn as Vettri is particularly intriguing. And as Thalapthy, he touches quite the emotional chord with audiences.
2. Vijay steals every frame with his triple role, but Vadivelu keeps us thoroughly entertained with his comic timing. It’s a delight to see the veteran comedian back on screen after a long gap.
3. Mersal reminded us of the recent Junior NTR-starrer Jai Lava Kusa (especially with one superstar playing three roles) and the story of separated-then-reunited brothers, but Vijay’s film proves to be a tad better than NTR’s.
4. Director Atlee deserves full credit for pulling off this story, with the triple roles for Vijay, he keeps the plot well-concealed even into the second half, so that you’re never quite sure of what’s going to happen next.
5. What truly deserves our appreciation are the choreography and action sequences in Mersal. For a change, the action sequences aren’t monotonous, and Vijay’s magic tricks (as Vettri) add a nice dramatic twist. AR Rahman’s ‘Macho’ and ‘Azhapooran Tamizhan’ come alive on screen thanks to the subtle, yet fast-paced choreography.
6. Okay, we’re just going to put this out there: Mersal proves to be far better than Ajith’s Vivegam [Cue gasps of shock]. Thala fans might not agree, but this is a verdict Ilayathalapathy fans have hailed. Mersal scores over Vivegam, right from the acting to the music, cinematography.
7. You’ll find a mish-mash of various ingredients from several older films in Mersal, such as Kamal Haasan’s Apoorva Sahodarigal, and other twin dramas.
8. SJ Suryah’s role as the bad cop has shades of Arjun Rampal’s act as the baddie in Om Shanti Om. Many of Suryah’s scenes will remind you of Rampal in the Farah Khan-directed film.
9. Of course, whether the film stars Thala, Thailavaa or Ilayathalapathy, one thing never changes — the leading lady (in this case, three ladies) serve as props. Kajal Aggarwal and Samantha Ruth Prabhu play the love interests to the two brothers — Vettri and Dr Maaran. That’s about it. Nithya Menen gets a better deal and manages to make an impression in her role as Thalapathy’s strong, bold wife, who doesn’t shy away from fighting for the betterment of her people. You see the women in the songs, and they denote the different phases of the film, but that’s about it.
10. The plot twists, while unavoidable, take away from the experience. While Mersal is still a step up from Bairavaa and Theri for Vijay, this is by no means KV Vijayendra Prasad’s best — especially after writing a magnum opus like Baahubali.

aa point baaga nachi vuntadi sudanagaane https://media.giphy.com/media/10mdwZ3UiPuYve/giphy.gif

JAI BALAYYA