You wouldn’t expect a classic tale of movie making from a director – Tarun Gopi – whose previous official document include a hardcore commercial potboiler, Thimiru. Having said that, we did expect a racy entertainer with Simbu’s return after a brief sabbatical creating enough and more hype. However, Kaalai, Tarun Gopi’s second venture and first with Simbu is a classic case of too much in too little time. With too little scenes that substantiate the sense of logic, Tarun Gopi has royally squandered an opportunity.
Less said the better about the story. Simbu shares his name with two other people - one villain and one cop-turned-baddie and the situations arising out of it promise enough curiosity for a while as soon as the movie opens. However, it eventually fizzles out when the movie takes a turn for better or for worse.
Seema – Simbu’s grandmother – slays five men, mind you when she was only ten, since they flouted her father’s advices and distilled alcohol illegally in the village also involving in other shady activities. The villagers, for her noble act, consider her their head after her return from the prison and are peaceful under her reign. However, trouble crops up in the name of a police officer – Lal – whose ego is hurt when challenged by the fellow policeman’s son that he can’t find anything illicit in Simbu’s village, ruled by the godmother Seema.
Lal tries - but to no avail - to nail somebody from the village for any charges and ends being thrashed up the villagers. Predictably, he returns back with a vengeance and in the dirty war, burns Seema alive. Enough reason for Simbu to seek retribution for his loss. Simbu returns to Chennai, uses the tried and tested formula to woo Lal’s daughter Vedhika, and after a couple of duets seize her as a hostage on revenge of his grand mom’s death.
With a script that has more holes than a fish net, it’s evident that Simbu could just not help the ship from sinking. However, his mind-boggling stunt scenes and the dance sequences especially for songs ‘Kutti Pisaase’ and ‘Kaalai Kaalai’ are stupendously performed. Particularly, Kutti Pisaase might send his fans on a homesick trip to the good old days when Simbu sang and danced ‘I am a little star’.
Vedika’s character is left to deal with a few duets in measly outfits in exotic locales with an almost innocent face. Alas, she vanishes from the movie abruptly even before its end. Santhanam – Simbu duo’s comic act has lesser than desired results.
Veteran Seema’s grandmother-godmother act refuses to fade after she is brutally charred alive in the movie. Sangeetha plays Simbu’s aunt and yes, her role is of utmost importance. If you must insist, here is how. It’s only when she gets spanked by Lal that violence erupts uncontrollably in the village. Lal’s villainy seems to be born with him and he is prominent with his viciousness in the movie that is also swarmed with many other such likes.
R.D.Rajasekar’s camera brings in unsullied frames of fresh locales during the duet scenes. G.V. Prakash stands out in two songs and scores an average for background music.
Had Tarun Gopi worked on the script for a taut screenplay coupled with some interesting twists, Simbu’s Kaalai would definitely have been a joy ride.
Outcome: Action
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