Azhagu Amy fell in love with Azhukku Arya… and Titanic happened

Madrasapattinam is a very nice movie, but I didn’t think I would be able to write a review, till I got those adjectives for Arya and Amy Jackson – yeah, Arya rolls around in mud, wrestling and looks real dirty (but cute, underneath that dirt). I felt those adjectives deserved a review beneath them (self-praise).

It is a love story in the background of the independence movement. It has also strongly drawn from Titanic – rather, bits have been copied (shamelessly – though I don’t like to use that harsh word on a director who has delivered an immensely watchable movie). And the rain song seems to be the director's (again shamelessly copied) tribute to Lagaan.

The director has made the love story predominant; resisting the urge to go on too much about the freedom struggle (it has been given more importance only where it really blends with the love story).

Even though Arya gets harsh treatment at the hands of Amy’s fiancé in the beginning, the seriousness isn’t dragged on. After he’s released, he drinks “kallu” with his buddies to forget his woes, then he learns that Amy managed to save him from worse punishment; he and his friends then decide to go thank her, not worrying about whether they’ll get caught or beaten up, they don’t think twice about entering the governor’s (Amy’s father’s) house, simply trying to stay unnoticed by wearing British clothes or dancing with ladies (there’s a tear-inducing comic scene in which Arya edges out an Englishman and dances with his girl, who has been resting her head, eyes closed, on the man’s chest and doesn’t realize it’s someone else. And a super-hilarious scene before that, in which they learn the words “thank you” and keep mugging it. On the way, their cycles hit a bump on the road, and for a second their mugging is interrupted – they forget the words; then they start mugging “Ning you. Ning you.” Even small touches such as the laundry guy who’s always dressed in British clothes, and forever dozing, tickle you.) The first half has great humorous touches. But some scenes later on are unintentionally funny, like the one in which Arya and Amy are hiding in the clock tower and Amy is inspired to sing a romantic verse.

VMC Haneefa, as Amy’s translator, has been given adequate scope for performance and has turned out to be a real treat for the audience. He is especially funny in the way he eagerly poses for photos and is teased by Amy, who moves the camera this way and that, because he too, keeps turning in the direction of the camera. It’s unfortunate that the talented artiste has passed away, and this is his last film.

Moving on to the other aspects of the movie – Arya and Amy make an adorable pair. Arya, as we know, is one hot creature with mesmerizing eyes and a hot bod – even though he gets all dirty in the mud in this movie, you just want to clean him up and continue sighing (I’ll forever remember the character “Kutty” he played in a Arindhum Ariyaamalum – the first impact he made on me still lasts). And he is simply adorable when he attempts to speak English. Amy Jackson is likable and slips into the role with ease. But the fact that she’s a foreigner limits her opportunities in K-town.

There is some truly edge-of-the-seat action… Arya taking on Amy’s fiancé in a gusthi fight over the dhobis’ land that the Englishman threatens to take away – the fight really had me sitting upright, at the edge of my seat, heart in my mouth. And another fight scene in the Central station clock tower was good too, with the fiancé crashing out of the clock face and flying down. Truly well executed fights – dishum dishum with verve – unlike the superhuman Vijay fights with flying people and him sending electric pulses up villains’ arms (in films like Ghilli).

The ending is a bit predictable (there are other cinematic touches as well - but pardonable); and it is pretty disappointing to discover that Arya has passed away (due to old age) as you imagined and is not there when Amy visits Duraiamma Trust (after building hope in me, who likes to expect the unexpected, even if takes away some pathos, that’ll fit better, according to K-town rules); but later it is revealed, predictably, that he is dead, and yeah, as expected, Amy dies at his grave – yawn.

To sum it up - the director has dished out a clever combination of a love story, humour, a bit of great action; giving higher emphasis to the freedom struggle only where it fits in, and otherwise restricting it in the background. Clearly he conceptualized Madrasapattinam as a love story and has done justice. It is one of the better Tamil films this year, and worth the price of your ticket.