Majaa

Cast: Vikram, Asin, Pasupathy, Vadivelu, Manivannan, Biju Menon, Vijay Kumar
Language: Tamil
Director: Shafi
Producer: Vengatesh Rockline
Camera: Balasubramaniam
Story: Benny.P.Nayarambalam
Screenplay: Viji
Lyrics: Kabilan, Yuga Bharathi, Pa. Vijay
Music: Vidyasagar
Year: 2005

"Majaa" most definitely promises a majaa treat for the Tamil film buffs. Though it is a remake of the Malayalam blockbuster "Thommanum Makkalum", "Majaa" has its own charm.
Majaa's lightweight plot, athletic stunts, and minimal special effects that generally well employed make the whole fare a real treat.

The film's director Shafi has to be lauded for his work that will grip you until the final frame.

Here goes the story...

Govindan (Manivannan), a petty thief, brings up two orphaned children ? Adhi (Pasupathy) and Madhi (Vikram). The boys are wayward children, who pick up quarrel and indulge in street fights.

Madhi learns the values of self-control and is determined to forge a respectable future. He has change of heart in his father and his brother too. They migrate to a Devallapatti, a neighboring village to start their life afresh in a clean slate.

Now the whole complexion of the story changes and each of the characters is left to size up the weight of their actions.

On their way to the village, the trio meets Chidhambaram, a retired agricultural officer (Vijay Kumar), and his three daughters. Adhi and Chidhambaram's elder daughter (Anu Prabakar) fall in love instantly and they decide to marry.

When they take this proposal to Chidhambaram, he tells his sad tale of how he is in the grips of a local moneylender- Kalinga Rayar (Murali). He reveals that his son who was supposed to marry Rayar's daughter Seetha (Asin), ran away with her cash and jewelry on the day of the marriage. Enraged by this, Rayar started to harass Chidhambaram and did not allow his daughters to get married to any one until his daughter Seetha gets married. Rayar has also taken possession of their property, and has rendered them to abject poverty and misery.

When Madhi learns about the hitch in his brother's marriage, he forcible marries Seetha, which she also accepts whole heatedly. Rayar though resists initially, accepts Madhi as his son-in-law later.

The real villain surfaces in the form of Seetha's maternal uncle (Biju Menon), who had plans to marry Seetha and usurp Rayar property.

The remaining story trawls its way through to tell how Madhi exposes Seetha's maternal uncle, who tries to frame up Adhi.

Vikram has given a naturalistic and compelling performance. He is a primal force of male beauty, whose brutish demeanor is offset by his sensuous features.

While it's rather unfair to single out any one in what is a group effort, praise should be offered to Pasupathy (portrayed as a villain in Virumandi) for creating a comic brother who comes across as vulnerable, sad and comic.

Murali looks fragile and Biju Menon has to go a long way before he establishes himself as a baddie. Asin has only a meager role to play. But what ever is given to her, she has done her best.

Shafi allows his script to meander gently allowing us to watch the group interact in an organic and wholly believable way. Vidhyasagar's songs are melodious. Balu's camerawork is good.

It has been just three months since "Anniyan" was released. So you might expect more from a follow-up than "Majaa." But yet, Majaa is altogether an engaging film, thanks to a series of well-hone naturalistic performances.

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