Tharagu

Cast: Sanjay, Dimple, Vinu Chakravarthy, VMC Haneef, Rajan P Dev, Puvilgangu Mohan, Meera Krishnan
Language: Tamil
Banner: K.R.K. Cine Creations
Director: Kalanidhi
Producer: K.P. Raja
Camera: Kasi Viswa
Lyrics: Na. Muthukumar
Music: Bharani
Year: 2008

'Tharagu' with the tagline 'Brokers excuse' is a side-splitting comedy about confidence tricksters playing their cards to outsmart one another. Debutant director Kalanidhi has taken the darker side of the booming real estate business in Tamil Nadu as the subject of his hilarious movie.

Raghu (Sanjay) is in the real estate business in Coimbatore. An avaricious broker, he masquerades as a realtor to make quick money. With Rs 50 crores he has made by duping people promising to build houses for them, he plans to run way to Malaysia. One of his victims is a rich woman (Babylona). As he prepares to leave for Malaysia, Kanmani (Dimple) comes to him to help her find an apartment. She is a shrewder operator than Raghu and he falls into her love trap. Raghu hides all the money he has made through fraudulent means in Kanmani's house and gets ready to go abroad and settle there along with Kanmani.

When Raghu is off guard, she escapes to Chennai with all his illgotten money. Feeling cheated Raghu comes to Chennai where she is seen to live a life of luxury. He vows to take revenge on her for duping him and take his money back. It turns to be a thrilling game of one-upmanship. A rowdy, police and a minister are also involved in this battle of wits.

Sanjay plays the lead role with understanding. Dimple's sharpness and agility, combined with her looks, add colour to her powerful character.

V.A Murthy as personal assistant provides the best of comedy with his word jugglery. Joining him is Singamuthu & Co in the comedy track.

Babylona plays a seductress of Sanjay and also as one trying to double-cross the heroine.

Vinu Chakravarthy as minister, his jigs with Laksha which costs him the post, Rajan P. Dev as police inspector promoted from the rank of security guard, 'Mahanadi' Shankar trying to pull the rug from under the feet of the minister while acting as his councilor and Alex roaming the streets carrying a knife to kill Dimple are hard to forget.

Some of Pugazh Mani's dialogues and Muthukumar's lyrics set to the tune of Bharani are seemingly profane.

The film is full of talk of money in terms of not lakhs but crores reflecting the current trend in the real estate business. The new director is thoughtful of focusing on the flip-side. He also conveys the message couched in humour that money is of course needed for living, but money is not life.

'Tharagu' is a film a like of which is a rarity.

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