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| Oru Kal Oru Kannadi |
Starring: Udhayanidhi Stalin, Hansika Motwani, Santhanam
Direction: M Rajesh
Music: Harris Jayaraj
Production: Udhayanidhi Stalin
Oru Kal Oru Kannadi was the opening line of the popular refrain from director Rajesh’s first film Siva Manasula Sakthi which becomes the title of this flick of producer Udhaynidhi Stalin’s debut vehicle as hero.
Rajesh’s earlier two films (Siva Manasula Sakthi and Boss Engira Bhaskaran) were major laugh riots and hence expectations about OKOK were also running along the same line and length. To add to the excitement, the trailers of OKOK had also cranked the buzz blaster to an all time high.
The story of OKOK can be written at the back of a bus ticket but it is the package and the presentation that makes this Rajesh’s 3rd film an enjoyable ride and the director scores a hat trick with aplomb. Rajesh’s films are expected to travel in a particular format and he has not disappointed his fans.
For Udhaynidhi, his pleasant, naughty and innocent countenance are the major advantages and Rajesh has effectively utilized these. Udhay’s portrayal of Saravanan is neat and enjoyable and he scores well in his debut heroic film. There are no punch dialogues or action sequences to scream the arrival of a hero, no bragging of six-packs or a chiseled bronzed torso and no death defying stunts. Udhaynidhi is clever enough to have steered clear of all these paraphernalia and yet he impresses.
His emoting skills are also decent and the scene where he breaks into a rambunctious jive when Hansika’s marriage proposal fails and his facial expressions in the said scene are cute to say the least.
Hansika shines with her sparkling and cherubic presence. Her buxom frame has been made the target of laughter and it is to the credit of the director that the scene does not appear in bad taste.
And what can one say about Santhanam? He has become the sine qua non of Tamil films these days and is in his best elements in OKOK. Even if he just says “My name is Santhanam’, audience rolls on the floor laughing. OKOK has Santhanam’s typical witty spontaneous repartees that include, “kekkaravan kenaiya irunda K S Ravikumar daan carom board kandu pidichaar”, “puyal kaathula pori saapadaravan’, “raanuvathula azhinjavanoda aanavathula azhinjavan daan jaasthi” to name some.
Even when Santhanam tries to get serious, Rajesh immediately puts a check on him through Udhaynidhi’s words “Nee ellam seriousaa pesina adhu ummoonjikku set aagaadhu”. Santhanam has also tried his hand (rather feet) in dancing in OKOK and he comes out quite OK. The scene where he attempts to save Udhaynidhi from committing suicide brings the roof down with major tremors.
Saranya once again proves that she did not win the National Award for nothing. The sequence where Udhay makes her get into an auto for Hansika’s sake and her delight when her husband starts talking to her is a revelation.
Harris Jeyaraj’s music is also a plus to the film with akila akila topping the list. Balasubramaniem’s camera works unobtrusively in line with the film and he makes his presence felt in the song sequences.
There are a few factors which are common to Rajesh’s films like the hero-friend comedy, friendship, liquor sojourns, a sub-ordinary hero, an innocent mom and witty dialogues. They are all there in OKOK too. Although such commonalities are there, Rajesh appears to know his onions well and continues to deliver interesting times at the theatre to the audience. OKOK also has a cameo by Arya, Andrea and Sneha.
On the flip side, the film does lag on and off and thankfully Santhanam revives it then and there. The film sure is lengthy (2 hours and 50 minutes). And the reason for Udhay’s dad’s animosity towards his mom is unnecessary and in no way is linked to the progress of the film. The weakest link in the script is Udhay-Hansika’s romance and is on a yo-yo trajectory sans reasons. However, all these gaffes vanish into the background and oblivion, thanks to the enjoyable comedy ride OKOK gives.
Verdict: OKOK double OK
