TAMIL CINEMA:
Futile Exercise: Aarumugam
Cast: Bharath, Priyamani, Ramya Krishnan, Sathya and Seetha
Music: Deva
Director: Suresh Krishna
Suresh Krishna, once considered a surefire commercial director, seems to have lost his touch. In his pursuit to give Bharath a hit movie, he has been quite shameless in borrowing from his own work. I suppose that technically avoids the accusation of plagiarism — you cannot, after all, steal from yourself — but it’s still pretty odd to see a filmmaker cannibalizing from his own previous superhit Annamalai.
He also borrows a character from the Rajinikanth blockbuster Padaiyappa to make Aarumugam.
Unfortunately for the filmmaker, it ain’t what you steal or otherwise borrow that counts, it’s what you do with that stuff that matters. Krishna’s efforts are an unmitigated disaster.
Aarumugam, starring Bharath, Priyamani and Ramya Krishnan in pivotal roles, fails to create any magic on screen at all. The movie reminds you of Annamalai in each and every frame. A cursory glance at the storyline will suffice to prove the point.
Aarumugam (Bharath) runs an idli shop in a place where his mother’s (Seetha) grave is. He is a close friend of Karthik (Sathya), a rich man. Malini Devi (Ramya Krishna), Karthik’s sister, is a rich businesswoman. Malini Devi, who is against his brother’s friendship with a poor man, tries to separate them.
Meanwhile Aarumugam falls for his father’s friend’s daughter Yamini (Priyamani).
Circumstances put Malini against Aarumugam and Karthik sides with his sister. Malini and his brother try to demolish Aarumugam’s mother’s grave. Aarumugam vows to get rich and take revenge.
Enough is enough. How can we tolerate such a blatant replica of Rajini’s movie by the same director? Worse, he has failed to make it watchable, as all the sequences are utterly predictable. The execution lacks any degree of skill that can hold our interest.
Bharath’s efforts to emulate the superstar make him look like a comedian. Ramya does a competent job in her second innings as Neelambari but since the character is too predictable, her efforts are in vain. Priyamani adds glamour with her skimpy outfits.
Aarumugam may have been made by a seasoned director, but it is a futile exercise.
[Chennai Online]
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