Pavithra Srinivasan reviews the Tamil movie, Siddhu. Post YOUR reviews here!
Time and again, directors who came up with meaningful scripts and intriguing storylines for movies in their heydays, ended up with less-than-satisfactory screenplays when it came to the careers of their own sons or daughters.
It looks like director K Bhagyaraj has fallen prey to this 'Son Syndrome' as well. His latest effort, Moserbaer's Siddhu +2 (1st Attempt) is a script that might have possibilities on paper, but when executed, is so riddled with silliness that it falls spectacularly flat on its face.
On the face of it, this movie has a lot going for it, when it comes to production values and music. Rasamathi's camera-work is clear-cut, sharp, and full of bright colours, Subash's editing, while it could have been sharper, manages to evoke coherence between scenes even when the script messes up. The stunts are well choreographed and Dharan's music, while unnecessarily loud on the background front and kuthu songs, does well with the romantic numbers.
With all these advantages, this flick should have been a rom-com fan's delight. And it looks like it might be too, in the beginning. Rural belle Pavithra (debutante Chandini) arrives in Chennai from Pazhani, looking confused. She's just run away from home, because she's failed in her +2 exams. While Pavithra stands at the railway station wondering what to do next, she is harassed by two cops. Out of the blue, the hero makes a grand entry to save the girl.
He, of course, is Siddhu aka Siddharth (Shantanoo Bhagyaraj), winking, smiling and hamming his way through every single scene, and, having failed his +2 exams himself, has arrived in Chennai with some money, which he palns to spend on sightseeing. He also plans to kill himself (!)
Naturally, the two become friends after a fashion and even more promptly, lovers. Their epic journey of love, riddled with endless dialogues in completely unnatural situations is so hilarious that you never feel the absence of a comedy track.
Of course, the path of true love is never smooth, and things get even more hilarious when a police officer arrives suddenly, talking in exquisite slow-motion and making faces at the camera. In addition, there's the girl's father as well, who stitches up the mouths of men who displeases him. Siddhu also has to brave a tearful mother, an arrogant fiance's father, foil terrorist attacks and jump distances that even Superman would flinch at.
This is Shantanoo's second Tamil film after a disastrous Sakkarakkatti, and considering the time that has passed, and that this is his father's script, you'd think this would be a perfect re-launch vehicle. Nothing could be further from the truth.
He dances very well, and puts in the appropriate passion during the stunt scenes, but makes you squirm with all the over-acting, courtesy dialogues, and speeches to the audience, not to mention aping every actor from Simbhu to Vijay, and even his own father. A role which requires some understatement wouldn't go amiss.
Newcomer Chandini manages to captivate at certain points with her expressions, and her dubbing artist obviously deserves kudos. The rest of the cast has practically no part to play; they're just cardboard cut-outs who aid in Shantanoo's re-boot, even Ganja Karuppu.
And what on earth happened to K Bhagyaraj, the master of screenplay-writing? Aside from the double entendres (which he is famous for) which are even more forced than usual, the dialogues are clunky, outdated, run for pages, while the screenplay is full of plot holes the size of craters. Characters simply walk in and out as they please, suddenly change minds and everything ends in a climax like a 60s film.
Siddhu +2, unfortunately, is just two-and-a-half hours of wasted potential.
Rediff Rating: 
