[PhillipHer]

Vennila Kabbadi Kuzhu

Even after leaving the theatre Mari's (Vishnu) 'Kabbadi kabbadi' is echoing in our ears. And the dust of the ground rising from the commotion of the game forms a ghostly screen before our eyes.
When she gets into the bus disappointed in not meeting him, we too feel like traveling with her. With so much realism, what Susindran has come up with is not cinema, but life. While everyone is groping around to find a meaning to world cinema, Susindran deserves a trophy in having reached that effortlessly.

Vennila Kabbadi Kuzhu is a club run by seven friends without any caste feeling or any higher or lower disparities, in a place near Pazhani. Not having won even once is their distinction. One of the seven is Marimuthu a.k.a. Mari. Thinking of kabbadi, he would even forget to eat, but circumstances conspired to keep him out always. In his own mind, he has fallen in love with a girl who came from Madurai (Saranya) for the festivals.

Filled with romantic thoughts, Mari too gets a chance to play in the State wide tournament. The team known to be defeated every time, is about to win this tournament and the events that take place before and after the game forms the story of this moving film.
The scenes that have no resemblance to what all we have seen before leave a lasting impression in us. The director has treated everyone with equal importance without projecting someone as the hero.

The romantic episodes are treated in a way that leaves a pleasant aroma around us. The intimate scenes are examples of decency. A romance that has no place for cell phones or letters has been rendered poetically.

The activities of each of the team are so various that keep us laughing non-stop. Though we have seen scenes of a glutton among the group of friends, what is new here is having chosen a stick like person for the character.

Having eaten 50 parottas in a challenge, he was cheated by the challenger. In reply when he says that he is prepared to eat 50 parottas all over again, the clapping from the audience brings down the roof.

Appearing only in very few scenes, Kishore who arrives as an instant coach for the team has given a memorable performance. Other characters like the temporary uncle, Mari's mother, bus driver have all done excellently.

The twists and turns that take place in going to the tournament, the thrill of the game and the excitement of the result have all made 'Vennila Kabbadi Kuzhu' ten times more effective than the film 'Lagaan.'

Susindran has made himself unique in making the title cards behave like kabbadi game, showing the early years of the friends in 16 mm, projecting the line "keep 10 meter distance" in the advertisement board behind the bus when Vishnu and Saranya take leave of each other and turning the same card for 10 minute interval and so on.

Baskar Sakthi's dialogues are very catchy: life begins when every moment of the game is thought to be the last; don't think of winning, think of not losing.

The faceless commentary of the festivities is treated like a character in the film. The cinematography by J Lakshman has given life to several scenes and characters such as the wound that keeps company with Mari's mother who is always lying below Mari's photograph and so on.

It becomes commonplace to appreciate the director Susindran for all the efforts. But his continued success would be his reward.

Vennila Kabbadi Kuzhu: a super team

Wow...
So much to write about, but space is lacking

Buss...
The dream song that does not go with the story

Source: cinesouth