Machakkaaran Tamil Movie

Nov 14, 2007 By PVS

Director Tamizhvaanan in a pre-release interview described "Machakaran' featuring Jeevan, as a "winning horse" but in the race it failed to pip the post. Unlucky Jeevan has nothing going well for him. After "Thiruttu Payalae" and "Naan Avanillai", he was expected to make a hat-trick, but this was not to be. This is Tamizhvaanan's second directorial venture, the first being "Kalvanin Kadali". He attempted to make the most of his second project to join the league of recognized directors. The "horse" is mortally wounded and thrown off the track.

Here goes the story...

Vikky (Jeevan) leads a miserable life without a job and earnings. He becomes a big burden on the family. So unlucky he is whatever he attempts lands him in trouble. A silver lining is his friendship with Shivani (Kamna), daughter of a highly egoistic textile mill owner Rajangam (G.K. Kumar). She keeps Vikky's hopes of a bright future alive and is a source of consolation for him. Their friendship slowly develops into love. Her father and brother (Shobraj), who is a police inspector, give their approval and visit Vikky's house to make the proposal. But Vikky's father, Vinodraj, turns down the proposal saying his son is not the right suitor. This is all stage-managed by Rajangam, and his son who are opposed to Shivani marrying the poor Vikky as this would tarnish their image in society. In their anxiety to cover up the affair they even get Vikky arrested on the charge of kidnapping the girl. When Vikky comes to know of the dirty game played by Shivani's father and brother, he swings into action.

Jeevan as the hero was hamstrung by the shoddy screenplay. He lacks an aura of heroism surrounding him. In the first half of the movie, he is virtually laid low. In the second half too, he is not in full flow. The scenes where the hero hoodwinks the police to free himself from them and his action in rescuing the girl and taking her away from a village carnival in which thousands of people participated in a game of fishing in the slush as also stunt scenes are well shot. .

A big acting scope was available to Kamna but she failed to utilize the opportunity. The others in the cast also failed to measure up to their respective tasks. The comedy track falls flat.

Malavika's role is confined to a "kuthu" dance.

A. Venkatesh's camera work is ordinary. Yuvan Shankar Raja's music is in sync with the situations. On the whole, "Machakaran', a Deepavali offering, is a damp squib.