Spoilers ahead…
With most films, a critic prepares for a dissection. With Thodari, it’s more of an autopsy. The film is dead on arrival. You come away with the impression that director Prabhu Solomon gives one hell of a story narration. What else can explain why an artist like Dhanush signed up, despite situations that have him dancing on top of a train speeding at 120 kmph, wearing magnetised boots? Okay, we’re not exactly told about the boots, but with Dhanush’s frame, can you imagine another reason the wind (or Imman’s overblown score) didn’t whip him right off?
The premise – a combination of vehicular disaster and epic romance – could be titled Titanic on a Train. Pantry worker Poochiyappan (Dhanush) falls for Saroja (Keerthy Suresh), who’s travelling in a first-class compartment. This takes up most of the first half. The train gathers speed and won’t slow down – it has to be stopped. This makes up the second half. Along with commentary about politicians, the media, about how bridges built by the British are sturdier than the ones that came later. Now we know where James Cameron screwed up. Where were the rants about climate change, which produced the iceberg? Why did no one bring up Marx to illustrate the differences between Jack and Rose? A Tamil filmmaker would have thrown in Che Guevara as well.
Bad movies make you laugh. Sometimes, they can make you cry. This isn’t about the sub-standard visual effects. This is about something as basic as a reaction shot. When authorities announce a rescue mission, we cut to passengers doing high fives. (They are watching the news on their laptops.) When the mission fails, we cut to these passengers biting their nails. After 100 years of cinema, is this the craft on display in a major movie? Thodari, seemingly, has everything – action, drama, romance and lots of comedy from the heydays of Bindu Ghosh. (Saroja wants to become a singer, but she can’t hold a note, haha!) Nothing works. At 168 minutes, the film feels as long as the train ride from Delhi to Chennai. My hand kept searching the air above my seat, desperately hoping for a chain to pull.
KEY:
- thodari= train
An edited version of this piece can be found here. Copyright ©2016 The Hindu. This article may not be reproduced in its entirety without permission. A link to this URL, instead, would be appreciated.
Baradwaj Rangan 
sanjay2706
September 22, 2016
On a holiday and I decide to watch Thodari over “Pink”. “P
The film checks all the boxes that ensure BO Success.
1) Provoking animosity and hatred towards other states – Check
2) Portrayal of NSG,RPF, Railway authority and virtually every govt body as incompetent – Check
3) “Loosu ponnu” who seems to have borrowed genes from Marilyn Monroe and Alia bhatt – Check
A tea vendor is the only person who can save people from a crisis! Wait a minute! Is there a veiled message there?
The portions of the movie that focuses on the media circus behind every event and the schadenfreude that humans have in today’s social media world were the best parts of the movie.The rest was pretty amateurish.
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Sundar
September 22, 2016
Nalla vela, paakkala. Great escape.
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igsram233
September 22, 2016
“My hand kept searching the air above my seat, desperately hoping for a chain to pull.” – Epic BR.
Thanks to you, I will give this one a complete miss.
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praneshp
September 22, 2016
Ha, so the movie lives up to the trailer’s promise.
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Mowgli (@vnambirajan)
September 22, 2016
Sad that Dhanush’s potential are wasted in a Prabhu Solomon film.
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Amit Joki
September 23, 2016
Ouch. That hurt bad. Waiting for Diwali release Kodi, which hopefully would be better than this.
P.S
Dhanush accepted doing the film with Prabhu as he was impressed with the previous films like Mynaa, Kumki, Kayal. He came to know of the script, or his character only that too on the sets. Paavam ya. Itha Solomon sir Dhanush oda trust nu neraya interview la sonnaru. Olunga script a mulusa ketu decision eduthirkalam 😂
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niresh
September 23, 2016
One of the best opening line for a review.
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Karthik
September 23, 2016
Film dead on arrival !!! haha …Prabhu Solomon would cling himself on a cross reading this.
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Ramesh
September 23, 2016
Really struggling to find another aadukalam for himself, loads of bad films and bad acting. What is with tamil heroes these days?
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Santa
September 23, 2016
BR: Completely off-topic – there are these auto-play video ads popping up on your site which can’t seemed to be either muted or paused. It gets somewhat distracting when some random audio starts playing. Can anything be done about it? Thanks.
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Ramachandran Narayanasamy
September 23, 2016
Excellent. I felt I have spoiled my time and money on seeing this movie
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KayKay
September 23, 2016
You’re suffering a particularly virulent strain of BadMovie-itis.
Remedy: Stay at home, make a hot drink and take a dose of Andrei Konchalovsky’s The Runaway Train and chase it down with a swig of Tony Scott’s Unstoppable.
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Jay
September 23, 2016
I was intrigued by the movie title but hadn’t yet watched. Little did I know that it is about a train that can’t be stopped. Looks like shorter than your usual reviews, but that itself tells a story.
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Bala
September 23, 2016
BR, talking of unstoppable trains, did you happen to catch Bong Joon-ho’s “snowpiercer” ? Also, not sure how much time you have for these sort of things nowadays, but how about a best of the 21st century movies list (since everyone seems to be doing it nowadays 🙂 ). If you’d like, you could make it specific about Indian cinema. 🙂
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Divya
September 23, 2016
ouch this seems too harsh. didnt you find the movie funny, the lines really fresh and good characterization of the many artists better etched than many of the recent films. Just coz the CGI work was sub par i dont think this movie should be beaten down so much. My personal feeling is that the movie could have been shortened for a good 20 mins, otherwise it was a decent family entertainer.
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brangan
September 23, 2016
Divya: “didnt you find the movie funny”
No.
” the lines really fresh”
No.
“and good characterization of the many artists better etched than many of the recent films.”
Definitely no.
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Amit Joki
September 23, 2016
Ramesh: Bad films, may be. Bad acting? Hell no.
Divya: Haha, I knew BRs response would be on the same line which is why I didn’t want to end up embarrassed by raising such a question.
Anyway you have my like which suggests that I agree with you.
Come next films, hope the reviews are not harsh because I believe the films won’t be this bad. Because he has definitely seen the other scripts before signing up unlike this one 😀😎
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ramesh
September 23, 2016
Another off-topic comment, would you be reviewing Sully? Hearing good things about it. Waiting to read your take on the movie.
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Honest Raj (formerly 'V'enkatesh)
September 23, 2016
A tea vendor is the only person who can save people from a crisis! Wait a minute! Is there a veiled message there?
sanjay2706: Mudiyala. 😛
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Venkat
September 23, 2016
I question my own assessment of Dhanush after another disappointment. are we fooled by maryaan and VIP, which are decent outings but still doesn’t venture out of his comfort zone…
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Dinesh Babu K N
September 23, 2016
Climate change , Marx , chain to pull – ha ha ha 😀
I heard Dhanush has underplayed which kind of helps the traction.
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Amit Joki
September 23, 2016
Venkat: What is this comfort zone that you are talking about? Like more specifically? What are you implying?
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maha
September 23, 2016
Watching this and AK back to back, Is this fall of Dhanush and rise of VJ Sethupathy, a more complete actor?
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Sifter
September 23, 2016
FDA- Ouch!
Wind or Imman’s overblown score whip him right off- Ouch!!
My hand kept searching the air above my seat, desperately hoping for a chain to pull- Ouch!!!
What else can explain why an artist like Dhanush signed up, despite situations that have him dancing on top of a train speeding at 120 kmph, wearing magnetised boots—- Looking for an explanation? Really? Why? 🙂 🙂
Pantry worker falling for Saroja, who’s travelling in a first-class compartment- Same old muck, what else is new in our movies?
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Sifter
September 23, 2016
OT- When will you review Parched?
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Aadhy
September 23, 2016
What else can explain why an artist like Dhanush signed up, despite situations that have him dancing on top of a train speeding at 120 kmph, wearing magnetised boots?
There’s a scene in Kandukondein Kandukondein where Ajith, playing a budding filmmaker, tells the actor, “Odra train, elarayun kaapathi aaganun, bomb vedikapodhu, inga hero-heroine duet paaditrupangala?” to which the actor replies ” Fans. Rasigar mandram lendu letters vandutruku. Paatu vecha dan B,C centre la erangum.”
In other news, read somewhere that fans damaged Vetri theatre’s 6-lakh worth screen by spraying milk on it, at the FDFS of Thodari. The rabid fan culture that we have, and which these young actors seem to embrace, might also be the reason for talented actors being in movies that are horsecrap. Who exactly are these ‘fans’? I can imagine Ajith or Vijay having such fans. Those guys can’t act for shit and there’s a visible kootam that loyally watches their movies just for their appearance on the big screen. But It’s just painful to see good actors like Dhanush and Silambarasan getting caught up with this fan culture, and thereby destroying the bloody good performers in them. I don’t buy the argument of Dhanush not being responsible for this. I mean, we’re not looking just at Thodari, but also Sullan, Parattai, Venghai, Naiyaandi, half of VIP, Anegan, Maari and many more. It’s not just that these movies were bad, but also his acting was terribly over the top in some of these. Would we still say all these movies are judgemental errors? Did all the directors smooth-talk him into these projects? Or is this the actor really trying to build a fan base in order to reach the highly coveted Rajni throne? The latest to be engulfed in this vicious circle is Sivakarthikeyan. The only actor who seems to withstand this dangerous phenomenon is Vijay Sethupathi, despite his Makkal selvan title (gubeer siripu title this!) and all that.
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praneshp
September 23, 2016
I’m wondering why Dhanush is getting a free pass (from many reviewers online as well as fans, like Amit here). He should totally be on the hook for choosing a bad script like this. It’s not praiseworthy to sign up for a movie just because the director is Prabhu Solomon (not that he is that good a director).
@brangan: What did you feel about the insults on people from other states? I
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brangan
September 23, 2016
praneshp: I think i was more upset by the insult to the people from my own state, in the form of this film.
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Amit Joki
September 23, 2016
Aadhy: Reaallyyy? All four films which you have mentioned are big flops. Be it Venghai, Sullan, Parattai, and Naiyyandi. My gosh!
How do you even think of building a huge fan base of such flops? Is it fathomable?
If at all Dhanush took a conscious decision was to play local, boy next door characters.
Pudhupettai bombed. So did Mariyaan. So did Shamitabh. But none sympathised.
BR: I had went to the Inox theatre where all were too classy people who wouldn’t shout their throats off like people do in single screen theatres. But I found them laughing throughout the film. Were not the lines fresh, people would call the film out right in the theatres. Mokka.
Also why does Dhanushs physicality always find a place in the reviews? No one complains of big fat Ajith.
No one had any problem with him romancing Tamanna in Veeram, though she looked like she’s his daughter.
And I know how good a dancer Dhanush is. He didn’t dance atop the train like he did atop some vehicles in the entry song of Maari did he? The first song was imagination. In the second instance he does dance, he does by standing where he is. I was pretty embarrassed by that step.
In every damn mainstream film there are dances where people suddenly choreograph themselves and dance. That isn’t absurd. If to have that commercial aspect of having songs and dance, Dhanush does a step or two no matter how awkward it looked for someone who can dance as better as him, then critics call it out.
You truly dissected it.
Praneshp: Agreed. I take my free ticket back.
Maha: Yes. VJS is a more complete actor.
And Thodari as most people here are believing it to be Dhanushs mass attempt at another masala flick, there was bloody no promotions at all. And those songs none of them hum worthy did no help at all. I had to tell my classmates the release date. For me it is an offbeat attempt. Though people focus on 5 minutes tops dance leaving aside the rest of the underplayed part for the whole film.
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pato
September 23, 2016
i’m sure atleast 3 vijay sethupathi’s movies this year will feature in your top top 20 of 2016.Just wondering last vijay sethupathi’s film that was bad(in terms of whole movie). His script selection is simply superb.He works with all these new-gen nalaya iyakunnar directors and shares a good rapport with them.VJS is still not done for this year,his first mass movie rekka coming up in 2 weeks time.
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pato
September 23, 2016
An actor can be judged based on how he performs in a movie, not based on what talent he possesses. dhanush may be more talented than vjs, but based on the movies they have given in last 2 years, there is no doubt that vjs is choosing better movies and acting better than dhanush.
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venkatesh
September 24, 2016
What a fall … and this is the guy who did Aadukalam ? I bet its only a matter of time till we have our man only doing these types of mind numbingly bad films.
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Akhilan
September 24, 2016
There is only so much any actor can do in order to rise above a poor script… I thought Dhanush did that very well in Maari for instance… But I have to agree with many here… Since VIP (only the first-half), he’s given one dud after another… Let’s not forget Shamitabh and the god awful Thanga Magan as well… Dhanush seriously needs to get his act together soon… In many ways, his current career trajectory seems to share some parallels with Ranbir Kapoor… Both IMO, are fabulous actors and all-round performers, but seem to have lost their way a little bit…
Agree with @praneshp: Amit, Dhanush has to shoulder the blame for choosing such a script… There can be no excuses… He’s a big-star and can green-light/reject any project that comes his way… Delineating it as an either ‘off-beat’ or a ‘mainstream’ attempt has absolutely no correlation with the quality of the end-product…
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Aadhy
September 24, 2016
Amit : These movies being hit or flop is none of my concern. I was just pointing out that they were god-awful movies with terribad performances (including Dhanush’s). And when the number of such movies are not low, the blame does not lie solely on the director, but also on Dhanush choosing the kind of movies he wants to do. And trust me, I’m as big a fan of his acting skills as you’re, but I will call out BS when it’s BS. And his choice of roles, including his work in some of them, have been BS. And I suspect that has to come from his idea that his so called ‘fans’ like him to play such characters, with such broad strokes, and not just beacuse of the director coaxing him to play such roles. And boy next door, really, like the one in Devadaiyai kanden? Dude If my neighbour does stuffs Dhanush does in the movies I mentioned, I will be very, very wary of him. And believe me, this kind of blind defense by fanboys does no good to any artist. If you’re really a fan of his work, criticise him for his bad work. That’s how you help him grow. Otherwise both you and him will just be living in a delusional world, like a balayya or powerstar. Do we want such a world for an artist like Dhanush?
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Ramchander Krishna (@ramctheatheist)
September 24, 2016
Talking of Vijay Sethupathy and Dhanush, I became more of a VS fan after watching this interaction between the two actors.
VS is a lot more casual and frank, whereas Dhanush seems more calculative and rehearsed. And it perhaps reflects their choices of films too.
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fingerinaflame
September 24, 2016
Trailer itself looked ominous. Sigh. But I need my Dhanush fix. Going to watch it anyway for him.
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Srinivas R
September 24, 2016
Dhanush the producer has been overshadowing the actor for the last couple of years. Post Adukalam, Mariyan and VIP have been the only good movies he has acted in. We tend to give him a free pass because of Kaaka Muttai and Visaranai. I really hope his directorial debut Powerpandi restores some trust back in him
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Amit Joki
September 24, 2016
The thing with Dhanush not doing films like VJS does is out of his bounds. Vijay Sethupathy shares a good rapport with excellent directors since their short film tenure.
All fantastic directors Nalan, Karthick, Manikandan work with him. And others he has worked with are also first time directors mostly, who give better products since it will be the product they can showcase to make more such products.
Dhanush has this star baggage and none of the aforementioned directors work are approaching him. And those who do aren’t as fine directors as they are. Karthick Subburaj has roped in Dhanush, but I hardly think it will be on the lines of his previous films marked with excellence and great film making. I guesss it would be a good commercial flick.
And when Dhanush is approached for good scripts, he doesn’t reject them. There have been many such films in his career. But as for now he has to keep his work up and running.
I don’t say Thodari is a great classic. But it is not complete shit either.
His choice of scripts is itself is very limited. His vision of films is clearly seen in the productions he does. Because producer ku yaara vena approach panlam. Kaasu yaarkudutha enna.
He is getting typecast because of his star power that such young and fine directors aren’t approaching him. They aren’t raring to go. To okay a script, you would have to have the script in hand at first.
His acting is fine. BR, I think liked his acting in Thangamagan and Maari as well in the sense he made us believe.
And yet amidst all this, is the actor ready and willing to give Vettrimaaran a 200+ day callsheet as he knew the script was extremely good that is Vada Chennai. He could have done three to four fan appeasing films in the same timeframe. But he didn’t.
So if the good scripts aren’t approaching him it is not his fault.
I bet any time if a worthy script comes by from a worthy director, Dhanush would be the first to sign it first.
Ella nalla scriptsum VJS ku pona Dhanush enna panna mudiyum.
But yes. Write him off. The films doing well in cinemas around and you say nothings good in it. And I guess it would be common sense that Dhanush fans alone cannot make a film run, which implies neutral fans liked it too thoughwith nitpicks here and there, as I have seen in facebook and twitter. It has got mixed reviews. It has pacing issues and I would have done away with the songs. But in here, the films being talked as if the film is a shame on the face of Earth to have been made.
Honestly speaking, I didn’t like Maari at all. Hell, I didn’t watch its World Television Premiere. It was a fan appeasing movie which didn’t find acceptance from me. But it was a grindingly ordinary movie. Apparently that film got a much better review than Thodari.
This review comes off as utterly disinterested watch by someone who only wanted to dissect it in the first place. That I did not like. Avan avan 70 days on the go shoot pannuvaanga and if someone picks the nitpicks and envlopes it to the quality of the whole film, all I can do is state my displeasure in vain.
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Ramesh
September 24, 2016
Dhanush fanboys making him believe in things that are not true. Seriously VJS is kicking ass and Dhanush laboured acting is also running out of fashion
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Krish
September 24, 2016
@Amit: I see no reason why you have to Brangan’s review so personally and defend Dhanush’s career choices.
“Ella nalla scriptsum VJS ku pona Dhanush enna panna mudiyum” ?? Really?
This is your argument?
If one wants to, one can wait and choose scripts carefully. There are actors who excercise discretion and wait for the correct scripts or try to work with such directors. Its who you choose to be. In this context I completely agree with Aadhy’s comments about riding the rabid fan culture wave.
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Amit Joki
September 24, 2016
Krish: First of all my previous comment wasn’t directed to BR at all. It was in general. If I had to, I would have mentioned their names.
In the cine industry, there is a thing of staying relevant, being on screen. People tend to forget the stars. There are lots of examples for this.
Amitabh had to reinvent himself after taking a break. And Dhanush would have to take such a break if he waits for those directors with good scripts to come to him when they have a far more enticing option in VJS.
But think of Rajini. He stays relevant still now. He still plays the lead. While Amitabh gets to play fine characters.
Now its Dhanushs wish of what he chooses to choose from the above. Now for instance, he does an offbeat film he will have a far more reach than someone who only does good films.
Staying relevant is very important. And by the relevant word, I mean to a whole majority who are fans. And not to few passionate film aficionados.
Side note: please don’t bring in the argument that Amitabh and Rajini don’t suit the examples. I can barely think of these two but am pretty damn sure there are lot more relevant examples.
Dhanush is doing Vada Chennai, has completed Kodi, is almost done with GVM, will be shooting for a Hollywood film. He just doesn’t do the same type of movies regularly though and you will soon observe it too.
Dhanush is just another worker. He works like the rest of us. These money goes into making fine productions. What would he do in the time of waiting for good scripts? Eat off the interest of what he has already earned? That is not respectful for me.
It is like you get placed in Facebook and when they fire you you sit at your house for two three years as dhandasoru(doesn’t matter if that soru is your earned one because the dhandam part still exists) looking to get placed in Google.
I am just saying that VJS has this lucky charm of doing work with fine directors on a regular basis because he doesn’t have a star baggage yet and moreover he shares a great rapport with these upcoming directors right from their short film time.
You can see that guy who is making a film on some mountaineer. I don’t get his name. He has fine talent. But comes on screen rarely. Is he taken seriously? Yes may be guys in here might. But for the general public he is nothing.
When Salman does a great film, like Bhajrangi Bhaijaan, lots of Wanted, Dabangg 1 & 2, Kick and such shits work their way to make such a film hit and gross 400crs. It may be shit to you guys like you but it is a completely different holy shit to people who actually come to see him.
You give them their holy shit regularly so that they can accept your aesthatic shit seriously.
And this ratio of maintaining a healthy ratio of holy shit to aesthatic shit is a defining character of an ideal star. And this, Dhanush does well, that is mixing up aesthatic and holy shit.
I would love if every film Dhanush does, gets such lovely written reviews as in the Aandavan Kattalai. But practically that ain’t possible.
Trust me, whenever I read such reviews, such fine reviews the first thing that crops to my mind is why the hell was Dhanush not approached for this film?
And this wouldn’t have sounded like a rant if all the preceding comments took place in the Maari thread. Puli which was a pain in ass to just watch, gets the privilege of being a colorful diversion but is there nothing good in Thodari that it attracts such a negative review? BR I know your hands will type a yes to this question 😂😂😂
I am done with this shit though. Fanboy I am? Yes. Thank you very much .
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raja
September 25, 2016
whoever thot Dhanush is deserving to be even compared to VJS for the crap he is doing.. can’t think of Dhanush doing a sethupathi or dharma durai, can u.. no i cant
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shaviswa
September 25, 2016
It is good if good directors are not working with Dhanush. Balaji Mohan followed up his excellent Vaayai Moodi Pesavum with a Dhanush starrer. And what a horror that was. Balaji Mohan is not even making a film now I guess. His career has hit a road block thanks to Maari!
Let the good ones make films with the like of VJS. Dhanush can continue to make good films as a producer.
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Amit Joki
September 25, 2016
Shavishwa: Nenuppu than polappa kedukuthu. Your comment is risible.
He is scripting for Maari 2 as of now. And I would guess you would be well aware of the fact that a flop film doesn’t get to have a sequel.
If you hate such movies do go to all film festivals and watch them.
Check your facts before you do comment. Expect more horror on your way 😂😂😂 ROFL.
Director Bala wished to work with him and announced it on stage. One of the country’s finest director Vettrimaaran has done 2 of his films with Dhanush and would have also worked with him in Visaaranai but it was Dhanush who hadn’t the time and didn’t want it to be shelved which was why he produced it and suggested Dinesh.
And Vada Chennai is being shot with Dhanush too.
Aanand L Rai gave Raanjhanaa and TWM2 was a hit too. Balki gave Shamitabh which wasn’t executed properly with a fine script but he gave Ki and Ka.
Selvaraghavan got his break too with Dhanush thought the growth was mutual.
Jawahar Mithran gave moderate hits with Dhanush in all of his films when he faltered in Meendum Oru Kaadhal Kadhai which Dhanush hadn’t the time to do.
Ashutosh Gowrikar went on record that people all over India should be working with Dhanush.
Marjane Satrape an Oscar nominated director chose Dhanush for her next after seeing 17 of his movies.
Manikandan wouldn’t have been making Aandavan Kattalai if Dhanush didn’t choose to produce Kaaka Muttai. That gave him his everything.
VJS came to form again after NRD, and elevated his star status, which again was produced by Dhanush.
What makes you think that Dhanush didn’t have some massy scripts to produce? He was in talks to produce a Vijay film. But he didn’t.
Most of his productions are for directors who came with fine scripts but Dhanush was busy again and he didn’t leave them empty handed by producing the same and suggesting actors who would go on to become big stars.
What I mean is that your logic is hilariously laughable because you choose to state Maari and that too is risibly incorrect.
Also films aren’t made for people like you, me etc… There is a market for wide angle cinema, or larger than life cinema. Every such film isn’t shit.
Maari was a cultural hit. It was like pop culture. So many people chose to dress like Dhanush character, like how the black shirt and white veshti of Premam became famous.
Please do Google before you end up embarrassing yourself. Whatever Dhanush did with Maari, it never derailed his career. Thanks for the concern.
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Venkat
September 25, 2016
manikandan is a vetrimaran find but knows to cast vjs… if dhanush hadnt produced vetrimaran films even vetrimaaran wud move on to vjs.. he will outshine dhanush in vada chennai cameo just like the interview posted above.. even keerthy suresh with thankless loosu ponnu role seems at ease in this film.. while dhanush looks headless chicken n artificial..
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shaviswa
September 26, 2016
@Amit Joki peace bro. If you like Maari, you have every right to. I can see that such movies have a market. Thanks to Tamil film audience like you, people like Dhanush acting in such movies have a market too. 😉
What I meant as horror was Balaji Mohan following up a movie like Vaayai Moodi Pesavum with such a banal Maari. I do not care if the movie is a hit. It just underlines the pathetic state our film industry (and its audience) is in.
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Amit Joki
September 26, 2016
Shavishwa: Haha. In this entire thread, I hope I have made myself enough clear that I didn’t like Maari.
Your comment implied as if Dhanush ruined Balaji Mohans career. It is not as if Dhanush begged him to prepare such a script. Baljai is a fan of Dhanush and wanted to work with him in such a script which he did and if you have a look at his twitter time line you can see how happy a man he is with regards to Maari.
Anyway peace mate 😂
P.S Never once have I belittled VJS in this entire thread or anywhere else. I won’t be doing it in future too.
But Dhanush is getting so much hatred from some guys in here. That’s a very encouraging sign for me as a fan. Thanks 😂😂.
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maha
September 26, 2016
dismissal or criticism is not hatred, grow up buddy..
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shaviswa
September 26, 2016
I liked this review of the film. He shreds the film to tatters. 🙂
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Ragenikanth
September 27, 2016
shaviswa, did you see maari
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Srinivas R
September 27, 2016
I am surprised Dhanush trusted Prabhu Solomon so much because of Myna, Kumki etc. The only good thing about Solomon’s movies so far were D.Iman’s songs. Kumki was a hopeless movie and I was surprised by the amount of love it got.
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Shankar
September 28, 2016
Baddy, not a “The burning train” remake this one? Che! 😄
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Ragenikanth
September 28, 2016
except myna all his movies were crap
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brangan
September 29, 2016
Amit Joki: I had went to the Inox theatre where all were too classy people who wouldn’t shout their throats off like people do in single screen theatres. But I found them laughing throughout the film.
This has nothing to do with a review. If people are enjoying the film, then good for them. But nobody who knows and respects and loves cinema can excuse such abject shoddiness in writing and execution. So you want to do a satire on the media, and the only thing you can think of is them labelling Keerthy Suresh a terrorist — this girl who is cowering in fear near the engine? What crap!
Another thing. It’s easier to excuse a first-time filmmaker or a low-budget film for making mistakes. But when a huge film like this turns out so shockingly bad, I think it’s instantly fair game to be torn to shreds. Because I equate this with showing zero respect for the audience.
Even the Vijay and Ajith films don’t show this kind of contempt for the audience. Their films may be generic and been-there-done-that, but they aren’t this ridiculous. Dhanush’s bad scripts are easily the worst bad scripts of a top-rung actor (Naiyyandi etc.) He seems to have a real talent for picking them.
Finally, reviews have nothing to do with what people want, don’t want, like, don’t like.
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Uma
December 29, 2016
Finally watched this movie today on Tentkotta. My son is crazy about trains, so he would play this movie constantly till the first train song. This went on for about a month or so and today watched the rest of the movie. What a pain. Everything was so over the top, over the top loose ponnu, over the top lovvu for someone whom you met only a day before, so many actors and subplots and what is up with employees kalaichufying boss to the extent of falsely labeling him as a terrorist? Where do such people exist?
I was hoping after all the loose ponnu thanam, when the heroine went into the engine cabin to stop the train, I thought maybe she is going to redeem herself like the Sandra Bullock character in Speed. Alas, no such luck for our heroines. At least for the songs, they didn’t transport the hero heroine to any foreign locale with Caucasian backup dancers.
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