Spoilers ahead…
Read the full review on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/mehandi-circus-movie-review-a-not-bad-romance-that-wants-to-be-an-epic-but-falls-short-baradwaj-rangan/
Among the newer crop of filmmakers, Raju Murugan may be second to none in his love for Ilayaraja. He appears to be working his way through the maestro’s catalogue. If Joker featured Alli thandha boomi, from Nandu, Mehandi Circus — for which Raju Murugan is credited with story and dialogues — has another song from that very film, Manjal veyyil. O paapa laali plays a key role in the scheme of things here, and the narrative revolves around Jeeva (Madhampatti Rangaraj), who owns a recording shop named… Rajageetham. The year is 1992, when a young upstart named AR Rahman has appeared on the scene. (He’s dismissed, at first, because there’s no “thanana thanana” in his music.) And it may be no accident the first song we hear in Mehandi Circus is Vaa vaa en veenaye, composed by Ilayaraja’s brother Gangai Amaran. This film has been directed by Raju Murugan’s brother, Saravana Rajendran.
But that apparent diss to AR Rahman is not really a diss. (Though I think it’s safe to say that, after the thorough dismissal of a Minnale song, Harris Jeyaraj will not be working with this team soon.) It’s just that 1992 was a cut-off point for Jeeva. He knows all film music from earlier, from the popular (Aadhi manidhan in Bale Pandiya) to the obscure (Kangalil aayiram sweet dreams in Vandhaale Maharaasi). But 1992 is when Jeeva lost Mehandi (Shweta Tripathi), and that’s when the music stopped. She’s a circus performer from Maharashtra (she’s in the knife-throwing act), and they fell in love when the circus pitched its tent in his village in Kodaikanal. She hears Yeh raatein yeh mausam from Dilli Ka Thug floating down from his first-floor shop. She stops in her tracks. That’s the power of film music. The song is about two fictional characters in love. You hear it and you feel it was created for you.
Continued at the link above.
Copyright ©2019 Film Companion.
krishna prasad
April 19, 2019
Sometimes I need to be pushed to watch a movie which I feel will b decent but don’t really want to ( feel like catching up wit this one after the review). And also for me a review is something, where I can enjoy the dissection of a bad movie without having to go through the torture of watching it. And i read a review of a movie I have already decided to watch after watching it just to c if it matches my analysis. Think BR s review s ticks all the above boxes for me. Thank u.
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abishekspeare
April 20, 2019
Happy BRth day!
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brangan
April 20, 2019
abishekspeare: How clever. Thanks 😀 A tad early though.
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Kay
April 21, 2019
Happy birthday, BR!
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Purple Sky
April 21, 2019
Happy Birthday sir!
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tonks
April 21, 2019
Have a great day!
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brangan
April 21, 2019
Thanks, everyone (and to Madan and Vikram and others who’ve wished me on other threads).
“It’s friends like you who make life worth living, and I thank the Lord…” Damn. I wish I could say crap like that with a straight face. 😁
But seriously, thanks folks.
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Recovering Macaulay perapulla
April 21, 2019
Happy birthday தலைவா!! ஒளியின் நடனத்தை துல்லியாமக ஆய்வு செய்து அதை மனக் கண்ணாடியால் பார்த்தது ரசனை மிக்க ஆங்கிலத்தில் ரசித்து ஏழுதும் எழுத்து வித்தகரே நீ வாழ்க! பிறந்த நாள் வாழ்த்துக்கள்
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Rahini David
April 21, 2019
Happy Birthday, BR.
The blog stats is also approaching a milestone and soon will be 15M.
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Guru
April 22, 2019
Belated Birthday, BR !
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Sriram Sridhar
April 23, 2019
Vellai Pookkal review sir?
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Shanmuga
April 24, 2019
Sir, are you planning for a VellaiPookal review?
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bart
April 25, 2019
Haven’t seen the movie. But the album is lovely. I loved “Vellai Pookkal” album as well..
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