So anyway, the start of the movie, which I often refer to as the 5-10 minute pitch for watching the rest of the movie, was good. It kept you engaged and wanted you to carry on watching. I had forewarning that this was going to be a serious theme and I should not expect any comedy or usual chutney (tamil masala) in this one. I know a Selvaraghavan movie can get really intense and serious, so I had tissues by my side. Selva is a technically correct guy and does everything to ensure that you feel a part of the moment in his presentations. The first quarter of the movie makes you live with the protagonist, a kid with a troubled childhood, a brutal father and an unforgiving society. Like you can extrapolate from other movies or experiences, these kids do not end up anywhere good. They have an awful lot of energy, which is channeled into incorrect machines to drive far from ideal lives. Dhanush proves that he is no pushover in Kollywood with his outstanding performance and grows into challenging roles with ease.

Predictably, Kokki Kumar (Dhanush) ends up in a rowdy gang. Gangs usually source political goons and fight with other gangs. Gang members need drinks, drugs and girls as fuel to sustain their drive. In such an encounter, Kumar meets Krishnaveni (Sneha), who is a prostitute used by several gangsters, some of who get really violent. Sneha does a splendid job in fitting into this very unfamiliar role for a mainstream actress. Kareena who plays a similar role which requires much lesser intensity in Chameli, should learn from this Dubai bred South Indian star. Kumar takes pity on the plight of this girl and goes to the extent of killing the gang leader for her cause. This raises uproar in the gang ultimately leading to Kumar gaining strength within the group, much to the irritation of senior stalwarts. Goons may come and go, live and die, but the gangs must go on forever. Some succeed and perhaps too quickly for stalwarts who strive to bring them down before they can reach the skies.

Like in gangster movies, there is a strong emphasis on friendships formed within gangs. There is a surreal turn of events, when Kumar goes to attend his friend’s sister’s wedding, when he gets conquered by lust into tying the knot with the bride to be, much to everyone’s surprise. Sonia Aggarwal is horrible and has no variety at all. Even for such a small non-demanding role, she is not able to deliver. Selva thinks of her as a lucky charm and although she has delivered for him in the past, she has fallen from glory in recent times and it shows in this movie. Everything up to this point was so natural, this breaks that sequence and the movie does not recover from here.

Kumar has broken every law except one, that of polygamy, which he does not hesitate to break once he finds out that Krishnaveni is pregnant with his baby. His wife tolerates him only because she fears her brother’s life and even after this 2^nd wedding, it seems incredible that she’s willing to take a shower together with her polygamist husband! Very few modern wives are that forgiving, even in Hollywood movies! Kumar gets betrayed, his pregnant 2^nd wife gets sent to prison, then gets out and then beaten to death after the birth by anti-Kumar groups. Kumar is oblivious to the location of the child until the very end and his first wife divorces him and remarries, only to be separated again. Life goes on. The ending was very non-Kollywood and that was a saving grace.

Music Review (courtesy Rathish)

Songs in this movie have some of the best orchestrations ever in a Tamil movie album. 'Enga Area' employs synthesizers so brilliantly that it was better than most Western Pop songs. It also has amazing interludes and English rap bits. 'Pul Pesum Poo Pesum' song is THE best hip-hop song in Tamil to date.