Palaivana Cholai – Movie Review

Filmmaker Dayalan has taken the risky task of re-enacting a classic yesteryear Tamil movie (Palaivana Cholai). A hugely successful yesteryear film, it set a new trend and was a rage among youngsters then.

The original ‘Palaivana Cholai’ was directed by Robert Rajasekhar starring Suhasini, Rajeev, Vagai Chandrasekhar, Thyagu and Janakaraj. It was the first of its kind in Tamil cinema, talking about friendship between a woman and four youths.

It was adored and admired by critics and fans alike. Also the songs 'Megamae...' and 'Alanalum Aalu...'topped the charts.

Sadly, Dayalan partially succeeds in his venture, as the new version cannot stand up to the original for it lacks the punch and pace of the 1981 movie.

The new version has strictly followed the story of the original. But a change has been made in the characters to suit the contemporary audience. Karthika has played the role enacted by Suhasini while Nithin Sathya, Sanjeev, Abhinay, Sathyan and Chams are also there.

Ramana (Sanjeev), Yuvan (Abhinay), Aadhi (Sathyan), Prabhu (Nithin Sathya) and Iniyan (Chams) are friends in a locality. Yuvan is a spoilt-brat and is a son of a rich entrepreneur. Ramana is a caring brother who is determined to work hard and get his sisters married. Iniyan (Chams) is a struggling lawyer and Aadhi wants to make it big in cinema. Prabhu is a happy-go-lucky youth, who runs an auto rickshaw.

Their life takes a turn when Priya (Karthika) arrives in their locality. Priya gets acquainted with them. She helps them overcome their inferiority complex and succeed in their careers. Meanwhile Aadhi develops romance towards her. But the friends suffer a shock when they come to know that Priya is in the brink of death and is affected by heart problems.

Nithin Sathya has done his part well. Shouldering a major burden, he comes out in flying colours. He seems to have got under the skin and performed exceedingly well. He plays the role enacted by Vagai Chandrasekhar in the original. Karthika renders a decent performance.

Music by Bobby especially the remixes disappoint. At the end, one gets a feeling that original is always original.

Palaivana Cholai - Dry dream