Cast: Shiva, Vimal, Anjali, Oviya, Santhanam…
Direction: Sundar C
Production: Kushboo
Music: Vijay Ebenezer
The sun may be beating down at its fiercest best in this part of the world now. Even as the people try to find various ways to beat the heat, there is probably one way to keep cool – that is by heading to a theatre screening ‘Kalakalappu‘.
As it happens the movie is Sundar C‘s 25th as a director and is his wont, he has kept his promise of delivering an entertainer, eminently watchable by family audience.
As he does in his movies wherein the timing of the comedy proves to be the clincher, he has chosen the right time to release the movie – during the summer vacation when everyone is looking at ways to unwind and also chill out, sort of.
The maker of the ever-popular ‘Ullathai Allithaa‘ sticks to the same formula – slapstick comedy and foot-tapping numbers and the presence of a comedian who can lift the spirits of the audience.
If it was Goundamani who had the film-lovers in splits in ‘Ullathai Allithaa‘, it is Santhanam in the company of Vimal and Shiva who go about tickling the funny bone in ‘Kalakalappu‘, which turns out to be rip-roaring fun right through.
The storyline is wafer-thin but in a romantic entertainer that hardly matters. How a duo of brothers go about life and how their contrasting characters leads them into quirky situations is the crux.
With a lot of focus on comedy, the movie does emerge as an interesting package. There had been talk about an overdose of glamour on the part of the heroines – Anjali and Oviya, but such things can be overlooked if the end result is to keep audience engaged and laughing right through.
The film is set in Kumbakonam where Seenu (Vimal) runs a restaurant that is facing hard times but does so to keep ancestral tradition alive. He manages to keep operations going thanks to big help from an elderly chef and his grand-daughter Maya (Oviya).
There is one government health inspector Madhavi (Anjali) who is bent upon having the restaurant sealed as she feels it is way below standards as far as hygiene and quality are concerned. Even as she tries to go about her job, she somehow falls for the upright Seenu. But she has a ‘murai maaman’ in the form of Vettupuli (Santhanam).
Herein enters Seenu’s brother Raghu (Shiva), a smooth-talking con-man of sorts, who adds to the confusion and in the meanwhile falls for Maya. As the story moves and the two couples are seen romancing, the two brothers get entangled in a missing diamonds case and all hell breaks loose as the bungling police official (John Vijay) takes over. There are the usual twists and turns as the knots are untangled.
Vimal and Shiva have stamped their class and come up with memorable performances but it is Santhanam who is the scene-stealer. The comedian, who is flying high with one wonderful role after the other, has extended his ‘OK OK’ run with a superb outing in ‘Kalakalappu‘. Making an appearance as Anjali’s ‘murai maaman’ he brings the house down.
Some of his one-liners are set to become the talking point among present day youngsters and he gives the necessary pep to Sundar C‘s comeback venture as a director.
Anjali and Oviya have ‘meaty’ roles too and make full use of it with neat performances while veterans VS Raghavan and Illavarasu breeze through their roles.
Sundar C has shown his value as a director of commercial entertainers earlier and reinforces it again with a bang with ‘Kalakalappu‘, which sure turns out to be a summer treat. It was first titled as ‘Masala Cafe’ before it was changed but it would have hardly mattered as it is non-stop fun for the audience.
Next post
Yes, absolutely Kalakalappu opens well!!!
Ace director Sundar C’s directorial venture Kalakalappu a.k.a Masala Cafe has opened well. Thanks to UT and Avni Cinemax aggressive marketing, the movie managed to get a good opening. The presence of Santhanam has come handy for this multi-starrer. Santhanam, who hogged all limelight with his recent-release Oru Kal Oru Kannadi, carries the movie in his shoulders ably supported by the likes of Vimal, Shiva, Anjali and Oviya.
AT urban centres the response has been tremendous. The film has been receiving good word-of-mouth publicity and no doubt, it would stay for a longer innings, many in the trade say.
Kalakalappu is a milestone film for Sundar C as it is his 25th directorial venture. The filmmaker had temporarily put direction on the backburner as he concentrated on acting, albeit with mixed success.
He had said during the audio launch of the movie that it felt great to be back helming a movie again and described it as a ‘homecoming’ of sorts.
Kalakalappu is multi-starrer and has on cast a few actors who are ruling the roost now including Santhanam, Vimal and Anjali.
With a rather formidable cast, he does succeed in coming up with a quality entertainer despite a rather thin storyline. It is the flamboyant presence of Santhanam that does lift the movie to a great extent.
The film is about a how two brothers go about life and how their contrasting characters lead them into quirky situations is the crux. With a lot of focus on comedy, the movie does end as an interesting package.
The film is set in Kumbakonam where Seenu (Vimal) runs an eatery that has fallen into hard times but keeps it going in an effort to continue the ancestral tradition.
He is grateful to an elderly chef and his grand-daughter Maya (Oviya) for keeping the restaurant functional.
However, there is a catch. The new Health inspector Madhavi (Anjali) is bent upon having the restaurant closed as she feels it is way below standards as far as hygiene and quality go. Even as she tries to go about her job, she somehow falls for the honest Seenu.
Enters Seenu’s brother (‘Mirchi’ Shiva), a con-man, who adds to the confusion and also begins to love Maya.
The story moves ahead and the two couples have their romantic interludes too, but there is a bump when the two brothers are caught in a missing diamonds case and all hell breaks loose as the bungling police official (John Vijay) takes over. There are the usual twists and turns as the knots are untangled.
Vimal and Shiva breezed through their roles and have shown their comic sense in ample measure. However, it is Santhanam who steals the show. The comedian, who is flying high with one good role after the other, has extended his run with a super outing in ‘Kalakalappu’. Making an appearance as Madhavi’s ‘murai maman’ he literally brings the house down.
Anjali and Oviya don’t get much scope to perform. Their main duty seems to be skin show.
V.S. Raghavan and Illavarasu add value to the film.
Sundar C has shown yet again that he is a specialist in slapstick . ‘Kalakakappu’ is a summer treat indeed, if you are ready not to take logics too serious.
nice pair
Director Raghavan is back
Director Raghavan rose to fame with his film by2 where the entire film revolved just with 2 characters. His next film is being titled padam peseum. The film has Sakthi, Poorna and tollywood actor shankar. The film is a romantic thriller. The entire film is being shot in chennai, pollachi and challakudy.
Sakthi who has been doing some soft and jovial roles will be doing a different role with grey shades. Sakthi has done perfect justice to his character. With regard to the title of the film he clarifies that each film speaks stories and his film which deals with some specific issues will also speak for itself.