KUSELAN FILM REVIEW

Banner: Kavithalaya Productions, Seven Art Films

Released by: Pyramid Saimira

Story: Srinivasan

Screenplay, dialogues and direction: P.Vasu

Star-casts: Pasupathy, Meena, Rajnikanth, Vadivelu, Nayanthara, Prabhu, Kushboo, Manobala, M.S.Bhaskar, Viyapuri, Santhanabharathy, Sundarajan and many others.

Music: G.V.Prakash

Cinematography: Aravind Krishna

Pasupathy is a poverty stricken barber who has a dilapidated barber shop at footsteps of a hill in the Marayur. He is not able to meet the ends in spite of all his efforts. Even his children's education also comes to a standstill because of nonpayment school fees. He has also a faithful beautiful wife Meena.

At this point Superstar Ashok Kumar arrives in this village for a film shooting which would last for forty days. Pasupathy's children want their photograph taken with the superstar, since he is the child hood friend of their father. But Pasupathy feels it absurd to approach the superstar after so many years and moreover he being a self-contained man who values his dignity, he fears to approach Ashok Kumar considering his stature.

The school authorities who come to know that the superstar is the childhood friend of Pasupathy, pays the children fees. They approach Pasupathy to invite the superstar as the chief guest for the school anniversary function. Pasupathy agrees to this keeping in mind of his children education.

The ordeals that Pasupathy faces on this account are unaccountable. But when the two meet after a long gap, it is emotions that take over.

Pasupathy has really excelled as a poverty stricken barber with self-dignity but streaked with an inferiority complex. The scene when he says that "people give money for goat, sheep, fowl and ear rings but they do not give money for human being" makes one emotional. The scenes in which the efforts Pasupathy makes to meet his friend and the disappointment he encounters needs special mention. Pasupathy emotional reaction when his friend speaks about him in the school function brings tears on one's eye.

Meena's role as a dutiful wife has done justice to her role. The scene in which she refuses the Biriyani given to her by neighbor saying that, "Today you will give and my children will also get the taste. But what about tomorrow? What will I do?" makes one disconcert .

Rajnikanth entry in the film comes after 30 minutes. But the last 20 minutes is really spell bounding. The fans can get relief from punch dialogues such as, "Live and let live", "Food will be served in variety in a rich man's house but the real taste will in a poor man's house" and " If I tell the truth it makes you shiver".

Nayanthara as Nayanthara provides the glamour quotient.

Prabhu, Livingston, Santhanam, M S Baskar, Geetha, Fathima Babu, Brahmanandham, Chinni Jayanth, Mamtha Mohandoss form part of the huge cast.

Vadivelu's comedy, with its earthy flavour, somehow doesn't seem to work.

Cinematographer Aravind Krishna provides smart visual backdrops and music composer G V Prakash, without being outstanding, has come up with acceptable numbers.

Vasu has once again proved his mettle by giving a good product though borrowed.