Sillunu Oru Kaadhal - Review

Courtesy: Galatta
Friday, September 08, 2006
The story starts with Gautham (Suriya) and Kundavi (Jyotika) getting married in a very Tamil ceremony in a little village in Tamilnadu they are happy and they look wonderful.

6 years of bliss, a sweet little daughter Aishwarya (Baby Shreya) and an idyllic marriage in Mumbai - Gautham and Kundavi's life is happy, content and as close to perfect as it can get. Both are working parents and their life is beautifully balanced between work and time at home and outside with their daughter and each other.

One day, while searching for something of Aishwarya's for her school, Jyotika stumbles upon a diary belonging to Gautham. It seems unused for many years and she gives in to her curiosity and reads through it, little knowing that her life was about to change totally...

As she reads through the story of Gautham's life before he met and married her, we are led through a flashback...

Gautham, a student of B.E. at an engineering college in Coimbatore, meets Aishwarya (Bhoomika) and they fall in love with each other. Aishwarya's father is an MP and is totally opposed to this affair and creates much trouble. Despite this, being very much in love and devoted to each other, Gautham and Aishwarya get married at the Registrar's. Aishwarya's father is not about to give up. He sends his goons to beat up Gautham - Gautham, valiantly fending them off, is eventually overpowered and lies beaten and bleeding while Aishwarya is taken away.

Gautham recovers physically, but is not able to reach Aishwarya and she is gone - out of his life. He decides to move to another city, away from his past, his grief and his broken heart. Before leaving though, he spends a lot of time with his surrogate father, his uncle, who extracts a promise from him that he would soon find another partner, get married and be happy again...

...Kundavi is in shock that her husband hid such a huge and momentous part of his life from her. She is very upset and slowly, the marriage starts to become a little strained. Gautham doesn't know why, but Kundavi is suddenly busy with work, they don't spend enough time together, their relationship seems a little distant...

Kundavi makes excuses of having to travel on work and leaves Mumbai in search of Aishwarya. She meets Aishwarya's father who tells her that for 6 years, Aishwarya has been in Australia and would be returning shortly. Kundavi returns in a few days to Mumbai and her home.

One day, there is a knock on the door and Gautham opens the door... and finds, to his shock, Aishwarya standing there. Emotional turmoil and utter confusion besiege him and he turns to find Kundavi standing behind him, but she is not shocked or surprised.

Kundavi starts to speak...

What follows is a surprising series of events that gives this entire love-triangle-of-sorts, twists and turns. The ending is poignant happy and yet, sad...

R.D. Rajasekar's cinematography is superb - as the name of the movie goes, it is cool, fresh, young and urban.

A.R. Rahman's music needs no review - it is topping the charts as we speak and as with all his works, every song captures the mood of the moment and one doesn't know whether he has made a song for a scene or the scene was shot for his song. Kavignar Vaali's lyrics bring Tamil richness to young sounds.

As for the cast: Suriya is simply one of the best actors we have. He has displayed every emotion in a young man - love, passion, anger, despair, re-found happiness, shock - you name it and this young man carries it off with aplomb.

Jyotika's role is different and no one but she could have done it so well. She is an urban, professional young woman who is also very much a family girl. Her portrayal of a woman who has to make some emotional sacrifices and bring the first love of her husband home, is done beautifully.

Suriya and Jyotika's off-screen chemistry is definitely reflected on-screen. They look like a couple in love.

Bhoomika is like a small poem - her role is brief, but leaves a lasting impression.

Overall, the direction is smooth and well done. It's not an action-packed entertainer or a comedy, but the concept of a love triangle and lost-and-found love is refreshingly brought to the audience.

This is a Sillunu Oru Kaadhal - It's cool, it's refreshing, it's different... it's worth watching!

Cast- Suriya, Jyotika, Bhoomika, , Vadivelu, Santhanam, Baby Shreya.
Banner - Studio Green
Screenplay, dialogues, Direction - Krishna
Producer - K.E. Gnanavelraja
Cinematographer - R. D. Rajasekar
Lyrics- Kavignar Vaali
Editing- Antony
Music - A.R. Rahman
Story - A.C. Durai
Stunts- Vikram Dharma
PRO - Nikil
Suriya Official Site - www.rssurya.com
Jyotika Official Site - www.jothikaonline.com .