Ananda Thandavam – Review

Aascar Films is known for bringing out different movies and V Ravichandran is a producer with a different taste. Most of the films that have come under this banner have been blockbusters and the producer maintains high standards with regard to quality. Surprisingly, the producer has made a small film with two novices as heroes. With Tamanna turning famous in Telugu with the success of Happy Days, the producer has chosen to bring out the film simultaneously in Telugu and Tamil languages.

Another speciality of the film is that the film is based on a novel (Pirivom Sandippom) penned by Sujata. AR Gandhi Krishna, a protege of Shankar has directed the movie.

Madhumita (Tamanna) is an innocent girl, behaves like a child though she has grown up. She never takes a decision and because of her innocence, she is ready to do anything what others suggest her. Moreover, she gives lot of importance to her parents" words. Her father is a wealthy Chief Engineer. Raghupati (Siddhartha) completes his engineering course and is in search of jobs. Noticing his capabilities Madhu"s father decides to get his daughter married to Raghu. He uses his influence and gets him a job too. After a few days, Raghu returns to his place as the marriage date is nearing. Shockingly, Raghu finds that Madhu"s father has fixed her marriage with another US based boy, Radhakrishna (Rishi), thinking that he would be a better choice. Unable to digest this fact, Raghu attempts suicide. However, Madhu"s car driver saves him and Raghu"s father tells him that death is not an answer. An intelligent person would teach a lesson to others that he too could
reach heights and sends him to the US for higher studies. In the US, Raghu stays with his father"s childhood friend and befriends a girl, Aruna (Rukmini), who knows everything about Raghu. However, Madhu also stays in the same place and meets Raghu. She behaves friendly with Raghu as usual, though she has got married to Radhakrishna.

Aruna does not like this, but maintains her cool. Aruna proposes to Raghu and she pleases Raghu by arranging a video conference with his father.

At this juncture, Raghu finds that Radhakrishna is a womaniser and tries to convey this to Madhu. But the latter refuses his version and tells him that she has complete confidence in her husband. With the elders" permission, Aruna fixes the engagement. On the day of engagement Madhu comes to the venue after taking liquor heavily. She pleads with Raghu to marry her as she has realised that her husband is a womaniser. She tells Raghu that her husband has been harassing her physically. However, Aruna takes away Raghu for the engagement. With no chance of returning to her old lover, Madhu injures herself. She drives her car in an inebriated condition and dies in an accident.

PLUS:

As far as performance is concerned, Tamanna has done her best. She is perfect in maintaining an innocent face, with a lovely smile on her face. However, she acts a little over-smart in certain scenes. Siddhartha
is also okay in his role, but he needs to improve his body language. He too appears innocent in certain scenes, Rishi plays a negative role and has very little scope to perform but for a couple of scenes. The major plus point of the film is the cinematography. Jeeva Shankar has done a perfect job right from the beginning till the end. He has captured the scenic beauty like the waterfalls and greenery with his
camera eye in the first half and has maintained the same proficiency in glorifying the beauty of foreign locales with his camera.

MINUS:

The basic drawback of the film is that the director has failed to portray the novel perfectly on the celluloid. Especially, the makeover scenes are like frog-jumps. Poorly written screenplay could be the reason
behind the abrupt changes in the scenes. Moreover, the editor should be blamed for not joining the scenes. Had he concentrated a little more, the film would have been a little better. Choreography is also average. But for the song with Rukmini, none of the other songs are good to watch. GV Prakash"s music is also not very melodious and remains average.

REMARKS:

The storyline chosen by the director and producer is very interesting. They have tried to give a message to the present generation youth and their parents that giving away daughters to the boys living in abroad is
foolish. Looking for a better choice is not wrong but one should not do it with over-enthusiasm that their daughter would live a posh life by staying abroad. Love is something like a pious affair and trying to separate lovers just with an expectation to give a better life is dangerous. However, the director has failed to convey this message properly to the audiences.

Cast: Tamanna, Siddhartha, Rishi, Rukmini and others.

Credits: Story – Sujata, Dialogues – Sashank Vennelakanti, Lyrics – Suddala Ashok Teja, Bhuvanachandra and Vanamali, Music – GV Prakash Kumar, Cinematography – Jeeva Shankar, Art – Thota Tarani, Co-producer – D Suresh, Presents – SVR Media, Producer – V Ravichandran, Screenplay and direction – AR Gandhi Krishna.

Banner: Aascar Films International