‘Udanpirappe’ movie review: This pilot for a mega serial goes nowhere

With a battalion of actors reminiscent of Jyotika, Sasikumar and Samuthirakani on the centre, it’s disappointing that director Period Saravanan feeds them with meat substitute as an alternative of uncooked meat in ‘Udanpirappe’, which appears to be like like a big bowl missing each sausage and cream

It’s telling that Udanpirappe has a soar minimize proper firstly, on the Thirteenth-minute mark. The modifying mishap comes out of nowhere and has a temple priest providing a ritual, murmuring one thing concerning the lacking goddess idol and bringing ill-fortune to the village.

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Apparently, it’s a cue. Lower to subsequent, we see a motley group of ladies — planting seedlings — going berserk after they study that Chinaayi aka Maathangi (Jyotika, who tries her finest to maintain the movie afloat. There are lip-sync points) is lacking. They search within the pocket of marsh land and the information quickly reaches her husband and brother.

Additionally Learn | Jyotika: On movies, household and her synergy with Suriya

Vairavan (Sasikumar) notices bubbles encircling the floor of the water and there emerges Maathangi, carrying the lacking deity. Years of publicity to P Vasu, KS Ravikumar and the very latest Pandiaraj movies have taught us that the rationale behind writing such a scene may imply just one factor: that Maathangi is the deity — not less than for Vairavan. And he or she will get handled like one.

Udanpirappe

  • Forged: Jyotika, Sasikumar, Samuthirakani, Soori and Sija Rose
  • Director: Period Saravanan
  • What’s it about?: An unlucky loss of life causes rift between Vairavan and his sister Maathangi’s husband, Sargunam. Within the ensuing battle, Maathangi is torn between her brother and husband.

As for the movie, Udanpiraape is every part that Namma Veetu Pillai wasn’t. Or, it may very well be mentioned as Namma Vettu Pillai, with 2X melodrama, completed horribly incorrect. Right here too, we get a sibling pair in Sasikumar and Jyotika. Right here too, we get a moody brother-in-law in Samuthirakani, though he isn’t too grumpy right here. Right here too, the households of Vairavan and Maathangi are at loggerheads. There may be D Imman in each movies. However, why isn’t Udanpiraape not even half-entertaining as Namma Veetu Pillai? One suspects the foremost miss is writing. Allow us to breakdown by way of characters:

Vairavan, on paper, is a violent individual. He believes in sathyam greater than regulation and his violence comes from righteousness — a guardian angel like an Ayyanar, as Maathangi says. Agreed. However look how Period Saravanan imagines Vairavan’s scenes. In his introduction, with a pummelling rating by D Imman which will get performed each time Sasikumar seems on the display, which is most occasions, Vairavan beats up folks as a result of they damage an animal, not figuring out they had been after him. He bashes folks of his personal caste for gazing at and passing lewd feedback at girls from supposedly decrease caste. He saves farmers from mortgage sharks…Saravanan should have believed these could be sufficient to map Vairavan for the viewers. However we imagine it’s a quintessential template for ‘rural’ movies.

Sargunam (Samuthirakani) too is handled like a cardboard character, refusing to offer him the area to breathe. If Vairavan is righteous, Sargunam is sensible and logical. He believes in regulation and Vairavan in lawlessness. You get the drill.

As goes with Maathangi. Simply discover how a trivial piece of knowledge involving Maathangi is slipped within the background, in a scene that, in fact, has the thalli sentiment. The household feud between Vairavan and Maathangi makes up a lot of the drama. We additionally get a way of why they’re warring, however the movie fails to clarify why Maathangi does what she did. Due to the absence of why, the flashback appears forcefully inserted and laughable at finest.

As a result of these two households need to reunite, Saravanan writes a lacklustre episode round an MLA’s son (performed by Kalaiarasan). There’s a complete portion round sexual assault too, and why are we even complaining? Caste and sexual assault are two of the most popular points Tamil cinema has chosen to commercialise. However the issue right here isn’t that; it’s written as an afterthought to a jarring proportion. The director’s incapability to extract drama clearly reveals, for Udanpirappe appears to be like like a lavish pitch for a mega serial and never like the massive, fats, household movie it intends to be.

These are points with respect to writing and filmmaking. However I’ll give credit score to Saravanan for an outstanding scene involving an infertile couple; what the person says isn’t one thing Tamil cinema heroes would normally say, so, cheers to that.

Udanpirappe is at the moment streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

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