QUICKVIEW : Chekka Chivantha Vaanam
By Rinku Gupta
CCV as its popularly known, is the latest offering from ace
director Mani Ratnam. The story is set around the impending death of ganglord
Senapathy ( Prakash Raj) who is injured critically in an a shootout, along with
his wife (Jayasudha). His 3 sons, Varadan, ( Arvind Swami), Thyagu ( Arun
Vijay) and Ethi ( Simbu) rush to his bedside. While the eldest resides with him
along with wife Chitra ( Jyothika), Thyagu flies in from Dubai with his wife
(Aishwarya Rajesh) while Ethi flies down from Serbia leaving behind his pretty
wife ( Dayana Erappa). The family’s main concern is to probe into who is behind
the attempt to kill. When finally Senapathy dies a few days later, the tension
increases with each son beginning to suspect the other in a game of
one-up-manship to take over the vacant throne. Rasool, ( Vijay Sethupathi) is
the one link with all three, being the childhood trusted buddy of Varadan. When
things begin to get out of hand, with each brother gunning for the other as the
level of suspicion goes sky-high, Rasool plays an integral role in how things
pan out between them.
Do they finally discover who tried to kill their father? How
does the revealation affect the family ? How much do they lose or gain by
discovering the truth forms the story.
What works for the film are the stellar performances by all
actors. Vijay Sethupathi is at his
inimitable best while one can get to see a very different handsome , suave Simbu,
speaking with his eyes and subte expressions, cast in the Mani Ratnam mould.
Arvind Swami gets some very emotional scenes and action blocks which he uses to
advantage. Arun Vijay delivers a good, measured performance and his career
best, as the ambitious son. The women are strong but caught up in the cross
fire of rage and intrigue of the men. Jayasudha leads with a regal performance,
making you wish to see more of her on screen while Jyothika looking beautiful, rises to the occasion as
the dutiful wife. Her scenes with Simbu and Jyothika especially make for a good
watch. Jyothika plays the dynamic and dutiful daughter-in-law holding the
family together despite Varadan having an affair with a journalist (an ethereal
Aditi Rao Hydari in a teeny role) with aplomb. Aishwarya Rajesh looks a pretty picture of dignity and determination, a devoted wife and mother caught up in the crossfire of ambition. Dayana Erappa makes her presence felt but her role seems too brief. Prakash Raj as the don is every inch the patriarch with the regal
bearing and in complete command till he is rendered helpless.
The songs are used as BGM in most parts, adding to the
escaling tension or showing the powerplay between the parties concerned. The excellent visuals by Santhosh Sivan (
especially the chase in Serbia and the climax scenes) and the various settings
of the film, ( the glass facaded home of the don) add to the drama and the
vulnerability of the characters, while making for aesthetic viewing at the same
time.
While the film keeps you engaged, with some remarkable
rabbits out of the hat in the climax,
the lack of connect with the characters stands out. One views them and their
problems from afar but barring a few moments here and there, there seems to be
a disconnect somewhere. Also, the
frequent gun fights don’t seem to fit in with the local character of the city where
aruvas are usually more in use.
With fast paced action, plenty of drama and good
performances , the aesthetically appealing CCV makes for a good watch overall.
