Movie Review : Modha Rathri
Muthu (Anishma Anilkumar ) and Marudhu (Rishikanth) get married much against their personal will, thanks to both their families' persuasion. While Marudhu is hurting after the tragic loss of his past love, Muthu is in love with a guy ( Raja Karappasamy) and plans to elope with him on the wedding night.
The wedding house in the village, is filled with relatives of the bride and groom all eager for the couple to celebrate their union.
But unbeknownst to them all, the proceedings that night take a very unexpected turn, when Muthu tries to escape to her lover and Marudhu finds out.
What is his reaction? Who is her lover? Why was Marudhu against marriage? Do the newly weds separate ? What happens on the crucial wedding night?
The film, directed by the young debutant Raja Karappasamy who also acts in it, is a brilliantly written and executed family drama, encapsulating a series of events that take place over one night, but have roots in the past of both Marudhu and Muthu and repurcussions on their future as well.
The film is laced with rib-tickling moments, thanks to the well-written dialogues enunciated by a large, well-chosen ensemble cast (including innumerable family members, passers-by and even the bed delivery guys) and exemplary acts by Chetan the priest, and relatives Bagavathy Perumal, Abdool Lee and director-actor A Venkatesh in key roles. The family drama and dynamics of all the characters, the men vs women angle and the war between the groom side vs bride side, are all entertaining highlights of the film which many in the audience can relate to.
The angst- ridden, anguished and intriguing suspenseful moments led by the impeccable performances of the leads Rishikanth and Sirai fame Anishma Anilkumar, add to the drama in the film.
Rishikanth aces his role with a remarkable intro scene, where his argument against marriage with his brother-in-law (played by Abdul) carrying his pain, sense of betrayal, helplessness and love for his family, in a most credible manner. All through the film the actor transforms into Marudhu , with subtle expressions of shock, pain, relief, budding affection and responsibility, showing on his face, delivering a terrific performance.
The silently building up chemistry between the leads, is wonderfully carried through by the actors and a highlight.
Anishma is perfectly cast and shines with her expressions and eyes doing the talking. Another feather in her cap after Sirai and Youth, the superb actor is here to stay.
But except for calls with her lover, she is mostly without much dialogues (which sets you wondering why after a while). But even this is explained by her in the climax, where she opens up to Marudhu, giving us an insight into her behaviour. Kudos to the director for such touches, tying up every loose end in the film.
The songs and bgm by Bharath Sankar (Maaveeran, Ande Diana) are peppy and melodious in turn while the visuals of the village, wedding party, and the night scenes are well catured on camera. The sound design team too deserves kudos.
On the flip side, the editing could have been done with a little more care, as at times, some scenes do seem extended. But to his credit, the director manages to cut the lull with humor, a family fight or an emotional outburst, keeping things lively.
The way surprises keep popping up, loose ends are explained and every character has a distinct place in the proceedings, showcases the attention to detail of the director and his team. There seems to be no lazy writing here.
Several social issues are touched upon here and there but carry more weight due to lack of preaching. The film seeks to focus on the true meaning of relationships, love, marriage, family and responsibility.
Overall Modha Rathri is a fun, family drama filled with emotions, family sentiments, love, romance and comedy making for a hilarious, engaging and entertaing watch!
Rating 4/5
Modha Rathri cast and crew Details
Cast:
Rishikanth
Anishma Anilkumar
Chetan
A. Venkatesh
Bagavathi Perumal
Abdool Lee
Shelly Kishore
Sangeetha Balan
Banupriya
Sumithra Devi L
Varshini Karmegham
Karthikeyan
Velan
Kowshik Kabilan
*Crew*
Written & Directed by: Raja Karuppasamy
Producers: Naveen Yerneni & Y. Ravi Shankar
Banner: Mythri Movie Makers
Music: Bharath Sankar
Cinematography: Surendran Paranjothi
Editing: Ashok Arjunan
Art Direction: A. Balumahendra
Costume Design: Poornima Ramaswamy
Lyrics: Yugabharathi
Choreography: Anusha Vishwanathan
