After sitting through the nightmare of Cheran’s Mayakkannadi, we entered the theatre to watch Raman Thediya Seethai with low expectations and came out mildly satisfied.
Featuring Cheran, Pasupathy, Vimala Raman, Nithin Sathya, Manivannan, Ramya Nambeesan, Karthika and Navya Nair, Raman Thediya Seethai represents optical media storage and home entertainment company Moser Baer’s first foray into movie production.
What lifts Raman Thediya Seethai above the stinking garbage that most Tamil movies represent is some thought and attention to the story, screenplay and dialogs. It doesn’t hurt that some of the actors throw in fairly decent performances too. Again, another rarity in the Tamil movie business.
Raman Thediya Seethai is a romantic comedy with Cheran cast in the role of a young man keen on getting married but encounters one disappointment after another. Of course, it doesn’t help matters that he stutters and had a short stint in the mental hospital.
Cheran is as usual a stinker as an actor though he comes to life occasionally but Vimala Raman and Pasupathy shine.
As the blind disc jockey Nedumaran, Pasupathy is a delight to watch as he recounts his own love story to the depressed Venu (Cheran), whose life he saves from the path of a speeding car.
Vimala Raman, an Indian from down under, is another pleasant surprise in Raman Thedia Seethai. More than just a pretty face, Vimala Raman packs some acting skills too and should go places if Lady Luck is on her side.
Voila, a Tamil heroine who can act. What a relief to see someone like Vimala Raman after watching quadrupeds like Trisha and Nayantara who wouldn’t recognize acting if it hit them in the face.
We liked Nithin Sathya’s portrayal of a psychotic character in Sathum Podathaay and the young lad does a decent job in Raman Thediya Seethai as the reformed thief in love with college student Gayathri (Karthika).
Ramya Nambeesan and Karthika do a competent job.
While this movie has more than its share of humorous moments, it’s also afflicted with some typical Tamil-movie nonsense (thankfully not too much here). The scene of the blind DJ Nedumaran (Pasupathy) fighting four stocky thugs on the road and emerging victorious was plain nonsense.
The talented Malayalee actress Navya Nair is completely wasted in a brief role as a police inspector.
The music in Raman Thediya Seethai is not the stuff to send you into raptures but not completely without merit either. Our favorite songs were Ippavae Ippavae and Mazhai Nindra.
Raman Thediya Seethai doesn’t break any new ground and is surely no cause for celebration or uncorking the champagne bottle but it’s a whole lot better than some of the garbage to emerge out of the Kollywood sewers lately like Satyam or Kuruvi.
And for delivering a mildly entertaining Tamil movie, Raman Thediya Seethai’s director K.P. Jagannath deserves kudos.
Must see this film.
Kuruvi, I still didn’t see. I don’t want to see it after your reviews and even Satyam.
Last Thursday, I watched the movie Dick Tracy. In it Al Pacino giving a blasting performance as a Mafia Don. The make up of his face reminded me of another make-up character- Balram Naidu in Dasavataram. I wonder if Kamal got any inspiration from Dick Tracy!
Something tells me of another great robbery…
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Consider yourself blessed for missing Kuruvi…the movie was a nightmare.
I am… the blessed and the anointed one.
Why did they resort to keep such a funny irrelavant title. They could have added another word that goes with it very nicely:
KURUWI BETTA (Bird Dropping)
Isn’t that nice!!!
I watched Nagesh’s “Sarvar Sundaram”. What a performance. Nagesh was so energetic throughout entire movie. He does many types comedy, serious emotional and even dance etc. What a nice actor he is. like to see him as indian Jerry Lewis.
Sometimes, when I see black & white movie it gives a different kind of pleasure watching it. The stars looks lovely in black & white movie. Something classical.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
You write: I watched Nagesh’s “Sarvar Sundaram”. What a performance. Nagesh was so energetic throughout entire movie.
We’ve heard of this old movie but have yet to watch it.
You write: Sometimes, when I see black & white movie it gives a different kind of pleasure watching it. The stars looks lovely in black & white movie. Something classical.
The old Hollywood & foreign classics like Casablanca, Sunset Blvd, On the Waterfront, A Streetcar Named Desire, Le Notti Bianche, The Bicycle Thief et al stll look awesome in black & white
I am a great fan of your reviews searchindia as you write honestly no matter how big a star the hero or heroine is. I was happy when you talked about the actress Vimala Raman’s acting. I knew she was a good actress after her splendid performance in Poi. I thought she excelled in that film especially in the climax. However the film was a flop so her performance went underappreciated.
On a side note, I would like to hear your views on the film paruthiveeran by director Ameer.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
On a side note, I would like to hear your views on the film paruthiveeran by director Ameer.
Paruthiveeran never got released on the East Coast of the U.S….so we haven’t watched it.
I liked all your reviews…they are very realistic….i watched rama thediya seethai….its a good move but a slow one and dragging at times…..i dnt like the portrayal of cheran as “purushotham”….no person can be that good of character….I cant recollect any of the songs (nothing good enough to register in your mind)….
I watched Paruthiveeran as well….a very nice movie….a very detailed approach of everyday life….watching it is like the classic “gone with the wind” lots of minute details……..the more u read/watch the more u appreciate it…….the story just clings to you…..
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Sure, Rama Thediya Seethai is not a great movie by any yardstick. But it was a gazillion times better than Cheran’s Mayakannadi.
You are right,…no character in Kaliyug can be so self-abnegating.