Broadly speaking, remakes are of two kinds. One that
stays faithful to the original to the extent of becoming a frame to
frame copy and the other where the makers take the core idea and give it
a regional flourish.
Cheekati Rajyam (simultaneously made as Thoongavanam in Tamil), adapted from the French film Nuit Blanche (Sleepless Night), takes the original storyline and peppers it with asides that one has come to expect from a Kamal Haasan starrer of late.
In
the middle of a sequence in a nightclub, a television channel airs a
news clipping of a superstar’s film — Panchavataram — running into rough
weather. In the bar, a drunk character Subba Rao gloats that it was he
who stalled the release and argues why should a superstar give
‘messages’ instead of sticking to song, dance and comedy. That argument
is irrelevant to Cheekati Rajyam’s plot but is a throwback to the
time when Kamal Haasan’s own films had to cross similar hurdles. This
reference to his real life is reminiscent of Uttama Villain, where references to his life and filmography were aplenty.
At its core, Cheekati Rajyam has
a simple plot of Diwakar (Kamal Haasan), a cop with Narcotics Control
Bureau, having to save his son from the clutches of cocaine peddler and
nightclub owner Vittal Rao (Prakash Rao). In the process of doing it, he
too comes under the scanner of fellow cops Mallika (Trisha) and
Kishore.
Busting the crime network and exposing
corrupt cops is one part of the story. Within the framework of a
thriller, the makers weave in back stories of pivotal characters.
Tumultuous relationships come to the fore. There’s a divorced wife (Asha
Sharath) who is still bitter and a son sulking at the workaholic father
who doesn’t remember if the boy plays football or cricket.
Most
part of the film is within a nightclub and it does get a bit tiring in
the later portions. But plenty of smartly-written repartees add to the
film’s fun quotient. A junior chef, watching three cops fiercely at each
other’s throats, exclaims why they are getting worked up over packets
of maida!
Cheekati Rajyam is a slick film
with stunt sequences that look real. In how many films have we seen a
male and female cop coming to blows with each other, in the process of
standing up for what they feel is right? The musical score by Ghibran
and the sound recording are top notch. And so is Sanu Varghese’s
cinematography.
Attention is paid to little details
that one may not consider significant in a passing shot but reflects how
this team hasn’t taken the viewers for granted. For instance, the crowd
is sparse at the nightclub as the evening begins and as time passes by,
there is hardly enough space to navigate. It’s a world where revellers
don’t sense something amiss seeing blood-stained clothes or a
middle-aged man knocking a door in vain as his son is dragged inside.
Trisha,
sporting a no-makeup look, neatly pulls off the stunt sequences and
otherwise, puts in a restrained performance. She has little room for
histrionics unlike Kamal or Prakash Raj, both proving to be scene
stealers. The beautiful Madhu Shalini, Kishore, Yuhi Sethu and Sampath
Raj make their presence felt in brief roles.
It’s
good to watch Kamal Haasan in a straight Telugu film and the team, in
all earnestness, doesn’t pass off anything that looks Tamil as Telugu.
Having
watched both versions, the effort is evident. Besides replacing car
number plates and re-shooting scenes with dialogues, the team also uses a
different actor (Santhana Bharathi in Tamil) for the ‘Subba Rao’
character.
Cheekati Rajyam isn’t really
exceptional, going by Kamal Haasan’s oeuvre, but makes for an engaging
watch. An assured debut by director Rajesh M. Selva.
Cheekati Rajyam
Cast: Kamal Haasan, Trisha, Prakash Raj
Direction: Rajesh M. Selva
Music: Ghibran
Story line: A cop is running out of time to save his son and bust a crime network.
Bottom line: A stylish cop drama.
sSource:THEHINDU
No comments:
Post a Comment