<p>Tamil (U/A)<br />Cast: Krishna Shekar, Karunaas, Thambi Ramaiah, Bindhu Madhavi, Sujibala, Jayaprakash, Praveen<br />Director: Sathyasiva<br /><br /></p>.<p>Every once a while Kollywood throws up a pleasant surprise and how. Like a welcome cool summer breeze comes Kalugu by debutant director Sathyasiva. Despite its rather macabre and morbid theme, against whose backdrop flowers a love tale, Kalugu, however, turns out to be an honest and straight-from-the-heart first by Sathyasiva. <br /><br />Set against the sylvan and serene scenic backdrop of Kodaikanal mountain range, Kalugu (Eagle), centres around a bawdy, boisterous bunch of corpse collectors Chera, an orphan and vagabond, Nandu, Chittappa, Shanmugham and a mute. Stoical and carefree , they care two hoots for the pittance their tricky and treacherous job earns them in the form of gold jewellery they get as their pickings, and drowning their hardships in drinks and having a jolly good time. <br /><br />One corpse they come across is of a girl who has taken her life following love failure. <br />Ironically, soon thereon, Chera falls for Kavitha, the victim’s sister who is also bowled over by the man’s good heart and simplicity. However, the pinprick on their primrose path to rosy romance comes in the form of Ayya. <br /><br />The realistic romantic thriller seldom loses its track and has audiences’ attention in its grip with its rivetting drama. What further works wonderfully for Kalugu is the credible performances from its principal players, besides its tense and taut screenplay and rather offbeat plotline. <br /><br />While Krishna, after his earlier Alibaba and Kattradu Kalavu, lives the role as brooding and nonsensical Chera and is its powerful pivot, Bindhu Madhavi plays a perfect foil matching him frame to frame as a docile and demure love-struck lass, while Karunaas and Thambi Ramiah are laudable. In fact, it’s ensemble performance from the team. <br /><br />Sathya’s cinematography and Remiyan’s art direction and Yuvan Shankar Raja’s background score enhance the celluloid experience with their uniform delivery. It speaks about pain and agony of a particular community. The second half wanders and is lengthy, but still watchable.</p>
<p>Tamil (U/A)<br />Cast: Krishna Shekar, Karunaas, Thambi Ramaiah, Bindhu Madhavi, Sujibala, Jayaprakash, Praveen<br />Director: Sathyasiva<br /><br /></p>.<p>Every once a while Kollywood throws up a pleasant surprise and how. Like a welcome cool summer breeze comes Kalugu by debutant director Sathyasiva. Despite its rather macabre and morbid theme, against whose backdrop flowers a love tale, Kalugu, however, turns out to be an honest and straight-from-the-heart first by Sathyasiva. <br /><br />Set against the sylvan and serene scenic backdrop of Kodaikanal mountain range, Kalugu (Eagle), centres around a bawdy, boisterous bunch of corpse collectors Chera, an orphan and vagabond, Nandu, Chittappa, Shanmugham and a mute. Stoical and carefree , they care two hoots for the pittance their tricky and treacherous job earns them in the form of gold jewellery they get as their pickings, and drowning their hardships in drinks and having a jolly good time. <br /><br />One corpse they come across is of a girl who has taken her life following love failure. <br />Ironically, soon thereon, Chera falls for Kavitha, the victim’s sister who is also bowled over by the man’s good heart and simplicity. However, the pinprick on their primrose path to rosy romance comes in the form of Ayya. <br /><br />The realistic romantic thriller seldom loses its track and has audiences’ attention in its grip with its rivetting drama. What further works wonderfully for Kalugu is the credible performances from its principal players, besides its tense and taut screenplay and rather offbeat plotline. <br /><br />While Krishna, after his earlier Alibaba and Kattradu Kalavu, lives the role as brooding and nonsensical Chera and is its powerful pivot, Bindhu Madhavi plays a perfect foil matching him frame to frame as a docile and demure love-struck lass, while Karunaas and Thambi Ramiah are laudable. In fact, it’s ensemble performance from the team. <br /><br />Sathya’s cinematography and Remiyan’s art direction and Yuvan Shankar Raja’s background score enhance the celluloid experience with their uniform delivery. It speaks about pain and agony of a particular community. The second half wanders and is lengthy, but still watchable.</p>
