Thirupachi, Jan 14th, 2005

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2005/01/21/stories/2005012102510201.htm

"Thiruppachi" ... a complete commercial fare.

AFTER MADHESH'S "Madhuray" it is Perarasu's "Thiruppachi" (U/A) - but Vijay is the same, performing incredible stunts and scaling superhuman heights with the ease of a typical commercial hero.

A fiesta for Vijay fans from the house of R. B. Choudhry, this Super Good Films' production could prove a money-spinner, but does it have something for the level headed filmgoer? Yes, to a certain extent - because for the first time a hero is clever enough to see to it that when he takes on the ruthless criminals his family is safe, far away from the wrath of the wrongdoers.

Too much gore

Sivagiri (Vijay) is a doting brother and a responsible son. The scene shifts from the village when his sister Karpagam (Mallika) is married to a man in Chennai.

He finds the city infested with criminals and underworld dons. And of course there is the corrupt police official. Though shocked by the atrocities he keeps away from the menacing forces.

Till they would not let him be. His close friend Kannappan (Benjamin) is ruthlessly murdered at a cinema complex and Sivagiri is not going to turn a blind eye to their bloody cruelty any longer.
The film halts at an impressive point, and when action resumes you expect some very astute moves from the hero. But he adopts the usual routine of warning the villains over phone before finishing them off.

However, in a couple of scenes Sivagiri does prove that he's a commendable combo of brain and bravery.

Vijay portrays emotion and action with élan and if the hero begins to choose scripts that are more challenging and different, it would be a field day for viewers. Sibling affection, comedy and serious expression come easily to Vijay.

The heroine is Trisha - and expected to look chirpy and radiant, she fills the bill. Mallika has all the makings of a character actor and she proves it once again. It is a big break for Benjamin and he makes proper use of it. Why has such an experienced artiste such as M. N. Rajam not been properly used? Prabhakar's art concentrates on being natural and captures the ordinary household in the village and city aptly.

But why is it that bad men have to meet at a precarious height on an unfinished building at least in one or two scenes?

Saravanan's cinematography is a highlight of Vijay's introduction scene because the camera angles help establish the larger than life image of the hero straightway.

If it's Dhina it has to be more of din and less of sound. The composer doesn't seem to believe in anything that falls softly on the ears. Of the seven songs, Manisharma and Devi Sriprasad have composed one each.

Unwarranted sequences (like the Chaya Singh number) and disruptive duets mar the pace of "Thiruppachi."

Yet Vijay's portrayal and writer-director Perarasu's intelligence come to the fore now and then.