Laugh with Vijay (New Straits Times Press Malaysia)

Courtesy: Steve Purusotaman, actorvijay_fans@yahoogroups.com

Cinema: Laugh with Vijay
K.N. Vijiyan and Sharon Wong
Nov 17:
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SIVAKASI (Tamil)
Directed by Perarasu
Starring Vijay, Asin, Prakash Raj, Geetha, Lakshana, Sakunthala, M.S. Bhaskar

THIS movie has been drawing the crowd since it opened for Deepavali. It has been doing better business than Vikram's Majaa (the other Deepavali release), both here and in India.This goes to prove that Vijay has more fans, especially among the young. But don't go expecting a Gilli (Vijay's massive hit last year with Trisha and Prakash Raj). That was a movie with a serious theme.

Sivakasi is a full-length comedy (despite its mother-sentiment moments) and will leave you smiling. Expect to see the hero thrashing the baddies - in fact you see them flying through walls with just one punch — and some illogical twists in the story. But despite the hiccups, Vijay is fun to watch and the humour is infectious.Even lawyers in India have joined in the "fun". They are threatening to sue the film producer for maligning their profession. In the movie, a comedian (M.S. Bhaskar), acting as a lawyer, sleeps on the five-foot way and is the butt of jokes.

DREAM SONG:
Vijay (left) and Asin having fun in SivakasiVijay plays a poor welder called Sivakasi who is a good fighter. Rich girl Hema (Asin) falls for him and Sivakasi opens his heart to her. In a flashback, the hero tells Hema about his past life and how he had run away from home. Hema insists that he revisit his village and come back with his family to seek her hand in marriage.

The rest of the movie tells what happens when Sivakasi returns home.Director Perarasu, who also helmed Vijay's Thirupatchi, paces the story well. The events have the necessary momentum to take viewers to the climax without being boring.

Cameraman Sunny V. Joseph, who did excellent work in superstar Rajnikanth's Chandramukhi, also does well in Sivakasi. Srikanth Deva has tuned the six songs and most have already become popular with radio listeners, especially Vaada Vaada Tholah and Deepavali Deepavali.

It definitely was a blast watching Sivakasi (named after the Indian town famous for its firecrackers)
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THIS NEWS PUBLISHED IN MALAYSIA'S LEADING ENGLISH NEWSPAPER NST, ON 17TH NOV.