| Screen India Naresh Flamboyant Vijay in a dual role takes the viewers on a rollercoaster ride of entertainment for a two and half hours  in Swarga Chitra’s Azhagiya Tamil Magan. Athletic Guru (Vijay likes the kind hearted Abhinaya (Shreya) daughter of a business tycoon Anand Cheyyar (Ashish Vidyarthi). She reciprocates his love when she comes to know that he lost the running race to her friend’s brother Shakthi (Sreeman) so that Shakthi could get a job under the sports quota. Anand Cheyyar agrees for their marriage and after a dramatic entry, the boy’s father (Thanikella Bharani) too accepts his son’s choice. Abhi goes to Guru’s village along with him and convinces his mother (Geetha) who till then was apprehensive about a city bahu. In the meantime, Guru realises that he has extra sensory perception (ESP) as he foresees the death of the little girl who lives in the same bungalow as he is. He couldn’t save her but he could save his father and the villagers averting a train accident. Much to the chagrin of Abhi and her father, Guru stays away from his engagement ceremony. The reason his ESP told that he is going to knife Abhi in a ruined fort. In order to avoid the incident he leaves Chennai and heads for Mumbai. To his surprise he finds his look-alike Prasad (Vijay) there. Before he could reach him, he is hit by a moving lorry and is hospitalised. Prasad works for a Bank and illegally finances the money to a Seth (Sayaji Shinde) in Chennai. To recover the money he comes to Chennai. Abhi spots him outside the Seth’s office complex and takes him home thinking that he is Guru. A Casanova of sorts Prasad assumes the role of Guru and plans to usurp the girl and her property. Guru returns to Chennai to save Abhi. And then follows the one-up-man-ship drama between Guru and Prasad leading to an interesting climax. TECHNICAL EXPERTISE: |
All about Ilayathalapathy Vijay
Friday, November 23, 2007
Azhagiya Tamil Magan : Feel good
Monday, November 19, 2007
Vijay and Dhanush rock the tube
November 19, 2007
Remixes are in, and has carved a niche for itself. Filmmakers are now consciously trying to introduce remixes of old classics as item numbers in their movies and even make sure the videos are catchy enough. The recently released Polladhavan bears testimony to that fact with the `Engayum Epothum…' from Ninaithaale Innukum number, remixed by rapper Yogi B who also featured in the video, creating waves in the audio market. Since Deepavali, its videos are being aired in all TV channels and this has added to the buzz around the movie that is already on its way to become a smash hit.
Azhagiya Tamil Magan the most-expected Deepavali release also has a remix number, from the famous Sivaji classic `Pon Magal Vanthaal…' set to tune by none other than the maestro, A R Rahman, himself. This chart buster is now being aired on TV as a teaser, which has generated enough buzz among the audience, with its glitzy sets and visual effects. Producers now have found another way of wooing the audiences to theaters.
Namitha drubbed by her friends for ATM
November 19, 2007
Namitha's performance in Azhagiya Tamil Magan came in for a lot of expectation from all quarters, as it was her first film with a young hero and that too someone ruling the roost at present. Though hers was just meant to be a cameo, those who saw the film felt she was not utilized to the maximum.
Namitha begs to differ and thinks that it was a great opportunity to work with such a talented team of technicians and the strength of the role wasn't in her mind when she agreed to do the film. She even went on to say that the mileage she has received for this role has been impressive and has nothing to regret. Talk about having your head on your shoulders!
Friday, November 16, 2007
`ATM is a different film`: Vijay
| By Moviebuzz | |
  In his first ever interview after the release of Azhagiya Tamil Magan(ATM), Ilayathalapathy Vijay, the man of the masses spoke exclusively to Sify.com Your fans seem to be disappointed by ATM! Please comment? Are you happy with the film?
CBO- Diwali weekend (Nov 8 to 11) But why did you deviate from your usual formula? How did you accept this film?
Read review: Azhagiya Tamil Magan So you knew that ATM was a different film for you? Don’t you feel that all this high hopes and expectations on ATM were due to the terrific performance of Pokkiri, your last release at the box-office? How is ATM doing worldwide? How is Kuruvi shaping out? |
Where Mr. Handsome scores - The Hindu's Review of ATM
sprightly steps From Azhagiya Tamizh Magan Azhagiya Tamizh Magan
Genre Romance
Director Bharathan
Cast Vijay, Shriya, Namita
Storyline The hero is caught napping and his look-alike usurps his place in his lover’s heart Bottomline Surely Bharathan could have thought of a better climax!
Mind blowing footwork, well-maintained physique, interesting histrionics and uninhibited romantic interludes — Vijay lives up to the title throughout his latest offering, Swargachitra’s Azhagiya Tamizh Magan (U). At his handsome best, it’s a new avatar that the hero sports in ATM, which is a little like Uthama Puthiran modernised manifold. If after all this, the climax is a dampener you can’t blame the hero for it, can you?
Without even an iota of change in appearance, Vijay actually manages to show differences between the roles he plays as Guru and Prasad. The eyes of the villainous Vijay spew venom, and his voice modulation and manner of speaking are distinct. But as always, heroine Abhi (Shriya) is unable to spot the fake. In fact, a few other characters are inane too. Neither his friends nor his would-be pa-in-law (Ashish Vidyarthi) can distinguish between Guru and Prasad!
Who is this Prem Rakshit? The ace choreographer has done a splendid job for the song ‘Ella Pugazhum …’ The excellent execution of the dance master’s steps speaks volumes for Vijay’s skill as a dancer. The suppleness of his body is simply stunning! Together with the vibrant voice of A. R. Rahman and the lyrical lure of Vaali, the sequence is an awesome aspect of ATM. The ‘Sahana …’ (Sivaji) song-like music in the romantic moments involving Shriya, and the different arrangement (re-recording) in fight sequences are Rahman’s high points in ATM.
Guru (Vijay), an ace sprinter, and Abhi (Shriya) are lovers. Everything is hunky dory till Guru realises he has the power to foresee tragic events. The Extra Sensory Perception syndrome agonises him. And when he sees himself thrusting a knife into his beloved’s chest in the near future, he’s too scared to stay near her and moves to Mumbai. But danger lurks in the guise of Guru’s look alike, Prasad…
The svelte Shriya emotes well. Namita’s inclusion in the cast is obvious, but she vamooses midway and surfaces only at the end with a bulging tummy. She’s expecting! And instead of being livid with Prasad for her plight, she coyly tells him that it is his twins she’s bearing! You feel sorry for Vidyarthi. What is he supposed to be doing in ATM? But at least he’s not a caricature like Sayaji Shinde is made out to be! Sad that the man who played Subramanya Bharati is reduced to such clichéd roles.
Bright colour schemes dominate Maniraj’s sets. Vijay’s costume (Nalini Sriram, Rajendran) spell class. ‘Fefsi’ Vijayan’s action choreography is noteworthy and Balasubramaniam’s canning of these sequences warrants mention. Bharathan’s racy screenplay and peppy dialogue and Antony’s crisp editing help ATM speed ahead. But Bharathan gets stuck towards the end and beats a hasty retreat to take an anti-climactic course that’s thoroughly contrived.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Malaysia Box Office Report
(US $1 = 3.3286 Malaysian Ringgit)
| <> | Return to Index | Next > | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ATM REVIEW BY AYNGARAN
Cast: Vijay , ShreyaDirector: Bharhathan
Music: A.R.Rahman
Production: Swargachitra Productions
Vijay has reached a new milestone in his career by acting in dual roles in this diwali release “Azhagiya Tamizh Magan” the story is penned down by S.K Jeeva and directed by debutant director Bharathan. Music is scored by A.R rahman.Balasubramanian has handled the camera and Anthony is the editor.
Gurumoorthy (Vijay), is a student who is an athlete. He leads a fun filled life with his friends. Guru meets Abhi (Shriya) who is one among the richest man’s daughter and its love at first sight, Abhi also falls in love with him, realizing guru’s soft natured character ,duo start seeing each other, their love leads to wedding with their parent’s permission.
The actual plot begins when guru starts envisaging dangerous incidents in his mind, such incidents starts coming true, in one such situation he sees himself killing Abhi .so to avoid such a hazardous situation guru exiles himself to Mumbai. There he notices someone who replicates his physical appearance exactly and he is involved in a street brawl. Now he realizes that he is the one who tries to kill Abhi.when he tries to cross the road to meet him, he is bumped off by a vehicle that puts him in coma. Meanwhile the one he saw in Mumbai is called Prasad; Prasad is on his way to Chennai. Fate brings him to Abhi and he acts as guru hiding his true identity. For beauty and money Prasad starts to enjoy his new identity when things seem to go well for him, guru returns to save Abhi. From this point it’s all about how well he succeeds in saving his lady love and himself from the situation.
The cast includes Vijay and shriya in the lead, Namitha, Geetha, Aashish Vidyathi, Shayaji Shinde, Santhanam and other.
Vijay has performed well in a dual role, especially the Character of Prasad, Which has lot of negative shades and then Gurumoorthy who is a hero image, Shriya has oozed out good performance and glamour ,Namitha has shook her legs for a sensuous song number and also comes for one scene ,Santhanam tries comedy which is energetic.
A.R Rahman’s music is the biggest highlight in the movie, whether it is a folk song or a duet, Rahman has handled it very well. The Remix of “Pon Magal Vandhal” is simply superb. The movie is a good entertainer and an awesome Deepavali treat.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Who lit the torch for Diwali?
| IndiaGlitz [Wednesday, November 14, 2007] |
The dust has finally settled down. The big hype surrounding the release of Deepavali movies too has come to close.
A total of half-a-dozen movie has hit the screens on Deepavali day creating great hype and expectations among the audience. Vijay's 'Azhagiya Thamizh Magan', Suriya's 'Vel', Sathyaraj's 'Kannamoochi Yaenada', 'Polladhavan' starring Dhanush, Jeevan starrer 'Machaakkaran' and 'Agra', a movie featuring newcomers.
It was celebration time at various cinema halls and multiplexes last week when these films hit the screens. Fans celebrated in joy the movies hitting the screens.
Let's check out the response and box office results of these movies.
 | 'Azhagiya Tamil Magan' Vijay's 'Azhagiya Tamil Magan' has witnessed a bumper opening. Almost all the shows in Chennai city have been running to packed houses. Vijay dons a dual role. However his role with negative shades has not gone down well with his fans. The movie features Shreya, Namitha and Ashish Vidyarthi in the cast. Rahman's music has failed to strike the right chord. |
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
FI R on Diwali Releases!
It is early days, but the First Information Report (FIR) on Diwali films four days after its release, clearly indicate that it is going to be a lukewarm festival season. There are no super hits, and the public opinion on the Diwali releases is not very encouraging.
ox-Office in Tamilnadu- Azhagiya Tamil Magan and Vel are neck-to-neck throughout Tamilnadu, with ATM having an edge in urban areas (ticket prices are more) and the fantastic opening on Diwali day, while Vel is scoring heavily in B & C stations of Madurai, Salem and TK. But distributors unanimously feel that Vel is a safe bet in the long run.The views expressed in the article are the author's and not of Sify.com
ATM -Worldwide Box-Office report
By Behindwoods News Bureau. November 13, 2007
This Deepavali was a treat not just for the Hindi film fans the world over but for fans of Tamil films as well. Shahrukh Khan, the King Khan, is the one who is smiling across the continents, as his film Om Shanti Om reaped success like never before. Om Shanti Om made it to the eleventh spot in the US box office raking in $1,764,131 over
the weekend at the rate of $15,474 per screen; further, it seized the seventh spot in the UK box office with collections totaling $1,084,316 and a per screen average of $20,852 and in Australia it has managed to secure ninth place with a total collection of $168,874 and a per screen average of $14,073.
Saawariya did have an impressive opening as well in all the above-mentioned three countries, in spite of the drubbing it received from critics. The movie grossed $ 542,192 in the US box office at the rate of $ 6,378 per screen securing the twenty-fourth spot; not bad at all for the movie touted to be a flop. It’s collections from the UK, where it secured the twelfth spot, is $336,437 with an average per screen collection of $7,009. Saawariya is placed at the sixteenth spot in the Aussie box office raking in $94,339 and $5,549 per screen.
What is even more surprising is that Tami films Azhagiya Tamil Magan and Vel have done exceptionally well at the UK box office collecting $199,693 and $43,191, respectively with an impressive per screen averages of $11,094 and $7,199 in theatres. This trend of Tamil movies doing well at the UK box office is prominent after Sivaji, which exposed Tamil cinema to the non-Tamil speaking Indian fraternity. Happy days are sure to begin here with biggies like Billa and Dasavatharam ready to hit the screens in the months to come.
CBO- Diwali weekend (Nov 8 to 11)
| Diwali in Tamil Nadu comes a day before it is celebrated in North India. So the Tamil releases, six of them released on Thursday November 8, while two Hindi releases had the normal three day weekend. Vijay's Azhagiya Tamil Magan, clearly leads the Diwali pack as it took a fantastic opening in seven Chennai screens with a total capacity of approximately 4500 seats per show, due to the stars terrific pull at the box-office. It is clearly the number one at CBO, though it carries mixed reports. As expected the number two is Shah Rukh Khan's Om Shanti Om, it's three day opening is a fantastic 96 percent in five Chennai screens including Mayajaal ( taken by the trade as a part of Chennai city for Hindi films). OSO has been declared a hit by the trade and King Khan has reiterated his position as the 'numero uno' non- Tamil hero in Chennai city. In the third position is the Hari directed Surya masala entertainer Vel, which opened in eight screens, most of them small screens (Seasons, Inox, Suriyan, Chandran). The film caters to the family audience, which means by next week it will move further up the charts! In the fourth position is Dhanush's Vetrimaran directed Polladhavan, which also opened in seven huge screens, but due to good word of mouth picked up by day two. It is expected to be the sleeper hit of Diwali. In the fifth position is Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya, after a super 100 percent opening on day one in six Chennai screens it collapsed by day two. The audiences found it to be a big bore that put them to sleep! | ||||||||||
|
Monday, November 12, 2007
Chennai box-office--- Double Treat to Vijay Fans
Eardrum cracking screeches, exploding crackers, and fanatic fans who drench their favorite heroes' larger than life images in milk and beer. These and more such customary festivities marked the festival of lights Deepavali at the theatres this year around. The ecstasy only multiplied since six new releases hit the cinema halls for this Deepavali – not to mention, three of them with significant heroes in the lead.However, the excitement seems to be draining out pretty soon and a clear winner will emerge out in less than a week. Here we present the six big Deepavali releases rated based on their theatre occupancy and collections over the four day festival weekend. We predict that a dark horse will take over in the Deepavali release race in the days to come.
Cast: Vijay, Shriya, Namitha
Direction: Barathan
Music: A R Rahman
Production: Swagachitra Appachan
Vijay's target this time around seems to be his fans. Period. With him playing a dual role and Shriya and Namitha as eye candies, ATM is a fun ride with prominence in comedy and usual melodrama. Vijay's stylish action and Rahman's perky music remain the movie's highlights.
Trade Talk:
The movie has opened to near-full houses on Diwali. Still early to predict results, as fans seem to have mixed opinion. There seems to be a drop in occupancy towards the end of the four day festive holidays.
Public Talk:
One hundred percent for Vijay fans.
No. Days Completed: 4
No. Shows in Chennai over this weekend: 152
Average Theatre Occupancy over this weekend: 95 %
Collection over this weekend in Chennai: Rs.2,918,416
Verdict: Very Good Opening
Link: Behindwoods
Sunday, November 11, 2007
ATM - Vijay at his best
To be frank, I am a die hard fan of Vijay only for the past 4 years and even though I have watched him as an entertainer and was happy with his mass commercial movies, there was always a pricking feeling that Vijay’s potential as an actor is not yet utilized even in the best of his films. Even today after watching a lot of Vijay’s films before and after Kushi, I feel that Vijay is not less to anyone in terms of acting talents, and just that he has not been into the right script to tap that out.After watching ATM yesterday, my long time wishes were fulfilled. To be frank, I was almost in tears of joy after watching the film, because Vijay has displayed his potential in a movie that was made for fans like me, rather than in a movie made for satisfying some unknown jury judging films for an award presented by a film based magazine.
We trio, myself, Venky, Orkut Vijay community owner and Bala, our mutual friend have discussed hours on such topics. Today after watching ATM, we are the happiest of Vijay fans because this is what we wanted to see from Vijay. I am echoing words from Bala just a few minutes ago “If we look for logic in a double hero subject Indian film industry will go for a shutdown. If we ask for getup change movies, Hindi industry will head towards shutdown. If we look for Logic sense half of superstar heroes films will be nothing. Kamal movies which try to take care of all these things are not appreciated by all class of public. So, what do audiences seek exactly?”
I have watched many Vijay movies till date and I will always be impacted by the movie as a whole and to some extent by Vijay’s characterization. But in ATM, the performance of Vijay as PRASAD was just outstanding that I have gone really mad about that character as such. Recollecting every moment what Prasad did in each scene, my mind and soul vibrates with joy to such an extent that I wish to watch the movie n number of times. I have never shown so much affection towards a negative character in any film, whoever had done it. But I cannot just hate Prasad and his handsome looks, the charm, the style, the expressions, the voice modulation, the power and the grace has simply taken me out of this world. And which is why I was able to accept the climax. I would have literally cried if Prasad had got killed for any reason.
Each and every word of the above lines is credited to Vijay. The boy who was papa’s kid when he entered filmdom with Naalaya Theerpu has risen to such great heights today as an actor, as a performer, as an entertainer and as a big star, that he is able to carry a whole film by himself. I am least bothered about what others say about the film, I hardly care for how websites review the film and it hardly matters to me how technically brilliant the film is. I might sound stupid, but I watch Vijay films only for Vijay and he has never let me down anytime and he has never failed to deliver. I would rate it as the best film of Vijay I have seen till date and will not be able to get over the feel of ATM for days to come.
I would say there are three types of audience who come for a Vijay film. One is the kind which comes in and goes out with the thought that “Vijay and his films suck to the core” There is no cure for such creatures and there is no use of talking about them. The other kind is people like me who are ready to watch anything good done by Vijay and go to the film with an open mind. (Infact I do it for every movie I watch, not only Vijay films) So we are always happy, because, no big expectations, no big disappointments and only entertainment on the whole.
There is a third category of people, who are none other than Vijay fans, but with huge expectations from him. These people are so crazy about Vijay films that they watch the film with a preset state of mind and a self composed storyline. They expect a lot from each and every aspect. And when even a small error occurs, they get terribly disappointed and feel like the whole film is a let down. And as a matter of fact, there are always disputes between this category 3 and category 1 anywhere and everywhere. Now it is this category three mostly that forms the mass for Vijay and he always takes utmost care to cater them. And it is for this people, Vijay gave a hint as not to expect anything and forget his earlier films when watching ATM. So whoever feels that the film lacks something, please go and watch it once again. Concentrate on Vijay and his performance. I know that there are things not in the way you expect and a few mistakes done. But you cannot just let down Vijay for such silly things and say that the movie is not good.
Finally about special effects, even Ghilli had a lot of crappy special effects that were totally unbelievable. We can forgive a few poorly executed scenes for the sake of respecting the hard work of an one man army called Vijay, who in addition to his usual comedy, dance, action, romance departments has taken up the villan department and has given us an excellent performance. At the peak of his career, he has taken the risk of acting in a film like ATM inspite of knowing the fact that it will not be a typical Vijay film expected by everyone. I salute that confidence!
I sincerely wished that Vijay fans could have supported films like Kannukul Nilavu which would have given Vijay a confidence to do performance based roles. And with the same heart I am seriously praying that every Vijay fan should watch ATM as many number of times as possible, because it is a critical movie at an important stage in his career that Vijay has presented to us as an actor. Our acceptance is the only thing that will give him the confidence of taking up such movies in future. I am saying this because, for other actors its awards that decide the choice of films, but our Vijay chooses films only with the thought of his fans in mind. So I end up here wishing all Vijay fans enjoy ATM and hope the film does really well atleast for the effort Vijay has put into it.
Long Live Vijay!!
Cheers,
KSR
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Azhagiya Tamil Magan-Review
Friday, November 09, 2007
Link: OneIndia
It's double dhamaka for all Vijay fans! If you are ready to enjoy a movie without any logic, ATM is a must see. Of course Azhagiya Tamil Magan is a new effort from Vijay and his team and the young box office prince has delivered well being seen in novel getups in the film. He is looking very smart and fresh in his first ever dual role performance. His stylish and comical mannerism in ATM steels the show and scores well for him. Director Bharathan has well exploited the actor's strength and style in most parts of the film.We only knew that Vijay is the hero of the movie. But what surprised the viewers is his villain role! Yes, he is playing both the hero and villain role. However, the director (Bharathan, a debutant) seems not to be bothered about the story as it is wafer thin, and in the climax he seems to be unable to how to end the film well Among the major drawbacks of the film is its length – almost three hours. It needs a good trimming mainly in the first half which is too long and at times sags.
We must say that ESP is not a proven scientific fact and hence the director putting it as a matter of fact is wrong. This could have been digested if the director had presented it in a different way without saying that it was scientific.
Guru (Vijay) is an athlete and a business management student who always seen with his two friends Santhanam and Sathyan. They reside in a house owned by sex bomb Shakeela (she appears as herself) in a colony. Abhinaya (Shreya) is the daughter of a business baron (Ashish Vidyarthi). They happen to meet and fall in love. Both parents accept their relationship.
Suddenly Guru starts seeing things that are going to happen in the immediate future. The doctors say he has Extra Sensory Perception (ESP). He has two bitter experiences, which may be the cause of it. Just before Guru and Abhinaya are to be engaged, Guru gets a very disturbing ESP, of him killing Abhinaya. A shattered Guru distances himself from Abhinaya and goes away to Mumbai.
In Mumbai he stumbles upon a person, who looks like him. This adds a twist to the tale of the ESP he had about Abhinaya. Before catching the man, played by Vijay himself, Guru has an accident and the new man moves to Chennai where he is mistaken to be Guru. The stylish and care free Prasad (the villain), the look alike Guru, is a greedy person, who would do anything to earn money and enjoy life. Abhinaya mistakes him for Guru and invites him to her house.
Understanding what he has got into, Prasad decides to act as Guru and marry the rich Abhinaya. He proposes that they get engaged and she accepts. Guru, then sensing trouble returns back to Chennai to set thing right with his love.
Vijay plays the role with much ease and outstanding style. His comic timing, impeccable dancing abilities (particularly in the title song) make his performance simply outstanding. In the negative character Prasad's role, he is the veritable scene stealer. No doubt, Vijay is the strength of the movie. Shreya is another sweet surprise in the movie. She is not appearing as a glamour doll, but performs well in a meaty role on par with the hero. Particularly in the climax, Shreya proves her acting agility.
There is nothing special in Namitha's role. The director has used her effectively for a scintillating song. Santhanam plays the hero's friend well and raises the comedy bar to a new level. The major plus of the film is AR Rehman"s catchy tunes and cool background score. Nee Marliyn Monroe... is an item number shot with Vijay and Namitha in Phuket islands. But in many shots of the song, one can easily find the censor officer's work too.
Maduraikku Pogathadi and Valayapatti Thavile are other two foot tapping numbers. However the remix of Ponmagal Vandhal is not a pleasant one for the ardent lovers of original song. Balasubramaniyan's camera work is another asset. The film"s foreseeable problem is the climax, which is undigestable for the masses. Over all, the film has many drawbacks in its script but Vijay neutralizes all of these with his outstanding performance!!
Verdict: Above average
Credits:
Cast: Vijay, Shreya, Namitha, Ashish Vidhyarthy
Music: AR Rahman
Direction: Bharathan
Production: Swargachitra Appachan
U.K. update on ATM
Link: http://www.indiafm.com/news/2007/11/10/10402/index.html
 | Shah Rukh Khan’s OM SHANTI OM was the most-watched film on Friday in the entire U.K., if one goes by the screen average of all 150 films [English and non-English] running in the nation. The film collected £ 114,318 on 52 screens on Friday, with the average working out to £ 2,198. Extra-ordinary. On the other hand, there’s a wide gap between O.S.O. and SAAWARIYA in U.K. SAAWARIYA collected £ 38,254 on 46 screens, with the screen average working out to £ 832. Here are the figures, at a glance:
|
'அழகிய தமிழ்மகன்' சிக்கலை தீர்த்த விஜய்
தயாரிப்பாளர் அப்பச்சனும், படத்தை வாங்கிய சாய்மீரா நிறுவனமும் விஜயின் தந்தையான எஸ்.ஏ.சந்திரசேகரிடம்போய் உதவிகேட்க, அவரும் கை விரித்துவிட்டார்.
இதனால், வேறு வழியில்லாமல் தனது கையிலிருந்து ஒரு கோடியே 40 லட்சம் கொடுத்து படத்தின் சிக்கலை தீர்த்திருக்கிறார் விஜய். படத்தில் ரிசல்டும் சாதகமாக இருப்பதால் தற்போது மிகவும் மகிழ்ச்சியில் இருக்கிறார்.
Source: http://in.tamil.yahoo.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/0711/10/1071110033_1.htm
Azhagiya Thamizh Magan - The Review
There is always an opinion that all Vijay films look same and he does the same thing in all films. If you have taken his films in the recent past, they all had a happy-go-lucky person with rugged characteristics with romance, sentiments, comedy and action aplenty, not to forget well choreographed songs. But the role of Vijay was just an entertainer who delivers a power packed performance with punch. Of course, he has set the cash registers ringing with such films in the past. But “Azhagiya Thamizh Magan” is not a typical entertainer-Vijay film; it is a film of actor Vijay – and that too for the first time in a double role- with entertainment. Spoiler alert: The plot or story line follows next. Please avoid this marked section if you have not yet seen the film.
***************************************************************************************
The film revolves around Guru (Vijay), a character who is good at heart and is in love with Shriya. The first half of the film is about how they fall in love and how they convince their parents for marriage. One gets to see lot of Vijay’s usual elements here including a well choreographed intro song. Then comes the ESP (Extra Sensory Perception) of Vijay by which he visualizes few things happening in future. It troubles him a lot and before he gets over the shock of it, he visualizes himself killing Shriya. This makes him move away from her to Mumbai. There he meets Prasad (Vijay again) whose passions are money and honey (read girls). Guru now chases Prasad to prevent him from killing Shriya. The rest of the film takes us through a roller-coaster ride of thrills and twists that leaves you entertained till the end.
**************************************************************************************
The USP of ATM is Vijay. With a performance like never before, he takes up the burden of the entire film on his shoulders and delivers it impressively. He pleases you as Guru in the first half and stuns you as Prasad in the second half. As Guru, his comedy timing, dance and action are very good as usual. He is the mass hero that we are used to seeing in his previous films. The intro logo of Vijay has changes in this film and its nice to see “INIYA THALAPATHY-IDHAYA THALAPATHY-ILAYA THALAPATHY”.
But it’s the villain Prasad character in which Vijay stands out in a never seen before performance. With a rocking intro and a clear difference against Guru in body language and voice modulation, Vijay slowly builds up this character taking it to greater heights with a towering performance at the climax. The previous role of Vijay in grey shades was in Priyamudan, but it was just few years after his entry into cinema when he had neither experience nor expertise to perform a negative role like this. Now he has well seasoned as an artist and it clearly shows up in ATM. His dialogue delivery is impressive in places like “Evlavo pannraom idha panna maatoma” “Naanum pokkiri thaan da” etc
Shriya has more-than-enough of a role in a hero oriented film and has footage throughout the film. She looks gorgeous, emotes adequately and dances gracefully. She has performed really well in dance sequences. The Vijay-Shriya pair has a natural chemistry to it and the duo look really cute on screen. Namitha as such had nothing to do except for dancing in skimpy clothes in a glamorous song. The film could really have done without her character. Santhanam has evoked a few laughters in a decent and clean comedy track. All other supporting cast has done adequately, though few good actors are wasted in insignificant roles. Special mentions to Shayaji Shinde and Geetha, who got a good scope to perform in their scenes.
Thumbs Up:
The major advantage of the film is the brilliant music of A.R. Rahman which has been transformed visually into well choreographed songs. All songs are a visual treat and Vijay is brilliant as always in all the songs. Lawrence’s work in the “Ella pugazhum” song is brilliant and Vijay takes the song to greater heights with his dance. “Kelaamal Kaiyile” is a visual treat. “Madhuraiku pogadhadi” and “Valayapatti” are rich and colorful. “Nee Marilyn Monroe” is cool and sexy.
The outstanding one is however “Ponmagal Vandhal” remix which has been very well shot and edited, and comes at the right situation in the film. Another plus is the camera work of Balasubramaniyem, which has given the film the right look and feel. The visual effects are mostly well done, special mention to the double act scenes and the climax fight. Editing by Antony is crisp and brilliant, not to forget his work in Ponmagal song. The rerecording by ARR is also good.
Thumbs down:
Coming to the drawbacks, the film has a few scenes with poor visual effects, especially in the chasing scene before climax, which is very overdone. The screenplay sags in some places, a few scenes that are inspired from Hollywood flicks and there are a few logical loopholes which are obvious.
But before one blames Bharathan for these, he has done one thing which was not tried by any of the directors till now. He has extracted a performance of the career till now from Vijay which by itself is a credit for him. Let anything be the films’ result but it is a milestone role in Vijay’s film career and his first attempt towards answering his critics.
When you come out of the movie, nothing but Vijay fills your mind which atleast was a strange feel for me. I am sure that Vijay has done his job very well to silence his critics and its upto Vijay fans to accept his venture and support him for such different attempts. So one can forget all the other short falls and for a debutant, Bharathan has tried his best to give a clean entertainer suited for all audience.
In short: A great entertainer with Vijay all the way.
Verdict: Very Very Good
Rating: 85/100
Friday, November 09, 2007
'Azhagiya Thamizh Magan' in first place
- 09.11.2007
Only in B and C centres, the contest is between Vijay's 'Azhagiya Thamizh Magan' and Surya's 'Vel.' But in Chennai city, it is different.
For Deepavali, 2 mega Hindi films are getting released today. One is Shahrukh Khan's 'Om Shanti Om' and the other is director Sanjay Leela Bansali's 'Saawariya.'
Shahrukh Khan, the producer of 'Om Shanti Om' and Sony, the producer of 'Saawariya' have each spent a massive 5 crores on publicity alone. This does not take into account the amount spent by corporate partners in publicity like Pantaloons etc.
The reservations in Chennai for 'Azhagiya Thamizh Magan' and 'Om Shanti Om' are an equal footing. There's also a contest in America, UK and Australia to see who will lead the race – Vijay or Shahrukh Khan.
Among the Tamil releases yesterday, 'Azhagiya Thamizh Magan,' 'Vel' and 'Polladhavan' recorded full house. But to see which film leads the rest, we have to wait for a week.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Azhagiya Tamil Magan - Movie Review from IndiaGlitz
IndiaGlitz [Thursday, November 08, 2007]
‘Azhagiya Tamil Magan’ banks heavily on Vijay’s charm and performance. The Ilaya Thalapathy has lived up to the challenge created by the huge success of ‘Pokkiri’. He looks stylish and handsome. He lights up the screen by his dynamic performance.
Director Bharathan has exploited Vijay’s strengths well. He has provided a perfect entertainer for Vijay fans by giving ample chance, including dual role, to Vijay to come up with a stylish, action packed, romantic heroism.
Vijay plays both hero and villain. The first half is filled with romance and a mystery surrounding Vijay’s Extra Sensory Perception (ESP), while the second half is dominated by the tug of war between the two Vijays.
Let us first look at the storyline. Guru (Vijay) is an athlete and business management student. Abhinaya (Shreya) is the daughter of a business baron (Ashish Vidyarthi). They meet and, what else, fall in love.
The movie goes on to show how the lovers manage to get the permission of the parents. In the meantime, you get to see a different dimension in the tale while the romantic drama is unfolding. Vijay visualizes some bizarre scenes inside his mind. The scenes are disturbing and worse, they become true in the real life.
A psychiatrist (played by Dr. Rudran, a professional psychiatrist) confirms that it is ESP power and says that the imageries visualized by Guru would actually happen sooner or later. Unfortunately Guru visualizes another scene which he would never like to see happening. Sensing a danger to his sweetheart, he runs away to Mumbai from her to save her.
In Mumbai he stumbles upon a person, who looks alike himself. This gives him a different meaning of the horrible incident visualized by him. Before catching the man, played by Vijay again, Guru gets into an accident and the new man moves to Chennai where he is mistaken as Guru.
Stylish and care free Prasad, the look alike Guru, is a greedy person, who would do anything to earn money and enjoy life. Abinaya mistakes him for Guru and gets him to her house. Sensing his strength, Prasad decides to act as Guru and marry the rich Abhi.
The real Guru comes back and tells everyone the truth. But no one is ready to believe him, as he is outplayed by the wicked Prasad in each and every move. Finally the truth prevails but not before the tensed battle between the two with lot of twists and actions.
Before going in to details we must say that ESP is not a proven scientific fact and hence the director putting it as a matter of fact is unacceptable. We could have digested it if the director had presented it in a different manner without pretending to be scientific.
Coming back to the script, the director has come up with a new idea in form of ESP to provide twist in the tale. Though the idea of double role is not new, Bharathan had made the tough of war between the two interesting by conceiving a few interesting sequences.
The first half however, is dragging too much to the comfort of the audience. The efforts to convince the father and mother, one by one, play as speed breakers. The way the girl falls for the hero lacks imagination. The ESP imageries and Vijay fighting with Vijay have been executed well.
The director has done well in presenting Vijay - the USP of the film. The hero looks handsome, and stylish. The second Vijay in particular, is simply awesome in his styles. Vijay has presented a virtual treat for his fans by his mannerisms, actions, voice modulations, and body language.
Shreya, arguably possessing the most stunning and sexy figure among today’s heroines is simply ravishing. She and the director, of course, pretty well know that acting is not her forte and hence bank on her USP, which is her curvaceous body, to make the proceedings, especially the songs attractive. Namitha is effectively used for a scintillating song.
Santhanam as Guru’s friend doesn’t go overboard and provides some comical relief. Good performers like Sayaji Shinde and Ashish Vidyarthi are wasted in insignificant roles.
A.R. Rahman’s music is outstanding. In fact that songs sound better when heard – and seen – in the movie. ‘Maduraiku Pokaathey’ and ‘Valaiyapatti’ are quite attractive. The remix version is more convincing when seen in the context. The background score is effective in the scenes when Guru gets ESP images.
Balasubramaniam’s camera work is spectacular, especially in song sequences. The scenic beauty of Phuket Island and other locations are amazingly captured. Larencce has made wonders in choreographing. Vijay’s dancing movements are quite stylish. Overall, ‘Azhagiya Tamil Magan’ has nothing new to offer but the movie definitely entertains.