Film: Kozhi Koovudhu
Cast: Ashok, Shija Rose, Rohini, Bose Venkat, Narein, Mayilsami
Director: K.I.Ranjith
Kozhi Koovudhu is a rich girl-poor boy love saga, familiar in its plotting. The hurdles the lovers go through in the form of disgruntled family members and jealous rivals, are all part of the scenario here. The director seems to have put in an effort to etch his screenplay fairly neat and the narration has a smooth natural flow. The actors fit in suitably too. But sans any freshness in the plot or treatment, it has little appeal to the audience. Its viewing time of more than 150 minutes is a downer.
Set in a rural milieu, the story tracks the love between Kumaresan (Ashok), a smalltime poultry trader, and Thulasi, the daughter of the village bigwig. The first half is about the encounters between the duo and the way Thulasi’s emotions start thawing towards the vendor, and vice versa. Ashok is natural in these scenes, fitting in suitably. It is in the latter half that he tends to overplay his emotions. Shija has the looks and the talent to make it big time. She handles the various nuances of her role with perfect understanding, belying the fact that it’s her debut work. The hurdle to the love comes in the form of the girl’s uncle (an impressive Venkat), and the boy’s mother (Rohini), who fears for her family. Though her character doesn’t get much space, Rohini’s essaying of the hapless mother lends the film it’s emotional punch and conflict.
The uncle’s moves to thwart the love affair, and Kumaresan’s mother’s emotional blackmail to force her son to backtrack from his love, give a sense of deja vu. It is in the closing scenes that the director manages to add some pep to his narration with a suspense mode.
The audience starts wondering about the fate of the lovers who had fallen in the trap laid out by the uncle’s hired killer Maari. To an extent, the climax is a redeeming factor. But in the final analyses, Kozhi Koovudhu has nothing novel or exciting to offer the audience.