Movie : Bogan
Director: Lakshman
Cast : Jayam Ravi, Hansika, Arvind Swamy, Varun, Akshara Gowda, Nasser.
The plot revolves round two men of contrasting natures and life style. While Vikram is an upright cop, Aditya is a hedonist who's pastime is wine, women and lucre. It’s what happens when the paths of the two men converge at a point. In this game-play, both the lead male actors get to display two shades of characters, each donning contrasting avatars in different phases of the plot. The film which had a promising beginning loses steam as the narration progresses, almost turning into a farce towards the end.
The first half is fairly interesting, racy and manages to sustain the suspense and the momentum. The early scenes depict the life style of Vikram the cop and Aditya the criminal. When Vikram's father an employee of a bank is wrongly accused of stealing money, Vikram sets out to find the truth. Vikram's search takes him to Aditya and the mind games played by the latter.
Jayam Ravi with his scrubbed clean look and sincerity fits in comfortably as the honest cop, while Arvind Swamy as Aditya is flashy, outgoing, essaying his role with aplomb. Watching them share the screen in the initial moments, bring to mind their exciting outing in 'Thani Oruvan'. But that’s far as the similarity goes. For neither the screenplay nor the actors could recreate the magic of the earlier film.
In the second half, the screenplay borrowing liberally from 'Face Off' goes for a toss. Aditya is supposed to have mastered the ancient Indian art of interchanging consciousness with another human and having control over the latter's body. Working on this premise the plot could have had some exciting possibilities. But all Aditya seems to want is to steal money. The turn at the interval block is a predictable one. And what follows in the second half is 'face off'’s role reversal of sorts. The performances too take a back seat.
On the positive side, the film has a great look. Imman's songs are peppy and the picturisation aesthetic. A couple of the earlier stunt-chase scenes are ably executed. And the screen chemistry between Ravi and Hansika make their romantic interludes a pleasant watch. Varun as Vikram's junior gets his space and leaves his mark. It was a film expected with some anticipation. But 'Bogan' disappoints.