திருடா திருடி ஒரு வெற்றிப் படம் என்று திரைப்பட வட்டாரங்கள் தெரிவிக்கின்றன. வெற்றிப் படமாகும் அளவுக்கு படத்தில் எதுவுமே இல்லை என்பதே உண்மை. தனுஷ் என்ற ஒரு நடிகருக்கு அண்மைக்காலத்தில் கிடைத்திருக்கும் நற்பெயரும், இதன் கூட வெளிவந்த இன்னொரு படம் கெட்ட பெயர் சம்பாதித்து விட்டதன் காரணமாகவும் மட்டுமே திருடா திருடி ஓடிக்கொண்டிருக்கிறது எனலாம். வேறு எந்தக் காரணமும் எனக்குத் தோன்றவில்லை..
கதை ரொம்பவும் சாதாரணமானது. பொறுப்பில்லாமல் ஊரைச் சுற்றித் திரியும் தனுஷ், அவரது தந்தையால் அடிக்கடி கண்டிக்கப்படுகிறார். தனுஷின் அண்ணனோ ரொம்ப பொறுப்போடு வேலைக்குப் போய் வருகிறார், தனுஷ், அரியர்ஸ் முடிக்காமல் சுற்றிக் கொண்டிருக்கிறார். தந்தையின் கோபத்திற்குக் கேட்கவா வேண்டும்??
முதலில் தந்தையின் கோபத்தை வழக்கம்போல அலட்சியப்படுத்தும் தனுஷ், ஒரு கட்டத்தில் தந்தை தன்னுடன் பேசுவதில்லை என்று உணர்ந்ததும் ரொம்ப அதிர்ச்சியடைந்து விடுகிறார். அவரிடம் நல்ல பேரெடுக்கும் விதமாக சென்னைக்கு வந்து வேலையில் சேர்ந்து, முன்னேறுகிறார். இதன் கிளைக்கதையாக நாயகியுடன் உருவாகும் மோதல்-காதல் சூழ்நிலைகளும் வருகின்றன. இரண்டு வார்த்தைகளில் சொல்ல வேண்டுமென்றால், உப்புச் சப்பில்லாத கதை. காதல் கொண்டேனுக்கு அடுத்த படம் என்ற வகையில் ரொம்ப ஏமாற்றுகிறது..
தனுஷ் இரவு லேட்டாக வீட்டுக்கு வர, தந்தை கண்டிக்கும் காட்சி, நன்றாக இருக்கிறது.. வேறு எந்தக் காட்சியும் குறிப்பிட்டுச் சொல்லும்படி இல்லை..
தனுஷ்க்கு நடிப்பில் ரொம்ப வேலை இல்லை. "இந்தியன் ப்ரூஸ் லீ" விளம்பரப் படுத்தியிருக்கிறார்கள்.. சண்டைக் காட்சிகளில் அப்படி ஒன்றும் பொறி பறக்கவில்லை. தனுஷின் ஒல்லியான உடல் வாகும் ஒத்துழைக்கவில்லை. கிருதா, தாடியெல்லாம் வைத்துக் கொண்டு பார்க்கவும் நன்றாக இல்லை..
புதுமுகம் சாயா சிங்கின் நடிப்பு பரவாயில்லை.. மோதல் காட்சிகளில் நன்றாகத் திட்டித் தீர்க்கிறார். நன்றாக நடனமாடவும் வருகிறது. வருங்காலம் உண்டு எனலாம். தனுஷின் தந்தையாக வரும் மாணிக்க விநாயகம் நன்றாக நடித்திருக்கிறார். ஒரு மகன் நன்றாய் இருக்க ஒருவன் மட்டும் தான்தோன்றித்தனமாய் இருப்பதால் ஒரு தந்தை படக் கூடிய வேதனையையும் எதிர்பார்ப்பையும் அழகாக வெளிப்படுத்தியிருக்கிறார்.
தனுஷ், சாயா சிங் இருவரும் மோதிக் கொண்டே இருக்கிறார்கள்.. திடீரென்று ஒரு நாள் சாயா சிங்கின் தோழி, "நீ அவன் மேல கோபப்பட்டுக் கிட்டே இருக்கிறே இல்லையா..?? அப்படின்னா அவனை லவ் பண்றே-ன்னு அர்த்தம்.." என்று சொல்லவும் சாயா சிங் உடனே ரொமாண்டிக் லுக் விட்டு கனவில் ஒரு டூயட்டெல்லாம் பாடுகிறார்.. என்ன லாஜிக் என்றே புரியவில்லை..
ஒரு பெண்ணின் கால் பெருவிரல், கால் கட்டை விரலை விட நீளமாய் இருந்தால் அவள் அடங்காப்பிடாரியாய் இருப்பாள் என்று ஒரு லாஜிக், படத்தில் அடிக்கடி உபயோகிக்கப்படுகிறது.. என்னைக் கேட்டால், படத்தில் சில அசிங்கங்களைக் கூட மன்னிக்கலாம், இது போன்ற அபத்தங்களை மன்னிக்கவே கூடாது.
தினாவின் இசையில் பாடல்கள் பரவாயில்லை. 'மன்மத ராசா..' பாடல் மட்டும் ஒன்ஸ் மோர் ரகம்.
மசாலா படம் பண்ணுவதில் கூட, "தூள்" போன்ற படங்களில் ஒரு நேர்மை இருந்தது. திருடா திருடியில் அது கூட இல்லை.
சமீப காலமாய் ஓரளவு தரமான படங்கள் வெற்றி பெற்றதைக் கண்டு நீங்கள் தமிழ் சினிமா திருந்தி விட்டது என்று மகிழ்ந்திருந்தால், மன்னிக்கவும், தமிழ் சினிமா அவ்வளவு சீக்கிரம் திருந்தாது போலத் தான் தெரிகிறது..
Starring: Siddharth, Harini, Manikandan, Nakul, Sai, Bharath, Vivek Music: A R Rahman Written and Directed by: Shankar
BOYS - They are terrific boys as you can expect only from Shankar. The first few scenes which establish their character as joLLu parties has been very nicely done. Especially, the main hero Munna walks innocently in a residential area, approaches a girl and asks for an address in a paper. She sees it and then says that this house is a few blocks away on the next street. Then he asks whether she knows of a handsome, smart guy called Munna who is living in this address. She says no, little surprsied. Then he adjusts his shirt collar properly and reveals that he himself is Munna, that handsome, smart boy. She gets disgusted and walks off. A Shankar punch. Each of the boys has a particular talent , all relevant to music field, and each boy also has a particular theory as to how to impress a girl. They all study in different colleges, but meet at a kutti suvar regularly to carry out their joLLu activities.
They meet Vivek in a bar and use him to satisfy their "thirst." They end up taking him to his house after he passes out. A bond is created between them.
After establishing their credentials, the first half an hour is spent in further underscoring that image. Some scenes go beyond the decency limit, something one would never have expected in a Shankar movie. Especially a lengthy scene involving a prostitute who is brought to Munna's house when his parents go out of station, is too much atrocious and will make family audiences turn around in their seats embarrassed. In this scene, each boy comes out after spending some time inside without doing anything, but claim that they had a nice time. However, this scene contributes to a vital plot twist in the second half, so I will forgive it.
The boys get introduced to the heroine Harini and her friends shortly after this and Munna falls deeply in love with Harini at first sight. The scenes where Munna tries to propose to her are very nicely done. He writes some poetry and she continues to behave indifferently. There is one beautiful kavithai here. He writes,
ஒரே வார்த்தையில் கவிதை சொல்லவா?? ஹரிணி..!!
ஒரே எழுத்தில் கவிதை சொல்லவா?? நீ..!!
She is impressed, but she doesn't want to fall in love as she fears it mat affect her concentration in studies, so keeps refusing. Munna turns to her friend for some help and next day she informs Munna that Harini has asked him to run naked across Anna Salai in a busy evening to prove his love for her. He says OK and does so. He is arrested after a lengthy chase for being a public nuisance and behaving in an indecent way. (This chase scene is spectatcularly executed.. In an interview, Shankar said that this scene was filmed over 7 nights between 11 pm and 4 am, but still they have used briiliant lighting and vehicle strength to make it look like a busy evening..) He is sentenced to one day imprisonment. The whole running-nude-in-MountRoad is the friend's idea of a joke and Harini is upset about this. In the jail, she meets Munna and still finds that he loves her. She reciprocates and the romance begins. In the mean time, each of the boy is paired with a girl (all Harini's friends)
This running around nude is published as a photograph in "Dhina thanthi" (where else??) and Munna's parents are shocked to their core. They immediately call for a meeting with all the boys' and girls' parents where they advise about the fallacy of love. An interesting feature is found here. Munna's parents had fallen in love at a very young age and married against their parents' wishes and so are struggling in life. So they oppose love. Harini's father had loved a girl in his young days, but had decided that career is more important and left that girl. That is why he is so successful today, he argues and opposes love. The parents end the meeting by putting numerous restrictions on their children never to meet each other.
The few scenes after this about how they flout this restriction and get caught are very hilarious. Each of the boy imagines his parent to be Idi Ameen-the dictator, Bin Laden, Veerappan, etc. Oneday there is earthquake in Chennai and fearing the well-being of each other, the boys and girls come out of their houses and meet at a place, happy to find each other safe. Munna and Harini also realise that they cannot live without each other. They decide to elope to Thirupathi and get married. Vivek arranges the marriage and Munna weds Harini. They are caught by police while returning and their parents refuse to take them back. So the Boys decide to create their own future. They stay in a small motor shed in one of the girls' houses. Munna wants to celebrate first night, but Harini refuses and points out that they need to get settled first before they can think about these things. You can't help feeling sorry for Munna when he asks pleadingly, "Is there no non-veg for me??" and she says, "No.." He argues, "Atleast give me some muttai", while she says, "only muttai cose can be given..!!"
The Boys and the girl find some part-time job, but find that this is only enough for daily expenses, not for their college fees and all. One of the boys has seen Aiyyappan cassettes being sold like hot cakes near the temple and so suggests they too put one cassette. They agree and bring out a very nice cassette and get lot of money. They move to a new house, but still run short of money to pay fees, etc. They are approached by a guy asking them to compose songs for a street play against the current political scenario. This guy sounds very much like a member of naxalite groups and their play is also very much anti-government. The police get into the act and arrest our gang under POTA. After much efforts, the key member of the naxalites is arrested and he informs the police that the Boys gang was not associated with them. They are released. They find that they have been dismissed from college for indulging in anti-social activities. They are crestfallen, but Vivek consoles them and points out that they must use their musical talents and create a new career. However, it is easier said than done. They approach SONY chief but he refuses to listen to their song. They capture his attention by playing a song during the India-Australia match in Chennai. They get a contract.
To celebrate this, they get to drinking, much against Harini's wishes. In their drunken state, the boys tease one of them about his habit of reading porno magazines. He is very embarrassed and starts shouting that they are no better than him, and tells about the prostitute that they all had together. Harini is devastated on hearing this. The explanations of Munna that nothing happened are not heeded by Harini and she goes back to her parents. She even removes her "thaali" and throws it away.
The boys try to track the prostitute to get her to say what happened that night, but are unable to find her. One of the boys sees her in a bus and in an attempt to get her attention, he climbs the running bus and gets hit badly and is dead. Everybody is ruined, and Munna wants Harini to comeback atleast for the song recording to help out their friends, even if they remain separated. Harini's parents want him to sign a divorce agreement and he agrees, ignoring the pleading of the other boys not to. The BOYS album creates hsitory and they win many MTV awards. After a small trick by Vivek the pair Munna-Harini is united. THE END.
Now to the other aspects. There are quite a few Shankar touches all through the film. Initially there is one scene where the Boys are sitting in the kutti suvar waiting for the heroine and her friends. When the girls cross the boys, they lift their skirts and pants little bit and walk and a sound of walking through water is given, indicating that a joLLu river is flowing. Also when Harini accepts Munna's love in the prison, she runs back happily and we see that she is walking a few inches above the ground. Brilliant.!!
Sujatha's dialogues are naughty. funny and touching at sevaral points. Especially the scene where Harini confronts her parents at the petorl bunk where she has found a part-time job is simply mind blowing.
Music is an important component of the film. "Girlfriend" is the best picturised song, it is refreshingly fresh and naughty. The computer generated girlfriend is mixed neatly in this song. "Kaathal sonna kaName" is also very impressive, especially the time slice technique used in this song. "Boom Boom" has some graphics which may have been avoided. There is enough creativity in this song in terms of using the scrap materials to create the setting that such graphics are unnecessary. "Maro Maro" is also very nicely picturised. The Aiyyappan song that they compose is too good.
Performance wise, the best performances in the film belong to Vivek, Harini and Siddarth in that order. Vivek has done an outstanding job, not only in comedy but also in some senti scenes. Especially when he passes out in the bar after vomitting, the boys take him to his house and give him a bath. Vivek is standing in underwear in the shower and one of the boys is putting soap on his chest. Vivek innocently says, "ennadaa, ennai shakila range-kku aakkittiingalE." Awesome..!!
The film can be watched one time, but only in a theatre. Somebody like me may watch it a second time too, for Harini (hi hi..) and the music..!!
