Remakes are never an easy task. It has to retain the flavour of the original and at the same time ensure that it suits the local audience for which it has been remade.
Three cheers to filmmaker Kannan for taking the acid test to do the Tamil version of the successful feel-good Hindi entertainer 'Jab We Met' and passing out in flying colours.
Kannan has done his best to match the magic of Bollywood director Imitiaz Ali. Produced by Moser Baer & Blue Ocean and presented by Sun Pictures, 'Kanden Kadhalai' is a movie that is breezy and enthralling all the way. Tamannah plays the role enacted by Kareena Kapoor, while Bharath dons the role performed by Shahid Kapoor.
The story principally revolves around two characters. Though it is no path-breaking story or has any twists in the plot, it still manages to keep one glued to their seats.
Bharath (Sakthivel) and Tamannah (Anjali) hog all limelight playing their role with such ease and cool. The USP of the movie are the simplest scenes. There are no unbelievable stunt sequences or double-entendre or mass heroisms. The story flows smooth and cool all through.
Sakthivel is the son of a rich entrepreneur who is dejected at life and decides to go nowhere. A man with few words, he boards a train only to meet Anjali, who is straight opposite to him. A girl, who loves herself the most, talks a lot without inhibitions.
She is good-hearted and daring. Sequence of events leads to Anjali missing the train during the middle of the journey. The responsibility is now on Sakthivel to take her to her home town in Theni. They come across different experiences and both become thick pals.
Interestingly Sakthi wins the heart of Anjali's family including her grandfather (Ravichandran), her father (Nizhalgal Ravi) and her uncles. But the bubbly Anjali decides to elope from her house to marry her boy friend Goutham (Munna).
She takes the help of Sakthivel. When they elope, the whole family mistakes that Anjali has walked out of the house to marry Sakthivel. But fate has other plans. Sakthivel comes to know that Anjali had not married Goutham and the fact is she has gone missing.
Now their roles reverse. Sakthivel turns charming and bubbly and manages to track Anjali, who has gone quiet and silent after tasting failure in her romance.
Sakthivel promises to get both Anjali and Goutham married. He convinces Goutham and takes them to Theni, where her parents believe that Anjali and Sakthivel are happily married and lead a good life.
The rest is all but efforts by Sakthivel to convince the whole family. But Anjali slowly develops a soft-corner for Sakthivel. Whom she marries forms the climax.
Tamannah is the backbone of the whole movie. She emotes to her best. Hitherto seen as a glam girl, she has got an ample scope to do a performance-oriented role to which she renders full justice.
Not far behind is Bharath. A complex character has been handled with maturity. He impresses in the first half as a soft-spoken dejected youth.
Walking away with all applause is Santhanam. As Mokkai Raju, who is desperate to get married to Anjali, he evokes laughter. His one-liners and spontaneous wits deserve special mention. Munna renders justice to his role. He is comfortable and casual before the screen.
Vidyasagar has rendered a mix of peppy and melodious tunes that set up the momentum. P G Muthiah's cinematography captures Ooty at its pristine glory.
On the flip side, the movie lags a bit towards the second half and the subtle emotion that was present all through in the original was sorely missing.
All said, the movie is a breezy entertainer that would find favour with youngsters.
Kanden Kadhalai - Magic recreated
