Cast Cheran, Navya, Radha Ravi
Director Cheran
Producer Chellamai Celluloid
Music Ilayaraja
Photo Gallery View
social responsibility had travelled a long way with Cheran. The director, who raised his voice against caste system in Bharathi Kannamma, stressed the needs of differently-abled persons in Porkalaam. After expressing his desire for good governance in Desiya Geetham, Cheran then portrayed the lives of two young men with foreign dreams in Vetri Kodi Kattu. His film Pandavar Bhoomi talked about the happenings of a family and took audience to their own nostalgic memories.
Of late, Cheran himself became a hero and acted in critically acclaimed movies like Autograph and Thavamai Thavamirundhu. Adding yet another feather to his cap, the actor-director has now come out with Mayakkannadi, reflecting the life of a man who aspires to become rich in a short span. However, focusing more in telling messages, Cheran looses his grip in making the movie a more interesting one. Anyhow, the creator inside Cheran deserves laurels, for his never-ending penchant to give meaningful movies to masses.
Playing a simple character of a hair stylist (Kumar) aspiring for the moon, Cheran finds Navya Nayar (Maheswari), in the same wavelength. Kumar and Maheswari try all means to become rich. Kumar finally decides to try his luck in cinema, but in vain. Losing his job, Kumar lands up in the streets fighting for his survival. Sequence of events (cliched) finds Kumar landing in a job with an entrepreneur dealing in drugs. Behind bars, Kumar realises the hard truth that dreaming big beyond one’s means in an invitation to disaster.
A reformed Kumar comes out of the jail to begin his life afresh. Once his greed vanishes in thin air, he understands the intricacies of life and decides to do what he knows best – the scissor is back in his hand.
Cheran has tried to mirror the aspirations and dreams of the middle-class people living in a metropolis. The message for the youth is to maintain a dignity of labour, develop a passion for work and wait for the results to happen. Navya Nayar, shows her acting talent in each and every frame of the film.
The highlight of the movie is Dwarakanath’s cinematography and Ilayaraja’s catchy background scores. Though clear of his intentions, the lengthy dialogues and the duration of the movie is a hindrance to the pace. Mayakkannadi – True reflections.