They have met again! The ‘Jab We Met’ remake is in town and love is in the air. Will the magic work? After the critically acclaimed Poo, Moser Baer ventures into commercial cinema successfully with Kanden Kadhalai. With a story that has already proved its worth up north and a universally accepted emotion as its basic theme; the odds are definitely in favor of Kanden Kadhalai. The team behind the remake is relatively young but highly promising. Kannan is trying to follow up his impressive debut (Jeyamkondaan) with a hit, Bharath is returning to the lover boy role after a few commercial trysts and Tamanna gets a gem of an opportunity to prove her worth as an actress who can carry off all kinds of emotions. Put all this together and we get ‘Kanden Kadhalai’, a youthful romantic drama which takes a fresh perspective on love and relationships.
Shakthi (Bharath) is down in the dumps! The big business establishment that his father has built is falling apart, the board of directors is going insane with arguments and to top it all there are allegations that his mother is having an affair with the company’s auditor. Not able to take any more of the misery he walks out of the board meeting. The day after he goes missing, everyone wonders where he is gone. In fact, even he has no idea of where he wants to go.
He just wants to escape from everything, even from himself. Without a ticket in hand or a destination in mind he boards a train. Aboard he comes across Anjali (Tamanna) who is poles opposite to him in character. She just can’t stop talking, most of which is about herself. As we discover later, the person she loves most in the world is herself. In a weird twist of events, brought about by Shakthi’s pointless sauntering and Anjali’s insuppressible energy, they find themselves together, stranded in the middle of nowhere with no means of transport for the night. They get to know each other over the period that they are together. Travelling across Tamil Nadu to get to Anjali’s home, Shakthi starts feeling lighter and better. He starts learning a lot about taking it easy. Meanwhile Anjali has plans of her own, love is on her mind. But the man is not Shakthi. However she wants Shakthi’s help to reach her lover. She runs away from home and Shakthi goes back to resurrect his business. Everyone believes that they are together, somewhere. It takes some time for Shakthi to realize that everyone believes in something that is not exactly true. So, he sets out to prove that Anjali has actually found love and life with another person. Does he find her? What is she doing? This time the tables turn. Anjali is somber and Shakthi can’t stop talking. Does love happen?
At the outset, it is important to understand that this film is not only about love or romance. It also shows at places about how life and all its ups and downs have to be dealt with. The story defends love and lovers under all circumstance. Some people might find certain thoughts a bit difficult to agree with, but that doesn’t hinder the film much. The chemistry of the lead pair which is the moving force of the film has worked well. Both Tamanna and Bharath look fresh and different in their roles. Bharath is neat and sophisticated in his role. Tamanna looks good especially in the half saree. As for her performance, she is really good while bringing out different facets of the character. It is a commendable effort. She has proved her ability to pull off a wide range of roles. The high point of the movie is Santhanam’s whacky comic act. Appearing as the bridegroom chosen by Anjali, his dialogues infuse life into the movie. The audience loves him, except when he goes into double entendre mode. This could have been avoided as it spoils the clean family entertainer status that the movie could have had. The major drawback of Kanden Kadhalai is its lack of continuity at places. There are also places where the events seem a bit artificial. The music, which is an important part of any romantic flick, has not worked too well. Only ‘Suttudhu Suttudhu’ makes an impression. Other songs don’t stick to your mind; their placement too is not apt. Camerawork is colorful and well suited to the mood of the film.
Kanden Kadhalai is a film for the youth. People with romance in their hearts are bound to enjoy the theme and the subtle hints that the movie gives about love. It seems to be giving out the idea that failing in love or work once does not mean that the world has ended, there is always tomorrow. However, a few glitches in continuity take a toll on the film. Kannan has made a not too bad follow up to Jeyamkondaan. But with his proven credentials and a young cast, the remake of a Hindi superhit should ideally yield better results. Nevertheless, Kanden Kadhalai is quite an enjoyable fare for those who love romantic flicks.
Verdict: Youth and love special
