Arumugam - review

Director Suresh Krissna returns. The erstwhile hit maker is trying to regain the magic touch that he so famously possessed in the 90s. Apparently, he still seems to believe in the 90s style of film making when Tamil cinema has actually evolved far ahead. That is how one feels about Aarumugam, a story that could have found its takers in the 90s. Striking similarities to Suresh Krissna’s big hits of the 90s at many places cannot escape your notice, even though the story, screenplay and dialogues have been handled by Rashid Premji.Aarumugam is about how one young lad is keen to fulfill his mother’s last wish. It also talks about friendship that transcends societal barriers. Bharath plays Aarumugam, the young man who owns a roadside eatery, lives with the sole aim of realizing his mother’s dream. He has a very close friend from a very unlikely background, the younger brother of a millionaire. However, this difference does not seem to hamper their friendship in any way. But the status conscious millionaire (Ramya Krishnan) is getting sleepless nights after knowing that her brother is socializing in places which could be quite damaging to her high flying image. She tries to intervene between the Arumugamfriends, but that does not work. So, the next thing to do, in a commercial movie, is to send goons who smash up all that the poor guy owns. On the street with nothing to lose, the poor young man’s fire in the belly burns hotter and brighter. The rest is easy to guess for anyone who regularly watched commercial potboilers of the 90s.A story that has been tried, tested, done and dusted gives the film very little chance of impressing us. It is the director who has to infuse life into proceedings. But, with the kind of script at hand it is a hard job to do, considering that audience these days are increasingly searching for plausibility and logic in even the smallest of things in the movie. There are many big holes in this respect which will irk people who have been treated to some sensible cinema off late. Moving legal processes in a matter of hours and earning millions over a few months are no longer fun to watch.Bharath has given an honest and earnest performance. In a role that comprises of fully playing to the galleries, he shows complete faith in the director. He has put up a good show in almost all the departments and worked hard in the fights. Ramya Krishnan in a role that was touted to be a la Neelambari delivers what is required. However, this one does not even nip at the skirts of Neelambari. Karthik and Abhinay pass muster in supporting roles. Priyamani is peripheral to the story and is present only for songs and glamour.Deva’s music has a feeble impact; only ‘Yamini’ seems interesting. Pa. Vijay’s lyrics in most songs are of pretty commendable standards, but the tunes let down the lines. Perarasu has written the opening song which also appears in the background many times.Aarumugam is an outdated story taken in a manner that would have worked in the mid 90s. But, Tamil audiences have outgrown this genre of cinema. There is no doubt as to which section of audiences this movie has targeted. But, even the front benchers have becoming discerning nowadays. Aarumugam will have a hard time convincing audiences. It may however find some takers who still love escapist masala.