"Imsai Arasan 23m Pulikesi" (Language - Tamil) (2006) - Movie Review

Director Shankar produced and debutant director Chimbudevan’s “Imsai Arasan 23m Pulikesi” works terrifically when it does not takes itself serious and fails astronomically when it does in the name of social responsibility. I am not amnesiac about the memories I have on what to expect in a tamil film but there has always been a feeling of unwholesome when a film I watched had many flaws and I forgave lot of it due to the rest of the strong material. I have disowned that forgiving attitude towards any film and thus the unanimous declaration of this film in its entirety on naming it a novel attempt is a cover up for much larger routine. Yet it had the maturity of a comic intelligence in numerous occasions to sidle the ever green classic comedy “Thillu Mullu”.

Knowing that it is a satiric period piece, it had a creative pleasant surprise of funny notes over the screen. Arrow marks pointing the character and mentioning their name, the time of the situation is said as “Aanthai Pilirum Neram” (Time at which Owl’s screech) set high hopes for something original. Then it came shattered down early on with a MGR and Sivaji era story of twins separating. And I did not jump to conclusion and was eagerly expecting a parody of it but there was more happening in the same taste. I was disappointed that a tamil film I am viewing after a considerable time and with rave suggestions and reviews had such a downtrodden path of unfunny routine execution. The saddest part about a comedy is that the predictability of the joke and the worse part is that it is still not funny. Surrounded by it, the film let me down for a near forty five minutes.

Then the real material arrived with thunderous revelation in the innovative stupidity of actor Vadivelu as Pulikesi. The “Jaathi Sandai Maithaanam” (Caste/Religion fights Stadium) and then with “Akka Mala” and “Gupsi”drinks. The cola drinks reign and its insane marketing are the true satiric moments (even though slapping the members who did the commercials is a cruel injustice). At the start of the film, the ruthless and imbecile ruler Pulikesi (And this I believe does not represent the “real” ancient ruler Pulikesi in Chozha Kingdom (Braces and braces to be politically correct)) begins to be a lovable rascal. That is when the film strikes its vantage point. From that till the interval (for people who does not understand this concept, Indian films and especially tamil films have a 15-20 minutes break for the people to stretch, smoke and empty their bladders) it is clear indication of Chimbudevan’s original intention. He perfectly employs that strange innocent stupidity and the façade the character of Vadivelu puts in a manner many viewers of regular tamil movies be surprised.

The serious flaws in the film are the (1) Songs and to call it even songs makes me feel dirty (2) the character of Ukkira Puthiran played again by Vadivelu (3) carrier of the righteousness flag in the name of social messages which most of it is a language chauvinistic and over the top zeal of patriotism. Why the film takes itself into a stand of social righteousness? It is not a mistake having those but how it gets its place in a comedy genre is a skill of rope walking. The marketing of the film and the success of it is the character of Pulikesi on an elevated innocence in his ruthless violence and thus liking him among his wrong doings. Ukkira Puthiran’s character walks and talks like a guy who just had strong concoction of self declared revolutionary philosophies. Why does he still carry the similar tone of that when he disguises as Pulikesi? How much fun it would have been if before he did the exchange studied the Pulikesi and while performing the good deeds and ordinance carry the sense of comedic capability?

Forgiving the flaws and that would be eliminating an hour from the film would definitely make the film radically sound and one of the hysterically funny films of our times in tamil film industry. But that would mean an unfair evaluation from this reviewer’s perspective. I have never laughed so hard for a tamil film in many long years and as equally flinched, stretched and hoped the film to end. The signs of self parody were not absent but were quite evident when one of the characters explains the screenplay’s obviousness of uniting twins in film. When you see something like that, it hurts even more on the succumbing script and direction for the appeal of finance. At the end of the film, the redeemed ruler announces “Patthu Kattalaigal” (Ten Rules) in his land of governance. If the film had one of standing up for its material (which it is in surplus), “Imsai Arasan 23m Pulikesi” would have been my all time comedy film joining the list of “Thillu Mullu”, “Avvai Shanmugi” (despite Kamal’s core plagiarism of “Mrs. Doubtfire”) and “Panchathanthiram”.