Aattanayagan Movie Review

Starring: Shakthi, Ramya Nambeesan, Aditya, Meera Vasudevan
Direction: Krishna Raam
Music: Srikanth Deva
Production: Lakshmi Movie Makers

Directing an out and out commercial movie is like being on the horns of a dilemma. You run the risk of being accused as sloppy for having left too many logical loopholes visible in the script –although commercial movies defy any sort of logic – yet to present the movie as entertaining as possible. However, first timer Krishna Ram
Aattanayagan
manages to pull off a not-too-bad attempt with Aatta Nayagan. The movie has a done-to-death story all right; but it is neatly executed that any of our top line heroes would have gladly taken it in their hands had it been offered to them.

On the outside, Aatta Nayagan has a jaded story of a hero who can administer gravity defying thumps on burly henchmen numbering into dozens to save his brother’s dignity. But the movie is unpretentious in its commercial intentions. So what you get is a precise mix bag of over-the-top stunts, family drama and emotional scenes, few songs, a love affair and some comedy thrown in for good measure to make it entertaining.

Sakthi, the aspiring-a-job-in-the-US graduate, and Aditya, who is supposedly running a software company in Hyderabad, are brothers. While Aditya is the archetypal elder brother who makes decent money, Sakthi often finds himself derided by his father for his unemployment. But Sakthi finds another way to keep himself occupied. He falls in love with Ramya Nambisan, who in turn is an ambitious girl whose primary responsibility is to marry her sister off.

The hurdle to his love affair being Ramya’s sister’s wedding, Sakthi pleads with Aditya to marry the sister. Reluctantly, Aditya does the same and upon reaching Hyderabad, the bride discovers that her newly wedded husband is a gangster and not an entrepreneur who owns a software Company, according to popular belief. How did Aditya get into this mess? Does Sakthi manage to save his brother? What sacrifices does he make to marry his girlfriend? Watch Aattanayagan to find out.

As you can see, the script is populated with necessary components for a potboiler. Stunts, songs and emotional sequences – Sakthi handles them all and emerges largely unscathed. He does have the flair of an entertainer and the director’s efforts to show him as a well-rounded actor are evident.

Technically, there is nothing specific that can be bragged about. The music and the re-recording are typical Srikanth Deva stuff. So is cinematography and editing which can only be classified as ‘just enough’ for a commercial entertainer.

Nothing spectacular to write home about the rest of the cast although every actor ebbs and flows with the movie carrying out their roles suitably. Nasser is at his usual best while Aditya has done a neat job of the good-man turned bad-man act. What with their brand of sparkling comedy famous during their small screen days, Santhanam and Jeeva do manage to tickle a funny bone or two over the course of the movie. The Pattampoochi song is good in Sreekanth Deva’s music while the rest are just passé.

Aatta Nayagan might not be the best time pass entertainer you will stumble upon in movies but if you want to give the quintessential masala potboiler a chance once again, performed by an up and coming actor for once as opposed to the established ones, you might like the movie.