After all the hoopla over the release of Kamal Haasan’s ‘Manmadhan Ambu’, his fourth association with film-maker K.S. Ravikumar, the film has now hit the screens all over the globe. Having said that, it still remains a mystery as to why the promos and advertisements in the print and television media of the film sought to create an impression as if Kamal and Trisha are ‘paired’ on-screen for the first time!
Let’s set the casting aside and have a peep into what the story is all about. Kamal plays Major Mannar, a private detective who runs own surveillance agency after a stint with the Indian army. Trisha play Ambujakshi alias Ambu, a popular actress known to her audience and others as Nisha. Madhavan is Madanagopal, a successful industrialist who is head-over-heels in love with Nisha. The love affair runs into rough weather when Madan thinks Nisha is two-timing her as she is an ‘actress’.
Madan hires Mannar to follow Nisha and keep her within limits to watch her movements and report back to him on a daily basis. Though he doesn’t take such work, Mannar is forced to agree to do Madan’s job in order to drum up some much-needed funds to meet the expenditure he would have to incur in treating his close pal suffering from cancer.
Then there is Sangeetha (Deepa), a divorcee with two children, who happens to be a thick friend of actress Ambu. The two of them embark on a tour abroad and land up aboard a luxury cruise traveling in the Mediterranean Sea. A vigilant Mannar joins them on board to keep tabs in Ambu’s activities. Soon Mannar gets close enough to Ambu to find out that there is nothing fishy or foul in Ambu’s activities and relays his feedback that there was ‘nothing untoward’ for Madan to bother about.
Madan, however, is adamant and says that as there was ‘nothing’ to worry, he too had ‘nothing’ to pay for the services rendered by Mannar. This pushes Mannar into a tight corner who needs urgent money for his friend’s surgery. Mannar then think of and puts into play a drama which convinces Madan that Nisha indeed has another ‘affair’. A thoughtless Madan easily falls into the trap set by Mannar. Things threaten to go out of control when Mannar’s trap for Madan not only foxes Madan but also disturbs the happiness of other individuals.
In order to do something quick and fast to undo what he had created, Mannar discusses the issue with Deepa and formulates a strategy with her help to solve all the mysteries. Watch the film to find out how the rest of the story unfolds and to know whether or not Madhan and Ambu ditch their misgivings and stay united and what happens to Deepa and Mannar.
Notwithstanding the facts that the film had a producer who’s ready to spend any dime and a director who could handle any script, it does strike you as to what has
Kamal has taken care of the story and screenplay and all the lyrics of the film and has done a fair enough job if all the three departments. The opening sequence when Madan and Ambu verbally quarrel with each other is itself a sample of things to unfold.
It’s however, doubtful, whether the audience would accept the many English dialogues in the film. It’s so much that one might even wonder as to why couldn’t Tamil sub-titles weren’t used by the director.
K.S. Ravikumar, whose films are always enjoyable, has done a good job and scores in sequences wherein he has showed the flash-back sequences in the ‘reverse’ mode. The ‘Neelavanam’ song which narrates Kamal’s past life is good. The sequence leading to the climax has too many twists for the audience to remember them clearly.
Kamal has a cakewalk in the role, which is hardly a challenge to his acting prowess. The film, however, would be immemorable to both Madhavan and Sangeetha who have unforgettable roles in it. Trisha has improved in her dialogue deliver though she looks jaded in some sequences.
Manush Nandan’s cinematography is a great work indeed. Devi Sri Prasad’s music almost flatters to deceive as none of the numbers failing to register their presence in our hearts except for ‘He’s the Hero’ number in Andrea Jermaiah’s lingering voice.
Don’t miss ‘Manmathan Ambu’ if you’re a die-hard Kamal fan!
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