Cast: Karthi, Aditi Rao Hydari, Lalitha, Delhi Ganesh, RJ Balaji and others
Director: Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam is one of the most celebrated directors in India and his movies have always create much box office buzz. His latest Cheliya, the dubbed version of Tamil film Kaatru Veliyidai, released on Friday. Karthi, popular in Tamil and Telugu cinema Aditi Rao Hydari are in lead roles. The story is set during the Kargil conflict of 1999. Varun (Karthi) is an IAF pilot and while flying over Pakistan, his plane crashes. He is soon captured by the Pakistan Army and jailed. In prison, and during his flashbacks, we are shown how he had once met a young doctor, Leela (Aditi Rao) during his recovery at a hospital following an accident. We are shown that they had fallen in love and that he had even proposed, only to not turn up at the registrar’s office on the big day. He remembers all this while in the Pakistani jail and decides to escape, to find Leela and make it up with her. So, how does he escape and does Leela accept him back?
Mani Ratnam’s last film O Kadhal Kanmani did well at the box office and Cheliya may well do likewise because many people will watch a Mani Ratnam film whether or not it does well at the box office. Since the film starts out with a war and the protagonist is a fighter pilot, audiences might expect a patriotic film like Ratnam’s earlier film, Roja. But here, combat is not central to the story which actually revolves around Karthi and Leela’s love affair. So the film falls between two stools — it’s neither a patriotic film nor a romantic entertainer. It’s just a regular film without any great story, or particular focus on one genre. Karthi’s character is puzzlingly inconsistent. He is initially a good and happy person, and then is shown to be an arrogant and frustrated person sometimes, and one is unable to account for this change.
The escape from the Pakistani prison could have been exciting, but it is absolutely devoid of any drama. However, Ravi Varman’s photography is superb. Like many of Mani Ratnam films, the visuals are great and he makes wonderful use of the backdrop the tragic Kargil episode was set against. Maestro A.R. Rahman provides the tunes but his score is nothing special, except for one or two songs. The dialogue is not very impressive either. When it comes to the performances, Karthi steals the show. He does a commendable job as a pilot with the IAF. Aditi Rao Hydari also gives an excellent performance and the scenes between her and Karthi have come out very well. RJ Balaji and Delhi Ganesh have done well in supporting roles. Cheliya is a regular romantic tale shot amidst beautiful locations. However, you can’t help but ask if the famous Mani Ratnam has lost his touch. His latest will be remembered only for a few parts. Another big minus is its slow pace. The lead pair and the visuals are the strong points of the film but that may not help without strong content and good music.
