Touring Talkies Movie Review
Director: SA Chandrasekhar
Cast: SAC, Papri Ghosh, Sunulakshmi
Music: Ilayaraja
Producer: Shoba Chandrasekhar
2 Stories 1 film - That is SA Chandrasekhar’s Touring Talkies. You get to see two movies at one go and both are fairly engaging. This genre is very popular in world cinema and with 'Touring Talkies', SA Chandrasekaran has incorporated the same technique in his own style.There are shortcomings but here is one experiment done with some honesty, which is to be seen there on the screen.
Among the highlights of the film are its technical brilliance, music by Ilayaraja and editing by Sreekar Prasad, and not to forget, the pace that never really allows the viewer to take their attention anywhere else.
The first half tells the love story of 75 year old Antony (SA Chadrasekhar) who comes to Shimla in search of his love Hema Malini (Papri Ghosh) who he missed in life. His journey is told in a very light manner and the best thing is that SAC has played his age.
The second story is set in a remote village where a powerful family of thugs rule ( Aadukalam Japalan, Robo Shankar, Sevvalai). He has portrayed a revolutionary theme with child molestation as the core issue in a hard hitting manner. The performances by the cast help the film immensely with some sincere acting from the veterans in the business and some of the young faces. New face Sunulekshmi shines and Robo Shankar is a revelation.
Ilayaraja triumps with his outstanding background score, especially the music towards the end of the first segment is endearing. On the whole, SAC’s new experiment is not an easy one to execute and he has made the film in an engaging manner. He needs a pat on his back just for that. The message underlying in the film is much needed for the society. Go for it and you may not regret the idea for sure.
