Vidiyum Munn Review
Director: Balaji K. Kumar
Cast: Pooja Umashankar, Malavika Manikuttan
Debutant Balaji K Kumar’s Vidiyum Munn is one of the best new generation thrillers in recent times. It is not the usual masala thriller, but something different that grabs you with its taut narration, superb performances, great background score and a riveting climax.
The film happens in the course of a day. It opens with a frightened Rekha (Pooja) a commercial sex worker and an 11year old child Nandini (Malavika), on the run and boarding an overcrowded passenger train. The child is injured and it is clear they are running from someone. Four men for different reasons and motives are on the hunt to chase the hooker and the little girl.
It works big time due to characterisation, milieu and the suspense factor that the director is able to create and a great unexpected twist in the climax. The music and background score by Girishh Gopalakrishnan heightens the suspense and in sync with the theme of the film. Sivakumar Vijayan’s camera especially the night effects give it that eerie thriller feel.
Vidiyum Munn belongs to Malavika as Nandini the 11 year old girl, she is a natural and is convincing in a very difficult role. Pooja as Rekha the hooker simply lives the role. The supporting cast makes the film believable, the silent but deadly Chinnaiah played by Vinod Kishan, irritating John Vijay as the blackmailer and Amaraendran as Singaram the pimp. Lakshmi Ramakrishnan does a neat cameo.
However, the film is inspired from British crime thriller London to Brighton (2006) directed by Paul Andrew Williams, to which the makers have not acknowledged. The film nearly 2 hours and 15 minutes at times drags, need some trimming to make it even tauter.
Anyway these are minor issues as Balaji who has worked in Hollywood has made it with a lot of Tamil nativity and passion. Vidiyum Munn is definitely one of the best thrillers to have emerged in recent times. It is worth a look.
