Tamil Movie Mynaa - Reviews/Opinions

Love stories never failed to capture the admiration of the masses. The romance, the travails and the struggles of the lover couple have always won the nod of the film-buffs. And it is doubly so when the story has close resemblance to reality.

Director Prabhu Solomon, who made films like 'King', 'Kokki' and 'Lee', has rendered a touchy tale of romance in 'Mynaa', which is earthy and emotional from the word go. When hero-centric films are holding sway in Tamil cinema, the filmmaker deserves guts to churn out a movie that is centered on a girl.

As the promos suggest, 'Mynaa' speaks loud about the journey of love. Set in a village on the high altitudes of Tamil Nadu-Kerala border, the film throws light on the innocence, trust and the lifestyle of people in the rustic lands.

Prabhu Solomon in the company of cinematographer Sukumar has presented a treat to the eyes. Though he has a host of lesser known star cast, the artistes get under the skin of their respective roles, giving it an authentic feel.

Vidharth, who made his debut in 'Thottupaar', plays the male protagonist while Amala of 'Sindhu Samavali' fame dons the role of his lover girl. But for Thambi Ramiah, almost the entire cast is fresh and gives the movie a new look. And the script too is equally racy and taut.

The movie begins with Suruli (Vidharth), lodged in a sub jail in Theni, recalling his past life. His father is a callous person and he had lost his mother at his birth. He drops out of the school and earns his livelihood working as a cleaner for a vehicle.

He takes pity on a young mother and her daughter Mynaa, who are forced to come to street due to poverty. Suruli helps them take refuge in a house in his village. Slowly, he gets acquainted with Mynaa (Amala).

He even helps her join a school and pursue her education. As years roll by, they grow young adults and get fascinated for each other. However, coming to know of their affair, Mynaa's brother plans her wedding with a rich man in the neighbouring village. Suruli picks up an argument with Mynaa's brother and assaults him.

For this 'crime', Suruli is lodged in the prison. A day before his 15-day remand comes to close, he decides to escape from the jail. This sends shockwaves among authorities and the onus now falls on Bhaskar (Sethu), the warden and his associate Ramaiah (Thambi Ramiah) to nab him.

They set out to Kurangani village in search of him. At the village, Suruli manages to halt the wedding of Myna and flees from the place. But fate lands him in Bhaskar's hands. Now they begin their journey from the village to Theni. They face many challenges and difficulties on their way back.

Slowly the bad image of Suruli in the minds of Bhaskar and Ramaiah is erased and they admire him. When everything seems to go well and the policemen plan to help them get married, a twist comes in Mynaa's life in the form of Bhaskar's wife and her brothers. The rest is a rivetting climax which ends on an emotional tone.

Hats-off to Amala. The young actress has played her party exceedingly well. As a love-lorn girl, she shows right emotions. Also in the latter part when she runs around for her life and love, she is right there giving her best.

Vidharth as ruffian resembles Karthi in 'Paruthiveeran'. His cool body language and dialogue delivery add strength to the character he has played. Prabhu Solomon seems to have extracted the best from him.

Sethu as Bhaskar is a pleasant surprise. He is tailor-made for the character. A well-built physique comes to his rescue. Thambi Ramaiah plays a complex character, which not just provides laughter but at few places makes on go emotional. The rest of the characters are adequate.

Giving Prabhu Solomon good support are cameraman Sukumar and music composer D Imman. The former has captured the locales in Kurangani village in Kerala border with its pristine glory, while the latter has moved from his typical racy musical stuff to melody. Especially the songs 'Neeyum Nanum'' and 'En Usirae Neethandi'' is apt for the theme of the movie. Also the background score is appropriate.

Due credits should go to Udhayanidhi Styalin. His Red Gaint Movies has already won the reputation of producing quality themes. Quite appropriately, he has presented this movie produced by Shalom Studios in association with AGS Entertainment. For those who are tired of commercial masalas on Tamil cinema 'Mynaa' comes as whiff of fresh air. It's going to be a happy Deepavali for Solomon and his team.