In director Premsai’s Tamil Selvanum Thaniyar Anjalum, Tamil Selvan (Jai), a courier, is entrusted with delivering an important parcel. A gang of villains want the parcel. A girl is waiting for him at a coffee shop. And a woman will die if he does not reach her in time. He starts to sprint.
It’s a setup that could have been from Run Lola Run or Traffic. But coming as it does after an unsatisfying first half filled with drab scenes and done-to-death situations, the intriguing setup does nothing to rescue the movie from mediocrity.
*****
Tamil Selvan, a history graduate from Tanjore, is looking for a job in Chennai. His uncle (VTV Ganesh) and friend, Nasa advise him to get a job at a courier company, but Tamil Selevan is determined to find a job that he truly likes.
Then he meets a pretty salesgirl at a khadi store, and decides to become a courier so he can meet her everyday. After several episodes of pestering her, she falls for him.
All along, VTV Ganesh and Santhanam crack lame joke after joke. Santhanam in particular, with his crass and unfunny jokes, has turned into a serious threat to Tami cinema’s rich comedic culture. Here is a sample: “When he was young, he fell into a river once, and was taken away by the current,” says VTV Ganesh, and before he can finish the line, Santhanam cuts him with, “Of course it was the current. If you fall into a river, not like Tamanna will take you away.”
The second half of the movie tries hard to compensate for the damage done in the first, yet falls flat, thanks to bad direction.
*****
Recommended
The only actor in the movie worth mentioning is Nasser, who plays a social activist. The veteran actor’s commanding body language and acting prowess make up for the badly written character that he plays. Jai is earnest, but there is a limit to what an average actor like him can do in a role as dull as this. Yami Gautham does what she does in fairness cream commercials: smiling beautifully. There is even a song in the movie dedicated to her fair skin. “Ever since you entered my life, my world is so fair and lovely”, sings the hero.
Tamil Selvanum Thaniyar Anjalum could have been a fine thriller. It attempts to talk about a grave and relevant issue. However, it ends up as a miserable misfire, thanks to the filmmaker’s efforts to make it a ‘wholesome entertainer’.
*****
The Tamil Selvanum Thaniyar Anjalum review is a Silverscreen original article. It was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the movie. Silverscreen.in and its writers do not have any commercial relationship with movies that are reviewed on the site.