36 Vayathinile Movie Review
Review Overview
Performances
Screenplay & Direction
Technical Aspects & BGM
A terrific come-back vehicle for Jyotika!
Jyotika delivers a pleasing lead performance and shines in her role as Vasanthi with great vigor, controlled, likeable expressions and graceful screen presence. 36 Vayadhinile is a perfect, terrific come-back vehicle for Jyotika; and she’s here to stay.
Cast: Jyotika, Rahman, Abhirami, Delhi Ganesh, Naaser, MS Bhaskar and others
Cinematography: Diwakar
Music: Santhosh Narayanan
Editing: Mahesh Narayanan
Dialogues: Viji
PRO: Johnson
Screenplay: Bobby Sanjay
Story & Direction: Rosshan Andrews
Produced by: Suriya’s 2D Entertainment
Distribution: Studio Green
Release Date: 15-05-2015
Run Time: 01:55:00
After a hiatus of eight long years, Jyotika has made a charming comeback in 36 Vayadhinile, the official remake of the Malayalam film How Old Are You.
Tamil cinema has made larger-than-life heroes out of rogues, do-nothing slobs, stalkers and what not. Here is a refreshing film that produces a real heroine out of a married, working woman who deftly manages her household, self-centered husband, still-maturing daughter, caring in-laws and cunning colleagues.
Vasanthi, played by Jyothika, is a 36-year old, married middle-class woman whose tiny little world is confined to her family. Tamil Selvan (Rahman), Vasanthi’s husband, has landed a job in Ireland he has dreamt for years. Vasanthi’s teenage daughter Mithila is also quite charged up about flying to Ireland because she has researched a lot about their educational system and is impressed. However, an unfortunate accident lands him in trouble and his migration dream for a better life style is at risk. But he puts his wife at stake to find a way out and leaves to Ireland with his daughter despite repeated requests from Vasanthi to not take Mithila away.
Vasanthi’s age hinders her visa process to get work permit in Ireland and this galls her daughter. Vasanthi is left alone in India only to rediscover herself. Vasanthi, an upper division clerk in a revenue department, encounters an opportunity to become an entrepreneur and a role-model to the society.
The transformation of Vasanthi from a point where she is so ignorant and naïve that she doesn’t even know a license has an expiry date to someone who firmly believes that no one can put an expiry date to a woman’s dream is told beautifully though not proceeded unhurriedly. The film also packs a nice message about the merits of organic farming in the second half. But, the irony is while Vasanthi’s coming-of-age is etched out organically; her discovery-of-self is slightly botched up and doesn’t appear organic. Either, it’s told as a convenient fairy-tale courtesy the rushed second half.
A lot of questions are unanswered in the process. How did a worldly Vasanthi, who is bold enough to stage protests during her college days and well-read to do a book reading session of an Alexandre Dumas book, become so unworldly after marriage?
Nevertheless, women-centric films are rarely made in Tamil cinema and the minor pitfalls can afford to be overlooked. Kudos to Jyotika for making a come-back in a film that conveys a lovely message that will stand the test of time.
Director Rosshan Andrrews has made sure to capture the emotions and atmosphere of the original intact without altering it in the name of modifying-to-suit-the-sensitivity-of-Tamil-audiences. Roshan also deserves a pat on his back for staying clear of melodrama in many scenes that are so vulnerable of being labeled as drippy melodrama. Instead, the nativity is brought out naturally in the lines of Viji, whose dialogues strike a chord and make audiences think for a while. It is easily the best indulgence of the film. Santhosh Narayanan has delivered his violin-backed scores for some of the most significant scenes to up the ante and it has worked well.
“Anju vishayam pannalam solra nammala, ambathu vishayam panna koodathu nu solraanga” .
Jyotika delivers a pleasing lead performance and shines in her role as Vasanthi with great vigor, controlled, likeable expressions and graceful screen presence. 36 Vayadhinile is a perfect, terrific come-back vehicle for Jyotika; and she’s here to stay!
I really, really hope the film does well at the box office and puts an end to the thought that women-centric films often bite the dust. Studio Green backing the project is a good boost to the film’s box office prospects and I hope it shows results too. Only then, we will be able to witness a direct Kahaani, Queen, English Vinglish or another How Old Are You in Tamil screen soon instead of a remake.
36 Vayathinile Movie Review Rating: 3/5
Written by Surendhar MK