Review Overview
Performances
Writing and Direction
BGM & Cinematography
Lost Opportunity!
Megha is a romantic thriller solely riding on the shoulders of Ilaiyaraja’s exhilarating background score. It has a wafer-thin, done-to-death plot which demanded a much better writing to make the audiences sit through the film.
Cast: Ashwin Kakumanu, Srushti, Angana Roy, Jayaprakash, Naren & Others
Music: Ilaiyaraaja
Cinematography: Gurudev
Editing: Ram Sudharsan
PRO: Nikkil Murugan
Direction: Karthik Rishi
Produced by: Albert James, Selvakumar
Banner: GB Studios
Distribution: JSK Film Corporation
Release Date: 29-08-2014
Megha is a romantic thriller solely riding on the shoulders of Ilaiyaraja’s exhilarating background score. It has a wafer-thin, done-to-death plot which demanded a much better writing to make the audiences sit through the film.
Megha is part murder-mystery, part romantic drama. But what’s most appalling is the fact the murder-mystery part of the story is merely contrived to serve the romantic part, which is again for a devised for a schmaltzy climactic showdown. But director Karthik Rishi seems to have shot two climaxes for the film, one which focuses on the burning issue of euthanasia and the other one, a conventional Tamil cinema ending. So, the director has adopted the latter climax to suit the taste of audiences and more importantly to satisfy the distributors, which looks a really sensible compromise considering this is Karthik’s debut film.
Ashwin Kakumanu and Srushti meet up on a rainy day and a small talk paves way for the beginning of their relationship. Then they again meet each other in a marriage, where a bizarrely constructed situation takes their relationship to the next level. Ashwin plays a young and aspiring forensic officer, mentored by Vijayakumar, who plays city’s soon-to-be-made police commissioner. The first half of the film which deals about the tepid romance between Ashwin and Srushti takes a completely genre-switching turn in the second half as a murder-mystery. By the time when everything arrives towards the third-act, one wonders which part of the story the writer was honestly trying to portray to the audience.
If the first part was made as a full-fledged tale, the film could have been a little better. If the second half was made as a full-fledged tale, it could have been more better. But, this indifferent fusion in narration leaves the audience baffling at the end. And, the same goes for the climax too. Had the climax which was opted before made it to the theatres, it could received a tad better response.
Ashwin as a sincere forensic officer and a responsible lover has delivered a neat performance whereas Srushti patently comes across as an amateur. Jayaprakash, YG Mahendran, Naren have carried their roles well.
Ilaiyaraja’s background score and songs are the only saving grace in the film which is otherwise tedious and insincerely emotional. R.B. Gurudev’s visuals deserves a mention too. Megha will end up in history books as one among the many films which let down Ilaiyaraja’s towering score.