Nagaraja Cholan MA MLA Movie Review: Missing Amaidhi Padai magic

Production: K Suresh, S Ravichandran
Cast: Sathyaraj, Manivannan,Seeman, Varsha Aswathy, Komal Sharma, Mridula Murali and others
Story, screenplay and direction: Manivannan
Music: James Vasanthan
Forget Amaidhi Padai or skip its sequel

Old-timers and veteran actor Sathyaraj’s fans must have waited with lots of hope and expectations to watch the ageing star back on screen essaying the lead role. In their landmark film (200th film as an actor for Sathyaraj and 50th film as a director for Manivannan), the famed duo disappoints the viewers though it cannot be said that the film is not without its share of interesting and enjoyable moments.

Nagaraja Cholan MA MLA Storyline

Billed as a sequel to the duo’s earlier hit film Amaidhi Padai which released in 1994, NCMM doesn’t exactly start off from where the first part ended. Instead, it traces the life of a power-hungry politician who would go to any length in saving his head and in ensuring that he stays in power irrespective of whatever happens around him.

Nagaraja Cholan (Sathyaraj) reenters politics along with his assistant Mani (Manivannan) after a brief hiatus. He gets the plump post of deputy chief minister thanks to his bargaining power. Later he manipulates his way to become the CM.

He signs up a contract with a foreign firm going against the advice of his officers that the contract would be detrimental to the environment and the interest of the tribal population in the State. As a result, the contract boomerangs on Nagaraja Chozhan who puts to good use all the dirty tactics he had learnt the harsh way in the murky world of politics.

The fight by the people led by the likes of Seeman makes things tougher to the CM.

Despite all his tricks and experience in politics Nagaraja Cholan finds himself behind the bars but his son rises at the right time to continue his legacy!

Nagaraja Cholan MA MLA Script review

Manivannan, the inimitable story-teller, is at work again and has made a film after a long, long time. Though the story is good, it hardly has anything new to offer to the viewers. We have seen many such movies post Amaidhi Padai and hence repeating the Amaidhi Padai magic with the same kind of sequences doesn’t work

However, Manivannan has aptly brought to the fore the unethical world of politics and politicians which is all about betrayal, clamour for women and money and not caring about the public who vote them to power.

The criticism on today’s politics and political leaders is quite powerful.

Nagaraja Cholan MA MLA Cast and crew

Without an iota of doubt, the positives of the film are the razor-sharp dialogues and the on-screen chemistry between Sathyaraj and Manivannan. It is apparent that the friendship between the duo off-screen manifests in their great on-screen combo.

Typical of Manivannan style, Sathyaraj promptly delivers those dialogues dipped in sarcasm while not failing to reflect the current political trend. Sathyaraj cakewalks through the role with his own style of nonchalant arrogance; it’s no wonder he loves these anti-hero kinds of roles. Aided greatly by the dialogues and script, his body language and the timing transform him into a seasoned, corrupt politician. There is also the hand of foreign forces acting on our politicians, displacement of Tribals and their livelihood.

The dialogues which criticize the present political scenario are nice: they criticize everything from power cuts to freebies to Vijaykanth to family welfare politics.

Manivannan, the actor, plays the perfect foil to Sathyaraj. Though the film has traces of its prequel, there is a newcomer who takes credit: Raghu, Manivannan’s son, plays Sathyaraj’s son in the film and has come out with flying colours in the presence of two veterans towering over him.

The heroines have been used strictly for the glamour part of it and Komal Sharma looks lovely and might have a long rein in tamil films.

Technically, cinematography is good.

James Vasanthan’s music is disappointing to say the least. Editing is shoddy at times.

Positive points

• Political satire
• Sathyaraj’s performance
• Dialogues between Sathyaraj and Manivannan

Negative points:

• Uninspiring music
• Boring second-half
• Clichéd script with full of predictable characters and incidents.

Verdict

Don’t expect the magic of Amaidhi Padai. Go with less expectations and you might enjoy it for Sathyaraj and Manivannan.