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Kaatrin Mozhi is the toned down, Tamil remake of last year’s Tumhari Sulu (Vidya Balan) starring Jyothika as Viji and Vidharth as Baalu. The story revolves around Viji’s impulsive decision to become an RJ and the effect it has on the conservative, lower middle class family.
Even as Nayanthara rules the roost in Tamil cinema, Jyothika stands tall as the comeback queen. From 36 Vayathinile in 2015, to Kaatrin Mozhi, she’s seen success all the way. In a season of Masala films, will this quiet, non-controversial, feel-good flick bring viewers to screens? And how does it compare with the original?
The plotline is the same. The actor’s characteristics are the same. The feeling that the scenes wish to evoke is the same. And yet, Kaatrin Mozhi is unique and different from Tumhari Sulu.
Vidharth, who plays the husband is convincing. All that he faces at work is something any office goer can relate to. His inarticulate responses to insults at work endear him to the viewer. But there is no chemistry between Viji and Baalu. That Jyothika is Surya’s wife seems to hang heavy in the back of his mind. He’s unsure physically around her and it shows. Why such hesitation in a Radha Mohan film (certified U) is beyond me?
Radha Mohan’s films work because of parallel comedic arcs that are carried forth beautifully by character actors like M S Basker, Manobala and Elango Kumaravel - all of them regulars in his films.
As the movie nears the climax, it becomes obvious that the characters aren’t really acting as much as responding to the situations in the plot. Sometimes it works beautifully, like when Viji’s husband insults her, or when her son (played by Narayan Lucky) breaks down before her, after being found by the police.
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