The premiere show of Kuselan was held yesterday at Sathyam Cinemas. The speciality of the show was that it was screened on all the five screens of the cineplex.
The show was attended by director P. Vasu, Producer Council President Ramanarayan, Laksmi Movie Makers Muralidharan, Pyramid Saimira's Swaminathan, actor Pasupathy, lyricist Na. Muthukumar, actors Prem, Navdeep, Vijay and Jai, director Hari and his family, director K. S. Ravikumar, producer Ramkumar and son Dushyanth, producer Mohan Natarajan, directors Ameer, A. L. Vijay, Karu Pazhainappan, music director Yuvanshankar Raja, director Jayam Raja with his family, director-choreograp her Raju Sundaram, director Venkat Prabhu and actor-singer- producer SPB Charan, cinematographer Aravind Krishna, actor-director Praveenkanth and several techinicians from the industry.
Review:
Kuselan (remake of the Malayalam movie Katha Parayumbol) has the special aura and look of a typical Rajni film; yet, in the place of the usual style king, audiences get to see the emotional actor in the superstar (the last scene is particularly superb!) similar to the role portrayed in the classic Aarilirindhu Arubadhu Varai. The Tamil remake has of course deviated from the original and incorporated a few interesting changes; Rajni's role has been considerably expanded, yet the movie is completely devoid of artifice and commercial frippery.
Blockbuster director P. Vasu knows audiences' expectations from a Rajni movie. With such an action hero in the lead role, Vasu has displayed commendable sagacity and showcased him with an image makeover.
The story of Kuselan goes like this: Two childhood friends grow up together in a small village, then go their separate ways. One rises to become a superstar. The other struggles through life and barely ekes out a living as a barber in the same village. When the barber and the superstar meet, there is evidently a clash of personalities. But how do they overcome their differences and rekindle their friendship?
Superstar, portrayed as superstar himself, is something nobody in Tamil cinema dared to attempt till date. The characterization itself has a touch of novelty and exclusivity. The best part is that in the role of a superstar, Rajni has taken this opportunity to answer some important questions put by his fans. Why he is avoiding politics? Why do movie cameras focus mainly on the industry's big shots likr Rajni and Kamal? Is there a secret behind his periodic visits to the Himalayas? If you watch Kuselan, you are sure to find answers to all these questions!
Though the focus is more on the superstar, Pasupathy shines as a solid performer. Particularly in a sequence where everybody lauds and reveres him as the star's friend, the timidity and longing projected from his eyes display the great actor's talent. Nayantara is simply gorgeous and Meena warms audiences' hearts. Vadivelu, as the unfortunate barber who has to abduct customers to cut their hair, is absolutely enjoyable. Sona is his sensational pair.
The gallery of supporting stars, including Livingstone (straight through Rajni's direct recommendation! ), Chinni Jayanth, M.S. Bhaskar, Manobala, R. Sundarrajan, Santhanam, and T.P. Gajendran, evoke lots of laughter. G.V. Prakash's music ('Thalaiva' song tugs at one's heart-strings! ), Arvind Krishna's camera and Thotta Tharani's art direction -- all these constitute Kuselan's crowning glories. After Sivaji, the movie is a fitting comeback for Rajni. Such a strong role, in which he downplays his own talents and icon status, could be performed only by Rajni, a star and visionary of highest order. And all the love and admiration his fans have for their 'Thalaivar' have worked as an uplifting breeze, guaranteeing the success of Kuselan.
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