All in all azhagu raja -movie review
Name: All in all azhagu raja
Starring: karthi,kajal agarwal,Radhika apte,santhanam
writtern & direction:M.Rajesh
Music by:Thaman.s
producer: K. E. Gnanavel Raja (studio Green)
All in All Azhaguraja is the 4th comedy entertainer from director Rajesh and this time it is
Karthi teaming up with the 'Comedy
Superstar' Santhanam. The movie is expected to continue the director's enviable run so
far.
The movie follows the regular Rajesh 'family entertainer' template and it tries to offer
maximum laughs to the audience for the
price of their ticket money. Can Santhanam manage to lift the fortunes of yet another
Rajesh movie?
Karthi plays Raja, the head of a local cable channel while Santhanam plays Kalyanam, his
employee, side-kick and 'Man Friday' rolled
into one. Raja falls for 'Chitra' Devi Priya, a stubborn young woman with dreams
of making it as an artist, come what may. The rest of the movie is obviously about how
he gets her hand, with a few odds stacked against him.
From 'Nanben Da' in Boss to 'Factu Factu' in OKOK, Santhanam's one-liners in Rajesh's
movies are always on the mark. Here it is 'Oh
Ho Na Na' and though it sounds funny, the comedian overuses it.
Karthi and Santhanam have shared good vibes in movies like Siruthai and Saguni but here
the magic isn't to be seen regularly. But
the way they address each other officially as 'MD Sir' and 'Officer Sir', stands out.
Santhanam is still a show stealer whenever he is
on screen. Such is the variety of expressions on his visage.
Veteran actors Kota Srinivasa Rao, M.S.Bhaskar and Naren showcase their comedic
abilities while Saranya Ponvannan continues
to get typecast. This role offers nothing to meet her outstanding abilities. Prabhu plays
Karthi's dad with typical authority and
confidence.
Though the 80s flashback is intentionally over-the-top, Karthik's body language and voice
modulation as the junior Prabhu is
commendable. The actor sure has put in the efforts. Santhanam shines as the Kaali Annan,
reminding us of the legendary Suruli
Rajan. Karthi and Santhanam's makeover and efforts are appreciable, and the references
to the popular movies of that era and
particularly Superstar Rajini, will make you smile.
Karthi eases through his role. His dancing skills have improved noticeably and he looks
handsome and fit. The addition of aneedless
little heroism element to the interval segment sticks out sorely.
Kajal Agarwal looks simple, charming and carries off her ethnic costumes very well,
thanks
to her slender and shapely frame. All
her efforts to learn dance under the tutoring of M.S.Bhaskar offer a few enjoyable
moments in the second half. In the same way,
when she confidently goes about singing in the most untrained and unpleasant manner
possible, Karthi's reactions are hilarious.
Towards the end, Kajal, Karthi and Naren are involved in a little 'passing the parcel'
exercise where Kajal is caught between her
lover and dad, as they try to convince her about her future.
Thaman's numbers such as 'Yaarukkum Sollama', 'Unnai Partha' and 'All in All' sound good,
and his background score for Santhanam's
Kareena Chopra portions are delightful. Speaking of Kareena Chopra, Santhanam’s
elaborate makeover, costumes and props are
authentic to say the least.
The length of the movie works against it and with the absence of scenes which will make
you roll over in boisterous laughter, the
movie could have used some trimming. Though the laughs are spread across a few
moments, when AAA is pitted against Rajesh's
other wholesome 'laughathons' such as OKOK and Boss, it falls way short.
Verdict: All in All Azhaguraja lacks the Rajesh - Santhanam magic