Movie Review: Kuselan

For all of you out there who picture ‘Kuselan’ as a movie with the eternally amazing Rajnikanth as its lead, here’s an eye-opener.

This movie has ‘Pashupathy’ playing the lead role!

But that shouldn’t be the least bit disappointing for Rajnikanth fans. Rajni manages to captivate the audience with his electric energy and a performance beyond his ‘ultra stylish image’ in this role that is shorter than his usual ones but is loads meatier

Kuselan, shot by maverick director P. Vasu of Chandramukhi fame reteams with Rajnikanth in this sure shot blobkbuster. The story has the simplistic beauty and the essence of true friendship. Kuselan follows the movie within a movie tactic. Ashok Kumar (Rajnikanth) is a ‘superstar’ who on a shooting expedition lands up in the sluggish Marayur (a village-town of sorts). This usurps the village! Masses flock on to meet this superstar but we all know how difficult it is to meet him. One in the town is Balu (PashuPathi) a barber with very humble earnings.

Now! he recollects that Ashok Kumar is Ashok, his childhood buddy! He further rings the bell by revealing it to all! That’s when everyone’s after him to somehow make themselves reach to the superstar (through him obviously). But, Balu thinks otherwise. He is quite rightly ashamed of his conditions and doesn’t approach Ashok with assumptions or rather fears of Ashok not recognizing him and all the usual doldrums of the not possible superstar-barber friendship stuff! Finally, do these childhood buddies meet each other? Does the superstar remember his friend? It’s worth a watch if you really want to know.

Kuselan is an exquisite tale of friendship and can soak up dozens of hankies... in a good way at that. PashuPathy is brilliant as the barber. He gets a natural flair to his character and carries with great finesse the mixed bag of feelings the barber has deep inside.

However, its is Rajnikanth that breathes life to this movie. His undeniably ecstatic presence in movie is sheer joy. This time around its not just blind hype! RajniKanth puts in a performance that uses more of his considerably huge acting skills and less of the cinematic flips and rolls. Tears are bound to trickle down when the superstar talks about friendship!

Coming to the slacks, there is inevitably a bit of forced comedy and some unnecessary voyeuristic imagery of navel-show courtesy of hottie Nayanthara rain dancing. But the goodies of Kuselan greatly outweigh its few slip ups.

This is the story of Kuselan and Krishna presented in a different mould that’s as refreshing and touching as the fable. Walk into the theater with your buddy this friendship day and if you both happen to be Rajni fans, watching the movie should be a brilliant gift that you could share!

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