Cricket is as intense as a religion in our country. And like there are miscreants to defame any faith and make money out of it, this sport has been made into a well paying profession in the form of gambling. Betting on matches and involving bookies, cheaters of players and lots of money is an ancillary match that runs along side every big series. Based on one such event of gambling is what 'Aadama Jaichomada' is about.
Plan and Picture:
Dayalan (Balaji) is a broker who lobbies between players and betters. As the semi finals approaches in Chennai, Daya gets on to work, putting one person across to another, to channellise betting money. One of the latest tactics employed by bookies is to hire a taxi and be on the move, making it hard to be traced, while transacting. And that is how Panneer (Karunakaran) comes into the picture. Panneer, the taxi driver, is hired by Dayalan, and the two drive all around the city, two days prior to the match, meeting important personnel regarding the game. In their journey Daya learns from Panneer that he is in immense debt which has kept him separated from his wife Rama (Vijayalakshmi), and Daya offers to help Panneer settle his bills. The next day, Daya is found murdered in his room and the blame is on Panneer. Innocent, yet caught in the mysterious web, Panneer is confused and scared, which is when he is abducted from inspector Bhoominathan (Bobby Simha) by police force from another state! Confusion gets bigger, a lot of people are involved and all they have is a clueless day left for the big match day which means money. How all the characters are linked, how they get their share in betting despite having no clue and most of all, who killed Daya, forms the crux of the story.
Bobby in association with KS Ravikumar and Karunakaran neck deep in trouble with the gang of Aadukalam Naren are the real show runners. There are a lot of characters with almost equal importance on screen, given the complexity of the story. So there is very little room for everyone to emote an array of feelings. Hence it is mandatory that the cast be chosen just right so that the story remains intact. And director Badri's team is a band of well talented actors who live up to their characters.
Technicals:
Well conceived as a story, the film seems to have missed a bit of homework in its translation to screen. Given the nature of movie, the direction however was very good and it was edited very well too by KJ Venkatramanan, that is typical of a racy subject that keeps you involved in the movie. Sean Roldon has scored innovative music for the background, though the songs are not really interesting. Action sequences have been well conceived and translated too. Humour is on a high note in the movie, which is a welcome relief in a script with such intense story.
The good ones...:
Story is definitely a plus. Once the ODI or T20 cricket fever is over, people seem to easily forget the mega plans of gambling. But this story opens our eyes on what might really be going on in the bookie circuit. It is a well researched story in all. Sean's music is always known to be innovative and it has helped a great deal in breaking the stereotypical background score. Bobby's avatar as cop is stylish and suave and his quirky ideologies are humorous. The concept of multilayered story weaved on a base of mystery, with all characters interlinked, is interesting in itself. Editing is funky at times and very innovative, hand in hand with Dwarakanath's camera.
Could have been better...:
Time management seems to have gone for a toss. There are a couple of songs, one which is really intelligently shot, but there is too much of it, rendering it unnecessary. Further, there is no need for songs, except maybe only the one in climax, but they still are very much in the movie. The calibre that Sean carried in BGM seems music in music, which is disappointment. Given the subject handled in the movie, and the title itself being inspired by a song from one such movie of similar concept which was a megahit, a great length of reel could have been saved by sparing details of cricket betting which we already know. These sequences, and also the not-so-comic yet super long sequences, together make the movie seem like a drag, while it is actually a very crisp edit. And one of the greatest disappointments is that though the film talks every alternate dialogue on betting, there is no betting actually shown in the film. Plus, there is only very little cricket.
When many strive to earn by hardwork, there remain a few that rely on easy money. Taking this as the thread and explaining it on probably the most appealing explanation to am Indian - cricket, 'Aadama Jaichomada' is an intelligently conceived story. Certain aspects and dialogues also provide insight into the bookies world and how it is done, and even why it is done. In all, provided you head with a clear head and absolutely no expectations, 'Aadama Jaichomada' promises packed two hours of good humour on the crime in cricket.
Verdict: A different perspective to betting, earning and the whole gambling business, with a lot of humour
Rating: 2/5
