I wonder what veteran director I V Sasi was thinking when he made his latest movie - `Vellathooval'- a teenage drama. Was it made as a spoof to his earlier hundred odd remarkable films like `Ina' and Kaanamarayathu? Only he knows the answer. I really suspects that this may be one of his final attempts to regain his lost kingdom among commercial filmmakers, one final chance to see his title on screen, which is sure to end up as a damb squib.
An immature gal, painstakingly childish in her mannerisms, flee from her house unable to combat her home bred problems, with one of her classmate living in the house next door. Within hours, their voyage turns a nightmare, with the couple ending up as murderers. - This is the plot of `Vellathooval' -which may seem inspiring for most. But unlike the neighbouring Kollywood filmmakers, even our veteran seems to be handicapped while handling potential subjects. With inconsistent scripts, and dialogues by John Paul and shoddy unimaginative direction from I V Sasi, the movie turns off- track from the word ''go'' and ends up as mayhem.
Films are always thought to be a visual product supported with an equally important audio track .But here ,even the veterans forget that without any quality audio making, no films can survive with even good story ideas.Primarily, the film hams big time with pathetic dubbing for the lead female character and many similar ones.It is definitely a critically injurious decision to use the voice for Nithya, and even Seema in her own voice gives very pitiable results .Add to it, the terribly done background scoring and liplines .No movie will survive from crashing out, with an inane audio and careless dubbing like this .
The movie has Nithya as Jiya, a wealthy girl who is agitated due to her strict mother Liza, played by Seema. Her classmate Manu (Rejith Menon), living in her neighbourhood has a stepfather who is creating havoc in his life. To escape from his misdoings and to help his mother to find a wayout, Manu decides to leave his home in an old motorcycle, the only remnant of his father. Jiya, who is walking out of her home following the slapping from her mother, joins Manu. And their journey together leads to nowhere, but to some heavy-duty Kerala tourism only to drastically meander into an old-fashioned social melodrama. A lot of mishappenings, a series of dramatic escapes and even a murder, with a lot of police and their college villains following them all around, is in the store for the viewers in the later half.
The only interesting plot point in the movie is that there is no romance between the lead players. Nithya fails to connect with the audience with her weary mannerisms and very unsound dubbing, which hardly spells any emotion. Rajit Menon and Seetha who appears as Manu's mother, are the only two persons who had done justice to their characters. While Seema and Vijayaraghavan overacts, Jagathy is wasted in an insignificant role. The teleserial type editing, and poorly visualised songs add to the despair of the viewers. The only heartening thing about the movie is the good hummable songs by Johnson that pop up at intervals.
Altogether, `Vellathooval' is a terribly outdated movie, coming from the stature of such an eminent director. Had the same concept been with some savvy and swanky minds, who can built it with very different quality visuals, audio tracks and tighter scripts, the movie could have been a well made one.
