Producer : Dil Raju
Director : Mani Ratnam
Music Director : A. R. Rahman
Cinematography: Ravi Varman
Starring : Karthi, Aditi Rao Hydari
Maniratnam, one of the popular directors in India, has come up with his latest movie, Cheliyaa starring Karthi and Aditi Rao Hydari. The movie carries huge expectations as the trailer has become popular. Does it live up to expectations? Let’s find out.
Story: Cheliyaa is a love story between Varun (Karthi) and Leela Abraham (Aditi Rao Hydari). And, it is set during the Kargil war of 1999. While Varun is an Indian Air Force fighter pilot, Leela Abraham is a doctor. Both fall in a love but both are opposite polls. Due to this, they maintain on and off relationship. As the on and off romance continue between the couple, Varun lands in a Pakistan jail during the Kargil War. How will Varun come out from the jail? What happens to his love? forms the rest of the story.
Performances: Karthi is amazing as Varun and has once again come up with the best performance. The way he carries the entire film is pretty impressive. He plays the pilot to perfection. Aditi Rao Hydari is a good choice for Leela. She looks beautiful, shares great chemistry with Karthi and has solid role too. Aditi emotes well in the emotional scenes.
All the supporting cast comprising Delhi Ganesh, KPAC Lalitha, RJ Balaji and Amritha Singh mostly fit into their roles.
Technical: Technically Cheliyaa is very sound. Mani Ratnam is supported by a skillful technical crew. AR Rehman gives his best for the film. His background score needs a special mention as it elevates the film to a decent level. Excellent making values shine through Cheliyaa. Watch out for the splendid cinematography capturing the Kashmir.
Ravi Varman's frames are beautiful and the picturisation of most of the scenes in the film are in world class range. Art design and visual effects are pitch perfect. Like all Mani Ratnam's films , dialogues in Cheliyaa are top class and have been written with a lot of depth. Mani Ratnam does an average job with the film. A better screenplay, better narrative would have made some difference to the film.
Plus Points: Performances, Visuals, Background music ,Story telling
Minus Points: Slow narration, Dragged scenes
Analysis: First half is comparably better than the second half. Many scenes in the second half turn into bore fest. But a few songs and certain scenes help the film from falling flat. The screenplay in the first half is decent but he lost the grip post the interval.
The sequence of Karthi escaping from the Pakistan jail narrated in beaten to death way. Lack of strong emotional core and unnecessarily dragged out sequences are major negatives of the movie. The scenes between Karthi and Aditi have come out well. Amazing storytelling, brilliant performances and music makes Cheliyaa an amazing treat to youth and couples. Overall, Cheliyaa Executed At A Snail's Pace.
Final Verdict: Veteran director Mani Ratnam has once again come up with a love story with novel storyline. It appeals class audiences only.
Watch Cheliyaa for wonderful visuals and performances.
Filmybuzz.com Rating: 2.5/5
