Grim look at human trafficking disappoints
SHYAAM ( 12B, ABCD and Thoondil) and director VZ Durai ( Mugavari and Nepali) make a comeback in the tense thriller Aaru Mezhugavarthigall, also known as Six Candles or Aaru.
The film, which stars Shyaam and Poonam Kaur ( Nenjirukkumvarai and Unnaipol Oruvan), takes the viewer on a frank, raw and often disturbing look into the world of human trafficking.
Raam (Shyaam) and Lizzie (Kaur) are the proud parents of a bright six-year-old, Gautham (Master Vivethan). Their lives turn into a living hell when Gautham goes missing during a trip to the beach to celebrate his birthday.
Raam soon realises that the police are unable to deal with the problem, and he begins a quest to find his son that takes him across six states and tests his endurance to the limit.
Shyaam puts heart and soul into the film, but his monumental efforts are clouded by some overacting and melodrama.
The supporting cast include Anil Muralli, P Shridhar, Munnar Ramesh and Archana, and Malayalee actor Muralli delivers some riveting acting.
Newcomer Krishnasamy makes an impressive debut as cinematographer and is most spectacular in the scenes requiring low light.
Jeyamohan’s script is pretty impressive, but it is marred by some wordy melodrama. The pace of the film is also far too slow.
On the music front, Shrikanth Deva is not his best in the film’s two songs and the background music is another major disappointment. It does not help that he has liberally “borrowed” tunes from some of Illaiyaraja’s popular tracks.
Durai had a brilliant concept and put a lot into this film, but the melodrama is too much to ignore. Despite many scenes of sheer brilliance, its overall impact is weighed down by the dated techniques used.
Even though it has its flaws, Aaru Mezhugavarthigall is a film that every parent ought to see. It is disturbing and reveals a side of India that is rarely shown in commercial cinema.