Cast & Crew
Arya, Emy Jackson, Nasser, Cochin Haneefa, Alex O'Nell.
Art Director: Selva
Cinematography: Nirav Shah
Music: GV Prakash Kumar
Writer & Director: Vijay


The movie is all about a British Girl falling in love with a Dhobi from Madras, who is also a brave Kusthi(wrestler) fighter, set in pre Indian Independence era just as India is about to gain its independence.

First of all the director Vijay must be applauded for having attempted to give a period film to the Tamil film industry that produces cliched films. There were a few films like Paruthiveeran, Subramaniapuram, Aayirathil Oruvan that have attempted to break away from the cliched movies that are produced. There are reviews about Madrasapattinam that Vijay has been inspired from movies like Titanic and Lagaan.

This movie, though has shades from Titanic - like the 80 year old woman narrating the story, it is quite very much different in-terms of screenplay from that of titanic. Here the eighty year old woman comes to Chennai from Britain to find here long lost love, from whom she had got separated on the Day of Indian Independence. The movie shifts back and forth from past to present depicting the nostalgic feeling of the old Amy Wilkinson (Amy Jackson) as she comes across similar happenings in the present Chennai that had also occurred in her life during her past teenage days in Madrasapattinam.



Though the movie is good in parts, the director has divulged from the main plot in the first half, where he has tried to concentrate more on the Indian British rivalry rather than trying to portray a subtle romance between the leads. Amy is forcefully engaged to the then Inspector Robert (Alex) who is selfish and ruthless, whom she hates to such an extent that she thanks the man Parithi(Arya) who accidentally helps her in removing the engagement ring. And from then on starts a series of happenings involving Amy and Parithi which finally culminates in Amy falling for Parithi. These events have been stretched too much and the screenplay slacks deteriorating the pace of the movie.

Coming to acting part, Arya is good as a rough and tough wrestler portraying the right facial expression, but when it comes to the romantic part, he fails to impress and Amy steals the show with her innocent charm. For a foreigner to give the right emotions in a native film is asking too much of her and she seems to have done it with ease and is a big positive in the film. Nasser and Cochin Haneefa are good as usual in their supporting roles, though the director has overdone the Cochin Haneefa part that leads to a diversion from the plot.

The sets of the old Madrasapattinam have been well crafted, but we get to see only Madras Central and the River in front of it that is used for ferrying. Sets of old Mount-road is a big letdown and fails to create an impact. Cinematography by Nirav Shah is good with distinctive shades for the past and the present, but he still is yet to outperform his previous best Billa. Back ground music by GV is the best he has scored until date and creates a mood for the period film.

Another thing the director has failed to look into is the Tamil dialect during the pre Independence period. The characters seem to speak the same slang in the present and the past.

On the whole the movie is a different attempt in the Tamil film industry and is worth watching.