Dec 152012
 

Film: “Kumki”Actors: Vikram Prabhu, Lakshmi Menon, Thambi Ramaiah and Asvin Raja;Director: Prabhu Solomon

Rating: ***1/2

After the critically acclaimed “Mynaa”, filmmaker Prabhu Solomon returns with an equally uplifting film, in which an elephant plays the eponymous character. “Kumki” is the kind of film that reminds us yet again that we don’t need hero-worshipping scripts anymore to draw audiences to the cinemas.

Set in the backdrop of forests of Kerala and Karnataka, Prabhu paints a simple love story that instantaneously strikes a chord with the audience.

The film takes us through the lives of the farmers in a village called Aadi Kadu, where a wild elephant called Komban, has been causing havoc for many years. From bringing down huts and destroying plantation, the elephant eventually goes to the extent of crushing few villagers. The villagers unanimously decide to hire a mahout and a Kumki elephant, which are trained to fend off wild elephants.

Cut to next scene, Bomman and his elephant come to offer their service and they’re treated with utmost respect in return by the villagers. Meanwhile, Bomman falls in love with Alli, daughter of the village chief. Over the course of the events, the lives of Bomman, Alli and the elephant are changed forever. What really happens in their lives, forms the rest of the story.

Prabhu interconnects two stories together to form an arching bigger story that never in its running time, deviates from its destined path. It might have taken some great deal of time to arrive at the conclusion, but never did it deviate. The crux of the film is about how a trained elephant is called upon to save the villagers from wild elephants, while the two other sub-plots are that of the relationship between Bomman, his elephant and Alli.

Though the film progresses at average pace, but thanks to an engaging and highly entertaining cast, the audience are kept hooked to their seats. Debutant Vikram Prabhu as the lovestruck mahout is brilliant and bereft of any criticism. Lakshmi, after her satisfying performance in “Sundarapandian”, steals the limelight with her innocent character.

Unlike other Tamil films, there are no separate comedy tracks here. Thambi Ramaiah and Asvin, along with Vikram, bring the house down with hilarious one-liners.

The relationship between Thambi and Vikram may appear wafer thin, as most of the time Vikram is seen verbally abusing his uncle, but it’s not until the climax that we get to understand the depth of their relationship.

The locations are out of this world and I don’t remember seeing anything as visually engrossing in the recent past. Be it the mountains in the background or the greenery spread across the village or the dense forests, everything in the film won’t go unnoticed.

In a long time, I felt the music in a film was very apt and the songs were suitably placed. Immam’s music is highly melodious and works beautifully in the favour of the film. This may very well be his best work to date.

“Kumki” may not be the year’s best film, but definitely can’t be looked down upon.

Dec 142012
 

Rating:

3.0/5

Kumki is the launchpad of veteran actor Prabhu’s son and legendary Tamil star Sivaji Ganeshan’s son Vikram Prabhu. His first movie is directed by Prabhu Solomon of superhit Mynaa fame. The movie is produced by Thirupathi Brothers.

Expectations:There will always be a burden of high expectations when a kid of a famous actor enter films. People curiously observe whether the newbie is capable of carrying forward the legacy left by his/her star parent. It is the same case for Vikram Prabhu. In case of Lakshmi Menon, who won a lot of praise for her performance in this year hit film Sundarapandian, the actress wants to be successful again. When it comes to Prabhu Solomon, people are not expecting a commercial potboiler rather a good story, which he is known for, and that makes Vikram to showcase his acting talent. Last but not least, the film is produced by Thirupathi Brothers (N Subhash Chandra Bose and N Lingusamy), who have given quite a few hit films. So, let us see what the team has to offer.

Also Read Gautham Menon’s NEP Review

Boman (Vikram Prabhu), a mahout, has a special bonding with his tamed elephant Manikkam. Situation makes him to go to a village to save the place from a wild elephant. Here he comes across, Alli played by Lakshmi Menon and they fall for each other. The remaining part should be seen on-screen. The story of the film is simple but the director has executed in such a manner that audience would witness the hard work put by the entire team in every frame. Though the movie is dragging at parts, the subject makes the it engaging affair. However, the story does not have twists or turns and flows with out surprising you a lot of time. And also, the climax is predictable. Continue reading the review in the slideshow

Kumki

1/6

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Kumki

Vikram Prabhu could not have got a better debut than Kumki. His dedication and hard work are clearly visible on-screen. In spite of having a huge pressure to deliver the best, he has come out with flying colours. Well, there is always room for improvement and he should work on acting skills.

Kumki

2/6

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Kumki

Lakshmi Menon once again proves that she is ready to go a long way, as the actress has given her best. The actress shines all through and her combination with Vikram is really good.

Kumki

3/6

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Kumki

Imman’s music has already topped the chart. There are wonderful melodies tracks and a foot-tapping number is a bonus. Hearing the songs with visuals is a treat to watch.

Kumki

4/6

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Kumki

Sukumar’s cinematography is excellent. Beautiful locations and amazing camera work are also the highlights of Kumki.

Kumki

5/6

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Kumki

Prabhu Solomon has taken the best out of his team. Be it from his actors or his technicians, the director’s vision for the nativity is seen in the film. However, the script loses grip in a few places and he could have handled the script part in a better way.

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6/6

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Kumki

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Story first published:  Friday, December 14, 2012, 19:23 [IST]