K V Anand’s Anekudu (2015) Movie Review

True Love Transcends Everything.

The film tells the love story of three generations that are interconnected starting from the early 1960’s in Burma. Movie starts in 1962, where Samudra (Amyra) a Burmese girl, who falls in love with Bullabai (Dhanush) a Tamil coolie, but situations split them apart and both get killed. Few decades after around year 1987, in Madras they meet each other as Kaali (Dhanush) and Kalyani (Amyra), and this time also they failed up living together due to the interpose of Karthik, a new entry as businessman. Finally, their love is born again in Vizag, where they meet each other as Madhumita & Ashwin. Where Madhu is a game artist and Ashwin is a system lead, they work in the same company. What follows are a series for back and forth incidents and similarities from the previous and the current birth. Ashwin who is in love with Madhu is restless about her talks about the previous birth and doesn’t believe her. When Madhu takes help of Commissioner Gopinath (Ashish Vidhyarthi) in investigating some secrets from the past come back to life. What follows is something that’s worth watching on screen.

After his perfect act in Raghuvaran B.Tech, Dhanush once again gives a matured performance and portrayed his all three roles with variations. As far as Ishq fame Amyra Dasthur is concerned, she surprised everyone with her histrionics. While their chemistry isn’t exactly crackling, they manage to look convincing enough in four different personalities. Yesteryear actor Karthik has done a fine job and it’s really great to see him on screen, once again. Other actors like Ashish Vidhyarthi, Jagan, Mukesh and Thalaivasal Vijay have played their part well.

The concept of Anekudu is damn interesting where; director K V Anand shows his mark in every frame. The reincarnation episode is very brilliantly dissolved into the real story in 2013 (As the incident happened 25 years from 1987). (Spoiler) Where director tries to convey that not every era was Amyra’s reincarnation (Esp. 1962 n King’s story). Amyra hears the Kaäli’s story from a person at old age home and starts imagining about the story (As her neuropsychologist says, “she can’t differentiate between real and her imagination). The points about 1987 (Like finding bodies, About Policeman and about Kaali’s death) were told by another person and she starts imagining about them through different prospects (depending on the Novels she reads “Letters From Burma”, “Same SOul Many Bodies” etc ). Another point, Amyra only imagines about the present colleagues in her past and Dhanush has no one in his background to support this reincarnation scenario. Director had a solid command over his subject, but failed to project his line in innovative and interesting way. Director does leave ambiguity and loop holes in the topic from 1987 (Amyra even says the Dhanush’s point of view from the prison episode, which the person at old age home never gets to know). The repetitive past life regressions have been blended well into the narrative and the plot does come together in the climax, but by then the viewer hardly cares for anything. Besides, the parts where the past lives have been depicted seem not very convincing. Of course the preposterous script is also to be blamed. The pace of the film becomes its biggest bother; it’s too slow. Your interest wanes as after the first story you whats happening in the second and third. There’s so much style than substance takes the back seat, which is pitiable. Music by Harris Jayaraj is below average. Only the song “Bandlaguda Rowdiki” stands out. The background score is ineffective. The costumes in the film are all right. Cinematography by “Om Prakash” is good. The action choreography is passable. You almost wish Editor Anthony had snipped his scissors more on this content made mandatory commercial concerns. The production values of AGS Entertainment and Wunderbar Films are grand.

The fear of failure has driven the director K V Anand from taking the risk and instead he turns this ideology into a typical thriller. The predictable nature of the movie lets its audience down. At every twist or suspense, you end up figuring out the next move. The story and screen writers and director of the film, set out with an interesting one idea: No matter what happens, true love triumphs. He comfortably stretches it over four incarnations and then tries to tie it all together when there’s no hope left for the already uninterested audience. Even the urge to satisfy Dhanush’s massy image, there are certain compromises that have been made to the film, which pushes the flow backwards. Overall, Anekudu a one-time watchable movie with good acting and fresh concept stuffed with few flaws.

Survi Review: 2/5