A sumptuous Biriyani may not always be filling because at times it’s too starchy to be digested. This is applicable to Venkat Prabhu’s Biriyani, which despite being fairly satisfying is not excellent because it gets too starchy due to unwanted ingredients. While the use of situational comedy works to some extent but what we see in some scenes is not humorous but downright awful and the double entendres directed at women are uncalled for. The movie shoots of with “A Venkat Prabhu Diet”, you start to wonder how will a diet fill your tummy! Well, have neither qualms nor worry, the director sends you off in a movie with everything you would expect. After a string of delays, the movie which was supposed to hit the theaters midway this year is finally here and the feast is served voluminously.
When best friends Sugan (Karthi) and Parasuram (Premgi) venture out in the middle of the night for a plate of Biriyani, they set in motion events that make their lives go topsy-turvy. How a night of some fun and debauchery lands the duo in trouble? This forms the story of the film in crux.
The main characters of the movie have played their parts pretty flawlessly. Premgi, for instance, give you just what you came for. Karthi, for once, has been used well by the director. Karthi is best when he becomes sarcastic and full of irony, this time he is the playboy Sugan along with his loyal, yet all-time complaining friend Parasu aka Premji they set out on a journey that changes their course of normality. Each of Venkat Prabhu’s movies sport a theme and
he somehow sticks hard to the storyline and the theme complimenting each other, Biryani is no different where a simple search for a meal makes two friends run out of fear, murder, action and what not.
Venkat Prabhu’s movies portray a volley of characters and giving importance to every single of them is something that is special and close to his heart. Here Karthi and Premji steal the limelight with their timing comedy all over, however the rest of the villains, sidekicks and some cameo appearances by Jai, Arvind also makes you wonder how this guy is able to make amends meet. Through the first half the ingredients make up a commercial pot boiler and the build up
to the story is slow and steady. Karthi the witty playboy always wins over the hearts of babe’s and his best bud premji who tries and tries in vain.
The lead protagonists Karthi and premji end up in a soup of mystery in a murder case of the leading billionaire in India and the plot is wide open. How they clear up their names forms the rest of the story, with the usual commercial quotient in Venkat’s movie. Karthi sizzles in the
playboy character and the ease of his character is quite evident! And what can we say about premji, the man is a comedy massacre but sadly his potential is open only in his brother’s movies. Venkat has made the best use of premji in this movie, a character etched in a way you might feel sorry for, but totally enjoyable! The first half is cooked with nut cracks and fun, whereas the second half screams with rapid screenplay.
Hansika mesmerizes the screen with her presence. Hansika is not just the usual heroine who runs behind the hero, and a little shape in her character with her bubbliness helps! Rests of the cast have no problems, Mandy as Maya is hot and clearly the Mississippi song is a sleazy youth sensation. Some portions of the movie might give you a notion of why the movie is certified as U/A, with the glamor quotient breaching the mark, and not to single out the use of double meaning crackers. But Venkat is quite clear on his target audience and the pot boils with commercial intention all over.
The music though is notable, doesn’t actually live up to the expectations of Yuvan’s 100th film, partially the reason is due to the song placement. The BGM though apart from few scenes is just about. Special mention to the cinematographer Sakthi for sporting a cheesy color tone. The usual club and party elements in Venkat-Yuvan are here as well. There are minor glitches in this movie like the double meaning crackers, little glamour and so on, however as said earlier.. minor!
Just as you think the movie gets rock solid and turns on to a serious note, the director gets you on the floor with one liners at a rather serious time, for instance when the heat is on the one line when Sugan’s uncle quips ” Appadiye antha Car enga nu kelu” makes you double with guffaws. There are so many instances all over the second half which is quite enjoyable! After an effective first half, the scenes and plot gets predictable! Well that’s what you think. Venkatprahu brings a twist to the tale.
Final say, the last 20 minutes serves the twist in the tale, and round of applause to the director to have correlated the events of 2 hours in the final climax.