Vidiyum Mun
Vidiyum Munn is about a sex worker named Rekha (Pooja Umashankar) who is on the run with 12-year-old Nandita (Malavika Manikuttan) as various men chase them, and the who-what-why scenarios suggest, at first, a nail-biting thriller. There are thrills, notably in a superb sequence in a house in Srirangam where a former sex worker (Lakshmi Ramakrishnan) is menaced by a couple of thugs (John Vijay and Amarendran; I had a knot in my stomach about when, exactly, they’d unleash violence) — but the film is really a mood piece (suggested, apparently, by the British thriller London to Brighton). Vidhiyum Munn Presents A well executed thriller that intrigues with suspense from start to finish.
The human society may have advanced leaps and bounds, but there is one evil that we as a race still strive to battle and eradicate - prostitution. While a very small section of sex workers take to it at
will, most are forced, that too at an age when they are unaware of what is happening to them. 'Vidiyum Munn' is a compelling thriller, brining to light the dark side of the city and the society in general.
Director Balaji Kumar has come all the way from Los Angeles with a gripping story on a taut screenplay.
A rich businessman is in the lookout for a kid to spend his night with and pimp Singaram and prostitute Rekha come into the picture for the assignment. Fetching a girl child from a broker, Rekha sets out to the businessman's house and that's when everything goes out of plan. The greedy old man's son comes after the middlemen in search of the missing prostitute and the little prospective.
On his way, he hacks down many prominent men ruthlessly and gets along with Singaram and his ally Lankesh in chasing down Rekha and 12 year old Nandhini. The rest of the story is on how intelligently the league tracks down the two ladies and what they do to them ultimately.
But the performances carry the film home. Pooja, with her thin, tremulous voice, is very effective as the kind of beautiful woman so battered by life that she only sees the ugliness inside her. And as her underage companion, Malavika is excellent. We may wonder, at times, if she is a little too composed for someone so young, but then we remember that she’s seen and been through things that have made her grow up in a hurry.
For Pooja who has been missing in the K-town circuit for quite a while now, her movie is a comeback as it has spotlighted her expertise and acting forte. Known to essay intelligent and off-beat roles, Pooja has
taken up the challenging role of a prostitute and performed with class. However, her dubbing could have been taking care of a little better. Malavika Manikuttan on the other hand is an expert for her
age. Handling such complex emotions with such conviction, she is truly a child prodigy! John Vijay has carried himself with great confidence and aids in making the screenplay racy. And the real show stealer is Vinod Krishnan, which unfolds in a lauded climax.
Sivakumar Vijayan has been the apt choice for the film, as he has canned all the dark and nasty truth in the right light. While graphics are apparent in certain portions, it does not hamper with the overall
experience on the whole. A racy short script, with a thrilling screenplay and an exceptional climax, 'Vidiyum Munn' is a sensitive yet compelling movie, which is a trend setter in Kollywood, and an
inspiring watch for audience of all sorts.