Aarathu Sinam – Essence Of Memories Intact 

Bharath Vijayakumar

Cops seem to be the flavour of the season. Close on the heels of Visaranai and Sethupathi comes Aarathu Sinam. The good thing is that none of the three are even remotely similar to the other. How does this remake fair at a time when audience are no longer alien to films from another language? 

Plot: 

A disturbed individual haunted by his past finds some solace through a case that he reluctantly takes to investigate. 


Cast: 

At times perseverance can equal if not better raw talent. Arulnidhi could be a classic example in the making. You probably would believe he is not a natural actor. But there seems to be some real passion behind this young man and each film of his only has him grow a notch higher. Aarathu Sinam is another well thought out choice from him. Arulnidhi is very good playing the alcoholic whose future seems nonexistent that he begins to live solely on the ability to rekindle his sweet memories . He wears that disturbed and sober look quite well throughout and without much fuss. This prominent absence of fuss which most actors stress on to ensure people don't miss their acting potential is what makes this performance of his noteworthy. But a certain sense of anger on the people around him and a look of absolute helplessness that Prithviraj brought out in Memories looks diluted in this version. The supporting cast is adequate but with few misses. What's that with the lip sync of Aishwarya Dutta? Despite a very short span this is a major character with respect to the film. Watch the original to see what Mia George brought to the plate with this role. Robo Shankar's performance belongs totally to some other film. 


Crew: 

The film is a dark and moody thriller and this feel is brought out in all the frames ably aided by Thaman's score. A few scenes end abruptly and there is an absence of seamlessness felt at a few occasions when the story moves back and forth. 


Direction: 

Arivazhagan has made a competent remake that stays true to the original. The characterisation of Robo Shankar is the only major blot. A lot of seriousness in the earlier parts of the film is lot due to this. Firstly the attempt to incorporate silly jokes seems a poor idea and what makes matters worse is that these jokes are utterly unfunny. And he is not playing a sidekick. He plays the official investigating officer of a high profile case. This and Aishwarya Dutta's (note that we are not talking about Aishwarya Rajesh who plays Arulnidhi's wife) dubbing are the two things that do not work in this remake of Memories. 
 

Arivazhagan has mostly got everything else right. The narration is tight with almost no space anywhere or any clumsy attempt to fit in anything. The mood of the film too is set very early on and maintained throughout. The flashback that narrates the back-story of the killer and the final countdown leading to his revelation are somewhat rushed. But guess it was the same way in the original as well. 

Bottomline: 

A competent remake of a fine thriller. 

Rating: 3/5