Kaatrin Mozhi Review 

Bharath Vijayakumar

It is practically impossible to erase memories of a well made film when you are watching its remake. So to be fair to Kaatrin Mozhi it certainly has a tough job on hand. Not only because it is a remake but because it is a remake of a film whose one liner might not be revolutionary but it certainly deals with certain emotions that could be a little touchy when seen in the context of mainstream cinema in Tamil. To Radhamohan's credit, he has not diluted the core in an attempt to make it more 'family friendly' as it is often referred to.

It takes a while to warm up to the film and to Jyothika. To Jyothika's credit she does not try to imitate Vidya Balan but this isn't really a role that sits easy on her. Whether you like it or not, 'over the top' is Jyothika's USP and for most of the first half her antics are as though Jeniffer from Kushi got married to a middle class household. And having seen the original, some of these portions come across as laboured – both for the actress and for us the audience. But things sort of ease out (or do we get used to it as Thambi Ramaiah says in Kumki) as the film progresses and we get into more serious territory. When she gets to know the impact of her 'husky' hello,Vijayalakshmi (Jyothika) comes across as jubiliant becuase it lands her a job whereas for Sulochana (Vidya Balan) it appeared as if she just realized that she had a super power and went on a wild spree using it. The sensuality there felt more like a badge of honour and over here it is a tool to get a job. Apart from Jyothika's image as such we also understand why the makers would prefer it to be this way.

While the film sort of plays down the sensuality factor it does not completely shy away from the crux as well. The phone call with a youngster who makes a living by selling lingerie and is guilt ridden for the way his mind wanders is an instance. These portions work. The acting all around is pretty decent. Every actor in Tumhari Sulu looked the part whereas here there is clearly an attempt to oversell. Again this is more an issue for those who have seen the original as this film on the whole could actually be a lot subtler than the average Tamil film. The portions in Viddharth's office and the kid's school are what look definitely contrived. But whatever said, Kaatrin Mozhi does manage to keep up the spirit of the original.

Bottomline:

A well intentioned remake and a fair film when seen as a standalone.

Rating: 2.75/5