Close on the heels of Velaiyilla Pattadhari (VIP) comes Poriyaalan, another film with the protagonist as a civil engineer.There is another connection with VIP. Velraj who wielded the megaphone for VIP is the cameraman for Poriyaalan. Apart from these connections the two movies are very different from each other. On the other hand the film has more resemblances to Vettrimaran's Polladhavan.
Plot:
The hero is a talented civil engineer who dreams big of succeeding in his field. He enjoys his work and is passionate about it. When he realizes that he is a mere tool in the hands of his employers and there is no space for his ideas at his workplace he decides to start his own concern. But things are not going to be easy as he is taken for a ride by the land mafia and real estate brokers.
Cast:
Harish Kalyan is just about adequate. He looks the part as the aspiring youngster. But he does fall short in emoting convincingly at a few places. It is almost the same case with the girl Hasika . She looks completely believable as the girl next door and not the typical filmy heroine. But there is almost no emoting and the perfect mismatch in the lip sync adds to our woes. The supporting cast takes the cake in Poriyaalan. Mohan Ram as the scheming land broker is a revelation. He is utterly convincing. The actor playing the villainous Sundar looks menacing. He is very well aided by Bose Venkat's dubbing.
What works and what does not:
The film does not waste much time in commercial compromises except for the songs. Remove them and the film will rise several notches above from where it is currently. The screenplay is extremely interesting. The second half especially is extremely gripping. Poriyaalan has an extremely strong basement in the form of story and screenplay. It is the building that does not reach the heights that it should have. There are some genuine flashes of talent from the team behind Poriyaalan. The characterisation of Mohan Ram is definitely one. And more often in these type of films it is the hero who will be in dire straits and has to strike back. But here it is actually the hero's friend who is an henchmen with a soft heart who is in trouble. When so much effort has gone into these areas one cannot help but wonder about the issues we have with the dubbing and lip sync. While the 'what is going to happen next?' feel is definitely there what might hurt the movie is we are not anxiously waiting for the hero to strike back. We are just with him as he tries to regain lost ground and not exactly rooting for him with all our invested time. For this to happen the film either needed a more popular face in the lead role or a better execution of the scenes in the initial half. While the former suggestion depends a lot on the economics the latter could have probably been achieved. The scenes in the initial half are not redundant. In fact as earlier mentioned there is no wastage of time apart from the songs. But the short-film type of filming and some not so serious acting in these earlier portions does hurt the film.
Bottomline:
Screenplay is the most potent tool of this Poriyaalan. The interior of this building has solid potential. Had it been presented with more care and gloss to make it appealing from the exterior it would have paid rich dividends.
Rating:2.75/5