Tamil Padam Preview?

This is perhaps India’s first genuine spoof (if you have not seen Hindi movies like Bollywood Calling), or at least South India’s first genuine spoof. Yes, it is a funny and ‘take a dig’ perspective at everything that has been stereotypical about Tamil cinema over the years. You would not need much elaboration as the trailers have already been making the rounds on TV. Every keen observer and fan of Tamil cinema will be able to pick out scenes from their favorite movies, which have been recreated here with more than a touch of sarcasm that tickles your funny bone. If you have loved watching ‘Lollu Sabha’ over the years, then there is every chance that you are going to love this one too.

Quite appropriately the man playing the lead in Thamizh Padam is RJ Siva who has made a career out of making jibes at all kinds of things and it would be a walk in the park for him to do funny imitations of the most memorable (and also the most predictable) scenes in Tamil cinema through the years. The ‘Sivaji’ scene where he can be seen signing papers while wielding a pen in both hands is already making a lot of people chuckle, so is the recreation of the ‘Anbuchelvan IPS’ scene where he is shown lying on the bank of a river, unable to move,


because he has just finished a bottle of liquor (not because he was shot down by Pandiya).

Of course, the funnier part is that he is playing a college student and his college mates are… Manobala, MS Bhaskar and Vennira Adai Murthy. It is almost as if you can sense the humor in the air when these three names are mentioned together, that too as college students. And, in keeping with the most honored tradition of Tamil cinema, a model from Bombay, Disha Pandey, has played the heroine in Thamizh Padam.

For a spoof, the film has an excellent technician, Nirav Shah, handling the camera. The entire film has been shot on the Red One camera. Kannan has scored the music and there is a song which reminds us of all the famous gibberish sounds that have become hits. The man at the helm of this spoof, Amuthan, was an ad film maker before he made the jump to the big screen with Thamizh Padam. With a funny take on all that is over the top and predictable in Tamil cinema, Thamizh Padam should be an enjoyable experience for all those who love a good laugh even if it is at the expense of your favorite star. Producer Dayanidhi Azhagiri should also be commended for taking on a whole new genre of cinema. Let Thamizh Padam be a successful start to the genre of spoofs in Tamil cinema.