Film Review: Chocklet

IMPROBABLE SITUATIONS, beginning with love at first sight and reaching a crescendo with a post-mortem nearly done on a living person, have been furrowed in to take the story to ridiculous levels in Movie Magic's ``Chocklet'' (why this spelling?!). Add to this an unbelievable college ambience and a few double entendres in the name of comedy.

Written and produced by R. Madesh and scripted and directed by A. Venkatesh, ``Chocklet'' could be tasty in parts for the younger generation. But in how many more films does one have to witness the same old kind of college `tamasha'? Things do get stale after a point. The `students' themselves could be tired of it by now - especially the eternal `college goers' and `friends of heroes' Dhamu and Charlie.

There seems to be a wrong notion that rotundity in actresses is a plus point. It is not always so, as new heroine Jaya Ray and Mumtaz show. And what purpose does Mumtaz's dual role serve?

Aravind (Prashanth) happens to see Anjali (Jaya Ray) during a bedlam on the road and falls in love with her. A small tiff separates the lovers. And Anjali's mother (Suhasini) is keen to keep the lovers apart forever.

Suhasini is seen after a very long time, and because her character has many puzzling loose ends to it, the portrayal makes little impact. This mother is one who would go to any length to get what she wants. As one who is adamant to the point of madness and selfish to the point of killing, Suhasini succeeds in salvaging the character's credibility to a certain extent through her enactment. The victorious smirk and the cunning glint in her eyes everytime she scores a point against others are proofs of her potential.

Pattukkottai Prabhakar's dialogue shines in spurts.

Suhasini's volte face midway can be explained but not the sudden change of face in the climax. One moment she is willing to immolate herself to achieve what she wishes and the next she is all smiles, accepting the inevitable with cheer. Doesn't speak of any consistency in the characterisation of the abnormally cantankerous teacher.

Michael Jackson could have been an inspiration - but not one Deva number stirs you even slightly.

Prashanth's rugged looks, stunt skills, dance prowess and improving histrionics come to the fore in ``Chocklet''.

If this youthful bonanza gets stretched, testing one's patience towards the end, none but the screenplay is to blame. A man declared dead coming back to life when the Vinayaka Chaturthi procession passes by, gives a supernatural touch to a romantic tale. It seems like an insecure urge to fuse every element of the success formula (including religious sentiment).

A sticky chocolate in more ways than one.

MALATHI RANGARAJAN

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