ASAL review !!

The Ajith-Saran combination is at it again. Asal is in theaters and it is celebration time for all Ajith fans. The stakes are bigger this time with Asal being Ajith’s 49th film and it is also special because the titles of the film name Ajith as co-director of the movie. He is also credited for the story, screenplay and dialogues along with Saran and Yuhi Sethu. So, has the additional responsibility and control for Ajith worked well for Asal? Asal is a story of feud between three brothers over property; two brothers (Sampath Kumar and Rajeev Krishna) on one side with their avarice for all the wealth with the righteous third trying to stop the family from breaking down. No marks for guessing who is the righteous one, who else but Ajith Kumar?! The feud that exists as an undercurrent in the presence of their father (Ajith again) turns ugly and personal after he passes away. It grows bigger with the two brothers joining in to elbow out Ajith. He graciously steps aside, only wanting to keep cordial relations. But, the two brothers are just not able to handle the huge wealth and the responsibility that it brings. Their wealth attracts trouble and it is up to Ajith to come back and save his brothers. Do things end there or does

the feud continue, does wealth disintegrate the family and how does Ajith conquer all the odds? Watch Asal to find out.

The first and most important thing about Asal is that it is an out and out Ajith movie. Not that anyone needs to be told this, it is an obvious fact. But, Asal is a full length celebration of Ajith’s persona, something his fans will absolutely adore. But, the film does have its weak points too. It is indeed sad that such a potential team ended up shooting a rather weak script. The main defect here is the characters sketch of the villains. They just don’t seem menacing or threatening enough to stand up to Ajith. It robs the excitement out of the confrontations making it look like cakewalks for Ajith. The only strong negative character (Kelly Dorji) is finished off prematurely which also stunts the growth of Ajith’s character. It is also pretty dampening that the much expected Ajith double act is only there for the first few minutes in the film. It should also be said that the opening sequences of the film do leave you a bit disappointed; the intros just don’t pack a punch. But, on the brighter side, the script does manage to throw a few surprises when you least expect them, like the one at the interval point. Saran has been successful in keeping the viewer guessing about certain things right until the end. The climax portions however should have been better. The finish looks literally forced into the script, with a fight inside a warehouse. There is not much room for romance. But, whatever little is there looks good. The silent tussle between Sameera and Bhavana over who gets Ajith is cute and Saran could have extended it a bit. One thing about the movie that could have been much better is the placement of songs; most of them look like appendages hanging loosely out of the main narrative.

As said above, this movie is all about Ajith and his persona. It would not be wrong to say that at many points it seems as if Ajith, the star, has been given more importance than the script itself. Trust Ajith to carry off a larger than life role with ease. He strides the screen with ease, having a presence that few others can boast of. He looks stylish in every frame; the hairstyle, the sideburns and the cigar sit well on him. In fact, Ajith’s presence is one of the main factors that stops one from getting bored. Sampath, Rajeev Krishna and Pradeep Rawat do their jobs as villains without too great an impact. As said above, their characters look like weak adversaries for Ajith. Sameera Reddy has a role of consequence in the movie and does pretty well, but there is no huge scope for performance. Bhavana looks cute in a role that demands only as much. She however impresses with her dance moves in the first part of the Dushyantha song. Yuhi Sethu tries hard to provide a few comic moments, succeeding partially on the rare occasion; his side kicks trying hard with a few gimmicks as well. Prabhu is a dignified presence.

The fact that this is a film made under Sivaji Productions can be sensed in the way the film has shaped up. The producer has left no stone unturned to make the film look rich, slick and sophisticated throughout. Be it the sets, the interiors, the locations or costumes, no expense has been spared. The story is set mainly in France, with a portion happening in Mumbai. The richness of the streets France has been transferred beautifully onto screen by Prashanth’s camera. The camerawork keeps the viewer visually pleased, partially compensating for flaws in the script. Action should have been better. Only the fight between Ajith and Kelly close to the interval stirs up excitement, it is plain on all other occasions. Music by Bharadwaj does not lend any strength to the movie, except Dushyantha and the BGM looks pretty unimaginative. Dialogues focus mostly on the word ‘Thala’ and the different ways in which it can be used. Imaginative for sure, but it could have been toned down a bit. Nevertheless, it does provide fans with an opportunity to cheer loudly.

Asal is a complete Ajith centric entertainer with lots of style and sophistication. Yes, the script is weak and there are other flaws too, but the movie does not leave you bored or exasperated. Ajith satisfies his fans, but Saran disappoints a bit with the way he has handled such a great team, better results were definitely on. Visually pleasing with about 2.5 hours of running time, Asal is will not have you yawning, nor will it have you asking for more.

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