By Karthik Keramalu
When the trailer for the Dhanush, Trisha, Anupama starrer "Kodi" released, I wasn't too impressed - it had some interesting dialogues and some uninteresting moments. But, they all come together quite naturally on the big screen.
"Kodi" is the story of political ambitions. It has two sides to it – positive and negative. Dhanush does a decent job in a dual role. The older brother is Kodi, an aspiring politician, and the younger brother is Anbu, a lecturer. As the title reveals, this R. S. Durai Senthilkumar film is not about the lecturer, it’s about the politician.
"Kodi" could have been set in a government office with Trisha and Dhanush vying for a higher post. The result would have been the same.
Dhanush and Trisha are warring politicians who belong to different camps. While Dhanush’s Kodi stays away from targeting Trisha’s Rudhra in his speeches, Trisha steps on the accelerator for every speech of hers to get noticed. So, she obviously says nasty things about Kodi. These young politicians dislike each other in public meetings and sing romantic songs later. That’s supposed to be a surprise element, by the way. It’s probably the only factor that the audience would have guessed because we can see Trisha and Dhanush jollying around in the trailer. Still, there are some oh-so-worthy moments that keep popping up every now and then in the film.
Writers usually tend to distinguish twins by giving them markedly different characteristics. The same happens in "Kodi" as well. Dhanush as Kodi is fearless. He doesn’t take a step back to teach his opponent a lesson whereas Dhanush as Anbu is the sort of person who’s afraid of going against the tribe. Anbu doesn’t hesitate to ask Kodi for help if matters go from bad to worse though.
It’s hard to believe that Jessie of "Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya" is Kodi’s Rudhra. Rudhra is one of Trisha's career defining roles. This is purely from the point of view of how her character transforms from a simple politician to a devilish schemer. Till date, Trisha’s filmography has been filled with playing the pretty darling or the damsel in distress. Here comes Rudhra, a woman who will go to any extent to get what she wants. Such roles were written for supporting actors in the 90s. It’s good to see a leading lady take up the weight of such a character on her shoulders. Will Rudhra be another Neelambari in the history of Tamil cinema? We’ll see.
Anupama Parameswaran is left hanging in the latter portions. Her character loses energy when the film’s focus shifts to the main story involving Trisha and Dhanush.
The night shots in the movie haven't come out well. They look out of place. For a film that could have used the serenity of rural areas, it’s a downer, I’d say.
Despite these faults, "Kodi" is still an enjoyable ride.