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A career high film for Surya

Guru Subramaniam | August 11, 2003 12:41 IST

Kaaka Kaaka describes the consequences of honesty and loyalty in a cop's personal life.

Gautam Menon, with his box-office hit Minnalae, ventures into an area which is common. But his intelligent handling makes the difference a logical one.

The recent Saamy was also about a cop's life and the manner in which he tackles goondas.

But Aarumugasaamy  (Vikram in Saamy) and Anbu Selvan (Surya in Kaakha Kaakha) are very different in their approaches. While Aarumugasaamy is ready to accept bribes from goondas to control them, Anbu Selvan does not mind sacrificing his family to do the same. Aarumugasaamy faces goondas like Sethu and Pandiya calmly, before they find themselves behind bars. Anbu Selvan is a dynamic, intelligent encounter specialist who likes to face the lion in its den.

Gautam breaks the grammar of the one-minute-one-scene scriptwriting technique successfully. His screenplay is racy and fast.

Surya as Anbu Selvan fits the role like his perfectly tailored khak
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i uniform. His last few movies displayed Surya as an exaggerated action hero. As Anbu Selvan, Surya has downplayed his role well to suit a police officer. His performance is controlled although you can't avoid feeling he needs more voice modulation at some places.

But this film is certainly a career high for Surya.

"It's a girl thing, What do you know about love?" asks Maya (Jyothika) to Anbu Selvan. We agree. Her real life chemistry with Surya has been the hottest rumour in the film circles. It also does wonders onscreen. Three cheers to the  Saroja Devi of modern day Tamil cinema.

Pandiya (Jeevan) manages to evoke terror with his attacking personality and does a good job as the villain.

Harris Jayaraj does a commendable job with the background music that increases the tempo of the movie. The songs are already a hit and Uyirin uyire is the anthem of college students. Thamarai, who penned Vasigara for Minnalae, penned the honey-sweet lyrics for Kalaabak kathala.

Though the dialogues are short, they could have been delivered well.

Rajasekhar, an assistant of Rajiv Menon (Minsara Kanavu, Kandukondain Kandukondain), takes our breath away with his camera angles in the Ennai konjam song. He is not afraid of the risky, wide-angle technique. As the camera pans a couple of times around the outhouse after Kalabaak kathala song, we know something is about to go wrong. With the slow pace, the camera manages to jet speed in a split second, panning into the house. Also of special mention is the Hollywood-style encounter scene.

It is very clear from the ad campaign that Kaaka Kaaka is not a police saga. As advertised, it an episode of cop's life and they deliver it.

Though the director is a tad biased while describing the police, one must salute his positive attitude.

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