Good intentions alone don’t make a good film There are filmmakers out there who really need to be told that it’s quite all right to make films that don’t preach. Good stories subliminally educate, without its characters having to carry placards and deliver monologues. Taking on the greed of private schools is the primary agenda…

A dialogue-heavy average comedy When I was growing up, audio movies were quite the rage. People hugged their transistors close, as they listened to these movies for what was possibly the tenth time. This was, of course, the same time when audio cassettes of stage plays by artistes like Crazy Mohan and S. Ve. Shekher…

A few good portions don’t make a wholesome meal As the ominous music played on and the opening credits of Paayum Puli rolled along the backdrop of a partly cloudy sky, I was pleasantly surprised. Another film starring Vishal as a senior police officer would’ve announced itself amid kuthu beats and much fanfare. And Paayum…

An empty jewellery box Thakka Thakka is a rather crafty film. It’s the equivalent of an empty but exquisitely carved jewellery box. It’s beautiful and promising from the outside. The scenes — especially the ones at night — are dramatically shot (by Sujith Sarang); the editing is crisp (by Sreejith Sarang) and doesn’t let even…