Film Review: ''Snegithiyae''

WHETHER ANYONE else would dare to consider an action filled suspense story as an out and out all-women show is the query that comes to your mind, as you watch Surya Cin,e Arts' ``Snegithiyae''. The producer and Priyadarshan, who is in charge of the story, screenplay and direction, deserve kudos for their gutsy gamble.

A murder takes place in a women's college hostel. Vasu, short for Vani Subramanian (Jyotika), and Radhika (Shabrani Mukerjee) are the prime suspects. Police officer Gayatri (Tabu) investigates the crime. At every point somebody is trying to pin down Vasu and Radhika as the murderers. How the two exculpate themselves from the blame is said in a series of mind-boggling incidents.

In the end when the cause and effect is explained in a matter of a few minutes, it comes at too quick a pace for the audience to actually assimilate or understand the background. And even if they do, certain questions remain. Why does Radhika's aunt Malathi (Lakshmi) look so perturbed on the night of the murder, and how is it that there are bloodstains on the towel she uses to wipe her hands?

The CBI officer enters the scene to engineer the escape of the girls and safeguard them. But how she is so sure that the girls would pull a gun at the police and vamoose, is a mystery.

Vasu's plans prove erroneous at every point. Yet Radhika continues to obey her implicitly. They could have waited for their lawyer and got out on bail. Or even earlier when things begin to go out of hand, Radhika could have just told her aunt about their harmless hoax. Agreeing to meet an unknown person in the hostel when everyone is away, is another very foolish act. Vasu's every plan reeks of folly.

Manorama proves her mettle in the two scenes that she appears. Jyotika's eyes are remarkably expressive. Brightness, chirpiness, fear, anxiety, anguish and joy - they convey everything very convincingly. Shabrani Mukerjee is a new-find with potential. Natural in her reactions and adequate in enactment, Shabrani does a creditable job. Tabu has very little to do but she does it to perfection.

Crucial dialogues at certain points get submerged in the background score. Thanks to satellite channels, ``Devadhai Vamsam'' and ``Radhai Manadhil'' are popular numbers already. Vidyasagar is the composer.

In a medium where women (read heroines) are thought of as a dispensable commodity, here is a murder mystery, conceived with a cast comprising only women, and made quite interestingly too.

MALATHI RANGARAJAN

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Entertainment
Previous : He moved the Dalits
Next     : Film Review: ''Vannathamizh Pattu''