Film Review: ''Pottu Amman''

MANGALA PRODUCTIONS ``Pottu Amman'' is the 100th film of her career for Roja, but it does not bring credit to the actress or the film. The film shows that the director has made it with less of ideas and more of compromise. It is normal for any director to believe that the special effects and the devotion content will ensure success at the box office. But it could happen only if the story and screenplay are effective.

The film starts with a guru teaching his sishya the power of the Vedas. He tells him of a special mantra which will fetch all the powers for one to become the supreme commander of the Universe. The sishya (Suresh Bala) requests the guru to reveal the mantra to him. The guru narrates the mantra and also instructs him that 27 kids born under the 27 stars must be sacrificed for the mantra to work. The sishya first kills the guru who is the only other human being who knows the mantra.

Meanwhile in a village where everybody is a devotee of Pottu Amman, a girl is born and is dedicated to the Amman. For her Pottu Amman is the mother. When she reaches marriageable age she falls in love with the son of a flower vendor (K. R. Vijaya) who is also a devotee of the Amman.

The father of Durga sees Prathab (Venu) and Durga (Roja) together and tries to get his daughter married to another boy. Before that Prathab kidnaps her and marries her in the temple of Pottu Amman. Durga becomes pregnant.

After he sacrifices 27 kids, the wicked sorcerer gets a message that he must sacrifice the 28th kid born on a particular day and star, to attain supreme power. He comes in search of the kid and gets to know that the baby born to Durga is the one who is to be sacrificed to Satan.

When he goes to see the kid he comes to know that the kid is his grandchild. His wife (K. R. Vijaya) is taking care of the kid. How he tries to get it is the second half of the film and the director has not made any effort to pep up the proceedings. To give more work for Roja he makes her die and makes the magician get into the body of Roja who comes to life just before the lighting of the funeral pyre.

The screenplay is not absorbing for the viewer to sit through the entire proceedings. The saving grace of the film is the dialogue of R. Selvaraj who has done a good job. The special effects are neat and serve the purpose. The music and dance are average.

Roja has done the role with ease but she is capable of more mature work. One hundredth film is a significant milestone in an actress's career and she should have been more careful in her choice.

The new find Venu has little work but has passed the mercury test. Of late Suvalakshmi has not shown much promise in any of the roles she is doing including the one in this film which is that of the second heroine.

Another debut performance is by Suresh Bala who with the help of good make-up has done justice to his role as the wicked sorcerer. Manivannan and ``Mannangatti'' Subramaniam try to make us laugh but it is a futile attempt. K. R. Vijaya as the flower vendor Navaneetham, proves her mettle.

Thyagu, Ramya Sree, ``Byilvan'' Ranganathan and Raman Nayar are also in the cast.

K. Rajarathnam, who has handled the screenplay, camera and direction has compromised to the maximum and in the process he has lost the grip on the film. As the trend now is to make devotional films, ``Pottu Amman'' banks on the women audience for patronage.

S. R. ASHOK KUMAR

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