For a unique and thrilling experience, don't miss watching Jiivi.
Jiivi, produced by M Vellapandian, Sudalaikan Vellapandian and Subramani Vellapandian under the Vetrivel Saravana Cinemas banner, is directed by debutante VJ Gopinath with writing by Babu Thamizh, music by KS Sundara Murthy, cinematography by Praveen Kumar and editing by KL Praveen. The lead cast includes Vetri, Karunakaran and Monica Chinnakotla with Mime Gopi, Rohini, Rama, Bosskey and others forming the rest of the cast.
Saravana (Vetri) is a school dropout but an intellectual who believes in learning things the practical way. He is a bookworm and his strong curiosity drives him to read about as well as gain knowledge about various stuff. Having forced to leave his village and come to Chennai in search of a livelihood to support his family, Saravana works in a tea stall with his friend Mani (Karunakaran) and falls in love with Anandhi (Monica). However, he decides to return to his hometown when Anandhi ditches him as he is not well settled. Saravana uses his intellect to plan a robbery and pulls it off successfully with Mani but then comes to know that his father has passed away due to a heart attack. Suddenly, things appear strange to him as he finds strange coincidences between his life and the life of another person. Watch Jiivi to know what happens next...
At the very outset, we have to congratulate the director and writer for bringing fresh concepts like "Synchonicity" and "Triangular Theory", to Tamil Cinema. A big thanks should go to the Jiivi team for putting these complex theories across to the viewers in a simple, non-preachy way. An ever bigger thanks should go to the producers for backing such a novel concept. Vetri, who made his acting debut in the highly acclaimed 2017 movie 8 Thottakkal, is back as the protagonist in this movie. There definitely seems to be a trend in which he chooses his scripts and Vetri should be lauded for choosing this one. Though his acting was not upto the mark in his debut, he has vastly improved in Jiivi but sure does have space for more improvement. Karunakaran is a seasoned actor and he pulls off the innocent Mani with ease, though his bespectacled look can lead one to think of him not being all that naiive. The rest of the characters have very less scope but have lent able support to the movie. Despite just appearing in a few sequences, veterans Mime Gopi and Rohini have played their roles with class.
A lot can be said about the writing in Jiivi. The unique script and gripping screenplay are matched by the dialogues. The movie might seem to be slow to take off but about 20 minutes in, the story picks up pace and keeps you hooked till the end. Some dialogues are sure to hit hard and remain in your mind, long after the movie is over. Some clever plot twists keep the viewers guessing. The technical brilliance of the Jiivi crew is another major plus for the movie. Music adds to the visuals, which have been shot well. Praveen KL's cuts keep the movie crisp. The only minor downside to the movie could be the repetitive library and book store shots to emphasise the lead character's fondness for reading and also that finding a connect with the characters could be a little difficult for the viewers.
RATING: 3/5
