I have seen... and conquered

I have seen... and conquered
Mimmy Jain

Releasing Kandukondain Kandukondain in the Hindi belt with just English subtitles to protect it was a decided risk that director Rajeev Menon took, but as far as this reviewer at least is concerned, it was a risk well taken. The movie is a delight, all two hours 55 minutes of it.

A simple tale of two sisters, Sowmya (Tabu) and Meenakshi (Aishwarya Rai), taken from Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, KK is about the trials and tribulations brought their way by their very different personalities. For if Sowmya is quiet and accepting of life, Minu is vibrant and demanding.

Menon seems to have learnt well the lessons from his first film, Sapnay (in its Hindi version). For KK is that rare thing, an almost perfect film, where you wouldn't wish anything to be different. An excellent performance by Mammootty is balanced by a restrained bit of acting by Tabu. Ajith is good, too. The film also features Abbas and Pooja Batra, the latter in a small cameo. But its high point is Aishwarya Rai, who continues with a vengeance her love affair with the camera. The screen literally lights up every time she appears.

The songs by A R Rahman are goodSmie aie aie, in fact, is brilliant. Their picturisation, however, leaves room for dissent, for many of them detract from the flow of the story. The locales they are shot inEgypt and Scotlandare breathtaking, however.