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Pokkiri Simon: Oru Kadutha Aaradhakan


STORY: All that Pokkiri Simon and his friends are bothered about in life is superstar Vijay and the umpteen films he has done. The aimless/single-minded friends' lives take a U-turn when they chance upon an unexpected event. How they deal with the crisis, and come out tops form the rest of the plot.

REVIEW: The film offers a peep into the lives of frenzied film fans and how they perceive the world that goes round with their favourite star as the fulcrum. However, they are in no way goofy, as when the situation demands it, they become steadfast and triumph over hard times. In other words, Pokkiri Simon is not just about fanfare and frenzy, but also delves into a larger social menace, that's lurking in the background.

The film's protagonist is Pokkiri Simon (Sunny Wayne), as he chooses to call himself, who is an unadulterated fan of 'Ilayathalapathy' Vijay. Son of a police inspector in Thiruvananthapuram, he is quite the antithesis of his dad and thanks to his extreme love for the actor, he frequently lands up in the police station, after indulging in petty fights with other fans. 

When one takes a quick look at his friends- Hanuman Viju (Jacob Gregory) and Ganeshan (Sarath Kumar), who has named himself Love Today (a popular movie of actor Vijay), one is reminded that birds of the same feather flock together. Their yardstick for making friendships or develop an affinity towards someone is all based on Vijay. Anyone, who says anything bad about the star, will have to get past them. 

Simon calls himself the head of Ilayathalapathy Vijay Nagar Unit, and is often seen dressed as Vijay's onscreen avatar of Thamizh. And, just like any fan, he and his friends get a bit uneasy when members of Suriya fan clubs are around. Sunny performs his character with gusto, and when he beats up goons, his mere swaggy wave can send his rivals cartwheeling in unbelievable stunt sequences, just the same way his idol manages to do in his Tamil movies. 

Saiju Kurup is seen essaying the role of Bheemapally Naushad, who is again a fan of the actor. Veteran actor Nedumudi Venu pulls it off when he joins the admirers' club with a childlike innocence and helps make cut-outs of their favourite star.

The hero's first memory of his love interest Deepa (Prayaga Martin) is vivid enough, and it is obvious when he recalls how she was seen cheering the loudest among all and even whistling during the show of the film Thuppaki. That said, the fangirl in Prayaga, who is also a dancer, is not well delineated in the film like the others, and she is offered only a few scenes and a song. Nevertheless, she looks charming. 

While Jijo Antony has tried to hold a mirror to the fans' point of view, there also emerges a deeper issue -- that of child trafficking. The need of the hour prompts them to lock horns with a goonda named Arjun (Shammi Thilakan). Like always, Dulquer-Sunny camaraderie is evident in this one too, as the Charlie actor gives a heart-warming narration about how often fans, who are the stimuli for an actors' entry into the hall of fame, become faceless, and their perspective is always pushed to the backseat. 

The beginning, middle and end also bear resemblances to a Vijay movie, and often, the subsequent events become a bit predictable. The untimely delivery of Vijay's punchlines by the characters at inopportune moments makes it look a bit incongruous. Despite the fact that the narrative during the first half drags a bit, the second half picks up pace, and makes it a fairly watchable film.





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