Vaayai Moodi Pesavum

Vaayai Moodi Pesavum (transl.  Close your mouth and talk) is a 2014 Indian bilingual satirical romantic comedy film directed by Balaji Mohan.[1] Produced by Varun Manian and S. Sashikanth under their respective production houses, Radiance Media Group and YNOT Studios, the film stars Dulquer Salmaan, in his maiden Tamil film, with Nazriya Nazim and Madhoo, appearing in prominent roles. It was filmed simultaneously in Tamil and Malayalam, with a slightly changed supporting cast; the latter being titled as Samsaaram Aarogyathinu Haanikaram (transl. Speaking is injurious to health).

Vaayai Moodi Pesavum / Samsaram Arogyathin Hanikaram
Theatrical release poster in Tamil
Directed by	Balaji Mohan
Produced by	S Sashikanth Varun Manian
Screenplay by	Balaji Mohan
Story by	Balaji Mohan Malayalam dialogues: Bipin Chandran
Starring	Dulquer Salman Nazriya Nazim Madhoo
Music by	Sean Roldan
Cinematography	Soundararajan
Edited by	Abhinav Sunder Nayak
Production company	Y NOT Studios Radiance Media
Release date	25 April 2014
Country	India
Language	Malayalam Tamil

Principal photography commenced on November 2013 at Munnar and Kodaikanal. The film's technical crew includes newcomer Sean Roldan as the music director, Soundararajan as the cinematographer and Abhinav Sunder Nayak as the editor respectively. Both the versions were released on 25 April 2014, receiving positive reviews from critics.[2]

Plot

The following plot focuses on the Tamil version only.

The story takes place in Panimalai, a hill city, during the spring season. The film begins with coming to Panimalai to be a guest of a live radio show. In the middle of the show, he starts coughing severely and suddenly loses his voice. He is diagnosed with a new type of virus called the mute flu that causes sudden muteness and sometimes even death.

Aravind is a sales representative working with a glue company. His dream is to become a radio jockey, and he even attends interviews with a FM station. As the mute flu spreads across the city, the state government sends Health Minister Sundaralingam to Panimalai to take care of the situation. The people are asked to undergo a medical checkup to check whether they are affected by the virus or not. Aravind goes to the hospital and meets Anjana, a junior doctor and attends the check up. While Anjana is testing Aravind, some young boys waiting for the test tease Anjana and in frustration, Anjana pokes a cotton bud into Aravinds' nose with which he starts choking and feels like vomiting, but is comforted by Anjana and they both start talking and here we are known more about Anjana, who believes that talking is the only cause of all the problems in the world and if people keep things to themselves, then things will be very fine. Anjana is in a relationship with Vinodh, a possessive guy who always commands her on what she should do and what she should wear. Anjana lives with her father and stepmother Vidhya. Since Anjana lost her mother at a young age, she is reluctant to accept Vidhya as her mother, though she is a sweet and caring woman and always maintains a distance from her. Vidhya is an aspiring writer who is trying to get her husband's attention and support to write her third book. Her husband finds no time to talk to her as he is too busy with his work.

Panimalai comes into the news for another issue, where "Nuclear Star" Bhoomesh, a film superstar who has gone to shoot one of his films, is being opposed by Mattai Ravi, a drunkard who is President of the Drinkers Association, over the issue of Bhoomesh showing drunkards in a bad light in his films. The Drinkers Association and Bhoomesh's fans, led by Ganesh, form groups to fight over this issue.

Aravind and Anjana begin a friendship, and he insists to her that if everything is spoken directly from the heart, then there would be no problem between anyone. He asks her to speak openly with Vinodh and sort out the difference of opinion between them. She does not agree to this, and Aravind challenges her that if he successfully stops the feud between Bhoomesh and Ravi just by means of speaking, Anjana should talk openly with Vinodh to sort out their issues. They both agree on the challenge and mark a deadline day. Aravind tries so many ways to stop the feud between Bhoomesh's fans and the Drinkers Association, but it ends up in an even bitter fight. As time goes by, Aravind falls in love with Anjana, not knowing that she is engaged to Vinodh.

Aravind is brought up in an orphanage that belongs to Adhikesavan, a stubborn old man who is constantly asking the orphanage to be vacated so that he can rent it to richer tenants. Though Aravind helps the children in the orphanage by donating some of his money, it is not enough to save the orphanage. Aravind tries to speak to Adhikesavan and sort the issue, but the latter is too hesitant to speak with him. Aravind and his friend Sathish kidnap Adhikesavan and leave him in his son's house, making a close relationship.

The final report by the health organisation says that the dumb flu spreads only by means of speaking, and issues a speaking ban in the town. Everyone in the town tries to adjust to living with not speaking. Aravind conducts the meeting with the Drinkers Association and Bhoomesh's fans, and they reconcile. A cure for the illness is invented, but if the virus has already infected but has not removed the voice of a person, the cure has a 50% probability of a side effect that the patient might lose the ability to speak. The movie ends with everyone getting cured, but Sundaralingam, who has been faking the illness being given cure medicine on the stage for a photo op, loses his voice for real.

Cast

Actor (Malayalam)	Actor (Tamil)	Role (Malayalam / Tamil )
Dulquer Salmaan		Aravind, sales rep, and aspirant for RJ in Panimalai
Nazriya Nazim		Dr. Anjana, trainee doctor in Panimalai Government Hospital
Madhoo		Sridevi / Vidhya, Anjana's stepmother, an aspiring writer
Arjunan		Sathish, Aravind's friend who helps him kidnap Thamibdurai / Adhikesavan
Abhinav		Vinodh, Anjana's possessive boyfriend
Maniyanpilla Raju	Pandiarajan	Health Minister Prabhakaran Thanchappuzha / Sundaralingam, who takes care of the mute flu but contracts it in the end
Dinesh Nair	Kaali Venkat	Chettupara Sasi / Palani, Thanchappuzha / Sundaralingam's assistant
John Vijay		"Nuclear Star" Bhoomesh, a famous actor who portrays only good habits in his roles
Ramesh Thilak		Ramesh / Ganesh, the president of Bhoomesh's fan club
Chemban Vinod Jose	Robo Shankar	Salasakuttan / Mattai Ravi, a drunkard who is the President of State Alcoholics Association and is protesting against Bhoomesh for showing drunkards in a bad light in his films
Abhishek Shankar		Sridevi's / Vidhya's husband, who does not talk to his wife often
Vinu Chakravarthy		Thambidurai / Adhikesavan, an orphanage owner who wants it to be vacated but later meets his son
Sathyapriya		Thambidurai's / Adhikesavan's wife
Surabhi		Arguing Wife
Rony David		Arguing Husband
Nandan Unni		Ramesh / Ganesh's friend
Mareena Michael Kurisingal		A girl who Sathish falls in love with

Tamil version

• Mime Gopi as Politician
• Nakshatra Nagesh as Saraswathi, nurse in Panimalai Government Hospital and Sathish's crush
• Kamala Krishnaswamy as the orphanage's patron and Aravind's mother figure
• RJ Balaji as himself, who is the first person to contract the mute flu
• Balaji Mohan as TV News Reporter for News Prime

Malayalam version

• Vijayan as Thomas Kuzhuvelikunnel
• Vineeth Sreenivasan (voice role)

Production

In June 2013, the Radiance Group, led by Varun Manian entered a five-film deal with S. Sashikanth's YNOT Studios and venture into film production with a new entertainment company called Radiance Media.[3] Varun stated that the company will be producing their first film with director Balaji Mohan for a bilingual film and plan to launch Dulquer Salman as the male lead, thus making his feature film debut in Tamil.[4][5] Nazriya Nazim was signed as the heroine. About her role Nazriya said, "Anjana, my character, is somebody I haven't played in my career yet".[1]

Anirudh Ravichander, who was reported to be the film's music director,[5] later opted out,[6] and independent musician Ragahvendra, known under his stage name Sean Roldan, replaced him as music composer, thus making his debut.[7] Soundararajan was signed up as the cinematographer.[8] Abhinav Sunder Nayak was signed in as the Editor.[9]

The film started filming in Munnar on 4 November 2013, with Madhoo joining the cast of the film, making her comeback in the Tamil and Malayalam film industries.[7][10] Dulquer Salmaan dubbed himself in Tamil for this film.[11]

Themes and influences

Balaji Mohan described Vaayai Moodi Pesavum as a "sort of social and political satire. It presents a critique of our country’s political and social setup." He described the fictional flu, which renders people incapable of speaking, as a "metaphor for society’s refusal to communicate freely, which, I believe, is the root cause of all problems — personal, social and political."[12]

Soundtrack

Vaayai Moodi Pesavum
Soundtrack album by Sean Roldan
Released	4 April 2014
Recorded	2014
Genre	Feature film soundtrack
Length	22:27
Language	Tamil
Label	Think Music
Producer	Sean Roldan
Sean Roldan chronology
Vaayai Moodi Pesavum (2014) Sathuranga Vettai (2014)

The soundtrack for the film was composed by Sean Roldan, who made his debut as a composer in the film industry, through the venture. The audio was launched in Chennai on 21 March 2014 by veteran director Mani Ratnam.[13]

Tamil version

No.	Title	Lyrics	Singer(s)	Length
1.	"Shut up! Vaaya Moodu! Pesadhe!"	Balaji Mohan	Sean Roldan, Balaji Mohan	2:21
2.	"Kadhal Ara Onnu Vizundhuchu"	Muthamil	Sean Roldan, Shakthisree Gopalan	3:49
3.	"Mr Fix-It" (Theme)	—	Instrumental	2:31
4.	"Podhum Nee Ini Varundhadhe"	Muthamil	Haricharan	4:36
5.	"Udaigiren Udaigiren"	Madhan Karky	Aalap Raju	2:29
6.	"Beedhiya Kelappa" (Jazz Theme)	—	Instrumental	1:55
7.	"The Sound of Silence" (Theme)	—	Instrumental	1:59
8.	"Maatra Paravai"	Madhan Karky	Pradeep Kumar, Kalyani Nair	2:57
Total length:				22:27

Malayalam version

Samsaaram Aarogyathinu Haanikaram
Soundtrack album by Sean Roldan
Released	18 April 2014
Recorded	2014
Genre	Feature film soundtrack
Length	22:27
Language	Malayalam
Label	Think Music
Producer	Sean Roldan

Release

Critical reception

Sify wrote, "Vaayai Moodi Pesavum is refreshingly fresh, quirky and innovative. It is one of the best romcoms laced with satire in recent times, and a lead pair that crackles", going on to add, "Balaji Mohan has reinvented the romcom formula".[14] The New Indian Express wrote, "The film may fall short in its entertainment quotient as compared to the director’s earlier film. But Mohan should be appreciated for his wacky, daring and innovative attempt".[15] The Hindu wrote, "The film is filled with gags, satire and a cheeky commentary on life. While the laughter is loud and frequent in the theatre, half an hour later you wonder what the reason was for all the fuss. The film doesn't have a taut storyline that lingers in your mind. If that had been nailed, this would have been an experiment that really worked".[16] The Times of India gave the film 4/5 and wrote, "Vaayai Moodi Pesavum is truly an ambitious effort, at least by Indian cinema standards, and what's truly heartening is that Balaji Mohan succeeds in his attempt.[17] Deccan Chronicle gave it 3.5/5 and wrote, "there are many subtexts to the film – a little too many to delve into. However, like fine wine and certain genres of music, it does take a little getting used to. Vaayai Moodi Pesavum is definitely a bold attempt".[18] IANS also gave 3.5/5 and called it "an almost brilliant film that contradicts itself at several junctures for reasons that are never explained and left to be figured out by the viewer".[19] 3.5/5 was the rating given Rediff that wrote, "A totally new concept coupled with the director’s unique narrative style and a screenplay loaded with satire and comedy, makes Vaayai Moodi Pesavum, a thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable film".[20] Behindwoods gave 3.25/5 and wrote, "Apart from the whacky concept, its seemingly quotable animated characters, the locations, colour, styling, music by Sean Roldan and the cinematography of Soundarrajan quite simply make Vaayai Moodi Pesavum the coolest film this summer".[21] S Rajasekar of Cinemalead gave 3.25/5 and called the film "Classy, pleasant and feel good.".[22] OneIndia gave 3/5 and concluded that the film is "A light-hearted family entertainer even though there are double entendre jokes at parts.".[23] Indiaglitz gave 3/5 for the film and concluded that the film is "Pleasant and makes you feel good, so talk it out!".[24] Bharath Vijaykumar of Moviecrow gave 3.25/5 and concluded, "VMP is a refreshingly original attempt at clean humour. This crazy attempt from Balaji Mohan definitely warrants the support of fans who want different type of films to hit our screens more consistently."[25]

In contrast, Gautaman Bhaskaran of the Hindustan Times gave 2/5 and wrote, "For a good part, the film runs without dialogues, though the loud, almost irritatingly intrusive, background score robs the work of, what could have been otherwise, beautiful silence. And, what is downright silly is a government minister camping in the town – a man who is caught between a smart personal assistant and a haughty chief minister. Salman as the sales guy promoting an adhesive seems to hold out some promise, but Nazim and Madhoo sparkle. And with Mohan himself portraying a witty television news anchor, the film has its bright moments, but not enough to get more stars. If only there was greater finesse in treatment and the excision of some scenes, Vaayai Moodi Pesavum could have been gripping." [26]

Box office

The film collected ₹93 lakh (US$130,000) in Chennai till 11 May.[27]

References

1. "Dulquer and Nazriya team up for a bilingual". The Times of India. 22 October 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
2. "'Vaayai Moodi Pesavum' (VMP) Review Roundup: Feel Good Entertainer Worth Watching". International Business Times. 14 March 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
3. "We will invest in films with strong scripts". The Times of India. 22 June 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
4. "Varun Manian enters Kollywood". Sify. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
5. "Nazriya & Dulquer in a bi-lingual". Sify. 21 October 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
6. "Anirudh returns back signing amounts". Sify. 30 October 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
7. "Radiance Media starts Dulquer film in Munnar!". Sify. 4 November 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
8. "Cinematographer Soudararajan aka Soundar Rajan on SJ Suryah's Isai and Balaji Mohan's Vai Moodi Pesa". Behindwoods. 22 October 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
9. "Dulquer and Nazriya's Vayai Moodi Pesavum's first look is out". Behindwoods. 23 January 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
10. "Madhoo gears up for nostalgic trip". The Times of India. 9 November 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
11. "Dulquer Salmaan dubs in Tamil - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
12. Naig, Udhav (19 April 2014). "Says it with satire". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
13. VMP audio news Sify
14. "Movie Review : Vaayai Moodi Pesavum". Sify. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
15. Refreshing, Daring Attempt to Blend Talkies With Silent Art The New Indian Express
16. Subha J. Rao. "Vaayai Moodi Pesavum: When speech is banned". The Hindu. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
17. M. Suganth (26 April 2014). "Vaayai Moodi Pesavum movie review: Wallpaper, Story, Trailer at Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
18. "Movie review 'Vaayai Moodi Pesavum': Shut up and listen!". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
19. "'Vaayai Moodi Pesavum' – sometimes brilliant, sometimes contradictory". IANS. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
20. "Vaayai Moodi Pesavum is a total entertainer". Rediff. 25 April 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
21. "Vaayai Moodi Pesavum (aka) Vaaiyai Moodi Pesavum review". Behindwoods. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
22. Vaayai Moodi Pesavum review Cinemalead
23. "Vaayai Moodi Pesavum review". OneIndia. 25 April 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
24. Vaayai Moodi Pesavum review Indiaglitz 25 April 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2014
25. Vaayai Moodi Pesavum review Moviecrow 25 April 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2014
26. Vaayai Moodi Pesavum review Hindustan Times 26 April 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2014
27. "Box Office Collection: 'Vallavanukku Pullum Aayudham', 'Yaamirukka Bayamey' and Other Tamil Films". International Business Times. 12 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2020.

External links

• Vaayai Moodi Pesavum at IMDb