Julie Ganapathy (2003) User Reviews

Saritha and Jayram are that fine high grade black pepper which adds flavor to this movie

[mohitsuperman1 · 10/10 · 1 July 2006]

Julie Ganapathy (Saritha) is an individual of questionable sanity who happens to be an ardent fan of a popular television series by the name of Manga. Over the years, Julie has grown to identify herself with the lead character in this serial. The author of series Balamurugan (Jayaram) leaves his home for a few days to be alone to write the last few episodes of ''Manga''. On his way back home after completing his work, his vehicle meets with an accident which leaves him seriously injured and crippled. Julie rescues the man and takes him home. But little did he know that Julie is not as normal as she appears to be. Julie is an emotionally unstable woman who is deliriously obsessed with the character in Bala's story. This drives her to the point of insanity. Julie asks Bala to allow her to read the last episodes that he had just completed. Bala is left with little choice but to let her read the script. Over the next few days she reads the story and finds the ending not to her liking. She forces him to re-write the ending by various means. The rest of the film is about his struggle, torture and adventure to escape from the clutches of his crazed captor. Brilliant story and a fine plot, but no credits to Mr. Balu Mahendra, who, in fact, does claim writing credits for this film. I always try hard not to compare our films with their films. But Mr. Mahendra leaves me little choice. Misery is a modern horror classic by Steven King. The book was later produced into a successful film starring Kathy Bates and James Caan in 1990. The motive behind the production of this film is what actually puzzles me: This film will not be a blockbuster simply because it lacks the blockbuster Formula: There are no pretty lasses running around. No romance. And the hero doesn't even walk on two legs. And yes Ramya Krishnan does dance around in a wet sari. Neither the film nor the screenplay is an original work of art, hence cannot even be judged for its literary quality. So in short this film cannot claim aesthetic nor commercial excellence. I would like to know what motivated this celebrated film director to ''write'', edit and direct this film after almost five years of silence. Can we call this a good adaptation of Misery? I am afraid not. In the process of Indianising Misery, Balu Mahendra invents an extra character to the story which manages to ruin the otherwise perfect story. Julie's father 'leaves her alone to travel to the US. A father leaving his mentally ill daughter alone in the house with a revolver and a hunting rifle does sounds a bit odd to me. In King's novel there are no such characters to worry about.