Leelai (2012) User Reviews

Love (the) game

[sribornagain-394-460163 · 7/10 · 17 June 2012]

Debutant writer , director, Andrew Louis' "Leelai" is a breezy romantic comedy on the lines of yesteryear Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan movies. It strictly follows the template of the Hollywood romcoms but comes across as a whiff of fresh air for Tamil cinema where sickle & sexism rules. Though predictable the screenplay is fresh & realistic with enjoyable casual dialogs adding on to the delight. And most importantly the cast & their neat portrayal make the movie a lot enjoyable.

Here the hero is not a saint , he has his flaws , does a lot of dissocial activities but yet he is genuine & unpretentious. Shiv Pandit in this role of Karthik gets his lip sync absolutely perfect for the starters. His expressions , the way he conveys myriad of emotions , his charm , he must be the next one to claim the chair vacated by Arvinth Sami & Madhavan. Not one do you feel that he is not a native for he has absolutely ingrained into the character he plays.

Heroine Karunai Malar starts of as an opinionated , feministic , paranoid college girl who undergoes a personality change of sorts after she falls in love with the stranger. Manasi Parekh who enacts Malar is first class. Like Karthik she also gets her lip sync correct all the time. She may not have earth-shattering looks but manages to captivate the audience with her alluring simplicity.

Suhasini Raju gets a good role as a common friend of both the protagonist. She is talented & has utilized the opportunity very well.

Huge pillar of strength for this movie is it's songs , music composed by Satish Chakravarthy. "Oru kili oru kili " is a soothing romantic number while "Jillendru Oru kalavaram" is an enjoyable melody. "Ponmalai pozhuthu" is another pleasant melody. Satish has done a neat job in his background score as well though heavily inspired by the Hollywood romcoms.

Velraj's cinematography has neatly captured the interiors of the IT company that the lead pair work in. Songs are picturized very tastefully.

On the whole, Andrew Louis has neatly packaged the movie with correct dose of romance & comedy with a touch of melodrama (thankfully not overdone though had scope for it) , stylishly shot & told.

Bottomline: Love (the) game

3.5/5

First Class!

[dkemathas · 8/10 · 11 January 2013]

First of all, when I first saw the posters at Indiaglitz, I had a doubt if I was really willing to waste my time for this film or not. But somehow this movie convinced me to actually waste my time on it. But was this an enjoyable ride? You can find it out by just read this review.

The film introduces us a gang with new faces, a new director/writer and a new musician to the South Indian Film industry. Simply said this is a very young team, and what this young team has got are skills: Talent to entertain the audience, make the time to not go any faster or not go any slower, just make it to go smooth, let us taste a piece of love and make us feel satisfied.

The lead actors Shiv Pandit and Manasi Parekh who portrayed Karthik and Karunai Malar are two non-Tamil-speaking actors. I looked at their lip-movements and I must say that I was really impressed. The both actors have lived in their roles and had an excellent chemistry from the beginning to the end. Especially in ''Oru Kili Oru Kili'' song and the climax.

Suhasini Raju who also made her debut in Tamil cinema has also delivered an outstanding performance by portraying Karthik and Karunai Malar's best friend Suja. Santhanam who portrayed the character Vicky was at one of his best performances so far in his career beside ''Boss Engira Baskaran'' and ''Oru Kal Oru Kannadi''. His jokes in this film are actually very realistic and make a lot of sense. His character also brings an importance for the film. Something that is not happening often to the comedians in the South Indian Film industry.

Sathish Chakaravarthy, who was supposed to be introduced as the musician through this film, had already been introduced to the film industry through the 2010 Tamil film ''Kanimozhi'' because of the delay of the release of Leelai. Sathish has delivered some peppy numbers and a beautiful romantic tale ''Oru Kili Oru Kili''.

Overall this is a decent romantic flick that is worth to be watched for its realistic, lovely and honest screenplay. ''Leelai'' is a visual treat. Strongly recommended for everyone (especially families and young lovers).

Verdict: A game for romance!

Very nice light-headed watch!

[maddy232323 · 9/10 · 5 May 2012]

Surprise package. Shiv pandit has underplayed and has made a mark for himself. Very good direction and a nice watch. The story is not all that great. But it didn't need to be. All the actors have played their roles well and the songs are pleasant to the ear. The background music is nice. I really cannot think of a strong negative aspect in this movie. I give it a 9 because of the story line not being strong enough. The actress has played her role well too. Wonder why this movie took about 3 years to be released! Shiv pandit could have had an earlier break in the tamil film industry. Suhasini raju has played very well as a supportive actress.

Missed romantic movie

[mohanraj-71560 · 10/10 · 21 September 2020]

Opening to end totally engaged... Nice movie watched after 8 years... Worth your time..

No subtilles.

[lespointes · 1/10 · 9 July 2021]

So disappointed. No subtitles. The overview got me interested and was really looking forward to the movie.

A decent love story

[manojkalyan2 · 10/10 · 7 June 2012]

A fantastic romantic story. After a long time had felt worth watching a decent love story, all four key characters have made their part really well. The way the actor manages his friend and love is superb. The comedies are so gentle, that are nicely placed such that it doesn't spoil the romance, in other words I can call it as right blend of both the factors. Background score adds up to the moments. Pitfall that I find in this movie is the dance sequence that could have been made better though the songs are pleasing to hear. Almost all the scenes have been captured so lively in IT industry. In short it's a good package that leaves some pleasant memories for all fun loving IT folks.

An Absolutely Adorable Watch

[lakshanyalikitha · 10/10 · 24 December 2012]

The easiest way to review Leelai is this: if you are a romantic person at heart in search of a decent love story that adheres devoutly to the genre of romance with no wanton distractions, this is the movie you have been waiting for. The plot was pretty simple but at least there were no gaping plot holes in it-not as far as I could see. It was very sweet and simple and the leads in the movie- Shiv Pandit and Manashi Parekh were extremely good in bringing forth their emotions considering the fact that they are newcomers in the industry. The movie showcased the lifestyle of the urbanites of modern India and I would have to say that the director avoided being to formulaic while making a valiant effort to make a movie that tilts more towards the realistic side of life with regard to the backdrop of the movie. The songs in the movie? They had superb lyrics impregnated with meaning, if you would care to look for it. All in all, the best thing about this movie is that, it does not pretend to be something it is not. At the beginning it promises to be a light- hearted, romantic plus comedy flick and that is what you get throughout the movie. In my humble opinion, the storyline was well paced since it was neither draggy nor rushed. At the very least, if you decide to enjoy the movie, that is what you should feel and I sure hope you would enjoy it because it has got this air of freshness permeating through it that you would not get in most Tamil movies.