Kudos to 'Duet Movies' for consistently venturing into off-beat subjects boldly. If its 'Mozhi' , in 2007 the trio has come up with yet another with ' Vellithirai'.

Vellithirai is a remake of the Malayalam original �Udhayanaanu thaara�,a satirical take on the behind-the-scene nuisances of the Film Industry. Prithviraj , is an assisitant director with dreams of making it big in the film industry when his close pal Prakashraj with a desire to have his feet in the film industry comes to stay with him. Prakash steals Prithvi�s story and go on to become a mass hero. Depressed and disgusted by the betrayal , Prithvi looses track and roams in despair. Lady Luck finally smiles at him with the condition that Prakashraj be the hero of the film. Prithvi's struggle to complete the movie amidst hurdles posed by Prakashraj form the rest of the story.

Viji in an attempt to be too truthful to its source, portrays the reality struggle between Intellectual creators and commercial masters in the industry. But this is where the film slackens a bit with the script wandering s a bit too much. Viji's Signature touches can be seen throughout the film but, the narration rather becomes dry and slow in the second half with too much of beating around the bush.

Prithvi essays a role of a young film maker who gets strangled between his aspirations and the realisty. He has excelled in subtle expression of his emotions and his evolution before and after the betrayal is well etched and carried out.

Acting with an actor's typical mannerisms and gestures is a cakewalk for Prakashraj and he sails with his characteristic charm. But, somewhere the character lacks the depth and variations.As a result, his comic renditions in the first half is remembered more than his intensifying chaarcter evolution in the second half. Gopika's eyes does the talking most of the time and effectively too. Her metamorphosis from an ordinary girl to a heroine is presented excellently on screen though her Make-up and costumes could have been better as her natural beauty is seen missing in most of the scenes.

Sharp and witty dialogues remind us of the �Mozhi� Viji. Songs are merely a fillers and lacks coherence with the narration. G V Prakash�s music is a big let down and the young composer seems to be reeling under beaten tracks off late. Only �Thayare thayya� comes close to expectations to some extent. Cheer up young boy! got to go a long way and promises to keep!

While a sincere effort to etch a classic on screen is evident throughout, illogical sequences and tiresome narration mars the flow of the film to a larger extent.

Vellithirai � Sparkles. But no charm.

A S M