Autograph  Now Showing
Cast: Cheran, Sneha, Gopika, Mallika, Kaniha, Krishna, Rajesh, Ilavarasu
Director: Cheran

While most film-makers persist in trying to make their products more commercially viable, by trying to better the dances and fights, rather than the scripting, here is a film-maker who has doggedly paved his own path, and persists in following it, irrespective of commercial considerations.

He includes only ingredients which he feels will fit in with the ambience. Cheran's films (Porkkaalam, Bharati Kannamma, Panadavar Bhoomi), have always been different from the routine ones both in style and content. 'Autograph' is yet another different and classy film from the maker.

It centres on Senthil (Cheran) working in an advertising agency, his marriage round the corner. Senthil decides to invite for his wedding all those who'd made a difference to his life, including his best friends since schooldays and the two loves of his life.

As Senthil takes a trip to these places, he goes down memory lane, reliving the incidents, humorous and bitter-sweet. There's Kamala (Mallika) the love of his schooldays, till parting becomes inevitable. There's Lathika (Gopika), the Malayali college mate he falls for, after his father, a postmaster, gets transferred to a township in Kerala.

Senthil now meets them after more than a decade and their present situation sends him into a state of depression. And when on his wedding eve his past converges on him, he is a truly disturbed man. But then, heeding the wise words of his colleague and best friend Divya (Sneha), who'd taught him the true value of friendship, Senthil decides to let go of his past and get on with his life.

The film is produced, scripted and directed by Cheran. There's a sincerity and an involvement in Cheran as an actor and a director. He's got his ambience and the dialogues right. Cheran the actor has matured since his last film. He's managed to bring to his role credibility and sensitivity, with minimum change of look, as the character passes through different stages, of a college fresher, love-struck and heart-broken, to a jobless youth in a state of penury, and then the savvy ad-man basking in the attention of his new-found friend Divya, learning a new definition in man-woman relationship from her.

Displaying the hero's machoism through a routine fight scene is an unwanted addition.

Sneha is a delight to watch, the director etching out her character well. While debutant Mallika as Kamala, Gopika from Malayalam films as Lathika, Krishna as Senthils's buddy Kamala Kannan, and Rajesh as the father, perform with understanding and sensitivity. Cheran seems to have selected his artistes well!

Bharadwaj's music fits in well, with a couple of catchy numbers like 'Nyabagam Varuthe...'. Using four cinematographers (Ravi Varman, Vijay Milton, debutant Dwarakanath and Shanki Mahendra) may be a novel concept. But how using four of them has helped the film and contributed to it, one cannot fathom.

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Hi Cheran Great I cant say it..... - Nawin, California - USA, 1/16/2007

hi MR Cheran, Could i have yo..... - Vijayares, singapore, 8/30/2006

I would like to have Actor/Dir..... - Divya, Ipoh, Malaysia, 7/27/2006

Hi Cheran , I couldnt get your..... - proud indian, Not Given, 5/7/2006

If anyone know's director Chra..... - vijin, Erode, 4/24/2006

There are humorous scenes that will touch a chord in your heart, and moments that linger on, even after you've left the theatre. But there's an undercurrent of melancholy, depression and sadness pervading throughout the narration. Makes one wonder why the director wanted to end all his loves and the related incidents in a depressing, gloomy way!

Finally, one cannot but be struck by the similarity in the concept of Raj Kapoor's 'Mera Naam Joker' and 'Autograph'. In the depiction of the various loves in the life of the protagonist, and the converging of them all at one place in the end, Cheran probably may have been influenced by 'Joker' too!

'Autograph' is nostalgia, tackled with sensitivity and sensibility. Yet another feather in Cheran's cap!

Malini Mannath
Published on 23^rd Feb, 2004