Kuselan, the synonym for poverty was a friend of Lord Krishna. He had twenty seven children. His wife told him to approach his childhood friend Lord Krishna for help. Eventually she succeeded in persuading him to go to Dwaraka.

How can he go to meet his friend empty handed? All that he had at home was a small quantity of aval - a kind of beaten-up rice. He had it packed in a small piece of cloth and set out on his journey.

When Krishna saw his old friend approaching his palace, he literally ran downstairs to receive him. Kusela was thrilled beyond words. He gave Krishna one mouthful of aval. He left Dwaraka without seeking help from his friend. On his way back, he was worried - not about his having to continue to suffer in poverty, but about how he could face his wife, who had literally pushed him to meet Krishna for help. Of course, when he returned, he didn't have to face the wrath of his wife. His family had become Kuberans and Kuselan could not recognise his house!



That is from the Purana. Every name has a special power of its own. Kuselan stands for poverty. The theatre owners of the Southern States would have now realised the power of the word!

When Katha Parayumpol was to be remade in Tamil, there were a lot of expectations. Mammootty had lived his role in the celebrated Malayalam hit of the year. After seeing the original in Chennai, along with his junior Sreenivasan, Rajinikanth readily agreed to do Mammootty's role.It was promptly advertised as Rajinikanth's Kuselan.

The film instantly produced several yawns and a few Kuselans!

Many didn't bother to go anywhere near the theatres that ran this movie. And those who did felt they were robbed of the money they paid for the tickets.

This movie is a living(!) example of how a remake can kill even a first-rated movie. The producers should have announced a cash price for those who managed to see the entire movie.

Is this the same P Vasu who gave Chandramukhi? Or, could there be two P Vasus? Had he followed the Malayalam original, he might have succeeded. He perhaps thought he should change the story and dialogues and add a few punchlines to suit the presence of the superstar. This was a costly mistake, as it didn't suit the storyline. There is more of childish stuff than what is required for a good movie.

Pasupathy has done well. But, he has been totally eclipsed by the omnipotent, though brief presence of the Superstar.

The theatre owners expect Rajinikanth to repeat his Baba gesture. If he continues to do so, he may have to himself experience the power of the name Kuselan. Sentiments have no place in a business transaction. If a movie becomes a box-office hit, you make money. If it flops, you lose it. If you cannot take a risk, better be not in business.