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I still remember a movie that i saw in the early 90's.Me and my neighourhood gang used to go to obscure movies , just to make fun and enjoy ourselves.Most of the time it will be ramarajan movies.One time we decided to go to a movie with a weird title "Yennamo nadakuthu"(something is happening).I thought this was one of the Dr.rajashekhar's Vaada Pooda type movies.I suggested let's go to this one .There wasn't much crowd in the theater.The movie started and for first 15 minutes there was the usual comments, whistles etc.As the movie progressed the noises came down and after 20 mins nobody uttered a word and it continued till the end of the movie.When we came out of the theater everybody was appreciating the movie and thanking me for taking them to that movie.I was puzzled, the movie that we went to make fun, turned out to be an awesome one.That movie was none other than the tamil dubbed verion of Kshana kshanam.It was also dubbed into hindi as Hairan. I got to watch it again recently ,realised that the movie still has some of the magic that it had on me then.

The story is a bank robbery gone bad.1 crore rupees is robbed from a bank and hidden in a secret place and a note containing the details of the hidden location mistakenly ends with sathya(sridevi).A gang is behind sathya to get the note. chandhu(venkatesh) a small time crook gets involved in the mess and what follows is a serious of chases. sathya & chandhu solve the riddle at the end.A road movie brilliantly told by ram gopal verma.

This was one of RGV's earlier movie that followed shiva.He gave a movie that was so different for that time period.In telugu 100% masala type movie where being churned out with chiranjeevi toping the list on the amount of masala.RGV broke away form those gang and showed the way by making a clean,sensible yet highly entertaining movie.

The movie has some good star cast sridevi, venkatesh, paresh rawal.It mixes serious chases and stunts with comedies from sridevi.sridevi is a force.she just bulldoze's venkatesh with her acting skills.Venkatesh who's timing sense is impeccable stands like a dwarf before sridevi.Sridevi with her million facial changes is just awesome in the movie.Another actor to mention is paresh rawal.RGV made him act in a telugu movie in 1991 itself.Well RGV sure has an eye for talented peoples.

The photography was the first thing noted by everybody about the movie.S.Gopal Reddy's the phtographer did a great job with the camera.Stunts were also done beautifully, the climax scenes with train running in between huts where just great.

The music is by M M Keeravani.Hearing the songs now is a nostalgic trip.A time period when SPB at his peak converted ordinary songs into beautiful ones.

jamu rathiri
Chased by the villians,sathya and chadhu are staying in the forest.Night falls and sridevi is hearing all kind of animal sounds, she is very afraid.There is danger everywhere, animals and the gang of peoples who are trying to kill them.The hero starts singing a beautiful melody,sort of a lullaby to comfort the heroine.The natural surroundings, moon lit night and there it is "Jammu rathiri jabilamma.Keeravani starts the song with the natrual sounds and slowly takes it to the melody and when someone like spb sings for such a situation, it is just perfect.

Those where the days.when you can hear vairamuthu lyrics ,only in dubbed telugu movies and movies of secondary Music Director's.You just cannot put down a talented person for long.This great lyricist penned beautiful lyrics even for dubbed films, where he is constrained with the lip syncs.I still remember some of the tamil lyrics of this song."Thanimai rathiri innimai yamma..."

The heroine is scared of the people trying to kill her, wild animals and she is not sure about this guy with whom she is spending the night alone.The hero comforts her by singing

"Manithan pola yannai karadi ondrum kodithalla,
Kangal moodi thoongu kanney naanum pulli alla".

Ko ante Koti
Its an all spb song.The song is a dream sequence one.Both chandhu and sathya think of what they can do with the 1 crore money.Venkatesh syncs with SPB's voice to perfection and SPB is ........ SPB.

Ammayi Muddu
A melody by SPB and chithra in telugu, that's all that has to be said.For some unknown reason I find chithra's voice more sweteer in telugu than malayalam or tamil.

Challi champu kunna
The song strangely reminds you of some other song.Dont know why keeravani asked mano to sing this song when GOD was there.High light of the song picturisation is sridevi's dance.

Listen to the songs here

sridevi won filmfare award for best actress and RGV won the nadi award for best director for this movie.

A clean and pacy entertainer.