Cast: Vijay Sethupathi, Remya Nambeesan
Release date: February 15, 2013
Director: Karthick Subburaj
Music: Santhosh Narayanan
Producers: Santosham Suresh
Censor Certificate: U/A
Runtime: 128 Minutes
Genre: Action – Thriller
Pizza Theatrical Trailer:
Pizza Theatrical Trailer:
‘Pizza’ is a very successful Tamil thriller which has now been dubbed into Telugu. The film is releasing this Friday in theaters and we have been to an exclusive premiere show in Prasad Labs. Karthik Subbaraj directed this thriller which stars Vijay Sethupathi and Remya Nambeesan in lead roles. Let us take a look and see if this Pizza is worth having.
Story :
Michael a.k.a. Mike (Vijay Sethupathi) is a pizza delivery boy who lives a quite normal life along with his girlfriend Anu (Remya Nambeesan). Anu is a wannabe novelist who is deeply interested in paranormal phenomena, ghosts and other such stuff. The couple have a live-in relationship and things get complicated once Anu gets pregnant.
As a confused and scared Michael grapples with the news of this pregnancy, he comes face to face with his Boss’s daughter who seems to be possessed by an evil spirit named Nithya. A thoroughly frightened and disturbed Michael goes out to deliver a Pizza, without realising that his life is about to take a very ugly turn.
Strange and scary things keep happening in the bungalow that Michael goes to. What does Michael encounter there? How does he confront his issues? That forms the story of ‘Pizza’.
Plus :
‘Pizza’ is one of the finest Indian thrillers I have seen in recent times. The screenplay never loses tempo and the sustained sense of suspense will keep you on the edge of your seats. Vijay Sethupathi has excelled in the role of Michael. His performance as a scared and shell shocked pizza boy is very realistic. Remya Nambeesan looks ok.
The film’s biggest assets are sound effects, cinematography and a very clever screenplay. Director Karthik Subbaraj needs to be applauded for coming up with a superb effort for a first film.
The scenes in the ‘Smitha Bungalow’ are spine chillingly effective and they are some of the scariest you will ever encounter among Indian films. For about 30 minutes prior to the interval and 20 minutes after that, the film can rival some of the best horror thrillers out there.
The second half is the life and soul of this film and the climax sequence has been executed brilliantly well. Viewers will try their best to predict the outcome after the first shocking twist hits home, but virtually no one will see the second twist coming.
The sound effects and the pulsating background score need to be experienced in a proper theater with good sound. Only then will you be able to appreciate the fine work that Santosh Narayan has come up with.
Minus Points :
Remya Nambeesan’s make up and look should have been better. Perhaps, the director intentionally went in for a look devoid of glamour but Telugu viewers will not like that.
While the background score of the film is terrific, the songs are a big letdown.
The film may not appeal to viewers who seek casual entertainment as there will be nothing in this film for them. Commercial elements like comedy, masala moments etc etc are nonexistent and this may limit its Box Office appeal.
As with all dubbed films, this movie also suffers from Tamil nativity and lack of familiar faces.
Technical Aspects :
Gopi Amarnath’s brilliant cinematography is a major asset for the film. His camerawork inside the haunted building is what really brings this film alive. Editing is almost flawless. Dialogues are ok and do their job.
Karthik Subbaraj scores full marks as a director for coming up with a very fine effort on his debut film.
Verdict :
It is tough to slot ‘Pizza’ into a genre. Is it a romantic thriller? Is it a horror thriller? A thriller it most definitely is and a very fine one at that. Go watch ‘Pizza’ this Friday if you want to catch a film that is impressive, genuinely intelligent and scary at the same time.
Rating – 3.5/5
