KK vs VV - A real quick verdict

Well, this one's a real quick one - a verdict on one of the hottest comparisons going abuzz in Kollywood over the past 4 weeks or so ... it's the comparison lines that are being drawn between Kakka Kakka (KK) and Vettayadu ViLayadu (VV)...the former being a path-breaker for Surya and the path-waving film (!) for the Surya-Jo romance. While the latter being yet another feather in the cap of the inimitable Kamal Hassan. I stop my reviews of the movies here and jump on to my verdict right away. I know most of you might wonder how stupid I could be in comparing it on the factor that I'm going to compare the two milestone movies in Tamil cinema (and directed by the same genius-in-the-making Gautham.M.), but I can't hold my views to myself and...what better a forum to put it down, than this blog... enough of the context-setting...here we go.

My simple verdict is that VV is the better of the two, and for the very simple reason that VV does not have any scenes of smoking/drinking (or alcohol consumption, if you want to call it that way!). KK had characters smoking or drinking almost every alternate frame and I thought that was not good for the young minds who aspire(d) to become Anbuchelvan, IPS, the main character of the movie. VV had nothing of that sort. I'm not sure if that was a specific condition put down by Kamal to Gautham, because I've read long back - about the time when his 'Indian' was released - that he did not want to be seen holding a cigarette in his movies. But hats off to whomever was the driving force behind it, the characters came out clean (even the negative characters were not shown to be smokers or drinkers).
Somehow, I've always held the opinion that if you cut down the unwanted show of heroism-means-smoking-and-drinking (or vice-versa), you can better reach the masses and convey your message in a more positive frame. Film-makers, Remember -- what you show on screen reaches out to millions and millions of fans, and the simple, (even, unintentional at times) visuals that you show on screen make the character and habits of many a youth of today.
Maybe, in this context, I've felt for quite a few years now, that if Superstar Rajni was to convey through any of his movies - in any of his stylish ways - that smoking is injurious to health and he wouldn't touch a cigarette in his life (atleast in the film!), I'm sure thousands of his diehard fans would give up the habit and thousands more would shy away from it if ever they had the inclination to go for it! The first positive step towards this was seen in his 'Chandramukhi' where none of the characters had a smoke or drink and I really appreciated the director P.Vasu, for that. We need our heroes to pass on the message to today's youth that smoking and drinking are injurious to health, instead of glorifying them or even showing themselves as coward habituals of such habits...

Hmmm, I started off to write a quick verdict on KK vs VV, but have ended up preaching! But anyways, this was one thing I had in mind for a pretty long time to share with the world, and now, I ended up putting it down here. Thanks for your patient reading.

Until I return with something more...

~ PenaPunaivan