Murder on Express

Neelagiri Express (நீலகிரி எக்ஸ்ப்ரெஸ், Tamil; 1968)

The moviemakers decided to venture into a newer genre. They tried their hand into something along the line of 'Murder on the Orient Express' by Agatha Christie. Unfortunately, it did not turn out as they wanted, a thriller. Instead, it showed the excellent comic ala-Mr. Bean role in Cho Ramaswamy. It became an almost full scale comedy with Cho hitting all the thought provoking tongue-in-the-cheek clean jokes. It is not wonder that he wrote the story!

The suspense component did not excite. Neither did the musical score by T.K. Ramamoorthy. None of the songs belted in the movie stood the test of time or were vaguely familiar! The background score proved different with the usage of electronic guitars. Many of the shots were outdoor shots and I can hardly remember anyone with saree. All female characters seem to be wearing spandex pants and striped body hugging tops, probably that was the latest fashion then.

The modus operandi was simple. Occupants of a upmarket hotel known to be carrying valuables were robbed and murdered when they travelled on the Neelagiri Express train which plied Coimbatore and Madras.
An accomplice who distract the fellow occupant of the first class compartment while the crime went on.
In come CID Shankar (Jaishankar) to the scene! The comical antics of Cho and the ever righteous civil servant form the crux of the adventure. An entertaining flick.

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