Really nice movie.

A bevy of glamorous models are bumped off one by one in in a diamond smuggling operation masterminded by the dastardly (but amusingly and probably ironically named) Oberoi. Part suspense crime thriller, part madcap action vehicle for Kamal Haasan as professional photographer Dilip who has been framed for the murder of the girls and is a fugitive on the run out to prove his innocence. With Oberoi played like a reserved yet partially demented Dr. Evil (from the Austin Powers franchise- years before the Austin Powers films were even conceived) coupled with almost schizophrenic scene changes, Tik! Tik! Tik! is probably as much fun today as the year it was released. The star of the show is undoubtedly Haasan who is completely in his element in this kind of film. Apparently ahead of its time plot-wise back in 1981, I managed to see a high quality Malaysian DVD pressing with English subtitles and perfectly mixed audio which brought out both the (then) clever 'ticking' sound effects interspersed throughout the film and also Ilaiyaraaja's excellent songs-- Poo Malarinthida's note perfect mix of classical and modern pop elements show why he was and probably still is miles ahead of any other music director. Tik! Tik! Tik! is a perfect reminder of a time when big starers didn't need to rely on endless fight scenes, pointless special effects and soul-less choreographed item numbers. A clever plot yet the overall simplicity of this film is what makes it.

A thriller that was ahead of its time, it rides on K Bhagyaraj's screeplay writing skills. A tale of one lensman, three models, one villain and a few diamonds. Some memorable songs from Ilayaraja. Worth a watch.