Eeb Allay Ooo

 Eeb Allay Ooo

2019, Hindi, Netflix, 7.4/10 IMDB, Directed by Prateek Vats

A prying gaze in to the devolution of humans, aping the apes, for a living, in the name of 'Monkey-Repelling' jobs in the capital city. The film blurs the already thin divide that exists between the lives of the downtrodden and that of the animals on the streets.

In a culturally rich country like India, lives of animals are sacred. Yes, they possess the same rights as the humans does over this planet, but it turns worrisome, when the unfortunate human lives are not valued equally. From monkeys, to elephants, to cows to crows, the personified 'sacred-being' list, goes on and somewhere it strikes a contrast to the plight of the 'not so sacred' migrant humans, who are forced to be uprooted and displaced for survival. The maker nails in establishing their agony, through a subtle narrative.

A classic sequences is, where a man feeding a monkey, standing adjacent to the placard that says, 'Do not feed the monkeys' and when condemned by the Repeller, gives a sly reply that he knows the monkey repelling contractor. The maker is keen on highlighting the very kind of systemic corruption that the country is infested with. The maker also parallelly establishes the nimbus of 'Government jobs', even if it is to do with chasing away a bunch of monkeys.

The bigotry of the migrant worker, Anjani, in his new job, echoes the viewer's thoughts, through his hardship in getting the monkey phonetics, right. His instinct to use a slingshot and his innovative effort to dress up as a langur himself to scare the monkeys, ends in vain and he looses his much needed job. Unemployment is captured in its full glory through the toppled life of the naive migrant youngster, sending unknown wrenches.

The menacing monkey's life being esteemed over the life of the sincerest Repeller's life, runs a chill down the spine. He is lynched to death for he accidentally had killed a monkey, while at his repelling work. The maker chooses not to visualize it onscreen and rather leaves it open for the viewer's insight to depict the predicaments of the human lives, especially the migrants.

Fatigued by job hunts, Anjani joins the procession of the God, with the other monkey costumed performers who lead the way. He lets himself loose off the pain caused by his anguish and desperation. He dances beside the frenzy devotees, now that he is not bounded by the Job that demanded him to play by the rules. He did just the same, while at work, dressing up in a langur costume to scare the monkeys, but got fired instead. Radical irony indeed.

Drishyam 2

 Drishyam 2

2021, Malayalam, Amazon Prime, 8.8/10 IMDB, Directed by Jeethu Joseph

The resumption sequel is nearly at par with the nine year old flick that caused a stir in the pan Indian film industry, except for the wearisome sequences that lay hold of nearly one-third of the film.

The aesthetics, the characters, the house, the tea shop, the police station, the church, the grown up girls, the cable TV office, the newly built cinema hall that carries Georgekutty's wife's name 'Rani', a little too fatigued Meena, a tummy tucked Lalettan, new neighbors- The sequel unveils in snail pace for 45 minutes, after the opening credits. It seems a conscious effort to stimulate the viewer's memory of the 2013 Drishyam. Sadly, we remain visualizing that film rather than being invested in the sequel.

The threads of random scenes of Gerogekutty (Mohanlal) interacting with a couple of unrelated new characters, the forensic security in the car and a bed ridden man in his house, accelerates curiosity. The story discussion of Georgekutty with a renowned director for his new found love of movie making, makes the viewers inquisitive. We end up challenging ourselves to solve the mystery before the director reveals the plot as we are familiar with the pattern by now. The carbon copy template for the sequel is a setback indeed, as the viewers are joining the dots themselves. Another downside of this is that the audience are at some point made to subconsciously judge the lead characters on basis of karma.

When one morally starts questioning on the crime going unpunished, the director himself cautions the viewers that the family is being punished enough, just by plotting to evade the consequences for years. But somehow it doesn't convince you enough, as it did the first time.

It might be because the agony of the family remains blurred with the normalcy in their life, apart from few gossips in the small town and the elder daughter's epilepsy. Nevertheless a fantastic screenplay, bounces the sequel to make it yet another noteworthy film from the team.

It's laudable that the screenplay hurdles the 'familiar-plot' quotient and even turns it to its advantage, through a bunch of fresh knots. The knots are both subtly sharp and grippingly engaging, till the curtain falls down.

Master

Master

2021, Tamil, 7.7/10 IMDB, Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj 

A mafia story of juvenile delinquency, starts as a copy of the film 'Petta'. Travels in an untrodden terrain for its lead actor and even manages to gain mileage with the overpowering antagonist. Sadly, the epilogue succumbs to wordplay rather than remaining truthful to resolving the crux of the plot.

The poster release of the film rumored it to be on the lines of the 2011 Korean film 'Silenced'. The hype pinnacled with the announcement of the cast and the release of the music album. Lokesh Kanagaraj's previous outing vouched for an intriguing plot. But the film isn't anywhere close to the plot of 'Silenced'. The consanguinity is rather from the Kamal starrer 'Nammavar' and Rajini starrer, 'Petta', encompassing a 'delinquent teenagers' quotient.

Actor Vijay plays a college professor JD. An alcoholic for reasons unknown, is sent as a messiah to the juvenile center. The center's juveniles are routine to own up crimes by Bhavani, played by the effervescent Vijay Sethupathi.

Vijay, cake walks the role and he does it ever so charmingly. There is a lead lady in the film but there are no romance sequences but a mere attraction. There are action sequences but no super heroic flying and gravity defying stunts. There are cute dance numbers but not in dream locations. A welcome change in breaking the 'success template' of actor Vijay. It can easily be categorized - a new age 'Vijay film'.

The film's intention often stumbles and deviates the screenplay, as the creative team themselves are marveling the duo leads. Attempting a tribute to Vijay's 2004 film 'Gilli', the Kabadi sequence just deduces the momentum. It stalls the much awaited collision of the titans, that the poster lured the audience into the theaters.

However, its an absolute treat to watch Vijay Sethupathi. He cruises through the entire length of the film, with his lethargic body language. His merry mockeries and his contemptuous speeches, shape his character. He elegantly gives back the 'Thuppakki' fame dialogue, - 'I'm waiting' to Vijay. While conversing on his mobile's speaker to the hero, he is seen to shape 'demon horns' out of his 'shampooed frothy hair'. Weirdly he seems to outshine the hero.

Our expectation for a macho pay-off from Vijay by the end of his hero's journey, somehow goes futile. But the consolation remains when the maker chooses to adhere to logical reality and end the film dutifully behind bars.

Paava Kadhaigal

 Paava Kadhaigal

2020, Tamil, Anthology, Netflix, 8.3/10 IMBD Directed by Sudha Konkara, Vignesh Sivan, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Vetrrimaran

An Anthology on 'honor killing', that houses extreme emotions ranging from humor (yes) to sending some chills down the spine. 

A northern girl in her 20s, asked me, "How can honor killing happen in the south with such high literacy rates in the states?". Also the 2015 documentary, 'A girl in the river-price of forgiveness', ( https://youtu.be/U7a-nOOXdtAv ) indicates illiteracy and lack of stringent laws, as primary reasons for such killings.

These 4 stories in the anthology, in its versatility, partly answered my young friend's query.

Sudha Konkora's  'Thangam' (Gold), is set in the 80's southern Tamilnadu. The 'class and caste' discrimination seem firmly embedded in the village as the strong dialect and characters are suggestive of that. This makes it an ideal premise for the theme. But, the novelty is when the maker chooses to introduce the 'transgender' version of the honor-killing theme. Just when the story was finding it's parallels to the Marathi film 'Sairat', things take a turn.

The episode explores the negligence and lack of empathy for transgender in our society. Given the time frame of the episode, it does seem run of the mill kind. But, fascinatingly the director dwells in to the naïve love, that the transgender has on his childhood male friend Thangam. The director attempts to address a larger issue here. His parents throw him to the dogs, all in the name of shame, on top of his lost identity and lost love. The cruelties that follow, casts a new perspective to the theme.

Vignesh Sivan's 'Love Panna Uttranum' (meaning- leave them when in love), is a morbid humor. A 'protection racketeering arbitrary group' that claims themselves as 'Pro' inter-caste marriages, wipe the lower caste grooms off underground. Father is addressed as 'Nana' for a reason in this episode that is set in a fantasized red walled palatial backdrop. Comedy is used a tool to break the taboos of sexuality and to confront the horrors of killing.

A dwarf henchman choreographs the killings for his hefty boss. Metaphorically it signifies to me, the shepherding of masses by the tiny group of notorious manipulators.

Gautham Vasudev Menon's 'Vaanmagal' (meaning - 'Daughter of the sky'), represents the aspiration of a girl, whose role model is Kalpana Chawla. The episode picturize the middle-class agony of the family, whilst trying to keep the abuse of their teen girl child, under wrap.

The troubling guilt of parents, for failing to protect their daughter from the claws of the societal demon, is moving. The mom pours gallons of water, to wash away the taints off her daughter. The dad says he feels naked for not protecting his daughter. The brother confides his pain to his friend and revenges the rapist. The incidents, impeccably mirrors the helplessness of the family.

The irrational thought of the mom, to erase off the daughter's existence in succumbing to the societal pressures, is haunting. It would have stumbled the viewers, had it been real. The episode embraces the 'maternal spirituality', when the mom is seen vouching to help her daughter fly high.

The final episode of Vetrimaran's 'Oor Iravu' (meaning 'one night'), is an epitome of 'Honor Killing'. It is unleashed in its typical and cruelest form.

The previous episode has a news article reading, 'a father poisons his daughter' with images of this episode's artists. This foreshadowing sets the ball rolling from the initial shot. Right when the estranged father shows up at the door of his daughter's urban household, the story takes off. The non linear story telling shuttles from the urban to rural present day setup. The screenplay sets the right milieu, enveloping a series of subtexts on relationships between the siblings and their respective families.

The director voices the repercussions the family faces. The aftermath that had staggered the sibling's future, leaves the viewers hollow, questioning the vicious circle. When it's his 'favorite daughter' who had eloped, the father feels even more betrayed. The subtly on the psychology of betrayal, dawns on the viewers. Creepily, we infer that when it is the 'most-trusted' betrays, the hatred diabolically intensifies.

The director unveils the demon in the confused father. He patiently waits in the lobby, as his 'favorite-daughter' is dying with a child in her womb. The maker sends a chill down the viewer's spine by making us a witness to this cool blood murder. While the mom is tired of knocking her locked door, the poisoned daughter is tired of knocking hers. She wears off, comforting her unborn child and confronting her sadistic father.

'Dishonor' is common in all the episodes. The directors take the liberty to bend the theme to represent its evilness at varied levels. Majority of the dishonor, ends in killing their 'so called loved ones'.

Can Honor killing's be seen as a diluted spectrum of the ancient practice called Eugenics, which literally means "good creation"? It is an advocacy of improving the human species by selectively mating people with specific desirable hereditary traits.

Plato insisted on creating a superior society by procreating high-class people together and discouraging coupling between the lower classes.

Eugenics, earned its negative association mainly from Adolf Hitler's obsessive attempts to create a superior Aryan race. In America took a dark turn in the early 20th century, as Sterilization was forced in mental institutions under the guise of protecting society from the offspring of people with mental illness. Until an overrule in the Supreme court in 1942, forced sterilization was not against the constitution in America.

The 'caste system' can be very well classified as the Eugenic Movement in India. The sole object of marriages was the improvement of the progeny. The choice of the mate did not rest with the contracting parties but with their elders and guardians.

Retrospectively, I pondered on my young friend's question- 'Is literacy inversely proportional to these killings'? We do often read that education and social awakening, battles in bringing these incidents significantly down, albeit, a high number of cases never surface, due to tight lipped communal setups.

It's only fair to conclude, literacy has nothing to do with these killings. It's more to do with brutality, hatred and cultural differences. Unless we evolve as a collective entity, irrespective of literacy and walk hand in hand with the new generation, that attempts to keep all sort of discriminations at bay, subjugation of this demon might never be possible. 

Andhaghaaram

 Andhaghaaram

2020, Tamil, Netflix, 7.9/10 IMDB, Directed by V. Vignarajam

A technically mesmerizing suspense thriller that masters parallel editing and extends a surreal experience, that overrides the mundane supernatural phenomena, through its convincing 'willful suspension of disbelief'.

The supernatural phenomena of the dead communicating through an interesting medium is the theme. The audience are sucked in to the story straight away as the film opens with three unrelated characters. A psychiatrist, Dr. Indran, played by Kumar Natarajan, whose family is massacred by one of his patients and the doctor remains in coma. A blind man Selvam, played by Vinoth Kishan, who is a public library clerk. His father was a famous occult whose practice he had accompanied as a kid and is familiar with few practices himself. A cricket coach Vinod, played by Arjun Das, who lives in guilt for gifting an occult book to his friend Pradeep, which made him mentally disturbed.

Interestingly each one's events unfolds parallelly. The story emanates from the supernatural manipulation of one's mental health and its permuted consequences. The common lead to the three stories is the character Pooja, played by the elegant Pooja Ramachandran, teacher of Selvam at blind school, sister to Vinod's mentally disturbed friend Pradeep, who is also coincidentally Dr. Indran's patient.

The screenplay prompts the viewers to correlate the three stories and at one point the timeline seemingly overlaps. Yet the suspense consistently mounts. What makes the film stand out is the editing that plays as a pivotal storytelling technique. The 'cross editing' of more that one happenings and the simultaneous progressing of the story further is commendable.

The aesthetics in black and white shots are exceptionally eye appealing and the scenes are choreographed with passion. The lengthy duration of 2hr 51 mins sure is worrisome but being an OTT release does ease the burden. The non linear narrative at places does pose a threat in keeping oneself consistently invested in the film. Nevertheless, an unique experience for the Tamil audience.

Arjun Das nails the character's traits evoking the right balance of suspicion and pity with shades of grey to begin with. So has Vinoth Kishan, as the visually challenged character, whose arc righteously comes a full circle. Pooja's subtly scores and Arjun's girlfriend, played by Misha Ghoshal, accusing her boyfriend's weird behavior, echoes the viewer's confusion, providing a brief comic relief.

The debut directorial 'Andhaghaaram', which translates 'Darkness', ironically brings to light and showcases upcoming refined talents. The challenging screenplay is backed by mind blowing editing, loyal performances, phenomenal camera work, credible lighting, noteworthy sound and curious production design.

Kudos to the team, which sure is to turn some big heads towards the south, yet again.