Ponman

2025, Malayalam, Jio Hotstar, 7.5/10 IMDB, Directed by Jotish Shankar

Published in Mr. Baradwaj Rangan's movie blog- https://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2025/03/25/readers-write-in-785-ponmaan-the-golden-deer/

A character driven movie 'casually' instilling an urge to find the purpose of life among the idling population and giving a grand hope for the slogging lot. On the go, young girls are sent on soul searches to decode what true beauty is, aimed to knock down the 'dream killing' dowry fanaticism, in the land of God's own country.

The premise is novel, like majority of Malayalam industry's. The 2023, Biju Menon and Vineeth Sreenivasan starer 'Thankam', gave a Thirssur perspective of the city's gold brokers trying to find market in Mumbai. In 'Ponman', it is Kollam perspective of a gold agent, an unheard kind. An extension of the traditional goldsmith practices of those days, who made jewellery and delivered it to households, this is one such story of a middle man, an agent in present day scenario.

The gold smiths were apparently referred as or mobile jewellery or 'Madiyil Jewellery' (madiyil translates 'in the lap' meant to refer 'in the embrace') and hence the fancy blend word title - Ponman. On the face of it, 'Pon' means gold and hence man who delivers it becomes ponman, more like, attaching their job to their names with a tag, something like a 'postman' or a 'milkman'. The metaphorical second layer behind this merger word, transpires beautifully towards the end of the movie. 'Ponman' in south languages, in spite of being a letter short in the English version of the title, sounds more like 'ponmaan' translating 'golden deer' indicating the key element in the Indian epic, Ramayana. And Golden deer, is a metaphorical reference to temptation and illusory desires called 'Maya'. This is exactly the intention of the makers; to equate the yellow metal to maya and they subtly begin the process, starting from the title naming.

The movie is at its best with abundant non preachy eye openers and seamless screenplay. The makers strike the right chords as the movie conveys their true intentions in right proportions at the right time. It easily is the best socially responsible movie in recent times, but for the excessive alcohol dependent characters especially the lead character P.P. Ajeesh, played by Basil Joseph. But, again, the more we delve into the psyche of the character and start reading in between his unpretentious dialogues, it adds multiple layers to the character.

Character development both external and internal is an art and without question, is the key to any screenplay which is intended to captivate the audience. Ponman scores big in detailing the traits of its prime characters and eventually swapping the traits among them as the film progresses. Viewers are introduced to the lead character Ajeesh through, the brother of the bride, Bruno's eyes. Bruno himself is a hit man associated with a party and is introduced as a muscling rogue. Ajeesh comes out to be this no-nonsense casual broker, who may seem petite but is a heavy yet steady drinker, passionate about his job and is well connected.

Ajeesh seems a compassion less mechanical person with a monotonous routine, and Bruno with no brain and no job. Similarly, Bruno's brother-in-law Mariyano, the groom, played by Saijin Gopu is another classic character. He is the third kind, a bulk looking man with no principles but is very passionate about his work. What the director makes out these three characters within the boundary of the story is what makes Ponman stand tall.

Dig at dowry mongering is the crux of the story but the director never touches upon the subject, other than a couple of personal conflict remarks between characters. Ajeesh is even seen warning the mother of the bride on a casual note - 'Gold is a curse and trouble follows it wherever it goes'. A subtle remark, but it is the very statement, the crew is trying to establish.

Lijomol Jose as Steffie, the bride, shines in her character that transforms from being helpless to becoming selfish, and then to search within to bring to surface her individuality. She represents millions of women across the country who are catteled into the institution called marriage. Girls who stumble upon when life throws rationale questions on beliefs, like those from the movie 'Laapataa Ladies' depicted from the villages of Uttarakhand.

Bruno's transformation is a beautiful one too, as he gets a lease of new hope in life, an inspiration from Ajeesh, to helps him streamline and turn responsible. Ajeesh's constant booing on Mariyano to belittle him for vying on the bride family's sweat money, is a pricking gesture pointing to all dowry solicitors in the audience.

When the movie ends, all that drinking and merry making by Ajeesh comes as he was masking his fear and mustering his courage to dive each time into the risky venture, which he had made his livelihood. His 'underwear morning merry' at the beach is yet another indication of his emotional disturbance that he tries to mask it off in the name of fantasy, merely to be woken up early and to get over his hangover. Yet another beautiful layer and it made more sense as the end credits rolled.

Ajeesh's simple hardworking family is an insight into his poor background as the character hints the lack of any ancestry wealth for a 'head start' in life. It is another facet that the makers establish to confront the men in the audience, who make grand plans for their lives, hoping dowry would be their stepping stone. A man who is determined to succeed in life fighting all odds, A man who would go to extremes to safeguard other's trust in him, A man who is untouched by emotional dilemmas, A man who is sincere to his job, A man who is focused and unintentionally sets the path right in many people's lives around him, A man who appetites the goodness in a bride who chucks her newly-wed groom, in realization to prioritize herself and to leave the 'pon' gold behind - Basil Joseph playing Ajeesh, just nails them all, capturing more hearts this time too.

The pride of the 'all praise' Kollam title song, slowly wanes away to expose the engagement people get themselves into, in the name of dowry gold. They are merely caught in 'maya', as the dowry gold is mimicking the ancient mythological 'PonmaAn'. When Ajeesh and Steffie row away to the city banks, Steffie is seen removing her jewellery, slowly shifting consciousness to a state of awareness. She overcomes the illusion, prompting girls in the audience to follow suit. And Ajeesh comments true beauty doesn't lie in the 'jewelry of gold', implying, true beauty is in the 'flawless heart of gold'.

Philosophically, the veil called 'Maya', a mere manifestation of Brahman's power, which was obscuring the true nature of reality is lifted and both the characters shine nothing less that 'Pon'.

Lubber Pandhu

2024, Tamil, Theatrical, 9/10 IMDB, Directed by Tamizharasan Pachamuthu

Published in Baradwaj Rangan's movie blog. https://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2024/09/25/readers-write-in-734-lubber-pandhu/

A perfect confluence of design, content and style, this flick keeps the audience engaged, as much as any gully cricket match would. It becomes a crowd favourite as the maker wraps a relationship drama into the cricket premise. Attakathi Dinesh, Harish Kalyan make their presence felt, along with actor 'Vijayakanth' who joins them from above.

Cricket sells, but not every sports drama with cricket as its premise, wins the audience over. The movie, 'Chennai 28' enchanted the cricket loving audience, more than a decade and half ago, and Lubber Pandhu is aimed at mimicking that magic. 'Blue Star', released early this year, has a similar sub text of caste marring the spirit of sports with layers of romance. But 'Lubber Pandhu' sugar coats the same, in a 'non-preachy' mode, as the screenplay spins an amusing family drama around.

The form and design of the two movies are pretty much similar. Both the movies throw light on how 'caste in sports' is a deadly combo. 'Blue Star' tries to instill fear in the viewer's minds by laying emphasis on the consequences of concocting caste in sports, through narrating an unpleasant violent incident of the past. 'Lubber Pandhu' indicates the same, ever-so precisely involving minimal semiotic inferences. Lubber Pandhu's screenplay is stacked with emotions but the predominant of them all is the 'ego clash' between the two lead men. The strength of the movie is the director's subtlety in visualizing complex issues.

Athakathi Dinesh's character Poomaalai, surpasses the vibrant Harish Kalyan's Anbu character. The characterization compliments the actor's unique onscreen emoting skills and the depth in his eyes. His nonchalant demeanor, lion like velour on the cricket ground and love - stricken adolescent mannerism when at home, is not a loud transition yet the actor exhibits it beautifully through his fluid body language. The bond with his daughter and love towards his mom, makes Poomaalai a complete package and the soul of the movie. The nuances in his expressions, adds more layers, other than what is explicitly seen onscreen. For instance, he tires not reveal the ego that disturbs his inner peace and when it does spurt out, the actor plays, a mere 'tool', to express what had been brewing within him, over a period of time.

However, Harish Kalyan's character seem to be etched with more depth, as he is seen to be more mature among the two, when it comes to manipulating situations to get what he desires. From participating as a guest player in the teams of his choice to up his career, to showcase his nobility in letting 'colony boys' to be a part of the team that once rejected him, Anbu steals our hearts. Sporting true sportsmanship when in failure makes him to be looked up to. Repainting the CSK fanatic paint on the walls of his house with the color choice of his fiancé's and rehearsing an apology note to the would-be father-in-law, the young actor is super convincing. Harish Kalyan the 'Parking' actor, is on a roll and his choice to play beside a hero with equal screen-space and mass moments, is not just brave. It throws light on the actor's passion to play versatile roles in stronger and newer scripts.

The female leads mom and daughter duo, take the center stage as their characters are equally stronger to that of the men folks. The men get much 'macho' on the cricket ground, only to become 'kittens' when at home, explaining the respect they possess for the love of their lives. Poomaalai sleeps every night making his bed out of his wife's sarees, following a ruckus at the stadium, resulting in her walking out. It is easily the height of mid-age romance. Poomaalai's mom played by the adorable Geetha Kailasam, takes her cow and calf to her daughter in law's mother's house, saying the cattle are missing her. Later, she declares she miss her too, as there is no one to give her food and give the right pills. Those 'melodramatic prone' sequences, rather transpires beautifully as a pinnacle of romance.

The assistant director at the Madras talkies, Sanjana Krishnamoorthy's personal confidence oozes through her character 'Durga' as Poomaalai's daughter. Her bold, outspoken and sensible characterisation, strikes a contrast to her mother's, who is often seen cursing her husband's passion, for it doomed their lives and buried them in debts. I have my share of problems with the characterisation of Poomaalai's wife played by the bold Swasika. She is this strict anti-cricket soul, who is constantly curbing her husband from playing cricket, right from the opening sequence, where she is seen ploughing the pitch with her tractor. It does relate to the anger of all the mothers of the 'Indian gully cricket boys' who are worried about their son's lives being wasted on the highly competitive sport.

It resonates much with the mom character in 'Blue Star', who is trying to steer her sons away from the game. But the director there establishes a father character who insists that the game is not a mere waste of time, if taken seriously. He is seen to channelise his son's talent productively, by trying to acquire a job at ICF, where he worked, and is seen to apply for the same duly.

Swasika who plays Yashodhai, the wife of Poomaalai, in Lubber Pandhu, is constantly seen stern faced and iron fisted. She is seen brimming with love, cooking meat for her lover-turned husband to save it for him in a silver tiffin box and adorns a few smiles, in a couple of bus ride montages with Poomaalai. Except for these few sequences, she is mostly seen grumpy.

The promise that Yashodai insists her husband Poomaalai makes in front of God, that he will quit playing cricket, which he dupes, is a fun watch. In the latter half of the movie, Anbu is shown to express his magnanimity in making the team become 'inclusive' to welcome young talents, by wiping 'caste' out of the equation. The warmth of this reveal, seems to lose its significance, when Yashodhai, asks the duo Poomaalai and Anbu as the end credits role, to make the same promise of not to play cricket again.

The mood of the movie would have instilled hope in many youngsters, had Yashodhai, come to terms in acknowledging the passion and direct the duo to become better care takers of family too. Branding them players as unprincipled, good for nothing rogues, who would never be there for the family when needed, is stereotyping the societal youngsters at large, whose are left to compromise their passion for the game.

Being the wife of a surgeon, me and my daughter had many a times missed the presence of him, especially in times of need or important moments of our lives, as he would be busy operating elsewhere. Had the director made Yashodhai repent for the branding, had she spoken to Poomaalai about balancing his passion for the game and his bread winning career, her loudness, would have resulted purposefully.

Actor Vijayakanth's songs played to celebrate Poomaalai's cricket prowess, is a master stroke by the makers, as it not only exhibits their love for the actor, but also value adds Dinesh's character traits to that of the departed soul's. Categorizing people by coupling them with particular butchery, does fall under a self-branding exercise. Not spelling it out loud might be a subtlety decision and the makers could have steered clear from those labelling, as well.

Striking the right balance and the right chords creates magic, irrespective of few loose ends. 'Blue Star' stayed rigid in trying to document the 'pain' that plays spoil sport in 'Sports'. Whereas, 'Lubber Panthu' eases its stance in documenting the pain, by mellowing down the 'loud structure', which otherwise would have drawn attention to itself, ruining the very text, that was intended to be narrated. The difference is pretty much like Pa. Ranjith's and Mari Slevaraj's films, 'Blue Star' being from the former's production house.

 

Thangalaan

 2024, Tamil, Theatrical release, 7.6/10 IMDB, Directed by Pa. Ranjith

Published in Brardwaj Rangan's Movie Blog https://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2024/08/17/readers-write-in-719-thangalaan-the-shaman/

An intelligently crafted oppression saga, backed by a committed team, strives to root back to the origin of 'sufferings'. The makers, convincingly arrive at a novel premise by synthesizing two wisdom systems- the palaeolithic 'Shamanism' and the fifth century 'Buddhism'. The narrative layers of Buddhist doctrine on caste, a personal agenda of the director, manages to come a full circle without much divergence, keeping the tonality in tact.

It is exhilarating to understand the mind space of Director Ranjith. He amalgamates wisdoms from two systems and interlinks them, to narrate a story of the oppressed, in a period film, with the Kolar Gold fields as its back drop. And he aptly calls it, 'Thangalaan' meaning 'Son of Gold'.

Thangalan played by the riveting actor Vikram, performs outstandingly the three narratives of his character. The Veppur villager with his wife and children in North Arcot, a fierce ancestor of his, and the fifth century climax reveal. The stories that were passed on by his ancestors about the sorceress guarding the village's gold ore, haunts him in his sleep and he almost wakes delusional. Yet Thangalaan passes it on to his children, as their bed time story.

Taking its origin from the Sanskrit word 'Shraman' which denotes a 'religious ascetic', or a 'holy wanderer', 'Shamans' are the world's first story tellers. They used stories to alleviate pain, to heal body, mind and 'spirit'. Shamans were instrumental in passing on culture to descendants and teaching both lore and law. Ranjith plays our Shaman, for he narrates Thangalaan's ancestor stories with gripping visuals and gory horror, of the sorceress 'Aarathi'

Semiotics of Buddhism in Ranjith's movies are nothing new, but the director chooses to dwell in depth this time, for it is the crux of Thangalaan's plot. Broadly speaking, Buddhism attempts to bring the followers to a similar state of consciousness that Buddha attained. It generally involves analyzing one's sufferings, to attain a state of awareness, and Ranjith leads us in to the world of Buddhism by doing just the same with his lead character. Thangalaan's land is grabbed and he is pushed to slavery. He is forced to accompany a British gold hunting team along with few friends of his. The hero is seen 'evaluating his sufferings' and braves to face his fear of the sorceress.

Thangalaan proceeds his journey, being persuaded by his own motto, 'Only those who dares to die, gets to live', but his eyes are constantly searching to 'see' the 'unseen' from the lore about spirits. As he walks the Elephant Hill path, in sync with his ancestor's gold hunt narrative, we viewers are left engrossed. The stories of the spirit begin to unfold for real, except the spirit of Aarathi is replaced with a Budhha's statue as evidence, and Ranjith beautifully marries Shamanism and Buddhism.

The director gives references of kings including Tipu Sultan, who weren't able to access the ore, as it proved dangerous owing to the reptile menace in the dry terrain and an 'unseen force' guarding the rock. In shamanic journey 'sound' is used as a vehicle for shifting awareness inward and Ranjith seems to represent a high pitch shrill sound of the sorceress, as a medium, so Thangalaan could be reminded of the responsibilities of his ancestors.

The sorceress story might very well be a spin off to restrict people from mining the ores and depleting the wealth that rightfully belong to the tribe, as simple as the phrase, in Tamil, 'poi sonna sami kanna kuthum' translates, 'if you lie, god will poke your eyes'. A tactic of insisting on a virtue by instilling fear in minds.

Ranjith chooses to narrate the guidance of the 'animal skin clad helping spirits' the very feature of shamanism, thus implying 'Aarathi' is a guiding spirit, who was misconceived to be evil. He also reiterates by spelling the Buddhist essence of the movie - when the cause of pain is identified, the 'art of detachment' from worldly needs, is the solution to end 'sufferings'.

Parvathy Thiruvothu as Gengammal playing Thangalaan's wife, is loud and loving. A mid aged mother of five, becomes a child herself when Thangalan buys blouses for the community's women. Ecstasy in the women, the reaffirmation they seek from their respective husbands on wearing the blouses, and the dance of pride with their blouses on - it is Ranjith showcasing his women like he did with his Selvi from Kaala, his Kumudhavalli from Kabali and his Malayamma from Saarpatta Parambarai.

Maalavika Mohanan plays Aarathi, the spirit who is primarily the antagonist. Her performance is quite convincing, opposite the quintessential Vikram. Had there been a powerful cast, the likes of Nayanthara or the original choice of the team, Rashmika Mandhanna, would the clash of the Titans, been more dreading, I wondered.

Pasupathi's role as a converted VaishnaviteGengupattar, is multi-dimensional and the actor aced it. But sadly, the character arc seemed suspended mid way, as the director limits the character's scope only for caste reference. Same goes for Hari Krishnan and Preeti Karan, playing the newly married. Both their characters trails all through the film but fails to connect to the viewers, as much as it should have. The screenplay becomes frenzied and one doesn't feel the pain of them falling prey to the Britisher's greed.

Daniel Caltagirone's character Lord Clement is pitched beautifully but ends in a haste midst the chaotic rush towards the end. The shocking change in the character's motive doesn’t make the impact it ought to have.

Vikram is an actor who surrenders to the role he plays and volunteers to add more facets to the character, but as Thangalaan, he sets a new bench mark for actors across the globe. Sporting an earthy native matted hair-do, his loinclothed toned legs, the keloid scars creeping from his fore head to his half shaven skull, the slushy body, deluded eyes with constant fear and an honest naivety in dialogue delivery, just loud enough for the sync sound microphones- Vikram 'births' Ranjith's 'Thangalaan' alive.

Hayao Miyazaki, an internationally acclaimed Japanese animator film maker known for his respect towards spirits of trees and woods, rivers and seas, says, "Call them Gods, Spirits, Nature or Environment. They are there if we know where to look, and their gifts for us are ready if we know how to ask. We have only to approach them as a child would, with open eyes and open hearts".

From Ferngully to Avatar, from the subdued Tamil movie Thane to the blockbuster Kannada movie Kantara, however small or big, we celebrated the spirits that intend to protect the tribes who were assigned to guard the environment. And Thangalaan is our very own version of the Japanese 'Kami' which means, deity, divinity or spirit. It is Ranjith's calling, to protect natural resources, adhering to the well-wishing guarding spirits. He infers to fight it out if need be and even if it means by sacrificing life, while doing it.

Tangalaan stitches his clothes, only to wear it back again, with exemplary pride. The clothes that he earned in respect from the British Lord, the ones that were purposefully torn in insult. Ranjith inches his revolt further forward with Thangalaan, in demanding respect for the oppressed, like he did with all his heroes, for 'perseverance is many short races one after the other'.  

 

 Ullozhukku

2024, Malayalam, Amazon Prime, 7.7/10 IMDB, Directed by Christo Tomy

Published in Baradwaj Rangan's Blog.

https://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2024/08/09/readers-write-in-716-ullozhukku-a-halo-shatterer/

Engulfed by a sinister aura, this beautifully narrated drama, surfaces the buried emotions of two women, only to align their moralities eventually. The leading ladies 'grieve their grievances' through intense, 'layered performance', and we audience find ourselves becoming 'agony aunts', comforting the onscreen-duo.

Director Christo's premise is straight from a chapter of his personal life, as he had acknowledged in an interview - 'lashing monsoon preventing the burial of his family member'. The gloomy tonality of the premise is constant but with every moving frame, one is drawn closer to story and the lead characters, Leelamma Ammachi played by the terrific Urvasi and her daughter in law Anju, played by the striking Parvathy Thiruvothu.

The minimalism in the story line, ironically translates a challenging production design. While a low-lying area, that stagnates water from the heavy down pour for days together, is the premise, the crux is that the stagnation prevents a burial ritual. The timing of the OTT release, works in favor of the makers, as it is in perfect sync with the aftermath of a disaster in the state, a reality check, that sets the mood right making the viewers resonate with the ground reality. Camera gazes the water stagnated cemetery, and the tombs narrates a 'non-welcoming' story of their own on 'climate crisis'.

Director Chirsto's narrative style is crisp and his shot divisions are befitting. The frames are definitive and sequences, precise. Anju is in love with a man, but her wedding photo shoot camera angle, captures a different person, walking in to the frame. The circumstances are dealt with later, and the director chooses to do it only when the time is right. Similar are many disentangling situations in the story, and Christo aces narrating each one of those plot points at the right time.

The sequence, Leelamma, her sick son Thomaskutty and her daughter-in-law Anju at the doctor's out-patient department, doesn't reveal much. But a hunch is sowed when Leela askes Anju to fetch medicines, just when the mom and son enter the consultation room alone, while Thomaskutty looks Anju walking away, with guilt-stricken eyes. . I was reminded of one of my husband's patients who was diagnosed with Chronic Ulcerative Colitis. He was accompanied every time by his parents, and his newly married wife was asked politely to wait outside, until one day the wife walked in alone with her parents, to know more about her husband's ailment.

Coincidentally, both in the movie and in reality, the wives nursed their husbands, through the ailment and hospitalization, irrespective of her physical detachment in the case of Anju in the movie. The wealthy parents of the girl in reality, were concerned about their young daughter's life, as she was fraudulently married to a sick man, but in the movie, the director's sub plot tell a heart wrenching tale, about the 'not so wealthy' parents of Anju, in a revelation later.

The screenplay catches us unaware by breaking familiar patterns. The scenes overlap beautifully, moving the story forward by revealing vital plot points unassumingly without any pomp and the editor Kiran Das deserves a mention. Anju in her forceful marriage's 'almost consensus' consummation, indicates she had 'moved on'. She is haloed, when she cares for her sick husband. But her intimate indifference, instantly trails us to the phone call from a saved number in the name of a 'girl' and her meeting her lover accidentally in the pharmacy during her husband's hospital visit.

The genuity in the care she provides to her sick husband, a striking contrast to her illicit affair, are quite illustrative of her two facets and the viewers are left in dilemma whether to be judgemental of her. Leelamma, learning about Anju's pregnancy was another shot that catches Anju and the viewers off guard, and it happens so organically. Similar are the instances when the family's wooden cradle climbing down the loft even with the backdrop of a delayed funeral, and it climbing back to the loft again as soon as Leelamma second guesses the father of the child, after a hearing a male voice from Anju's female friend's number.

Halos keeps shattering, Leelamma's, for maintaining secrecy about her son's health and then shatters Anju's mom's, who confesses, that it was her who kept the secret from the family about the groom's illness, so that her daughter would be married into a big family. But when the final halo shatters off Anju's lover Rajeev, her final decision, though predictable, is heart-warming.

The lead ladies seemed to have devoured their respective composite characters. Both their acts nudge the audience, to morally evaluate their deeds and the repercussions there after, but the distress these beautiful ladies had to undergo in their personal lives, all in the name of societal pressures, restricts us from calling them out as fraudster or a cheat.

Both their halos do 'mend' with their final choice and acceptance, to be a family, discarding societal norms. While the maker surfaces the intangible distress in women around us, by narrating the stories of these two women, he also addresses the role of parents in shaping these helpless women's lives.

After a bout of illness of her son's, Leelamma talks to Anju about her unfulfilled medical college dream in spite of her good marks, compromised for an early marriage and child birth. A mother regretting not to have pursued her studies, when her adult married son is sick, is a poetic representation of the helpless plight of women who are sabotaged in the name of societal pressures.

Leelamma claims, 'God is jealous of her happiness' and later Anju confronts her mother-in-law, when the two exchange dialogues in front of the freezer box. Anju's spuing sadistic remarks, that Leelamma's life was nothing to be jealous of, makes Leelamma realise that her life had been a sunken ship all along. Likewise, Leelmma's courteous words while defending Anju from her accusing daughter, by acknowledging Anju's loving care in nursing Thomaskutty, in fact influences Anju to turn her choice around, in the climax.

The superficial bond between these two women blossoms into a mom-daughter relationship and then into companionship. The transition only reflects their innate positives and humaneness. Was fondly recollecting Director K Balachander's 1977 movie 'Avargal', for the estranged mother of Ramanathan, was 'Leelavathi' and the wife's name was 'Anu'- a coincidental rhyme to the names 'Leelamma and Anju' and their choices in the climax.

Wishful Maharaja

2024, Tamil, Theatrical release, IMDB 8.6/10, Directed by Nithilan Saminathan

Following views of mine on the movie has been published in Baradwaj Rangan's Movie Blog on 21st June 2024

https://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2024/06/21/readers-write-in-703-wishful-maharaja/

A complex narration of an average person's tale, told with conviction, beautifully concurs a parallel story to catch the audience by surprise. Director Nithilan showcases his narrative prowess through the overlapping plot points and handles the ensemble's individual arcs largely, except for couple of futile female characters. The compromise in exploring the mind space of the lead roles in view of keeping the suspense and non-linear narrative intact, let's the narration down in places.

The director chooses to narrate the story of actor Vijay Sethupathi's title character, keeping in dark his true intentions, up until the interval block. A grim-faced man who is adamant of giving all things best to his daughter, be it sports shoes or an apology from the school principal who had mistakenly accuses her.

I couldn't help being reminded of a similar sequence, a school backdrop in the movie 'Chithha'. Both the situations translated similar to me even though the essence were in complete contrast. In Chithha, on knowing that his niece did commit the mistake, actor Siddarth, the uncle would change her school instead of giving an apology letter. Both men are shown adamant, demanding that the child is given due respect. Here Vijay Sethupathi holds adamantly on to the grill till the ceiling debris down demanding the principal to apologize and there Siddarth adamantly moves his niece from an environment where she might be stigmatized. The latter composition, seemed to have blossomed organically while the former was loudly attention seeking. The director not only establishes how much the child means to Vijay Sethupathi but also seems to build a firewall for the actor's actions that are to follow.

In Chithha, when actor Sidharth tries to revenge his niece's molester, as audience we were left to hope that someone would stop him, so he doesn't become a murderer. But here, owing to the non-linear suspense, not knowing the trauma of his and his daughter's, when Vijay Sethupathi decapitates someone, it doesn't draw the due sympathy for the griever. From the viewer's perspective I was kind of left in lurch, not knowing whether to condemn or commend the actor's deeds.  

The brilliant plot overlapping on timelines works flawlessly. The quest, at the police station to find the whereabouts of 'Lakshmi', the personified 'dustbin' that saved Vijay's 'apparent' infant daughter (irrespective of the master climax twist), reminds of VJS's 'Naduvula Konjam Pakkam Kaanom' repetitive episodes. The repetitiveness would not have been so forceful had there been enough prologue to the character's trait, I wondered. The laughter intended to dodge the viewers off the suspense, does provide comic relief, but only superficially, as it stalls the momentum of the serious story that awaits to transpire.

Anurag Kashyap's performance in 'Imaikka nodigal' was much spoken about, as the character was seen to challenge the protagonist and her team by hampering and trailing their investigations from scene one. On the contrary in 'Por Thozhil' the protagonist was revealed much later just before the interval block. And in 'Ratsasan' the antagonist's story is not revealed much later towards the last third of the movie. All the three antagonist's characters work brilliantly even though their entry into story is differently placed.

In Maharaja, the character Selvam played by Anurag is placed on the parallel story as antagonist and Vijay Sethupathi is on a different trail for a 'dustbin'. By the time the two stories concur on revealing parts of the suspense, the darkness over the motive of the lead actor doesn't pay off as much as it was intended. The reveal of overlapping knots sweeps the awe factor, rather. The reveal was indeed path breaking but the intensity that the other three antagonists in the movies mentioned earlier had, Anurag's character Selvam couldn't emulate.

And yet again in the climax suspense, the reveal was breathtaking and Vijay Sethupathi's reaction on seeing Anurag was priceless. It beautifully reminded the 'gasp' that Kavin's character in the movie 'Star' had when he was given his newborn after the death of his wife. But the final reveal made me wonder if the director had captured enough of the benevolence of the character 'Maharaja' himself, to substantiate the action of Vijay Sethupathi raising 'the baby', that was saved by the fall of the 'Dustbin' Lakshmi.

Except for the incident that Vijay goes to give the baby's chain to the customer Anurag, who had left it accidentally in the former's barber shop, we are not given the prologue of his traits. Other than evident facts that he lives with his daughter far away from the hustle of the town, shares a strong bond with her, is supportive of her passion and is adamant, we are forbidden to enter the mental space of the character, owing to maintain the 'suspense' the screenplay houses.

But the final reveal makes one retrospect the reason behind the grim, non-expressive face of actor Vijay's, all through the movie and the kind of emotions that would have driven him to avenge the way he did. The brave adolescent girl wanting to confront the offenders was super commendable but I was filled with nostalgia, recollecting 'Gargi'. The climax left me walk home with memories of ASI Vinod Kumar, of the movie 'Iratta', played by the fantastic Joju George.

Abirami plays the antagonist’s wife. Her sub-urban dialogue delivery, casual body language, motherly instincts and love talks with her husband doesn't translate the script's depth onscreen, as the innate nativeness went missing in Anurag's vague counter reactions. Indigenousness in a script makes the visuals more profound and I was left to long, thinking of the bond between the characters of Kalaiyarasan and Riythvika from the 2014 movie 'Madras'.

The bars were set high for the director after his debut feature film 'Kurangu Bommai' and while Maharaja doesn't let him down, it doesn't set the bar at a new height, either. Vijay Sethupathi’s passion for the craft, lets him dwell into the mind space of his characters and he chooses intentionally to act restrained in ‘Maharaja’. But sadly, his sketchy scheme, made more sense, retrospectively, much after the end credits rolled.