I am running out superlatives to describe this feature film. In the era of fast paced Tamil action movies with punch dialogues and chroma key shots, Director/Actor Cheran comes good in a reality show - “thavamai thavam irundu” [தவமாய் தவம் இருந்து].
Right from Bhim Singhs to Sridhars or KB’s, the Tamil cine industry has never hesitated to exploit various people sentiments and emotions, be it - Love, Mother or wedding, and many other mellow dramatic subjects. However till date I have not seen a script that opens a life of an ordinary father from a son’s perspective. The script explores, enacts the emotions and tasks faced by a father who works hard for the better of the family through out his lifetime. The script justifies the claim “head of the family”.
The main cast in the movie “Raj Kiran” , we have seen excellent performances by Sivaji Ganesan, S.V.Ranga Rao and many other stalwarts character actor of yesteryears. Today I would just add Raj Kiran into this list of stalwarts who take their acting seriously. Raj Kiran performance is natural and simply mind-boggling, I am quite confident that he is going to win awards at various levels including the nationals.
In fact every person in the movie did their part quite well. Saranya, wow! And same applies to the “anni” character. Kudos Cheran! Simply you are an amazing director to bring out so many emotions from everyone. In general every character underplays their part with subtle emotions that had so much life in them, the major plus point for this movie - No melodramatic over acting or over flow of feelings. This is sheer reality. Check this, Cheran joins engineering and goes to a class, the heroine volunteers to explain some theorems in front of the class, as she explains it with real accuracy and interest, the camera close on Cheran, he raises his one of his eyebrow slightly displaying millions of emotions. The love game starts right there!
The story is quite simple and real. The hero recollects his father’s scarifies in each and every frame. The essence of the movie: Younger son realizes his father’s only happiness and motto in life, - providing a good future to him and his brother.
The movie screen plays this realization at various stages of Son’s life.
Raj Kiran and Saraniya, typical parents with hand to mouth income spend their life for his kids. Raj Kiran runs a printing press, rides cycle every day to the city. He also takes his kids to a school in the city, gets them in the evening to his press and returns home. Put it short, “It’s been a hard day life, working like a log”, still he manages to smile and do anything for betterment of kids. The innocent nature his portray will burn emotional souls to simply cry loud.
The part that I was moved was when Raj Kiran, contrary to his belief asks the younger son [Cheran] to go and leave separate with is wife. He comes to this
conclusion based on his elder brother’s behavior, when he gets married his wife pesters him to move away, he talks to his elder son politely not knowing the sinister in him. Raj Kiran gives an innocent talk about the family, expenses and loans that he need to pay back. However in later part of life, seeing his younger one also go in the wrong way, he changes his course and belief of life and advices what is best for this son. Imo, this is what a dad is all about.
The only thing I would want to change in this movie is the background music and the songs, could have been better. I felt music lacked some serious emotions. I expected silence and different kind of emotions and different set of instrumentation, but music director[s] [Sabesh/Murali] had other plans, they catered to the Director requirement, it ends there.
Another general complain would be "too long", however in my view, such lead time is needed for so much emotion to reach you, rather hit you. When you walk out of the theater your heart and mind will be heavy for quite some time. No jokes, this is real. Mine was, for emotional guys like me, I don’t know if we can ever watch is movie again and load our heart with guilt. For western audience, a little editing will fetch this movie an Oscar, Yes! This is an Oscar material.
I have come across skeptical people who often whine about superficial father’s day celebrations, for them hey! Go see this movie.
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