Finally! I had some free time to watch the raved movie பச்சைக்கிளி முத்துச்சரம், note, further reading would give away the plot in detail.
Describing it in simple words it is a story about a charming female con-Artist. Honestly believe it or not, after absorbing Jothika’s character play, I guessed the plot in about 15-30 minutes. I should also state that my accurate guess did not disinterest me even a bit. Before I go further, my hearty congratulations to Director Gautam Menon, Indian movie industry needs directors like him. And the casts, congratulations to Sarath Kumar [Sir, it is about time to drop punches and punch dialogues and do justification to your abundant acting talent], Jothika [என்றென்றும் புன்னகை] and Harris for his background music, thanks for thinking music as a score rather than a “bozobozo” sore. One of the theme melody from this movie has been used by Gauthami in her “Anbudan” TV program.
Here are my thoughts, I loved the initial pace set in the first half; the screen play was generally tight, but at times repetitive, the critic in us would be blunt and say monotonous. Gautam Menon’s screen play did not waste time to establish facts in his script - that Sarath was just another middle class hardworking husband travels by electric Train, with a nice little family, a kid, a wife who runs the family and finances , please remember this last fact.
Prudent Gautam exposes less than single role of film to knit the arena or the play ground in which he would soon move his coins and start his mind play with the audience. I pray to the movie gods that future Tamil movies open in this fashion (instead of a hero glorifying 6/8 dance number in the city center). The scene in which Sarth flirts with the receptionists, reminded me the classic Money Penny/007 conversations. The middle class dad Sarath has a kid who is diagnosed as diabetic, his loving wife goes into a depression, and her attention to Sarth reduces. She gives up “pleasure and happiness” and broods over her child’s prognosis. Natural for a mother, but in turn Sarath’s feels that his life is mechanical than before. Conditions at home works against him, he gets curious over another girl [Jo], another married “train” traveler, few eye exchanges [அண்ணலும் நோக்கினாண் அவளும் நோக்கினாள் ], they bump into a conversation, conversation becomes conversations [அண்ணலின் Nokia அவளின் Nokia இணைத்தது AirTel [(c) statement :))],
The newly born “Rail sneham” is watered, enriched and it blooms, in this process Sarth talks about his family, his financial position and vice versa. The chemicals react quickly for Jo, she pushes her new mate in the wrong direction, forces him to the take her out on dates, Chapter titled: “an invitation to infidelity”. Finally sidelining his dilemma, Sarath the naturally clam and truthful person falls for her, a remote sea side motel on Chennai’s popular ECR road is handpicked, and the shady motel room is all set for the rendezvous.
The pair aligns in the room slowly as we wait for something-something to happen, suddenly from nowhere a gun man breaks into the room, Sarath is attacked brutally, he gets mugged, robbed, and gets horribly beaten in trying to protect the girl. The attacker, who must be the lost twin brother of காக்க காக்க [kAkka kAkka ]villain, just kidding, Director Gautam lends his once again, the villain voice is perfect, filled with tons of censor muted but very popular Tamil bad words that I learnt in my MCCHS days. The gun man rapes the girl and vanishes. The wounded duo is now all set to be blackmailed. As expected the bad guy shows up , threatens, blackmails and slowly drains Sarath's wealth and family health. Note, Jo is unhurt by all this; she actually pushes Sarath; Director has a ball here; using Jo’s innocent smile and looks he plays with your emotions. Sarath is now a pauper, his wealth is drained completely. Remember the finance fact I asked you to remember, Sarath wife who supposedly manages and runs the home finance ministry, has no clue about this money drain? Let me bail Gautam, May be her depression has moved the focus from the finance.
Unable to bear the load and pressure, a tormented Sarath decides to get the water out of the coconut, [just a new one to avoid the cliché cat out of the bag statement]; he breaks the news to his wife. The moment she hears the story, leaving her ailing son in dire straits she vanishes into Tambaram air, may be a logical slip for the director. An already depressed caring mom would not abandon him for any reason. Sarath and his son search everywhere. During the searching the episode, the whole story takes a big sharp spin. Sarath finds out that Jo is an accomplice to a scheming gang operation, Sarath witness Jo and the bad guy together scheming another person in similar fashion; he realizes that he has been scammed, tricked. [Interval] [To be continued...]