Isn’t it surprising that the world around has changes so much, but cinema hasn’t caught up with the possibilities of the new order? Fact is so much stronger than fiction, I guess. Well here is a film; rather an anthology of five shorts that is quintessentially Tamil, absolutely contemporary and subtly thought-provoking.
ASHOK’s FIVE reviews #PuthamPudhuKaalai now streaming on #AmaxonPrimeVideo. Top class directors of the likes of #GautamMenon, #RajivMenon, #KarthikSubbaraj, #SuhasiniManiratnam and #SudhaKongura come together to put together an easy-viewing, high-engagement experience.
#SudhaKongura’s #IlamaiIdhoIdho leads the pack with an interesting device that shows the age-defying exuberance of love. It stars #Jayaram, #Urvashi, #KalidasJayaram and #KalyaniPriyadarshan in a story that makes you ponder.
#GautamMenon is in familiar terrain with #AvarumNaanumAvalumNaanum, the interaction of a grand-daughter with her thaatha. There is some cutesy stuff in the beginning of this tale but moves swiftly to a more mature narrative and is an interesting take on an evergreen theme of conflict across generations.
My favourite is the next one #CoffeeAnyone? by #SuhasiniManirathnam, the story of the four women. There is Valli (#SuhasiniManirathnam), Saras (#AnuHasan) who play the two older sisters in a typical Chennai brahmin family. They are go-getters, adhering to the family norms and then there is Ramya (#ShrutiHasan) who breaks the mould and runs away to Mumbai to follow her passion for music. Their mother is in a coma and looked after by their father. The father does not believe that the hospital is the right place for his wife and tends to her needs at home. The conflict between the individuals and the ultimate resolution make for an interesting watch.
#RajivMenon’s Reunion puts drug abuse at the centre and strings together a love story around it. There is #LeelaSamson and #AndreaJeremeiah who star in this.
Miracle by #KartikaSubbaraj is the most different of the set, stepping away from the Chennai Brahmin milieu. The story is replete with dark humour and irony that make for a nice guffaw.
The Indian film scenario does not lend itself easily to anthologies. To that extent this is a nice departure from the ordinary. What works is the contemporary sensitivity to the narratives and how different individuals react to the emotion of love. What is tad disappointing is the predictability of the work by some of the stalwarts directing the films and their tendency to stick to the familiar. I would still say that it stands out for embracing the new normal and setting up interesting contexts for us to ponder upon.
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