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'Nandhan' movie review: A relevant premise let down by a patronising tone

Nandhan begins with a note from the director, stressing how caste discrimination is still meted out to the deplorable lengths shown in the film. It all but says, “You best believe it!” So, whenever we feel the film is intentionally milking our sympathies, we are reminded of the disclaimer and it transforms our disbelief into shock. Through this, the film largely succeeds in drawing out the intended emotion from its audience.

However, even as we are ready and willing to believe the film when it shows how the events unfolding on-screen are still a reality now, director Era Saravanan draws out garish unsubtle performances from his actors, which ironically acts counter-intuitive to the message of the film.

The antagonists all but twirl their moustaches and laugh maniacally like cartoon villains. With that being said, Balaji Sakthivel has understood his assignment well and has given an intentionally amped-up and thoroughly entertaining performance. On the other hand, Sasikumar, albeit with a lack of finesse, comfortably plays a simpleton ignorant of the injustice meted out to him.

At the beginning of the film, two sections of upper-caste men argue about who should become the president of the village. Nandhan , an educated man from an oppressed caste, points out the unfair nature of their selection process and demands his name to be included in the race. He is promptly killed minutes later. After our walking-talking inciting incident has served its purpose, almost every single character from the oppressed caste shown in the film is depicted through a heavily patronising lens.

The characters are designed as if they are oppressed because they are naive or lack the mental acuity to understand their oppression. The lack of nuance in realistically portraying the inner workings of caste oppression is apparent. The pinnacle of this ignorance is Sasikumar’s Koozh Paanai AKA Ambeth Kumar.

Written as a fiercely loyal worker to his casteist employer, his character seems like a caricature of stereotypes that might exist in a casteist mind. The central criticism is not that such incidents do not happen or that such characters do not exist in real life. However, while dealing with such a sensitive issue, the director could have exercised restraint and subtlety. One could argue that Suruthi Periasamy, who plays Sasikumar’s wife in the film, stands as a voice of reason and common sense, promptly identifying injustice whenever she can. However, it merely comes off as a character explicitly designed to collect feminist brownie points.

Several cinematic devices are used with the express intent to wring out our emotions. From slow-motion shots of an old woman being buried, while intense rain hurriedly fills her grave with mud to long drawn out sequences of Ambeth Kumar’s family being publicly thrashed, no punches are pulled in order to overwhelm us.

The most effective part of Nandhan arrives towards the end where we are shown montages of real people from oppressed castes who faced harassment when they tried to stand for elections. While their tears are portrayed through a magnifying glass, Nandhan fails to capture their angst, rage, and the systemic ways in which they had their hands tied, all of which are palpable in their speeches.

While it might have had its heart in the right place, the film ultimately falters in truthfully capturing the plight of the oppressed with sensitivity. Nandhan had its focus trained on making us weep for such injustice. However, as the credits roll, it is hard to shake off the question: Does the film want us to empathise with the oppressed or pity them?

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Set in Thailand and India, a case of mistaken identity leads to love, and a man and his family concoct a grand scheme to win over the hearts of a woman and her greedy, conniving uncles. Set in Thailand and India, a case of mistaken identity leads to love, and a man and his family concoct a grand scheme to win over the hearts of a woman and her greedy, conniving uncles. Set in Thailand and India, a case of mistaken identity leads to love, and a man and his family concoct a grand scheme to win over the hearts of a woman and her greedy, conniving uncles.

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“Ready,” a lively 2008 Telugu action comedy, was skillfully directed by Srinu Vaitla and produced by Sravanthi Ravi Kishore for Sri Sravanthi Movies. This cinematic gem features the talented duo of Ram and Genelia in the lead, with a stellar supporting cast including Nassar, Brahmanandam, Sunil, Chandra Mohan, Tanikella Bharani, Kota Srinivasa Rao, and Jaya Prakash Reddy.

The film’s musical tapestry is woven by the skilled hands of composer Devi Sri Prasad, and it achieved blockbuster status at the box office, securing its place among the highest-grossing Telugu films of 2008. Accolades showered upon “Ready” as it clinched three prestigious Nandi Awards, notably the Best Popular Feature Film. This cinematic triumph was not confined to Telugu audiences alone, as it went on to be remade across various Indian languages, finding resonance in Kannada as “Raam” (2009), Tamil as “Uthama Puthiran” (2010), and in Hindi under the same title in 2011.

The storyline revolves around Raghupathi, the eldest among three brothers, namely Raghava and Rajaram. Their familial ties extend to include a sister named Swarajyam. Chandu, Raghava’s only son, sparks familial discord by orchestrating the elopement of his cousin Swapna. Consequently, he finds himself ousted from the family and estranged by Raghupathi.

Undeterred, Chandu endeavors to mend these familial ruptures but faces constant resistance. As fate would have it, on the final day of college, Chandu and his friends encounter their distressed friend “Google” Gopi. Gopi’s despair stems from the impending marriage of his girlfriend to another. In a bid to salvage Gopi’s love life, Chandu concocts a plan to marry Gopi’s girlfriend. However, a twist of fate leads them to mistakenly kidnap Pooja instead, initiating a series of events that unfold in a forest with pursuers hot on their heels. Within this forest setting, Chandu discovers himself falling for Pooja, reciprocated by her feelings towards him.

Pooja, finding herself in unfamiliar territory, decides to stay at Chandu’s home, adopting the guise of a disciple of Raghupathi’s spiritual guru. Chandu’s return to the family fold is marked by warmth and acceptance. Just as Chandu contemplates proposing to Pooja, he stumbles upon her true identity—a non-resident Indian visiting her quarrelsome maternal uncles, Peddinaidu and Chittinaidu.

These uncles harbor plans of coercing Pooja into marriage to secure her substantial inheritance. In a bid to ensure a smooth union with Pooja, Chandu embarks on a mission to transform her uncles. Joining forces with the family auditor “McDowell” Murthy, Chandu assumes the role of Murthy’s assistant and implements a comical plan. Imaginary personas like “Chicago” Subba Rao and “Dallas” Nageswara Rao come into play, further complicating the situation.

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Chittinaidu, too, becomes a pawn in Chandu’s playful pranks, ultimately deciding to call off his son’s marriage with Pooja. Hilarious twists and turns ensue as Chandu, with the assistance of his uncle Raghupathi, engineers a positive transformation in both Chittinaidu and Peddinaidu. With the uncles now in agreement, Pooja and Chandu exchange vows, sealing their love story with familial consent and a cascade of laughter. The journey from mistaken identities to comedic manipulations culminates in a joyous union, marking the heartwarming conclusion of this entertaining tale.

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‘Thalaivettiyaan Paalayam’ series review: Familiar delights in this Tamil remake of ‘Panchayat’

By staying too true to the original, this tamil remake starring comedian abishek kumar offers little for those already familiar with ‘panchayat’.

Updated - September 23, 2024 04:11 pm IST

A still from ‘Thalaivettiyaan Paalayam’  | Photo Credit: YouTube/PrimeVideo

Engineering students and their travails have long been fodder for storytellers. A trope perfected by 3 Idiots in Hindi, its iterations have appeared in various forms and languages beginning with Happy Days (2007) in Telugu and VIP (2014) in Tamil to the likes of Koothara (2014) and Oru Vadakkan Selfie (2015) in Malayalam, and continuing to be in vogue through recent blockbusters such as Hridayam (2022) and Premalu (2024).

Into this deluge of engineering tales dropped TVF’s Panchayat , surprisingly managing to stand out. It did so by narrating the story of an engineering graduate working as a Panchayat secretary in rural Uttar Pradesh. That the show appeared on Amazon Prime, a streaming platform with a largely urban subscription base, relatively unfamiliar with Indian heartlands and its goings-on, contributed in no small measure to the show’s popularity.

After debuting in 2020 and having spawned three seasons since, the show now looks to recreate its success in Tamil with Thalaivettiyaan Paalayam . Starring stand-up comic Abishek Kumar, the show’s name refers to a village in Tirunelveli where the protagonist, Siddharth, assumes charge as panchayat secretary. Like any graduate aspiring for a white-collar job, Siddharth looks down upon his posting at the government office, treating it as a transit point in his career that can be used to prepare for CAT exams to get into a management institute. 

Now, anyone with the vaguest idea of how stories work could guess the course of the plot going forward; that it is only a matter of time before Siddharth, a fish out of water in the beginning, warms up to the village and its people, before taking to their ways. What then remains to be discovered is how these changes come about.

Thalaivettiyaan Paalayam (Tamil)

Mainstream stories have been notorious for their reductive attitude towards rural people by painting them as naive souls. Panchayat strayed from this beaten path as it presented a bouquet of eclectic characters who were clever, sly, kind, stubborn and more, all the while retaining the show’s overarching tone of heartwarming and funny. The gravity of the problems notwithstanding, resolutions almost always came from simple ideas. As it happened, this simplistic approach was the perfect antidote sought by an audience going through pandemic blues.

Hence, it only made sense for the makers to employ this winning formula while adapting Panchayat to a different milieu. But Thalaivettiyaan Paalayam does not stop at that and is a frame-by-frame remake, to the extent that even the conflicts and resolutions from the original are carried forward. This philosophy of borrowing is reflected in the casting choice too. While it was Neena Gupta playing the sarpanch’s wife, who headlined the cast of Panchayat , it is Devadarshini, the actor playing the same part in Tamil, who is the show’s most recognisable face.

As impressive as that may be, one of the show’s biggest shortcomings also has to do with casting. Jitendra Kumar, who played the protagonist in Panchayat , was, until then, a relatively unknown face to the country at large. His obscurity lent an air of rawness and spontaneity to his performance, proving to be a source of amusement for the viewers. With Abishek Kumar, the novelty factor disappears, for anyone who has ever been on Instagram would be familiar with his comedy sketches and expressions. As a result, a fresh approach and a new actor, that made the original show popular, are supplanted by a proven formula and predictable face in the remake. This is not to fault Abishek Kumar’s acting chops, for he turns in a committed performance, but has more to do with carrying the curse of social media.

Thalaivettiyaan Paalayam ’s bold strides come in the form of trying to address caste and dowry. But those are perfunctory at best in this season. However, like the original show, episodes have been set aside to deal with superstitions, women’s leadership and awareness of menstrual hygiene. The show also tries and contrasts the life of Siddharth, always surrounded by men in the village, with that of his friend in Chennai, who is foregrounded against a group of men and women, to bring out the cultural differences in their lives.

Ultimately, Thalaivettiyaan Paalayam is a prisoner of its own making. By staying too true to the original, it offers very little for those familiar with Panchayat . For the rest, though, it could be a different story. 

Thalaivettiyaan Paalayam is streaming on Prime Video

Published - September 23, 2024 03:58 pm IST

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Rail Movie Review: A much-needed message saves this lengthy drama

Rail ( 3 / 5).

Any piece of art that advocates for the need for self-introspection will touch a raw nerve. Some films profess these ideas in an amicable way, while others deal a heavy blow while attempting to point out a social evil. Debut director Bhaskar Sakthi's Rail is a bitter pill that may not satiate your taste buds, but it tries its best to provide an antidote to a particular social illness. The film, previously titled Vadakkan , begins in Theni with a mostly sedentary—but an electrician at times—Muthiah (Kungumaraj Muthusamy). He is the least trustworthy person in his village. Give him the easiest task; he will mess it up in unimaginable ways. His character is both amusing and anathemic at the same time. Rail will not work if Muthiah's character doesn't. Being the only character with an arc, Muthiah exudes a charm atypical of Tamil cinema heroes who are hard to root for, but we end up rooting for them because they mirror some of our own vulnerabilities. Like Kadolara Kavithaigal 's Chinnappadas and 7/G Rainbow Colony 's Kathir, you curse Muthiah, and yet we don't want to see him crumble into pieces but reform as a person. Bhaskar Sakthi, who is also an author, excels at making us hate Muthiah, as he attributes his personal and professional failure to his North Indian neighbour Sunil (Parvaiz Mehru), who too is in a blue-collar job but has earned a good name for himself. Another wastrel, Varadhan (Ramesh Vaidya), tags along with Muthiah, wanting to chase the 'outsiders' in their village who are, according to them, making their lives worse. They are planning to start their expunging operation with Sunil. But before they could proceed with that, they were met with an unforeseen happening that changed their lives. What the change leaves Muthiah with is what the film is all about. Rail moves at a steady pace in the first half. The narration shifts from one scene to another with nothing startling. The intention was to create drama, provide a character study, and heighten the friction between Muthiah and Sunil, which was achieved satisfactorily. The lengthy scenes do not seem tardy, as we are shown with precision, even the minor characters and seemingly irrelevant details. There is a scene where Muthiah voices his opposition to making panipuris instead of the native vada and bonda, and a scene in which he plays with a child. The second half makes even such minor scenes count. Despite all the hostility Muthiah is turning against himself, he is also seen struggling to escape the rut. Possessing no redeeming qualities whatsoever, we still give Muthiah the benefit of the doubt, as he is written off as a good-for-nothing drunkard by his wife Chellama (Vairamala) and father-in-law Dhandapani (Senthil Kochadai). This is a smart writing choice by the director. Just like the chicken or egg paradox, we decide to assume he could have also been made a wastrel with no word or act of encouragement.

Director: Bhaskar Sakthi

Cast: Kungumaraj Muthusamy, Parvaiz Mehru, Ramesh Vaidya, Vairamala, Senthil Kochadai

The mostly new star cast has put out an engrossing performance. The rookieness of the actors has brought a lot of originality to the screen. Not a speck of artificiality could be found in a wailing old woman or an arguing husband and wife. Actor Vairamala stands out in scenes where she expresses apprehensions about bearing a child and seeking financial help from her father. Parvaiz Mehru's performance is worth laurels. The director presents Mehru's character Sunil as a voice of sanity in the scene where his colleague, also from North India, calls all Tamils rude, criticising his overbearing manager, to which Sunil replies, "Not all Tamils, all managers are rude." The director also expresses his political awareness by using another minor but important character, who calls out Muthiah for targeting harmless daily wagers when instead he should have gone for the powerful who are plundering the state's resources.  Notwithstanding, the film does get tiresome when we get way too many 'sarakku' scenes, despite the point that Muthiah is a boozehound was conveyed a long time ago. There is a brief ghost scene that doesn't elicit any fear; even if it did, it seems out of place in a film that focuses on social issues. However, the pertinent message that Rail puts out makes us blind to all of its excesses. Coming at a time when affinity towards regional identity might be construed as animosity towards people of the other region and, on the flip side, jingoism is trying to subsume regional identities, Rail , not feeding on these populist ideas, has taken an unpopular but welcome stance.

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Nandhan First Review: M. Sasikumar's Movie Praised For Its Bold, Thought-Provoking Narrative

Nandhan First Review: Nandhan, an eagerly anticipated Tamil comedy-drama film, is slated for release on 20th September 2024. Written and directed by Era. Saravanan, the film stars M. Sasikumar and Suruthi Periyasamy in the lead roles. The film, produced under the banner of Era Entertainment, promises to be both entertaining and thought-provoking, focusing on important social issues.

The storyline of Nandhan revolves around an underdog from a rural village who faces numerous challenges in his struggle to overcome societal barriers. The narrative is expected to strike a chord with audiences as it sheds light on the power dynamics and political manipulation within local communities. According to film correspondent Rajasekar's post on X (formerly known as Twitter), he was pleasantly surprised by the first half of the film. Rajasekar described Nandhan as highly relevant, predicting it will be an eye-opener and a talking point on social media, particularly regarding how dominant political leaders exploit oppressed community candidates for their pride and greed. He praised M. Sasikumar's performance, calling him "very convincing," and commended Era. Saravanan's bold approach to addressing these sensitive issues.

Nandhan Cast And Crew

The cast of Nandhan features an ensemble lineup, with M. Sasikumar playing Koozh Paana and Suruthi Periyasamy portraying Selvi. The supporting cast includes S. Mathesh as Azhagan, Mithun Bose as Nandan, and Balaji Sakthivel as Koppulingam. Other prominent roles include Katta Erumbu Stalin as a clerk, Samuthirakani as Marudhu Durai, and V. Gnanavelu as Maavattam. Veteran actors G. M. Kumar, Sithan Mohan, and Saravana Sakthi also play pivotal roles.

The film was shot over a period of 35 days in the Pudukottai and Thanjavur districts, capturing the rural backdrop essential to its story. The cinematography was handled by R. V. Saran, while Nelson Anthony oversaw editing. The music, composed by Ghibran Vaibodha, is expected to complement the film's themes and tone.

The film's streaming and satellite rights have been secured by Disney+ Hotstar and Vijay TV, ensuring wide distribution across platforms. With its strong social message and talented cast, Nandhan is set to make waves in the Tamil cinema landscape.

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