Angadi Theru - Review

Why are realistic movies difficult to watch? We know we are in for good cinema, and very often the conflicts the director puts forth are common concerns. I wonder if it is the overdose of escapist reels that we are brought up on, that makes us uncomfortable watching something so real. Having said that, I must add that Tamil cinema in particular, has off-late developed this skill for portraying some worst cases of human suffering - often unnecessary and meant for shock value. An instant example that comes to my mind is Paruthiveeran. The gang rape of the heroine was purely to end the movie with an engaging climax. In no way did the entire movie contribute or lead to the climax. I wonder if its because as a culture, we are exposed to a considerable amount of 'sentiments' that there is a need for exaggeration to evoke a serious emotion. Lets accept it, when we do get all emotional, we Indians are also extremely good at looking away after a while. There is only a certain amount of realism we can take at a time. That is precisely the reason, I was shifting in my seat as the titled rolled at the begining of Angadi Theru.

Vasanthabalan, the director gives us another moving account of the lives of people from the villages of Tamilnadu. His previous film, Veyil - a heart wrenching story on the effects of corporal punishment, was the Indian representative at Cannes in 2007. This time again he successfully takes us through the life's of the characters rather than bringing them to us. Jothilingam (Mahesh) when suddenly faced with the responsibility of supporting his family is forced to take up a job at a popular textile showroom Senthil Murugan stores in Chennai. His friend Marimuthu (Pandi) tags along. Soon expectations are crushed and the boys are disappointed at the poor living conditions and the ill treatment of the several emloyees like them herded from different parts of the state. As routine takes over, Kani (Anjali), who works in the same shop, and her friends become a part of their camaraderie. Their malicious and lecherous floor supervisor who they call Karungali (director A. Venkatesh) add to their woes. Inspite of their troubles they make space for laughter and love. The plot deepens into the love story of Jothilingam and Kani and their escape from the clutches of the supervisor and Annachi (the owner of the shop).

Vasanthabalan presents the story is the most convincing way; a few minutes into the movie and he gets the audience empathising with the characters. It is the theme of the movie that presents the novelty. To look at the other side of a world that is so familiar to us is it's most engaging factor. Mahesh ' s performance is nothing like that of a first timer. Not for a moment do we suspect the genuine apppeal he brings to the character. Anjali, handles the complex role of a cheerful and independant girl torn by sorrow convincingly. It is Pandi who brings in the laughs. His comedy is spontaneous and works as a superb mood-lightener. We have not seen a better villian in recent tamil cinema than Karungali. Venkatesh with his unassuming looks makes him more eerie and detestable. Only a little more dramatic than Nurse Ratched of 'One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest'. The support cast does not lag behind in the performance factor either. Annachi, Selvarani, Sopia are characters who will stay alive in your imagination much after you leave the theatre. The hidden cameras used while shooting is now part of part of the Chennai cinema-lore. Richard's camera, never diagressing from reality contributes immensely to Vasanthabalan's vision. The songs are nothing more than adequate, though the background score by Vijay Antony is impressive.

Though the movie is harshly realistic, there are several lighter moments included to keep the gloom factor away. Of course I left the theatre wondering if the case of such employees hired by such shops were really this bad? Considering the number of years these shops have been around, did not a single person who left the place take-up the issue? Only a fool could miss the parallel the director was drawing between Senthil Murugan stores and Saravana stores. The logo is similar and to make things clear he keeps zooming in to the shots of the shop at Ranganathan street and the photo of the owner. The arrest of the owner of Saravan Bhavan(the restaurant) is a living proof of the existance of this kind of exploitation.

It is evident that it is the thought process of one person that has led the movie throughout. The director achieves his goal here and presents cinema that is not only honest but has also been a box office success. If one can ignore the ending that seemed a bit contrived, the movie is almost flawless. A must-watch for people ready for good cinema.