Can't have no Hope at all..........

Coming out of Naan Kadavul was an experience inexplicable, unfelt with any other movie. Yes, the movie for some reasons was not completely satisfying. But there was definite feeling of having left in the lurch. Quite honestly the first question that stomped was that, if the movie stands to justify all the wait and hype? But that question was shattered instantly as all those wait and hype are just fictitious, to the extent at least to influence the maker of the film. Bala, one of the few recent directors to have created a very much exclusively identifiable style of film making could be an interesting case of sorts here. Did bala train his camera with the idea of making a loathsome product? Or was he indulging in an irreverent act of cinematic catharsis? In any case getting answers to such questions are quite subjective and a tad difficult too. Four days after seeing the movie I realize I am possessed by the movie.
The world as such is engrossed with much malevolence. Infidels, assuming or projecting themselves to be much more than what they are, are making the world a lot less safe place to thrive. And as have been said in as many instances a situation like can’t have hope at all is the final defeat of a human being. You can relate this more to the plight of a hostage at the gunpoint of a terrorist or to a petty fight with a street thug. In either case when you lose the steam to stand up on your legs all you can do is expect a lending hand to support you in some form. Like the hostage at gunpoint expecting a flying commando to swash in out of air and knock down the terrorist. Or bystanders in the street fight come behind your cause. I for myself have so many times expected a clairvoyance to utter the ways to clear the mess I often created in the name of living. As a last resort of hope human beings look for a miraculous lending hand. And Bala here depicts the world whose only ever hope is the lending hand. We all accept beggars as part of our lives. We do have intelligence to discuss various theories about the industry kinds operated, the mafia types operated in the begging world. In all these, though having recognized, we haven’t enough emphasized the fact that these beggars too will have all emotions as we have. Heck, the problem is that we didn’t acknowledge that completely with nears and dears only. That is where bala trains his camera. Bala never canoodles his viewer. He depicts raw images right from his first movie. And bala for eternity comes out with a masterpiece to that effect.
Yes I am deliberately avoiding the Arya aghori line of the movie. Arya lives detached from the movie. And that to me is the greatest success of the character as that was what he intended to do. To feature an aghori who will anytime look detached from anything. If not for censorship I firmly believe that arya’s role would have been more complete. That rested, the quintessence of the movie, a take on the beggar world controlled by a local thug is riveting and refuses to leave your mind. Never in recent times have is seen people laughing and clapping incessantly in a movie. The movie do dulls at times, more in the initial stages. But once you get to view the sorry figures of differently abled people who are forced to begging you squirm initially with a feel of uneasiness. May be that is a kind of pity we feel quite often for any beggar. But once the beggars prove to you that they have accepted this way of life, even if it was no way their mistake to have such a life dawned on them, is when we start reveling their lives. They have their share of joy, sorrow, fight, sarcasm (heck this on themselves (sample: yov, nee ennaiya? pichaikaaran kitayae pichai eduthkitirukka), that lovely too). இடுக்கன் வருங்கால் நகுக படிச்சிருக்கோம். முயன்று கூட பார்த்திருப்போம்.அதையே வாழ்க்கையாய் கொண்டவர்களை பார்த்து பொறாமை படுவதோ? Especially, that small handicapped boy who quips with perfect timing better than any star comedian who hog these days. And when they think they are already in the deep pits of life, life descends even uglier face on them. And they have more turbulence in an already listless life. Which leads to, what for me was the high point of the movie. Yes the high point of the movie is delivered not by Arya or Pooja and that to you is Bala. And by this time you root for the beggars, to god to descend and cleanse all their sorrows and cleanse thyself. And what happen thereafter are just commercial dictated norms, yet shot with much intensity. Save the climax. I need to watch it again to comment any further on that infectious scene. But bet you have not seen such an infectious scene in recent times.
Bala, the director shines precious in various instances in the movie. I simply love his choice of old movie songs. And the way he uses them is near perfect. Having, created a blind girl in pooja’s character he makes her sing all yester year melodies. A blind good voiced protagonist isn’t something new to us. But by not making a new song on Pooja and making her sing all golden melodies, Bala emphasizes that the character is blind and bounded just by abilities to reproduce songs rather than produce them. What a sea of change for all along having heard sangeetha jaathi mullai? And that scene where a supporting character in an inebriated mood craves to show off his love for his fellas, how true is that? I know how important an inebriated mind is to depict your real feeling. And when an unintentional scene of a side character is shown practicing to harm himself you don’t read much. Cut and in a follow up scene we see him unmoved and inexpressive when the policeman whacks him with all strength. What minute details? And there are many more glorious moments to cherish in this willpossesyou masterpiece.

I know I have not talked about dialogues (they are so scarce and so powerful), music (you need any explanation), acting all those stuff. But for the first time I am indulged in so called understanding the layers of a movie. So I will try to write more on them with consecutive viewings.


PS: The title of the post is one of my most revered lines from a movie called cinderella man. Another interesting movie that is.