Naan Kadavul…… Lacks Power

There is a section of people who think they are God. And there is a section of people who think God is everything to them. What happens when there is a rendezvous between them ? Bala, known for his distintive screenplays and moving the viewer with slap-on the-face realism, has tried to sketch these two worlds on celluliod.

You cannot conceal your excitement when Arthur A. Wilson takes you on a journey through Kasi, its cremation grounds, the Ganges river and thousands of people on the banks of it at the beginning of the movie. You then settle down in your chair seeing Rudhran (Arya) in a "seershasan" pose, his introduction, expecting more from the director.

Here is where Rudhran's father and sister are introduced wandering through the river of people on the roads in search of their son whom he disowned 14 years ago listening to the predictions of an astrologer. With the help of a local priest, he somehow manages to find his son  - an aghora sanyasi who has been declared as God by his guru. Rudhran, who has been distanced from sentiments and emotions of the real world , is taken back to Malaikovil by his father. His mother showers affection on Rudhran but he is far far away from social life.

Enter Thandavan, the remorseless villian who heads a beggar mafia. You will actually be moved seeing the beggars being held there in his den. You can find every sort of beggar here. Women, children, babies, men with all kinds of physical deformation, visually challenged et all. They have a lighter side too even when poverty hits them. You also see Murugan, a naive broker who trades beggars for cash. Then you are introuduced to Amsavalli (a brilliant Pooja), who is abducted by Murugan from her group and made to beg in Malaikovil where Rudhran takes shelter.

You now expect an explosion on the screen when two people, Rudhran and Amsavalli, from two entirely different worlds meet. But here is where Bala disappoints. Yes, he makes you cry from within when you see the hapless beggars and the society's apathy towards them. He makes you smile with the occasional humour that springs. But you expect more from Bala.

He has chosen a cast that is so believable and realistic that you wonder whether you are actually in a movie hall. The performances are so rivetting, be it the mute child or the enunch, everyone has just done their bit.

Jeyamohan's dialogues (he has already written a book called Ezavathu Ulagam based on the world of beggars), hit the mark, and their happy-go-lucky charm, particularly those of the babies and adolescents, is a touching picture.

Ilayaraja's songs and background score are just the right combination for the director's thoughts. There are instances where the maestro's score really enriches the scene. Suresh Urs has done a neat job in editing the film and so has Super Subbharayan with his stunts, though his stunts bear resemblence to the ones in Pithamagan.

Bala could have added more to this movie expecially to the way the aghora sanyasis have been potrayed considering the hype and the hoopla which surrounded the movie. Bala, being a perfectionist has definitely slipped in potraying both Arya and Pooja's characters. The make up and costumes of these characters reveal so. One wonders what exactly is going through Rudhran's mind. And there are not enough sub-plots too , to take the movie forward. The biggest let down is Rudhran's voice. One cannot understand his dialogues clearly and the way he recites mantras needed more conviction. At the end of the movie, you feel you have seen very little of what you had initially expected.

Arya doesnt have to do much in the movie other than smoking weed and the sheershasan pose. Considering the fact that he has invested two years of his acting career into this movie, one expected more out of this talented actor. His body language is good and definitely has a good future ahead but he needs build his screen presence and not just act the director's instructions.

Pooja has done a brilliant job as the blind girl. Her performance in the climax is definitely worth mentioning.

With such a sensitive subject, Bala, being such a bold director, could have made this into a classic. But somehow he has decided to keep it superficial with a weak screenplay. The movie is definitely worth watching for the characters and the setting but lacks the punch he usually delivers and is a definite let down for a die hard Bala fan.
 

Star-casts: Aarya, Pooja, Rajendran and others
Banner: Pyramid Saimira, Vasan Visual Creations
Story, Screenplay and Direction: Bala
Music: Ilayaraja
Cinematography: Arthur A Wilson

-C.Karthik