Dominated by British over a good period of 3 centuries and the way colonization was spread , English became profound language. Today daily choir in Economic background is sung in English. I m not here to sing any of that now , when I take on my third best film watched in Tamil Cinema, I had to spread my views beyond the silver screen. This movie stands in elite list not because of making, its magnificence of a debut directorship, its portrayal from a director who is from first family of Indian Cinematography , the Balu Mahendra school of Directors. I m here to put forth my views on the plot before taking on its execution.
IT life , Livelihood spread across the GEN-X folks who live on this economic exploitation. The Life style of we so called people who exploit the least available resource and make a meaning of it. IS this wrong? We strive hard for this , when we earn this we enjoy this. Its fine.
Now as in every strata of life , there is a thin line between are we living the life without endangering others. Endangering the others society. Freedom is what I can do without touching the freedom of others.
Katrathu Tamil (Learnt Tamil) is a movie directed by Ram , close associate of Balu Mahendra , who deals the life of Prabhakar as his sumblime plot explaining the endangers of a Native Mother tongue learnt and teaching graduate, the imbalance of such a person with the society , thanks to economic exploitation.
This story neatly pictures the wrong side of our society, as said the thin line is crossed maniar times by many people. This story has a love story as a back drop , Life of Prabhakar from Childhood who loses his family to a tragic accident , completes his schooling with good grades , becomes Graduate in his mother tongue , works as a School teacher. His life till then though had lot of difficulties goes on plain path. The atrocities of the society towards such a person whose livelihood is questioned by meaner society turns him to an aggressive brutal man , making him a , in one way a representative of those endangered people questioning the norms of this society. With a backdrop of his love for Anandhi , the story transforms from a village , life of him through meanest times, travel to Maharastra for his love, life in Chennai , his encounters with the Manipulated society . He goes on a brutal rage , becomes a killer , of all he resembles as a single man whose questions even you and me can’t answer.
This movie throws a tide full of questions which I see unanswered in the mirror when I see every morning. The questions that has no answers which gives me sleepless nights. His life , though a fictional one, gives an questionnaire whose answers has been buried in these so called Life.
What makes me to pick this movie as one of the best of Tamil Cinema?
Its rage. Rage of showing a Movie as a cinema. Making a movie that every Tamil Cinema fellow will , be proud of. If I say What Mani ratnam has done for more than twenty years he has done in one film. If you call this as exaggeration so be it, there is some truth in these lines.
Capturing the strong poignant plot , in midst of rage , throwing the society in the corner and in some way hanging the society with brutal screenplay, amidst a soft plain innocent love story. This is a mark of veteran. Not only a veteran but of a genius.
Every time is see this movie as was on Friday evening, this movie killed my last remaining conscience , and sir , please take it from me, you will think twice before exploiting the species called human in the name of todays next generation , in the name of language , in the name of show off.
To some extent some pro side may argue, we have worked hard for this and we have right to enjoy, not at the cost of exploiting the society. If there is anything remaining in your hanged conscience after watching this movie, Yuvan would have made sure its killed with its splendid music. True Gene-product of Raja.
When arurag Kashyap thanked Madurai Trio in his GOW, if anyone of you guys would have watched any of these movies, Don’t miss this one. If at all anyone asks me to rate one best movie of these 10 , it would be this, at least a top contender.
