Kadal

KADAL ( 2013 )

Saw this on the release date itself. Normally it doesn't happen with Tamil movies as far as my movie watching habit is concerned.

KADAL is a pretty simple story. The life of a boy who grows up among the illiterate fishermen on sea shores. But that's not just about it. its also the story of good v/s evil fight. Good represented by the priest ( played by Aravind Sami ) and evil represented by rich bad guy (played by Arjun). That's not it about it its also about how love can change someone into good and bring them close to god. Now, that's it about the movie.

All clichéd plots, no unseen situations or anything. KADAL is a normal average movie. There is nothing mind blowing or supergood story wise. But in terms of making there are few things I really loved.

Songs of a movie play a huge role in pulling the audience to it. KADAL album is already a huge hit and there would be people coming in also to see those beautiful songs. I was also waiting for it to come on screen and I am totally surprised!! The sound track of the movie had different genres of songs and I was wondering what placement or picturisation they would have in a movie related to sea.

Right from the moment when my favorite track MAGUDI unfolded on screen, I realized that the experimentation begins then onwards. When you see the songs with the movie, I felt all of them doesn't blend well. But if the songs are viewed alone, they would look good and different. I liked the ' adiye.. enne enge ne' song picturisation very much for that was never what I had imagined that song would be like. MAGUDI also could have been better.

As always, Rajeev Menon's cinematography is beautiful and stunning in the climax scene. The climax scene in the sea reminded of Hollywood movies like Pirates of the Caribbean. I was so stunned to see that quality of vfx making it so real!!

Coming to the actors in this, KADAL marked the debut of two star-kids. KARTHIK's son GAUTAM and actress RADHA's second daughter TULSI. They could not have asked for a greater opening than this. Gautam has some allu arjun mannerisms but other than that he looks promising. Tulsi needs an acting workshop/course before she moves on . it was so delighting to see the wonderful actors ARAVIND SAMI and ARJUN on screen again.

KADAL has very few characters only and they were very limited in the script. It seemed as if they had not much to do in the story. Screenplay could have been much better and powerful. May be the Director Sir wanted to concentrate more on the emotion side of the story rather than the actual story.. who knows??

I am no one to talk about it.

Forgiveness or Revenge: When faced with the criminal destroying everything you stand for, which path would you choose? What leads to spiritual enlightenment, following a preacher formally educated in a religious discipline, or a peek into a heart filled with childlike innocence. Can a human truly be classified as being God or Devil, or are both entities inside each of us, and only the circumstances dictate who manifests outside? With a biblically inspired tale set in the backdrop of the lives of Christian fishermen in Southern Tamil Nadu, these are some of the questions director Mani Ratnam seems to be asking.

While the ideas of sin, redemption, revenge, forgiveness in cinema have been around since the beginning of cinema itself, the choice of the sea as a backdrop allows the director to use the various moods of Mother Nature to elevate the emotions in the depicted events, and credit, in this regard, is due to the cinematographer, Rajiv Menon. For a movie with seemingly lofty intentions, the actors do not disappoint. Arvind Swamy as the pragmatic priest who uses carrots and sticks to straighten a boy with an adverse past, Gautham as the enigmatic young hero in constant struggle to grapple with his place in the society around him, Thulasi the young convent girl who refuses to grow up, and Arjun, the man who made a deal with the Devil, and would stop at nothing to get ahead, all of them play their characters convincingly. The disappointments in the movie are the under utilization of some songs in the excellent soundtrack, and the final showdown which, although shot splendidly, could have packed a stronger emotional punch, either through better dialogue or by tweaking the storyline. Part of this could have also been an outcome of editing, and one hopes that an uncut version of the movie releases on DVD at some point that better explains these problems.

Following Thalapathy and Raavan, this is the director's third venture to be inspired by a religious epic. While the other two movies were more direct retelling of the Mahabharata and Ramayana, Kadal is not quite a reinterpretation of an epic, but characters and events were certainly inspired by the stories from the Christian faith (the betrayal, crucifixion, resurrection). Is it mere coincidence that the hero, born as a child to a woman named Mary, and constantly referred to as God's son in the movie, sported longish hair, mustache and beard on his thin visage almost reminding us of the Biblical son of God. Of course, if indeed the purpose was make a movie inspired by the story of Christ, then unlike Raavan and Thalapathy, why is religion an explicit element in this movie. Perhaps, since the question posed is that of choosing a path for life, a religious backdrop is inevitable. In a tale about forgiveness, Christianity may have provided the ideal landscape.

Director Mani Ratnam, it appears, has indeed traveled a far distance from his evergreen hits such as Mouna Ragam, Roja, Anjali, where the movie takes you through an emotional journey without necessarily asking you to stop and think about what you just saw. Movies such as Raavan and Kadal have through their sub-textual intent made us question our premises about their stories and possibly, our own.

Being an ardent Mani movie follower and an avid AR music lover I couldn't afford to miss Kadal, and didn't. Expectations ran high; and for a while with a thunderous opening sequence and a riveting exhilarating first half, the film held fort, only to fall away gradually in the second half and by the climax sequences and the anticlimaxes, the collapse was complete.

The film does start off well with the much Mani Ratnam traversed- social discard, orphaned child growing up in a low key environment - path, not very dissimilar to Nayakan or Thalapathy, and promises a lot while establishing the premises of how the light of good and the claws of evil manipulates the rawness of youth and innocence of love. But one couldn't escape the feeling that the master story teller having penned the film, had failed to draw starkly the lines of the characters, a task which he is usually so accomplished at, in particular that of the heroine and to some extent that of the antagonist. Incomprehensible is the heroine's character, and unjustifiable the antagonist's; both of whom the audience fail to identify with, and the method in the madness unbelievably unacceptable.

The film does go on however, shouldered by excellent performances by the artists, Arvind Swamy the stand out, Arjun, an admirable transformation in spite of a few hollow links, and a very commendable Gautham Karthik.

To his rescue Mani does have an ever reliable AR Rahman whose magic outscores the film itself, though with Nenjukkulle and Moongilthottam, it appears one song too many, but then no one is complaining; and the dependable Rajeev Menon whose visual treat had the audience in trance for more than a handful of occasions, with the hitherto unseen splendorous portrayal of Kadal(The sea) in all its enormity, tranquility, majesty and menace.

An appropriate end to the story seemed out of reach of the director, and the climax appeared tweaked, more an emotional compromise than a logical culmination; thus ruining the foundation of the story itself; and leaving many stones unturned and many fates undecided.

The film ends however, not before the audience is enthralled by some magical Mani moments - the burial scene, the tape recorder scene and the birth scene to name a few – but sadly you go back taking a few moments with yourself; and not the movie.

Maniratnam movies always evoke a loud 'boo', from supposed mass-oriented audience,for the characters of his movies are usually upper middle class intelligentsia, who speak in measured tone and this pattern is fitted on to characters from other social classes as well.

This cliché is broken, for the dialogues are written by acclaimed writer Jeyamohan and the screenplay is jointly sketched by Maniratnam and Jeyamohan. They bring out the raw energy through usage of slang that is prevalent in Christian fisherman villages of South Tamilnadu.

The initial scenes in Seminary and the dialogues sets the landscape for the story of 'Kadal', which is essentially a clash of ideologies between God seeking Aravindswamy (Sam) and self proclaimed son of Satan,Arjun Sarja (Bergmans). The dialogue of Arjun, wherein he says,he came to Seminary just to escape poverty does make the intent of the antagonist much clearer and also reflects the realism. The first 15 minutes of the movie essentially portrays what to expect from from the whole movie itself. The love affair of Maniratnam with Raavanan is not yet over for, Arjun is portrayed as a well learned biblical scholar who engages in wishful sins.

The Hero of the movie, Gautham Karthik (Thomas) is introduced as a bastard son and the social interactions push him towards becoming Anti-social. The scenes in village transport you there as an observer and makes you realize the effort, the director has put in artist selection for supporting and background roles. One of the background roles which get etched in your mind is a fisher-woman who hawks in the market and picks up a duel with Aravindswamy.

Religion itself has to play a major role in the movie and the reality of how the religious functions are commoditized is brought out. The tape recorder which Aravindswamy uses to connect the people with God travels along with the movie till the very end. For the first time, Maniratnam completely deals with people who live in the fringes of society and morality.

The immersive experience that the movie offers can be attributed to the picturesque cinematography of Rajiv Menon who has unobtrusively sewed vast unending landscape of ocean and ocean associated land and the haunting background score of AR.Rahman. 'Magudi' song by Aaryan Dinesh Kanagaratnam, a Sinhalese Rapper sets the tone for the movie in either halves of the movie, by showing how the character of Gautham Karthik develops itself from child to brash teen and his experiences with Sins.

The milestone scenes includes the scene were the young Gautham breaks down before the tape recorder, the first experience of Ocean by Gautham, the scene were Aravindswamy is implicated in the sin of flesh, When Arjun proclaims himself as Satan before Aravindswamy, When Gautam experiences the first blood of birth on his hands, The mental torment of Gautam when he tries to explain about what is Sin to Thulasi , the climax in mid of rough seas and of course the rousing song near the end credits.

One cannot stop admiring the energy in débutant Gautham Karthik and the comeback performances of Aravindswamy and Arjun Sarja. Thulasi (Beatrice) fits the limited scope offered by the story and Ponvannan as usual brings out a standout performance.

The story can be pushed aside by many as a classic "Truth Alone Triumph" formulaic film, but what makes it stand out is the layered treatment which the makers have brought in to make it more realistic. Though a fairy tale ending, it brings out the grey nature of human, wherein do- gooder saintly Father Sam is pushed to kill Bergmans, Proclaimed Son of Satan Bergman's inability to kill his estranged daughter Beatrice and the sinner Thomas insistence in saving Bergmans. The movie ends with the supposed Angel, Beatrice spending her time in a rehabilitation institution.

Overall, a truly immersive visual, aural experience and watch it for the wonderful acting performances of lead and supporting artists.

And Yes, Kadal is not a Romantic movie.

And with respect to the ad films that were played before movie titles, the news ads for National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), shows the desperate need for creativity among government based public relation offices. The syntax and the template of the ads are so shamelessly the same that I can recall the mid 90's ads for oral contraceptives in Doordarshan, which once monopolized the broadcasting industry in India.

Actors: Arjun Sarja, Aravindswamy, Gautham Karthik, Thulasi Nair, Ponvannan

Directed by: Maniratnam

Editing: A.Sreekar Prasad

Cinematography: Rajiv Menon

Produced by: Madras Talkies

Music Composer: AR Rahman

Released languages: Tamil (as Kadal), Telugu (as Kadali )

I do not understand some critics do not like this movie. This movie was prefect. The cast in this movie was amazing. Even a small role was realistic. I never seen Arjun act this realistic. He really acts like a real devil. The ending visual effects was amazing. It was a experience like the actors were there. The music was once brought back by A.R Rahman. His music always bring us happiness and it does it again in this movie. The background music was again amazing. The Cinematography was good. The camera starts in a very amazing angle. The story was one of the amazing story ever. The story looks like a real man's life. Overall, Kadal is a realistic movie. The story,Cinematography, the cast and the music are amazing.

Final verdict:10/10