I consider this one an epic not only for the content but also for the way it was told. Women have been for long considered a mere commodity that help men establish, ensure & pamper their supremacy. The film documents the life of two generation of women, a Mother & a daughter, whose emotional ties suffer under the oppression of their men. The narration always has some level of objectivity the same kinds with which epics are told, which is why they have that magnificence when heard after centuries.
A family feud between in-laws that was fuming for decades, comes to the village court where one party asks for termination of blood ties and other defends it. The arguments goes on endless through evening, night and next morning with the whole village waiting to hear the verdict. This is the high point of the movie and the expertise with which the Director establishes the time lapse and the performances are brilliant.
This definitely is a landmark movie in terms of story telling.
And its purely an Auteur film where A.R.Rehman makes an impressive mark with his folksy compositions, a change from the otherwise western oriented Maestro. A must watch film. Hats off & a 9/10.
