Naan Kadavul

Director Bala is notorious for his unique choice of disturbing subjects and Naan kadavul is no different. This time around he comes up with a story down under the hells of reality.

Aarya plays the lead role of an Aghori devotee named 'Rudra' which probably is the least humane character that any actor would dare to do. Shiva is the lord of elimination in Hindu texts, and an Aghori who is an ardent follower of Shiva believes in 'Dushta nigraha' or elimination of the evil. Aarya has done fair justice to the role and Bala has exploited him in his looks and acting potentials. Bala seems to have spent enough time in studying the life style of the Aghori sects and beggars. That reflects in the eventual realism that results.

Cold blooded action and shocking pragmatism may disturb the audience. So you have to prepared for 'anything' and 'everything'. Cinematography is a chilling package of the movie and every face that comes along in the movie appears real and original to the plot. Music by ilayaraja is definitely fitting to the scheme.

Violent imagery is objectionable to minors and women. So it's not any family 'go-watch'. But the movie is well told, and questions the true nature of Kadavul- the God and repeating statements made by Rudra-'Aham brahmasmi' surely keeps you thinking.

If you can appreciate the alternate thinking that the director has convincingly achieved in the movie then go and give it a try.

Have no words to describe this masterpiece. "Naan Kadavul" may offer different kind of feeling to everybody -am sure. But all I want to say is that "This Is A true Indian Movie". This movie must be nominated for Oscars and wish that the world takes note of it. This is good for the world at large and since this was created in India, it will have to follow the same fate of every other immortal classic that was done in India Viz..."No recognition at large" unless the world gives the recognition. It created in me the same sorry feeling when I knew - Vedanta, Mahabharata or any other immortal spiritual classics was produced in India. They will never be acknowledged great unless world looks at it. ...

About this movie - what happens when an enlightened man living all his life with his guru and as a complete recluse and practicing the teachings taught; is suddenly taken by providence to his birth place. There is this sudden clash...A man beyond the world impacted with not just the world but with the harsh and depraved part of the world. Bala explains thereafter with extreme fragility and immense knowledge of spirituality. Thanks to you Bala...you have proved once again.

This is possibly the most original and astounding Tamil film ever made...Absolute gem of a film...Bala has taken Tamil cinema and its viewers to the next level with this film.

Arya has Rudra has lived in the character,and so is Puja..Every Time you see Arya there is the kind of extra ordinary emotions running through you right from his intro to the last scene in Kasi..Absolutely Mind blowing... No body in Tamil cinema has the guts and clarity like Bala sir,and his directorial abilities would match the best in the world...Raja sir has given the most lively music even after 35 years and has showed what is re-recording...absolutely mid blowing,path breaking movie.

One of the bold and unique movie ever made! This movie for sure is not for the faint-hearted. Wish the director could tone down the gore and violence in his movies, even this movie has quite a lot of disturbing visuals. Apart from that, the movie is brilliantly made with pitch- perfect detailing, the exquisite photography and the brilliant re- recording. The lead performers as well as some newbies were top class. Rajendran, the antagonist, was absolutely terrifying. The Kasi episodes with the priest are intensely shot, i haven't seen any similar scenes in any other movie. So are the humorous dance episode inside a police station, you have to watch the expressions of the actors mimicking old actors, terrific indeed!!

Philosophically rich and very realistic to those who have seen and dwelt in the social-law defying black hole that is sometimes India. Divine and terrible at once, spiritual and materialistic living hand in hand. Like the beggars around the holy man in the South Indian temple who themselves dress themselves up as great sadhus but are mere men. It takes a trained eye to differentiate the true sadhus from the fake in India.

This is not a brutal movie deifying moral killing. It is a true telling of the beliefs and lives of a sect of people who practice a system of law and order much older than the English language. The court scene punctuates the point further; does a easily corruptible legal system really serve justice better than the judgment of one realised soul? What the movie doesn't perhaps cover too well is that by punishing the unjust/unwilling to live, the Aghori is taking on his/her karma on himself and considers it a task that he is duty bound to do.

The personality of Rudra's mother is a stereotype taken out of vedantic stories of mothers who want the best for their children yet who struggle to release their offspring who wish to dedicate their lives to god. Very similar to a mothers reaction to a child wishing to become a nun or a priest in the western world. The sage Ramana Maharishi's mother struggled similarly to accept his calling.

They say you cannot convert into Hinduism, that you must be born into it. Perhaps more such movies are necessary in this globalised age for the world to breach this misconception and bring the philosophies of the east and west together. There is still so much I can learn from this movie and I intend to watch it often enough to grasp exactly what the writers were trying to say.