A Tale Of Love. Review on Kaadhal Movie

With a story that’s as old as Tamil cinema itself, director Balaji Sakthivel gives it a complete makeover and delivers a refreshing work of art. Produced by renowned director Shankar, known for his larger-than-life way of approaching cinema delivers this film with reality written all over it.

Murugan(Bharat) is a bike mechanic who lives with his mother in the slum. Though poor in status, he’s rich in qualities. Aishwarya(Sandhya) is a high-school student and daughter of liquor baron and local mafia judge Dhandapani. An accidental collusion with Murugan sparks petty and frequent quarrels between them, but she slowly develops an eye for Murugan. After initial reluctance, Murugan submits to her love. They embark on a poetic journey, so innocent and yet so powerful, and which begins as a couple of pupas and a spectacular metamorphic transition to colourful butterflies. Trouble knocks their world as Aishwarya’s family fix her marriage with one of her relative. With no other way out, they both elope town to escape the confines of her fathers’ clutches and end up in Chennai. Murugan seeks help from his friend Stephen(Sukumar) who lives in a bachelor’s mansion, but in return he’s only able to provide a brief shelter. He suggests Murugan to find a home, and as the three go on a hunt in the vast streets of Chennai they realise the big city is small when it comes to compassion. Murugan manages to find a home after he lawfully marries Aishwarya, followed by a hearty celebration party thrown by Stephen’s mansion mates. But all this while, Dhandapani and his brother relentlessly search for Aishwarya, threatening all those who had liaison with her. When they finally come to know the ties she had with Murugan, Aishwarya’s uncle comes to the city the very day the lovers step into matrimony. He locates their whereabouts, and convinces the pair to come back to their town, promising he’d stand before anybody to protect them. Bowled over by his words, the couple, loaded with confidence happily head back with courage to face their family, but…

Everyone except the protagonist Bharath and his friend Sukumar, are new faces that immensely lends freshness and authenticity to the cast. The plight of the young lovers in the city and the dreadful aftermath they undergo is sure to leave your eyes moist.

The movie is inspired form a real life incident, which was narrated to the director by the very person who was affected by it during a train journey. The true to life situations, realistic settings, and knockout performances from novice actors, makes this film a good example of neorealism in modern era. The movie also reminds us about religious and caste fanaticism that seems to have a firm grip in modern society. A movie that will linger in your minds for a very long time.

Beautifully shot and packed with some soul stirring music from debutant Joshua Sridhar is something really extraordinary. I say that not because the songs are smash hits, but it is one of the few films that I’ve seen where the songs are an integral part of the film.