Dec 10, 2007 10:25 AM
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This must be the first time that a film, just after a week or so of its release , has been shown free of cost in 100 theatres this sunday morning across TamilNadu, and I was one of those guys who rushed to see the film without a ticket. Just after 3 months of the release of his previous film'Pallikoodam' Director Thankar Bachchan has come out with this . The screenplay is based on his own novel with the same title, and nobody but Thankar would have the guts to picturise this novel which has remote possibilities to become a successful Tamil film.
Madhavar Padaiyaachi is a simple villager who is refused place in a bus to his home village, because he has no money for the ticket. A young passenger who is his relative recognises him and offers to take him along. The flashback scenes unfold during the journey. Madhavar has three sons and a daughter, all married but one young bachelor, who is romancing with the local washerman's daughter. He has a close friend, a muslim, whom he helps financially and their friendship crosses all barriers of religion and economy. At one instance, the family breaks apart and Madhavar leaves his home and village, along with his wife Velayi, leaving everything behind and without informing anybody. They meet the muslim couple, who shower them with love and affection. Madhavar is bored to live in his friend's bungalow. He requests him to buy some 150 goats, so that he can grow them and trade them for his livelihood. The couple go to live in a remote part along with the flock. The friend simply laughs whenever Madhavar presents the accounts.
Six years has passed since they left their family. When Velayi expresses her desire to see their children sometimes, Madhavar is adamant. But when he sneaks upon his youngest son working as a cattle broker in a meagre condition his rigidness collapses. Velayi smells his change and her hysterical outbursts shakes him. And one day she dies of snakebite. Even now he is reluctant to take her corpse to their native place and he cremates her here itself. When the muslim couple leave their place for medical purposes to Bangalore, Madhavar is stripped off his land, flock and everything by his friend's brother in laws and is on the streets now. He becomes a loner on the streets, takes up to drinking, lies on the roadsides stinking with dirt, and only then he decides to go to his native along with the ashes of his wife.
The first thing he does when he lands on his village in midnight is, falls down on the ground and kiss the dust and sand. Then he washes himself and his clothes in the roadside pipe. The young man's mother recognises him and he comes to know of the miserable conditions of his children after he left. Even in the midnight he goes to the hut of his youngest son, now married and with kids. He is sleeping outside the hut, while his grandson is crying. The grandpa takes the kid in his hands and consoles him. The next morning Madhavar is found dead near a tree, and there is no place for his body to be kept for the final rites. The young man takes him to his house and when the last rituals take place, his body is bathed and along with that water the ash of his wife melts away.
Everything is over. The mother asks the young man why he hasn't made arrangements for the return journey, he replies he is pondering over a confusion whether to stay with his mom in the village or leave.
Thankar Bachchan has directed the movie very sincerely and doing justice to his original story. Telling the story of the plights of an ordinary old villager, in an age of masala films, young heroes and group dances, is something amazing. He has woven minute details in every alternate frame to emphasise the strength of his narration. The South Arcot region of Tamil Nadu has been brought out with its full flavour. The people, their habits, slangs that are peculiar to the Neyveli belt highlight the film. A character always walks in his loin clothes and gold ornaments. His slave who then becomes his son in law, always carries a fox along with him as a lucky mascot for his master. The small details of the agricultural world like the old man, after many years of trading sheep, rushes to handle the ploughing cattle of somebody, the scene where he takes a bath when he returns to his village, the way he touches the jackfruit and its seeds, after a long time show the literary sense of the director.
When I read the novel, in its handwritten manuscript itself before publication, I couldn't even remotely visualise someone like Sathyaraj in the leading role. And now, he has given an excellent performance as Madhavar, the N.Arcot villager. It is a real wonder, how a man brought up in a town like Coimbatore, converts himself into flesh and blood of a suffering villager. His body language, his facial expressions that mirror his agony, his slang, his silence everything is world class. And the Balu Mahendra favourite Archana as Velayi has also excelled in her role. Like a typical village woman, she cries loud in most of the scenes. Though it is natural, it is repetitive. And speaking about Nasser as the friend of Madhavar, he is far from a stereotype filmy muslim, but very natural in his way of speaking and dress, and Rohini as his wife is also very good.
Mostly all the songs composed by Bharatwaj are hummable, and all are in the background except an usual duet by youngsters, which mars the quality of the film. And as an Ilayaraja fan, I secretly wished he could have been the music director, especially for BGM. And as the cinematographer, Thankar is in his usual self, very natural and free from gimmicks. The relationships between the characters like the children of Madhavar is very confusing . A'who's who' could have been attached.The film is loaded with tragedy like'King Lear' and tears flow whenever the director highlights small details of human relationship touches.
But do the people like too much tears nowadays? I doubt.
