Kaadhal Tamil Movie
With a story that is as old as Tamil cinema itself if director Balaji sakthivel has impressed the audience and critics together, it is because of his innovative visualization, a totally non-filmy cast and capturing the nativity of the locations with minute detail.
Kathal as the title suggests is an ordinary love story where a school going young girl Iswarya the only heir of a local uppercaste arrack baron falls in love with a dirty and poor mechanic Murugan. Iswarya’s family fixes up her marriage with somebody from their own caste. Iswarya convinces a frightened Murugan that they should elope and they end up doing that. Only to be hunted back by Iswarya’s family. What happens to the young couple after this is the climax, which in spite of being the regular climax to such love affairs in real life in rural sides where caste and class differences between lovers are never tolerated. Nevertheless it is certainly a refreshingly new end to a Tamil film.
In the directorial side the film stands out for a totally new cast. Other than hero Bharath and his friend Sukumar everybody else is a new face, which gives the film a realistic feel. Many artistes like the woman who acts as Iswarya’s mother and her grandmother look like people drawn from a real household in Madurai where the film happens in the first half. The mechanic shed aide who is a small kid is another unforgettable portrayal, which from being a funny character elevates himself to an emotional plane when the hero decides to leave.
Kathal is a beautiful cinema thanks to Vijay Milton’s path breaking cinematography. While producing visuals of impeccable quality he elevates the whole visual language of Kathal to another level. The ambience shots and cut aways led so much authenticity to the happenings.
Music is done by newcomer Joshua Sridhar, the title song by Hariharan and “Unakena Iruppen” are good. The editor who is also a new comer has again done a commendable job. In all the director, cinematographer, editor trio have rendered a rustic conventional story full of emotions in the most modern narrative and visual language and mount without disturbing the authenticity of the story.
Bharath as Murugan is good and he probably is the only Tamil hero after Chappani in “16 Vayadinile” to appear as dirtily as possible. Sandya as Iswarya is poignant. While her ordinary looks are an asset to the film she amazes in the climax with a high voltage performance.
The only criticism on Kathal can be on the idiotic way Iswarya falls in love with Murugan. She attains puberty on the day when Murugan comes and scolds her. There is a line in a song that comes after this ‘event’ “Nee Parthavudan Nan Poothu vitten”.
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