Pirivom Santhipom Tamil Movie
This Pongal release is a sentimental and emotive family drama which has been neatly packaged and presented. It is a typical Cheran's genre of films most of which are emotional potboilers reflecting real-life situations. For a change, Director Palaniyappan has added an extra dimension to Cheran's character in "Pirivom Santhipom" making it an experience to be cherished. And, it carries a message which is of great significance in the present computer age when the very system of joint family is getting disintegrated. Palaniyappan brings this theme into sharp focus. The efficacy of the joint family system in the prevailing social context has come to be widely debated in the print media and other forums and "Pirivom Santhipom" contributes a good deal to this on-going debate. The age-old joint family system and the growing nuclear families are juxtaposed to show how different one is from the other. The differing perceptions of the system create an emotional crisis for a newly married couple. It is a laudable effort by Palaniyappan who is ably backed up by Cheran—Sneha pair.
Here goes the story…
Visalakshi (Sneha) is only daughter of her rich Chettiar parents living in Karaikudi town. She is lonely and bored and wishes to be married into a joint family. As per her wish, she is married off to Natesan (Cheran), an engineer working with the State Electricity Board. Natesan comes from an affluent joint family. Visalakshi easily merges with her husband's large family consisting of her in-laws- Natesan's uncles, aunts and children. She is delighted to be in their company. She is affectionately called Sala in the family. But soon Natesan gets a transfer to a hill station (Attakatti). He takes her wife to the new place where she is again started feeling loneliness and become unhappy. She misses the joy and fun she had back home. Zest has gone out of her life. Natesan for his part wants to lead his own life, away from the crowd that is his joint family. While he is quite content, his wife undergoes the agony of separation from her kin. Loneliness and boredom take a toll on Visalakshi's health. She becomes mentally ill. On the advice of a neighborhood doctor (Jayaram), the couple comes back and rejoins the family.
The story is set in a milieu that is unique for Karaikudi and its Chettinad culture and architecture. No other film in the past has portrayed the grandeur of Chettinad and dazzling weddings there in such depth as in this movie. The audience is virtually taken on a tour of the land of Chettinad where the protagonists hail from. .
Cheran is the natural choice for the role of a savvy electrical engineer. It is not so much the dialogues as nuances that mark his role. His body language in sequences where he could not savor the lively romantic moments with his new wife because of his preoccupation with office work is remarkable. He is at his best when he shows anxiety and sorrow on seeing Sneha in an unconscious state in an emergency ward and lashes out at the nurse attending on her.
Sneha has given a splendid performance, her career best, as a college student and then as a daughter-in-law who enjoys being part of a big joint family. Her pre-marriage yearning to see her life-partner, her loving and caring for her husband, her affection for the other members of the family, her concern for the children, her sadness and feeling of loneliness at the new place, Attakatti, her mental agony which makes her ill are the scenes which move the audience. She wears no make-up and yet she looks charming giving a realistic touch to her character.
M.S. Bhaskar and Ganja Karuppu form the comedy track. Supporting characters include a number of small screen artistes who are part of the joint family. Along with Karaikudi, its people, culture, traditions and architecture and Attakatti's lush greenery, cinematographer M.S. Prabhu brings Director Palaniyappan's thoughts on social issues also into focus through his lens. Vidyasagar's strains are<
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