Cast: Kathir, Anandhi, Yogi Babu
Music: Santhosh Narayanan
Direction: Mari Selvaraj
Pariyerum Perumal (played by Kathir) says he wants to become a Doctor during the admission in Law College. When told he cannot become a doctor studying Law, he says “He doesn’t want to become medical doctor, rather Dr. Ambedkar”. We know we are in Pa. Ranjith’s film when we hear names like Ambedkar. But this time Ranjith is the producer of the film and Mari Selvaraj directs this beautiful piece of art. The story is situated in and around Tirunelveli district and with the help of cinematographer, Sridhar, Mari selvaraj portrays this story realistically with utmost honesty.
Amidst the realistic portrayal of the story, Anandhi, who plays as Jyothi Mahalakshmi, has a quirky voice in the film, which totally undermines her performance. The characters are relatable, though Anandhi’s voice was annoying, her character is relatable. Kathir’s character is someone whom we would have seen in class. He is someone who studied in a Tamil medium and finds it hard to learn English in college. In one of his counter with the professor, he is shamed as a ‘Getting easy admission through quota’. Though many students doesn’t know to write in English, he is targeted because of his caste.
The discrimination made based on caste is spoken throughout the film. An old man who talks with Perumal stops talking once he knows the place where he comes from. The make judgments based on your hometown. One thing I loved about this film is that the director did not push the relationship of Perumal and Jo. This film is not about two persons from different communities falling in love and the society defying their relationship. The film talks about how society see or treat people like Perumal.
A song “Naan Yaar” is positioned in a brilliant place, where the hero questions himself about his identity. It’s amazing how Mari Selvaraj handled this delicate subject. His dialogues are hard hitting and well into the narrative. The scene with college principal has enlightening dialogues. The best part of the film, is when Perumal’s dog Karupi dies and how its spirit is used in the latter half of the film.
Verdict: Must watch!
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