I was a bit skeptical about blogging movies. My apprehensions to this were that films are my weakness. I adore movies. To me they are the best way to ease stress, have fun with friends and admire the creators' baby. But I distanced my self from blogging them down, didnt want to invite comments that could cripple my passion for them. Moreover, most people blog about socially But after watching this movie 'Katrathu Tamizh M.A.', I was really stirred and wanted to blog. It was like I was destined to do this.
A holiday, Vinayaka Chathurthi, not in home, lazying before the television, watching all interviews and hopping channels was wat my roomie and me were doing, till 'Katrathu Tamizh M.A.' title flashed on the 21" monitor. This should be intersting, I was murmuring to myself, for I had heard good reviews from all direction of the magnetic compass. Also, the protagonist, Jeeva, was lauded a lot for his divergent choice of scripts and extraordinary acting efforts (Raam was indeed a revelation). Chalo! let's watch it and we were totally consumed into it for the next 3 1/2 hours.
Movie starts with a kidnap of a cameraman played by Karunas by Jeeva. Prabhakar (hence Prabha), a Tamil teacher by profession, is Jeeva's role, donning a long unkempt hair and beard for a major part of the movie. Kidnapped Karunas, is threatened by Prabha to shoot a video of his story. Prabha contemplates suicide and his narration cites the rationale. Karunas was indeed a perfect choice for the camera man in plight of life or death, but in the later part, he emotes well and empathises the hero's mishaps in life.
Prabha's story from his childhood to date is a mixture of ill luck, victimization by a corrupt policeman, unexpressed love, ever looming loneliness and harassed due to social disparity. He loses his family early, except his army father and longs for parental love when left in a boarding school. He finds affection and care in the form of his Tamil Head Master in the boarding school. Azhagu Perumal enacts a wonderful character as a caring teacher of Jeeva. He moulds Jeeva into a man and scenes that brings this into picture pleasurises the viewers. Azhagu Perumal's death finds cord with Jeeva finishing his school, which somehow leaves a blob in our throats. Jeeva's decision to become a Tamil professor is drawn from inspiration and memories left by his beloved teacher. However, life as a Tamil Professor does not end as up a bed of roses for Jeeva and his finds himself an untouchable in the society that hails technology and IT boom. The scene where he visits his class mate working for an IT firm, earning couple of lakhs a month, while he makes only a meagre thousands every month, really unearthes the hidden wide gap within the educated youth. "Being educated is not important but being educated with what is more important." His shocked expression and following funny scenes, is something that we must be shameful of. Being pulled up by a policeman for smoking a cigarette in public, and tormenting that follow with a tinge of state of tamil and the respect it commands are sure to leave a thought on the viewer's mind.
Another plus of the movie is the malacotic narration of love between Jeeva and newcomer Anjali. Anjali is a tanned beauty and quite raw in her looks without make-up. She was the right choice for the heroine and all through the movie kept a very controlled performance with powerful dialouges. Her sufferings due to poverty and at the harem are emoted very well by her. She was indeed the right choice for the lady's role. Her inspiring talks to Jeeva to withdraw his criminal acts and lead a new life are captured with elegance and reality.
Though, murder, blood and gore, rotate the movie, making it unwatchable at time, the theme behind these justifies the acts. The Director has tried to point out that frustration of common man turn him to villian like Prabha, which the governement should turn its gaze to. Tamil being such a sweet and age old language, needs if not respect atleast recognition. Yuvan's music and Na. Muthukumar's lyrics supplement the theme. In all, Katrathu Tamil is a watcher's delight, tamil patron's pride and a common man's thought provoker....
A holiday, Vinayaka Chathurthi, not in home, lazying before the television, watching all interviews and hopping channels was wat my roomie and me were doing, till 'Katrathu Tamizh M.A.' title flashed on the 21" monitor. This should be intersting, I was murmuring to myself, for I had heard good reviews from all direction of the magnetic compass. Also, the protagonist, Jeeva, was lauded a lot for his divergent choice of scripts and extraordinary acting efforts (Raam was indeed a revelation). Chalo! let's watch it and we were totally consumed into it for the next 3 1/2 hours.
Movie starts with a kidnap of a cameraman played by Karunas by Jeeva. Prabhakar (hence Prabha), a Tamil teacher by profession, is Jeeva's role, donning a long unkempt hair and beard for a major part of the movie. Kidnapped Karunas, is threatened by Prabha to shoot a video of his story. Prabha contemplates suicide and his narration cites the rationale. Karunas was indeed a perfect choice for the camera man in plight of life or death, but in the later part, he emotes well and empathises the hero's mishaps in life.
Prabha's story from his childhood to date is a mixture of ill luck, victimization by a corrupt policeman, unexpressed love, ever looming loneliness and harassed due to social disparity. He loses his family early, except his army father and longs for parental love when left in a boarding school. He finds affection and care in the form of his Tamil Head Master in the boarding school. Azhagu Perumal enacts a wonderful character as a caring teacher of Jeeva. He moulds Jeeva into a man and scenes that brings this into picture pleasurises the viewers. Azhagu Perumal's death finds cord with Jeeva finishing his school, which somehow leaves a blob in our throats. Jeeva's decision to become a Tamil professor is drawn from inspiration and memories left by his beloved teacher. However, life as a Tamil Professor does not end as up a bed of roses for Jeeva and his finds himself an untouchable in the society that hails technology and IT boom. The scene where he visits his class mate working for an IT firm, earning couple of lakhs a month, while he makes only a meagre thousands every month, really unearthes the hidden wide gap within the educated youth. "Being educated is not important but being educated with what is more important." His shocked expression and following funny scenes, is something that we must be shameful of. Being pulled up by a policeman for smoking a cigarette in public, and tormenting that follow with a tinge of state of tamil and the respect it commands are sure to leave a thought on the viewer's mind.
Another plus of the movie is the malacotic narration of love between Jeeva and newcomer Anjali. Anjali is a tanned beauty and quite raw in her looks without make-up. She was the right choice for the heroine and all through the movie kept a very controlled performance with powerful dialouges. Her sufferings due to poverty and at the harem are emoted very well by her. She was indeed the right choice for the lady's role. Her inspiring talks to Jeeva to withdraw his criminal acts and lead a new life are captured with elegance and reality.
Though, murder, blood and gore, rotate the movie, making it unwatchable at time, the theme behind these justifies the acts. The Director has tried to point out that frustration of common man turn him to villian like Prabha, which the governement should turn its gaze to. Tamil being such a sweet and age old language, needs if not respect atleast recognition. Yuvan's music and Na. Muthukumar's lyrics supplement the theme. In all, Katrathu Tamil is a watcher's delight, tamil patron's pride and a common man's thought provoker....
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