Naan Kadavul - My Thoughts.

I happened to watch Bala`s Naan Kadavul this week and to be honest the movie is really worth watching. Let’s make one point straight if you are going to watch a movie for entertainment, romance, action and for any other masala stuff then this movie doesn’t suite you. There are lot of similar kind of movies running u can watch that. Naan Kadavul belongs to a category of pure cinema where it’s the director’s play ground and he’s not worried about anything in conventional cinema.

Comparing with previous works of Bala this movie is slightly different. In all the previous movies of Bala, there would a small comedy track like Surya`s role in Pithamagan, Karunas in Nandha and the First half of Sethu. But this movie does not have such a track, that’s why the movie would be hard to digest for some part of the audience. And this makes this movie different from all the other movies with intro songs, punch dialogs and all other crap.

The Story begins with a father searching for his lost son in Kasi, and when he finds his son he’s shocked to know that his son has turned as an AGHORI. Many people are not aware who an AGHORI is, these ppl worship lord Shiva, who they believe is reason for creation of life, and also their destroyer. AGHORI`s are known for their harsh worships, alcoholic and cannibalistic rituals. Yes these ppl eat the flesh of dead human body, and they could be still found in Kasi. The story starts, when Arya comes home to Tamilnadu and how things unfold when such a character enter a normal world.

To take a character of an AGHORI and make a movie out of him needs real guts, and Bala has done it. And he has also maintained the limit of things that can be shown on a screen. This is an appreciable effort because if he had maintained a low profile then the strength of this character would have come down. On the other hand if he had maintained a purest form of an AGHORI, then this movie would have been blocked by the CENSOR (I feel the CENSOR had already put their scissors on this movie).

The most appreciable effort comes from Pooja, know one would have thought that she is so talented. Portraying the role of a blind beggar, her acting is so for one of the best I have seen from an actress. Credit should be given to the director and the costumer for making her look like a real beggar. Speaking of beggars this movie is completely about beggars and the mafia behind them and how Arya is gonna deal with it. When ppl say SlumDog Millionaire has portrayed the beggars and slums, they are absolutely wrong. Danny Boyle has not even shown 10 % of what Bala had portrayed about beggars.

Coming to the plus points. I should say the maestro’s music is suited so well to the movie, be the title track or music tracks for those beggars, it really brings out the feel of the movie. Next credit should be given to the entire co artists who have been portrayed as beggars. They are physically challenged people and to be honest they occupy almost 50% of the movie. To make such ppl act would need real patience and tolerance. Bala should be credited for making these ppl act is such an enormous way.

There are very places where I felt the movie could have been improved. The lead character Arya does not have a much of screen presence, it would have been good if Arya had some more scenes. And when Pooja is singing it would have been good if the original song is not being played in the background. May be the director could have re recorded this song with a new voice. I feel the CENSOR board has used their scissors in certain scenes. I would be the first one to watch if there is an uncut version of this movie is available.

Overall the movie is very realistic and a masterpiece of work done by Bala. Trust me this movie is gonna go places. If this movie was directed by an English Director, it would have easily won an Oscar. Anyhow we Indians should not wait for an Oscar award for an Indian movie, after all it’s an American award for English movies. So let’s put our hands together and applaud Bala and his team for bringing about such a realistic and "Pure" Cinema.