Subramanian Palaniappan

Karnan(2021) is an apt sequel to Mari Selvaraj's debut outing Pariyerum Perumal both of which depicts the oppression of lower castes in the society but in very different ways. In PP the lead character continues to accept the casteism insults thrown at him and ends with one of the most powerful dialogues of the decade with a beautiful pan shot of tea glasses. Karnan takes a different path to oppose and stand against the oppressors to fight for your right to live the way you are. The writing and performances are top notch especially Natraj is awesome for the screen space he got. Dhanush is terrific as usual in a character with very mixed emotions while Lal is amazing and wish his character had more meat. All other supporting actors are commendable with special mention to Lakshmi and Poo Ram. Like PP, this movie also has lot of metaphors from the very first scene. The strength of the movie is in showcasing people's daily lives about their routine, work, death, faith which gets us involved and connect with the story well. The camera work makes the shots look beautiful in a dry and rusty setup with no greeneries. Several silhouettes shots used to convey the mood well. The name of the movie and the story backdrop is certainly inspired from Mahabharatham with lot of characters named after them. While this is loosely based on the 1995 incident, dont expect a true story. This is an amazing movie with lot of detailing which will leave you with a questionable feeling about the differences in society and worse if you have been witnessed to it.

This movie is a refreshingly well made drama.The characterization and writing is well thoughtout barring few cliches acceptable for the content being handled. Sperm donation is a very sensitive subject along with child adoption makes it more complicated but the direction lightens the tone and writing does the job. This is not a message movie but conveys one just right. Harish Kalyan is a natural actor and its easy to get carried away or make it melodramatic but he doesn't. Tanya does a neat job for her character. Vivek is good as always. I haven't watched Vicky Donor but it definitely needed some tweaking to fit the local audience here which the director has handled nicely.

Andhadun is a brilliantly made dark humour thriller which keeps you guessing till the end. Sriram is known for his sharp writing skills and this is no different. Some of the scenes are a standout with piano bgm like the murder cleanup one. We see some of the events through Akash's vision though he is blind. Outstanding cinematograpgy and music helped a lot to build and elevate the genre feeling and mood. Terrific acting performances from the main characters keeps you engaged. It is refreshing to watch the genre.

This is a very disturbing film which portrays the harsh reality about oppression of the weak by the stronger. The best thing about the movie is it doesn't refer to any gender bias though the obvious being the helplessness of the woman. Water is used as a metaphor to reflect how woman's life has to move on irrespective of the path it takes. Nature plays the 4th character perfectly. There are several unbroken long shots which captures the mood and real-life surroundings brilliantly. The movie doesn't need a background score for most parts and the music has blended well. Performances are terrific which helped the director's vision to keep minimal dialogues. The prelude story raises the very simple yet powerful question with the answer served at the end.

Thappad is a fascinating movie about the unwritten societal norms of a married woman. The writing is amazing especially there are 2 scenes which stand out. The post-slap conversation between the leads and the monologue in baby prayer function. The title cannot be any better which is used as a metaphor to reflect how we take married woman for granted. We don't see Tapsee the actor but Amrita. The movie reflects how married woman have developed this tolerance through generations. All the fault not lies with men. The movie is just the portrayal of the taken for granted expectations of married woman and doesn't become judgemental of any sort which makes it a classic.

Maya is a well written Horror thriller drama which is quite a scarce genre. This is a layered film and superbly maintains the mysterious connection between the stories. The eerieness is surprisingly new and the lighting and camera work makes it effective. Nayantara is very good in her role and so does rest of the cast. I really liked the screenplay. I'm sure it won't disappoint anyone who likes horror drama

Super Deluxe is out of the world. This movie is beyond genres and an amazing master piece of Indian cinema. The movie portrays the subconscious beliefs, and fantasies of people in a honest way. The dialogues of the characters are simple and honest. Cinematography is top notch with every frame filled with colors in a most natural setting. Lighting needs a special mention and it reminded me of Stanley Kubrick's work. This is definitely one of the rare movies and a must watch for all movie lovers.