Why do humans tell stories? There are several ways to look at it. We could say that stories were a means of sharing experiential knowledge, which helped us to survive. In a broader perspective, you can also say stories help us understand the world. With stories, we create perspective from the information the world throws at us — as a means of coping with being a human in this universe.
Why do some people get everything when others don’t? It is a question that Yamuna (Nayanthara) asks herself in the film. “God created men. But where did he go then? Was he sleeping?” she adds. Airaa, KM Sarjun’s latest, argues that life is a gigantic malfunctioning Rube Goldberg Machine of which we are parts. (The opening credits has an animated version in the background). It argues that mostly, we don’t understand why we get hit; we just deal with the after-effects. Airaa follows one such thread that links Yamuna, who seems to have it all, with Bhavani (a darker Nayanthara) who loses everything.
Continue reading “Airaa review: A story that would have worked better, out of the horror template”
The plot of Zee 5’s latest release, Kalavu, is held together by an incident of theft. Hence, the title. But there’s also another thread that connects the main characters of Kalavu together: Lies. It isn’t a coincidence that Kalavu opens with a couplet structured like a Thirukkural. The Thirukkural, in one of its verses, says that even a lie will be placed on par with the truth if it gives unblemished returns. The film begins with white lies: A son lies to his parents about drinking; a man lies to his friends to make them meet him. But as the plot unfolds, the lies grow darker and so does the intent. Kalavu acts as more of a reminder of our clandestine selves.
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Ashameera Aiyappan 