In 2009, the famous Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, spoke about the ‘danger of a single story’. Her evocative TED talk poignantly illustrates that hearing a unilateral story about a place or a people could only create stereotypes. It isn’t that stereotypes are always untrue, she says, but they are woefully incomplete. They rob people of their vibrancy, stealing them of alternative identities they possess.
Continue reading “Ms Representation: The danger of a single story”
Magamuni’s screenplay is structured like a jigsaw puzzle, as most thrillers are wont to be. However, Shanthakumar, who has written and directed the film, is in no hurry to give us all the pieces immediately. One of the film’s defining factors is its unhurried pace. However, though Magamuni takes its time to spin the web around its characters, the screenplay and the setting maintain the intensity. We first see Maga (Arya), a taxi driver who is struggling to make ends meet. But is he? After a while, the film cuts to Muni (also Arya), who seems to be the antithesis of Maga. But are they different people? Or is it just the same person at different times?
Who doesn’t love a good satire? Kollywood has finally begun to explore and enjoy self-deprecating humour, resulting in several satires/spoofs dotting our cinematic landscape. After the much-appreciated Tamil Padam franchise and, to a lesser extent, Junga, we have an effective political satire in Ramkumar’s Annanuku Jai,produced by Vetrimaaran. Continue reading “Annanuku Jai Review: Humour saves this party”
Arulnithi sure has a penchant for scripts that are interesting. After Mouna Guru, Demonte Colony and even Brindavanam, we get Iravukku Aayiram Kangal, a whodunit thriller. It is not just a whodunnit thriller, the film takes a hyperlink narrative and a non-linear timeline as well. The idea is to make us piece the jigsaw together and make it difficult for us. But in the process, the details necessary to make a hyperlink narrative work goes kaput, leaving us with a mere interesting core. Continue reading “Iravukku Aayiram Kangal movie review: An intriguing plot let down by messy execution”
Ashameera Aiyappan 