Ms. Representation: The woman with a voice

I have been thinking a lot about Bommi, since catching Soorarai Pottru on Amazon Prime Video. To be honest, we all have. There’s a lot to appreciate in the final, sure. But the lead woman, Bommi, takes the cake, quite literally. Intelligent and feisty, Bommi aka Sundari is probably one of the best heroines we have seen recently in the Tamil mainstream. It feels heartening to see such a character get as much love. If nothing else, it is a sign that people do appreciate representation that is closer to the truth. There are no more excuses really. (We have never had an acceptable rationale anyway.) A woman of strength and sense can exist anywhere with dignity if we let her. And now, we have another example to show for it.

Continue reading “Ms. Representation: The woman with a voice”

Mookuthi Amman Movie Review: Nayanthara blesses this fairly enjoyable RJ Balaji comedy

As an ardent KTV fan, Amman films hold a lot of personal nostalgic value for me. As a child, I remember those afternoons spent watching the glorious Amman step down from the heavens to save the struggling heroine from the villain. Growing up, my equation with faith transformed, but there still seems to be something comforting about Amman films. It is the ultimate escapist entertainment, right? The world is black and white here, and you know there’s a saviour. Thus, when RJ Balaji announced Mookuthi Amman, I was quite excited. But the big question is, can you sell all those tropes without the cushion of nostalgia?

Continue reading “Mookuthi Amman Movie Review: Nayanthara blesses this fairly enjoyable RJ Balaji comedy”

Soorarai Pottru movie review: Suriya and Sudha Kongara steer a winning flight

There is a famous quote that time is priceless. But in our world, time is frequently bought. For example, for a regular person, a trip to Mumbai takes roughly a day by train. But for the wealthy, it takes less than two hours. Why is the time of a wealthy person inherently more valuable? Who decides that the time of the not-so-rich isn’t worthy enough? These are the questions behind Nedumaaran Rajangam’s dream of creating a low-cost airline. “Vaanam enna unga appan veetu soththa,” asks Maara furiously. The idea is to make the skies accessible, for anyone who dreams to fly

Continue reading “Soorarai Pottru movie review: Suriya and Sudha Kongara steer a winning flight”

Magalir Mattum movie review: Go watch this Jyothika starrer and take your mom along too

Magalir Mattum’s title credits goes like this — Oorvasi, Bhanupriya and Saranya Ponvannan’s names come together first and then says ‘ivargaludan Jyothika’ (with them Jyothika). Couldn’t have been more apt as the film belongs to the older ladies. However, it is not a documentation of them getting together to complain about their lives. Magalir Mattum is genuinely about these women. It goes beyond the men in their life, the dreams that have been buried or the sacrifices they have had to make. The main strength of Magalir Mattum is the empathy it invokes. Whether it is Gomata (Oorvasi), Rani (Bhanupriya) or Subbu (Saranya), their lives are stories we get to see in our families. But what is fascinating is Bramma’s pick of situations. The familial predicaments of these women are interestingly at odds. If Gomata’s problem is a dead husband and a son in a different country, Subbu and Rani’s qualm is the existence of their husbands. (Subbu has an alcoholic husband and in Rani’s case an indifferent one.) Bramma’s writing will bring flashes of conversations with women of your own family and that is a major asset for the movie. Continue reading “Magalir Mattum movie review: Go watch this Jyothika starrer and take your mom along too”

Create a website or blog at WordPress.com

Up ↑