Putham Pudhu Kaalai : Movie Review
A brand new dawn on the OTT horizon
The economics of film-making (or so many claim) ensure that only those catering to the lowest denominator have a real chance at return on investments. The failure of many self-proclaimed “mass movies” has done little to deter the persistent. With the advent of OTT platforms however, that excuse is no longer justified.
I often wonder why we can’t make movies that relate to us, to the happenings around us. Putham Pudhu Kaalai comprises 5 shorts by acclaimed directors, all varied and unique, with COVID19-induced lockdown as the only common theme. The anthology taps into the rich tapestry of human experiences, but falls short of creating a solid impact. The first 4 shorts are reality through rose-tinted glasses, pleasant yet with endings that seem too convenient. The last short is cut from a different cloth, and the wildly subversive humor demonstrates why creative directors fail when expectations force them to make accommodations.
ILamai Idho Idho
By Sudha Kongara
This is a “talkative” short with a fresh narrative device. The interspersing of the sequences of the younger and older couple deceives you into thinking that you’re walking the familiar road. Perhaps, the director wished to hold a mirror on how society is more understanding of quirks of the young as against the older.
I like how love is normalized and eccentricities understood, especially of the older people. But the ending feels hurried. Short stories aren’t meant to have a pieces-falling-into-place finale, I get it. Yet, the feel here is more of conflicts resolving too conveniently to pave the path for the climax. Delightful, pleasant, yet superficial.
Avarum Naanum — AvaLum Naanum
By Gautham Menon
My favorite in the series, as it embeds the metaphorical lockdown and unlock within the story to the actual events and earns the ending. Gautham Menon is known to elevate fathers to stratosphere, notably Vaaranam Aayiram where the father is ever-hovering inspiration to the protagonist and Yennai Arindhaal where the protagonist transforms himself into a great dad, giving up vengeance for his daughter (where he gives us one of the best dad-daughter featuring song)
In a playing-against-type, the grandfather here is an English-speaking nuclear scientist (as expected), and yet, has issues with his daughter who married against his wishes. Now that his granddaughter is asked to briefly stay with him during lockdown, it’s a slow unearthing of the emotional core of a man of science.
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It speaks of the director’s power on his craft that from mounting the start against the grandfather, he subtly steers the audience in the grandfather’s favor. The barging in of the grandfather in a Zoom video call chiding an overbearing manager is a hilarious touch, and doesn’t seem one bit out of place.
Coffee, Anyone?
By Suhasini Maniratnam
The explicit intent of looking subtle is probably self-defeating. It overwhelms the story and ironically makes things look forced. The tale of three daughters, all of whom are in different ages and stages of life, looks like a goldmine on the paper. Especially when set against the backdrop of an ailing mother and seemingly reckless father.
Shruti Haasan only has a guest role but impresses with an indifferent-shell, vulnerable-core portrayal. But again, the story suffers because the storytelling is too overt, goading us to connect the dots instead of letting us do it ourselves.
Reunion
By Rajiv Menon
“Because my dreams were too big for me,” are the words that this short puts into the mouth of a drug addict explaining her addiction. I don’t recall seeing a more understanding and non-judgmental attitude towards addicts. A scene beautifully explains how emotional pain is both the cause and result of drug addiction, feeding a vicious cycle.
The lockdown forces a situation that leads to a reunion of college friends. Today, one is a doctor who seems to have done everything right, living a successful if monochromatic life. But his friend, a singer, fails to cope up with her big dreams and succumbs to drug addiction. The ending is predictable, yet, here, it feels like an organic conclusion of the narrative. The reveal at the end is hardly a big one, yet, it helps that the texture of the narrative affords this climax.
Miracle
By Karthik Subbaraj
All the four shorts discuss problems, but they belong to a certain class. The impact of lockdown is mostly in the mental plane. In the sole short that discusses its impact on the economically challenged class where the survival is at stake, this is subversive humor at its best.
I think the Swamiji character here is vaguely modeled after a well-known Swami particularly known for his flawless English accent. Just when you think you’ve seen all twists, the director pulls the rug off our floor again with the final reveal. You laugh out loud even when the characters are super serious. It goes to show why Karthik’s middle way in Petta satisfied neither Rajnikanth’s fans nor his. His strengths are his, and they cannot be force-fitted to the mass-movie template.
Overall, this is a brand new dawn on the OTT horizon. For, directors, freed from expectations to cater to the fanbase of the star, focus solely on telling their story. Indeed, despite a few shortcomings, this is a delightful watch in the season.
