Mandela #Movie_Review

 

Mandela, Tamil socio-political drama and a story of an underprivileged hair dresser. The movie was release right before the GE in Tamilnadu this year in April. The movie run around local body election of village and the cast politics. The movie talk about how “Cast” rooted in the politics & how it creates impact on the mind of voters. An underprivileged hair dresser become a game changer in the local body election in village. an anonymous person who was struggling to create his own identity, who was finding his name, his background for two-time meal, one fine morning system create his identity, named him “Mandela”, make him citizen of Nation, bring him in a process of democracy. He turns to be a voter who does not have tradition & background of Cast. Mandela comes ahead, stand confidently against the element who want to break the democracy by the Cast weapon.   

  

The Director throws light on what happens when voter fail to grasp the importance & full power of their right to vote & get seduced by freebies. Film set of remote villages where the eligible voters is less then 700 and they are divided by cast lines. The decent & honest man of village played by Sangili Murugan is the head of the village have two son who are the half brother Rathanam & Mathi, belonging from different cast have led the respected Cast group. Rathanam & Mathi are political rivals and contesting election to lead the village when their father falls sick.  Both boosted by greed and inflated egos stop at nothing to win the election. And deeply divided village by “Cast” make their job easy. Yogi Babu charter arise as a challenge who is nobody in the village.

The Yogi Babu’s charters a man who is mistreated & exploited by the villagers. He even forgets his own name as people call him using various insults. It all changes when he meets a good-natured postwoman who create his identity & make him “Nelson Mandela”. Mandelas life change in a night as he become important voter. The village engaged to use corrupt way to lure Mandela & get his vote. At certain point in the film Mandela understand the importance of his vote & ask leaders to act according to his wish, he initiates and ask to change the picture of village. He builds way of growth & development for villagers. A less educated man understand the power of single vote & put a new picture Infront of villagers, which stimulate the inner voice of villager.  

Every village in India need one “Mandela” who initiate the change above the “Cast hierarchy”.

Thank You

 

Viraj V Devdikar

Karnan

 

Story start with tragic plot when a young girl suffering from fits lying helpless in the middle of the road, vehicles continue to ply from both side of her but no one stop to help her. She dies on the road without medical help. In a village a little donkey hops on the road, its fronts legs tied with a rope. No one has notice, they assume legs tied to prevent little donkey from running, going where its heart it.  The director frequently shows the human legs in the film, it has indicator of restriction or oppression by the society. It is unfair to measure film on story & logic of narration, it is experience emotionally & visually. It is revoked against unspeakable atrocities & cast hierarchy.

Director use Kite & donkey a two element of society which represent oppressor and victim. The general perception is that the donkey, known to be a beast of burden and closely associated with the working class, is a stupid creature. Where as kite show inflated pride of people in power who snatch the human rights of people. The “Bus Stop” symbolism the human rights & right to live for people in Society. Ride of an elephant & horse show mentality of society, The villagers are economical backward, surrounded by unhealthy environment, illiteracy & superstition all are shown in different-different symbol. 

Vandalism by villagers is the reaction of heavily persecuted community, Karnan is symbol of their anger. He was fearless & he hit back when needed to inflated pride of people in power. What Karnan wants? Karnan wants right full place in the society, he wants self-respect, he wants identity, he want humanity, he wants right to Live. But oppression can be insidious & how bureaucracy & system stand by side of oppressor & even take a part of oppression. System sponsor violence is the post-independence oppression. Karnan fights against it for his & his people self-respect.

The film is corelated with the “MahaBharta” at some places like Names of characters, “Karnan, Draupadi, Kannabiran(another name of Lord Krishna), Duryodhana”, also the tradition like chopping fish into two pieces. Karnan chop fish & win the village sword. It make him hero of the village & leader of new generation. The dilemma of Karnan was same as of Arjuna in Mahabharta, where Kranan has to choose the state or his people. He initially allows himself to be persuaded to leave, but returns to avenge his people. He is not only committed to the village but to a greater cause. As Karnan draws to an end, Kaatu Pechi ( The child who dies at the begging came back as goddess) celebrates. It is that stark image that we are left with, a child who turned into a goddess because of injustice meted out to her, and remains amidst them & within them.   

Viraj Devdikar