Kattradhu Thamizh Tamil Movie
"Kattrathu Tamiah" is an off-beat film which has been made with a high cinematic skill and great imagination. It is an engrossing tale of a man agonizing for the cause of his mother-tongue, Tamil, which is in the decline. Debutant director Rama Subbu (shortly, Ram) has taken up a lofty theme which is relevant to the present context of growing inequalities in all walks of life and captures it in a manner that touches the hearts of the audience. Ram, an associate of director Balu Mahendra, has tried to show the ordeals faced by a youth who is a post-graduate in Tamil language in getting a job and his disillusions. His travails eventually turn him a killer.
The film comes as a breath of fresh air at a time when Tamil audiences are bored to death with formulaic films. Movies like "Kattrathu Tamizh" are few and far between and surely Ram's is a bold attempt in Tamil cinema. This is Jeeva's 9th film and pairing with him is a new face, Anjali, who proves equal to the task. Jeeva appears in three get-ups marking three different phases in his life laden with a swirl of emotions and pathos. His involvement with the character is total and his scintillating performance is what sets "Kattrathu Tamizh" apart from the ordinary. The film has all the ingredients to make it big.
Here goes the story...
Prabhakar (Jeeva) is a post-graduate in Tamil (Tamizh MA) and employed as a Tamil teacher in a private school. He becomes sad that Tamil, the official language of Tamil Nadu, is not accorded the status it deserves in society. The step-motherly treatment meted out to Tamil makes the protagonist miserable. Getting dejected with the situation, he is driven to even commit suicide. A man who has devoted his all to the promotion of Tamil language gets increasingly frustrated, helpless as he is to change things. What angers and upsets him most is that Tamil-teachers are discriminated against. That Tamil is subjected to indignities and ill-treatment becomes a nightmare for Prabhakar who turns violent and becomes a psychopath who goes on the rampage, killing people. Prabhakar's past and why his obsession with Tamil is revealed in a flashback. He was brought up by a Tamil teacher and his childhood girl friend is Anandhi (Anjali), who later in his life becomes his sweet-heart. Supported by Anandhi, Prabhakar is gradually comes to grips with the situation and becomes normal.
Director Ram deserves all praise for his bold attempt to conceptualize a film with a long-lasting effect not only on the common audience but also on Tamil cinema itself. Jeeva shows maturity and this film would help him create a niche for himself. He brings out nicely the emotions that his character demands taking the viewers along with him. Though a novice, Anjali gives a convincing performance. Karunas plays a small role and provides some hilarious moments.
Yuvan Shankar Raja's music and R Khadir's camera work are an added strength to the film. Technical quality is remarkable though it is a low-budget venture. Of course, there are some minor slip-ups, but they don't show up in the brilliant screenplay.
It's a rare treat, indeed.
