Naan Kadavul

Directed by Bala

Karthick: Hey, What do you guys think of those saffron clothed saints in Haridwar, Varanasi and all over the Himalayas ?

Shekar: We don’t think anything man. We don’t even bother to think about them.

Karthick, Harish: [Laughing out Loud]

Harish: Jokes apart, Come on Man. Why about the saints suddenly?

Karthick: It has been puzzling me a lot of late. So, here I am. I work, I earn my salary and go live a life.

Shekar: I get it. Here they are, those saints defying all that, that they stand as anomalies. Wandering and lost, yet, something bemusing about them.

Harish: True. Though Not all saints are true but some really are. I have wondered many a times, what is that they are so obsessed about that they wander.

Karthick: Ho! Ho! Behold! Not all those who wander are lost.

Shekar: Hmm..Damn JRR Tolkien! Now that people like you have got a quote in English to justify wandering!

Harish: [Laughing] All this remembers me of Naan Kadavul Movie by Bala.

Karthick: True. very much. National Award Winner and Critically acclaimed movie starring Arya and Pooja in the lead roles. It is based on a Tamil Novel “Yezhaam Ulagam” by JeyaMohan who has penned the dialogues for the film as well.

Shekar: Isn’t this movie about a young lad taken to Varanasi at a very young age and he becomes an Aghori?

Harish: Right. Yes. For astrological reasons, Rudran’s father takes him to Varanasi. Years later, repents for the same and goes back to get him back. But, he gets shocked to know that he has become an Aghori.

Karthick: The opening scenes at Varanasi sets the stage for the film. With the Maa Ganga song sung by Kunal GanjaWala, as his name aptly suggests, suits the protagonist who leads a life smoking “Ganja” by the “Ganges”!

Shekar: And, another interesting trivia is, It is Kunal who has sung that “Bheege Honth Tere” song in the film Murder.

Harish: Oh! Interesting. That apart, the film has excellent background score by None other than Maestro IllayaRAJA. There are scenes that are deeply moving and especially effective blend of songs as background suits this genre.

Karthick: Getting back to discussing the story, the most interesting aspect is the fundamental theme/premise on which the movie is set. An Aghori, considered and worshipped in the form of Rudra a.k.a Lord Shiv, travels all the way back close to his home town to exterminate a local villain.

Harish: Hmm.. If we think that deep, Rudran is an enlightened soul who has realized his destiny and has adorned the Aghora form of Lord Shiva.

Shekar: Makes me think. Yes. This is actually very well shown in a very subtle scene. The villain comes to the front of the cave where Rudran lives and the moment Rudran sets his eye on villain, he knows that he has come all the way from Varanasi to put an end to him.

Karthick: True. And a even more subtler point is, Rudran has realized that he might be limited by his body but has gone way beyond and become infinite in his mind. It is brought out clearly in the conversation scene with his mother and in the conversation scene with the beggars.

Shekar: Interesting. Precisely, Aham Brahmasmi means that “I am the Universe, and the Universe, me”. Like the Yin-Yang concept.

Harish: True. It is wonderful that such films with deep and profound meaning can happen anywhere provided if the interest is to make good cinema.

Karthick: Yes. And the pathetic lives of beggars and human-trafficking issues are very well brought into focus through this film. Bala sticks to his rough style of story telling and with well invested characters brings out the drama in the best possible way.

Harish: Yes. Some scenes are ruthless. Yet, taken in the spirit of the film, every scene is justified.

Karthick: I guess some scenes were shot during the 2009 KumbaMela. All in All, a very well researched movie.

Shekar: True. Profound. I loved the scene in the Court room where the protagonist fails to bow down before the law of the land and claims himself to be beyond such silly rules. Audacious take on Law, I would say.

Karthick: We are mortals man. Let’s go by the law.

Shekar: Ha Ha! Yes ! Yes! Heroes are immortals. They can say anything. We are mortals. Anyhow, good discussion. Seems Harish has dozed off. Catch you in the next discussion. May be we should talk about Elephant Man next time.

Karthick: Sure.

Karthick and Shekar Log out.

Harish: Hey, you guys there??

Plone