“I am never going to listen to the movie reviews anymore” was my self-imposed determination after watching two Tamil movies recently titled, Thangalaan and Raayan. These two movies were very much appreciated by a lot of them, but I regretted watching them. Also in parallel suddenly an unheard Tamil movie came onto my radar which was titled KOTTUKAALI. Unlike high-budget movies, this movie was not in the public domain until it bagged many international awards in various film festivals.
The name itself was quite intriguing and strange and to be honest, took the first spot in my wishlist to see it in theatres. Suddenly another movie named VAAZHAI creeps into the spotlight and was gaining a lot of momentum at the box office and in the hearts of people. It was making a lot of headlines and at the same time was teasing my determination (not seeing any more movie reviews).
While battling with my thoughts on the above, my wife got a call out of the blue from her friend and asked her if she would be interested in watching the movie VAAZHAI on a multiplex. She in fact offered my wife two free tickets and well, being a movie buff, she did not waste any time in accepting that offer with thanks. We both set out to the movie in the evening with an open mind. We were told that this movie being based on true events, emotionally connects so well with the audience and would definitely bring tears for some.
Reaching the screens anxiously well in advance, the usher was very courteous in letting all the patrons in when it was all tidied up. We settled in our corner seat and slowly I started to observe the people around. A couple in front of me was gearing up for the movie when I heard the wife telling her husband to pacify her whenever she cries during the movie. She already started holding his arm tightly and laid her head on his shoulder. Two guys next to me were Tamils too but looks like they had come from the USA and were gearing up with their tray of popcorn and drinks. A unique combination of family was seated behind me with one of the ladies declaring that she would not be able to be normal for a couple of days after watching the movie. (well… the movie has not even started yet but that was the level of hype around)
The movie began on time with a literal bang which reverberated in that immersive Dolby Atmos screen. The agonizing cry in the very first frame of the movie was itself a warning to all of us for the emotional roller coaster ride that we were about to experience. Only a few minutes into the movie, I started worrying about how would I face my wife when the lights would come on during the intermission. Yes, I was literally crying watching the plight of the people who were depicted in that movie. Since it was based on true incidents, my connection with the movie was even stronger. Also, I could not stop thinking about my mom during the entire movie because I too shared a similar bond with my mother which was of course reciprocated a million times by her.
The first time, I witnessed a movie where most of the audience remained seated even during the intermission. Speechless we both were and the whole theatre looked like we had all come to a place of grief. So somber was the mood amongst all the audience whom I observed. The second half of the movie in fact was the epitome of anguish and literally made everyone restless in their comfortable seats. Kudos to the Director, actors, actress, technicians, and rest of the crew for having created such an emotional documentary about the livelihood of the load men and laborers in plantain farming.
This is definitely a movie that needs to be watched in theatres and due credit and respect should be given to the real people who are involved in this plantation (banana fields). Not a single person stood up even after the movie finished and instead sat back in their seats watching the credits being rolled on the big screen. Me and my wife slipped out of the theatre silently with heavy hearts carrying our individual emotions and perceptions in our chests about what we went through during those two and half hours. Came home and encouraged our kids to definitely watch the movie without fail.
Looking forward for a formal recognition for this great movie in the days to come.
Comments