Nan Kadavul-Movie Review

Movie-Nan Kadavul.
Director-Bala.
Cast-Arya, Pooja and others.
Music-Ilayaraja.
Year of Release-2009.
Genre-Drama.

Bala is one director whose movies mix the commercialism and realism in the right proportions. His three previous movies have been box-office hits but this time I believe Bala might be lucky if the movie recovers its production costs. The problem being it took more than 3 years to make with several heroines being cast and then replaced. The movie presents a stark portrayal of the organized beggary in India, specially in Tamil Nadu.

If you thought Slumdog had difficult scenes, then this movie will shock you. Bala presents a coterie of real life beggars-Eunuchs, midgets, deformed people, physically challenged people, blind people. The attention to detail is indeed detailed.

A man visits Kashi/Benaras to find his son Rudra-whom he had abandoned 14 years ago in the holy city based on the advice of an astrologer. The beginning is flawed and a bit unbelievable when the man spots an aghori-Arya and faints. He realises that Arya is his son Rudra in just one glance.

The story shifts to Malaikottai in Tamil Nadu, where a tall bald man is a kingpin running the beggar-mafia. Pooja is introduced as a blind girl singing in the train and getting alms.

Pooja is inducted into the bald man's group and is made to sing at a temple atop a hill. Arya stays there smoking ganja and uttering mantras once in a while. A Keralite businessman comes to the bald man and pays money and takes beggars to Kerala.

He comes again with an offer of Rs 10 lakhs to buy Pooja as a companion for a man whose face is deformed. When his goons come to kidnap Pooja, Arya bashes the group and kills the businessman.

Then a court case scene follows. A bit of forced humour perhaps!

A final confrontation with the bald-headed villain follows with Arya killing the villain.

Then comes the twist-an expected one-Bala killed the heroes in his earlier movies-here he kills Pooja. Pooja pleads with Arya to save her from the pains of the world. The next scene shows her lying in a pool of blood. So we assume that Arya kills her to guide her to her salvation.

A role worthy of an award by Pooja. Arya has worked reallly hard for his role and deserves applause for his physical makeover. Music is great.

We can only sympathise with Bala and pray that his next venture has a strong script.
How about a crime thriller Mr Bala or an urban college romance?

NJAN KADAVUL MUSIC REVIEW

A friend sent me the songs of this movie and after listening to them I am thoroughly lost in thought. Bala has always been a director who has given meaningful cinema and the songs in his movies have always been chart-toppers-be it Sethu, Nanda, or Pithamagan.

This album is definitely not going to sell like hot cakes. The reasons being it does not have foot-tapping disco-themed songs, songs with hip-hop rap and ridiculously written songs that sound more foreign than Tamil, electronically reengineered melodies picturised in Europe, item-song with lewd lyrics during which the camera focusses on the assets of the heroine/item-girl.

All said and done I definitely am going to buy the original music CD because the album is one of its kind. A movie which has a dark theme about crime blending with spirituality cannot definitely have melodious extravagances. This album has six songs all with a bhajan-type feel.

Three songs continue to play in mind. Om Siva Om is a proper hymn. Oru Kaatril Alai reminds one of Kannadasan's philosophical songs of a bygone era. Pichaipaathiram is a plea for alms which is most likely to be picturised on Pooja who plays the role of a beggar.

Music is by Ilayaraja, songs have been sung by Madhu Balakrishnan, Sadhana Sargam, Vijay Prakash,Ilayaraja and others. Lyrics are by Vaali.

Thanks to Dr. Vijay for providing information. The lyrics for Pichaipaathiram have been written by Ilayaraja.

Look at his comment for further information.

Thanks Doc!