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Kathavarayan - Movie Review |
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| Behindwoods
Movie Review Board |
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Starring:
Karan, Vidisha, Vadivelu, Kadhal Dhandapani, Ilavarasu
Direction: Salangai Durai
Music: Srikanth Deva
Production: Silver Jublee Films |
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When
issues of contemporary social relevance form the background
of a story there is a general feeling that it will not be
a regular entertainer. This feeling is right to a large extent-
movies that explore social themes are not full-fledged commercials,
like Ammuvaghiya Naan. Then there are movies that try to deal
with a social issue but get so carried away by the commercial
demands that the movie ceases to honestly look at the issue
and becomes just another movie, like Rameshwaram. Then there
are movies that are neither here nor there, where an issue
is depicted but not dealt with, the commercial angle is included
but not given enough time to entertain the audience- Kathavarayan
falls under this genre.
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The
movie deals with illicit liquor (hooch, arrack or sarayam),
not a theme that the urban audiences may be able to
connect with. Karan plays a hooch distiller who has
a completely different way of brewing. He uses herbs,
natural extracts and manufactures hooch that is not
harmful, or not as harmful as the ones made by using
batteries and an assortment of other toxic substances
(no wonder hooch tragedies kill so many every year).
Karan’s business booms while that of the traditional
brewers’ falls drastically. Through this Karan,
even though unwittingly, makes a lot of enemies. Meanwhile,
there is a socially active young girl (Vidisha) from
the city who comes to this place and sees the big hooch
racket that is on here. She meets Karan and is determined
to stop him from carrying on with this illegal activity,
but Karan is not easily convinced with what she says.
A disappointed but determined Vidisha gets Karan into
serious trouble. The rest of the story shows Karan in
the city, trying to meet and settle scores with Vidisha,
but then ends up rescuing her from some grave problems
that she has got herself into due to her reactive personality.
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As
a movie, Kathavarayan is hard to categorize. As said
earlier, it is neither here nor there, but each portion
of the movie has been taken fairly well. The movie has
a very pertinent message about illicit liquor and its
harms that are shown in such a descriptive way that
would even do a government documentary proud. The scene
where Vidisha conducts a stage play in the village
to educate people about the harmful effects of hooch
using a cocktail of classic superhit Tamil songs from
films like Olivilakku, Vasanthya Maligai and Padaiyappa
is enjoyable.
Karan does a pretty neat job as the brewer and vendor
of the special liquor, the only weak link being the
rural slang that does not suit him. Vidisha too passes
muster. There is also Radha (Sundara Travels fame) who
provides all the glamour required for a
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movie.
The laughs provided by Vadivelu who keeps appearing in little
doses throughout the movie is another positive and there are
others like Ilavarasu and Muthukalai who do not create much
of an impact. Kadhal Dandapaani does another stereotypical,
loud mouthing baddie, nothing unexpected here.
On the technical front, there is nothing much to mention.
A couple of songs have been shot in Malaysia which are easy
on the eye without being spectacular, a better score by Srikanth
Deva would have helped matters here.
Summing it up, Kathavarayan is a small film made with good
intentions and commercial compulsions. Its theme, being alien
to urban audiences, may put the film out of favor with the
A center audiences. But it does stand a chance in the smaller
centers. Debutant director Salangai Durai may not have made
a dream debut but this start is not disappointing.
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Verdict : A middling film made with middling means
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