VISITOR COLUMN

You all might have seen the Reality teaser released by Bala 10 days back. It certainly brought some extra viewers to the theatres. There is nothing in that movie that would have made the director do harming things to the actors whomsoever, not only the main characters. The teaser showed the director beating and shouting on the sets. It definitely is the character of most directors in the field nowadays. He sure was demonstrating what the scene was to the respective characters (actors). So, they added some music that makes you feel terrified when the director (Bala) demonstrates the hitting scenes and him shouting at the workers and some others. It was definitely a negative Public stunt! Just like Vijay TV does for the reality shows.

Paradesi has been inspired by a Novel called "Red Tea" by Paul Harris Daniel, I tried Googling him but I couldn't find more about him. Anyways, he is the author who has inspired a director like Bala to make a movie from that novel. 

You all know how Bala wants a make a movie. Here's a snippet.

Step 1: 
Show suffering people's emotions to the core. 

Step 2:
Repeat Step 1.

He creates characters that are unique from others. Characters matter. It is hard to find a likable character in movies nowadays. If an actor works under Bala he/she definitely is armored with a ton of acting skill when he/she comes out. To be short, Bala is an Actor factory. You know how Surya developed himself? He worked two movies with Bala. And let's not forget Chiyaan's Chithaa from Pithamagan.

The movie is set in 1939 in a place called Saaloor. The first half of the movie goes with people of the Saaloor. Speaking of the lead protagonist, Atharvaa is an Orphaned guy who makes the announcement within the village, with his drums. There is a marriage in the first half which shows how the marriages were done those days. Bala has taken time to use all the things that they used at that time. The coconut shells as water cups and other such stuff. Atharvaa has done his very best playing the Ottu Perukki part. During the marriage scenes he cries one time and we literally feel sad for him. And he has brought out the character to life.

His Love interest and the relationship Atharva has with Vedhika ( Angamma ) is kind of different. She is a character who usually teases him but at the same time loves him so much. Her character is a very bubbly one. In fact she loves Ottu perukki so much that she even gets a baby from him which results in her mom abandoning her.

The people are taken to work in Tea estates run by the British. They get Thumb impression in Blank-bond papers and take them to tea estate. That’s where people are treated like slaves. Then comes the character Dhansika ( Maragatham ) whose husband escapes from the estate successfully, probably the only person there to have escaped. So she doesn't like men but eventually she changes. The whole film runs with a camera that shows so less colours than what we see in real.

The British people are shown as cartoonishly evil. And they also have captured how they utilized this opportunity to spread Christianity. But the way that it has been shot or shown is not many might like.

Slavery, slavery, slavery and it goes on and on and on with a heart touching climax that you need to clearly understand. Perfectly woven with emotions and performance from the characters. If you want a movie that actually has content and splendid acting, this is the movie for you to pick. But if you are commercial type of audience and want nothing but utter entertainment, don't pick this movie.

To conclude, IT IS A BALA'S MOVIE.