2019, Tamil, amazon Prime, 6.3/10 IMDB, Directed by Rathna Kumar
With a judgment on ‘Public Prank Ban’ in April this year, this movie falls short on outdated concept, but scores with counsel on restraints of feminism and some scintillating talents.
Aadai, a second venture by Rathna Kumar of Meyadha Maan fame, does gleam to glory besides its roguish picturization and occasional spiteful dialogues.
The animation intro on the fight for the right to ‘dress’, preps you for the story as you are much aware of the nude scenes which were hyped and as well maligned.
The traits on which the movie travels and it’s making does remind you of the recent blockbuster ‘Aruvi’, even though both had different cores. The movie’s social vexation is apparent through its satire in the first half and reformatory preach in the second.
It’s that time of blossoming for Amala Paul as an accomplishing actor, to have few head turns toward her and her second innings is going to give some worthy scripts for the actress, no doubt. The nude scenes were shot with finesse, with no cringing from us, the audience.
The story’s female lead has an attitude of betting and challenging her way through, to compete with men at par. It ranges from racing a bike on a traffic heavy road putting in danger the lives around, to socially drinking with co-workers becoming vulnerable herself. It does prick your sense, as to if that is coined as feminism, then it’s shaming men more than shaming women.
Pretty ironies weave through the script. Mom cares to tuck her daughter’s inner from not peeking through the side of her top, but daughter ending up trapped without a peice of clothing in the later half of the movie. In another scene mom is mocked by daughter for muddling up feminism with communism, but daughter eventually ends up being fooled to experience the consequences of feminism abuse.
The judgment on ban of prank shows was passed in April 2019 and this movie would have made a even bigger impact if it would have hit the screens before that. Nevertheless, it becomes a reiteration of that fact and even a kind of warning to such production houses.
Channeling of talents, to help snatch demons in the cover of deities, instead of the prank shows which they used to previously shoot scores well especially with the much debated #metoo name making it a welcomed gutsy move (the character’s name Rathna Kumar resembles closely to that of a big name in #Metoo controversy in Tamilnadu, Rathna is precious as much as Diamond and Pearl, you see).
It was almost a complete package you would say, with fewer glitches here and there. The scenarios of getting trapped without a piece of cloth in a vulnerable ambience was a first of its kind imagination, we wouldn’t have attempted to place oneself in before and kudos for that. Remember Super Deluxe vembu’s affair dying in the middle of love making. It’s that novel but more nobler.
It did emphasis the bars on feminism. If it were a man in a similar situation, all he would need is, just his bare hands to cover his man parts and he could have escaped out of the situation with much ease compare to a woman.. Is it trending on chauvinist territory here, one is left all alone to ponder.
A good watch and appreciations for another newer attempt of story telling. Let’s be the ancient tamil swans of the puranas, to know how to take what is required and discard the rest instead of ridiculing it.