Hats' Off to Selvaraghavan

I had watched “Ayirathil Oruvan” (AO) recently with my friends in Sathyam and loved it. Before I comment anything on the story of the film, I would first & foremost want to congratulate Selvaraghavan on this brave attempt, “Hats off” to you man!” He has done what other film Directors had just dreamt of. I heard a lot of negative reviews about the film, like, “why he made such a film”, “he got confused and carried away”, “why cannot he make a film where the whole family can watch?” (It is an “A” rated film, what do you expect?) According to me, it is great injustice meted upon him and the film on a whole. If we see Hollywood films with these kind of subjects, we just are in total awe of the film and say, “what a superb film and what a great Director” but if someone tries to do something like that here, he is just crucified. And to top it all Selvaraghavan could also not find any reference points as our historical manuscripts and records were very poorly maintained, according to him.

He did not use the services of any foreign technicians, (I am not personally against it, though) and did all the graphics and special effects work with the help of our own technicians. Although the special effects were found wanting in many areas, it still was a treat to watch. Many felt that Karthik was only playing second fiddle to Reema Sen and then he had not much scope in the film. I beg to disagree, (try to imagine Karthik doing Reema’s role and vice versa, it would just not suit the story) because Karthik carried most of the first half of the film on his shoulders and he had the scope of showing his comic side a little more than “Paruthiveeran”. He was a natural in all the scenes, and in a scene, where after most of his men get killed by a tribe, even in that grief, he asks for the rest of the money owed to them, it was a great performance. Only a brave actor can allow himself to get beaten and bullied by heroines, and Karthik is brave and bold too, since this is just his second film and instead of many heroes who try to boost their roles with each film, he just played this down to earth character. Surya, look out, he is showing signs of becoming a great competitor to your throne.

We have to congragulate the producer, because without his efforts, a film on such a big scale cannot have been started & completed, and it would have been just another unfulfilled dream of a Director who wishes to break away from the mundane formulae of films being made. Reema Sen has made the role her own, (just cannot imagine anyone else doing that role now) and I feel atleast half of the credit should go to the Director who believed in Reema to carry off the role. But I hope the army officer role, could have been more like that of “Jack Nicholson’s” role in “A Few Good Men”, authoritative & disciplined but a flawed person, instead of looking like a local area thug, as shown in the film. I heard in an interview that Selvaraghavan had thought of doing Part 2 immediately after the first part is completed, have to give it to his guts and his belief in us, the audience, on the success of the first part.

I am eagerly awaiting the Part 2 of AO, and many more different attempts by Selvaraghavan. Tamil cinema industry is seeing winds of change and I hope Selvaraghavan is the most forceful wind that will propel us to even greater heights.