We identify with these films because we identify with these conflicts. The film doesn’t offer many surprises, but it works because there’s grace, there’s a quiet dignity.
Spoilers ahead…
If there’s something of a trend in indie Tamil cinema today, it’s the village-based human-interest story that revolves around death. First, Madhumitha came out with KD Engira Karuppudurai, which was about an old man who flees a family that’s trying to kill him off in a traditional manner. In Priya Krishnaswamy’s Baaram, we actually saw these ghastly traditions. Now, we have Sethum Aayiram Pon, written and directed by Anand Ravichandran. The film’s first image is innocent enough: it shows Meera (Nivedhithaa Sathish), a Chennai-based makeup artist, headed somewhere in a bus. But listen to the song in the background: Vaarai nee vaarai, from Manthiri Kumari. It’s sung by a husband leading his wife up a mountain, intending to throw her off the top. Meera’s “don’t piss me off” expression suggests she’d welcome that fate.
Read the rest of this review on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/sethum-aayiram-pon-tamil-movie-review-its-easy-to-identify-with-this-netflix-drama-baradwaj-rangan
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Rad Mahalikudi
April 5, 2020
I hit upon this movie two days back. Considering the title, I was little bit wary of watching it. Found the synopsis interesting. So, dived in expecting a tear jerker. I was in for a surprise. Liked the movie for its lovely moments, and natural conversations. Two stretches are really done well, the opening one, and the second with Muthupandi, his wife, and his mistress, which you have called out.
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