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Saturday, April 27, 2024
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TAMIL MAATHI YOSI
EDITOR'S PICK
Ratings:
**
Maathi Yosi means think differently. Hence, one expects
something new in the film. Director Nandha Periyasamy`s second directorial
venture after Oru Kalluriyin Kathai (2005) does have something new
in the form of backdrop, but it doesn`t have anything new in the narrative.
Set in the backdrop of a Dalit colony, film portrays prevailing caste equation
well. Four adolescent youths from a Dalit colony are full of mischief and
looking for opportunities to pester others. They kill a lizard, a rabbit and rob
a van passing through the village. Soon they become the targets of police for
various crimes and ruptures.
One day, a little Dalit girl, who cleans the temple car (chariot) in the
village, joins them. She is punished by the upper caste people for spoiling the
sanctity of the lord. The four boys get angry and abduct Lord Murugan along with
the chariot and bring him inside their colony.
Angry upper caste people launch an attack on the boys with the help of police.
The boys escape from the clutches of police, teach a lesson to the landlord and
find their way to Chennai.
In the city, they steal to survive. Along the way, they get a revolver and bump
into a girl called Shammu. They are forced to save her from the clutches of her
greedy uncle.
The initial village scenes evoke interest, but it wanes once the boys land up in
Chennai. The director, who calls upon to think differently, ironically falls
into the trap of cliched formula to make the movie interesting.
Logic takes a backseat and interest created by initial scenes disappears after
the entry of Shammu`s character. It looks silly to see the city-bred modern girl
moving around with a bunch of raw-looking youths who don`t even bother to put on
their shirts.
Editor Kola Baskar has done a good job and cinematographer Vijay Armstrong too
has managed to capture the beauty of rural areas. Debutant music director Guru
Kalyan`s background score passes muster and his songs leave much to be desired.
Among the actors, Ravi Maria who plays Shammu`s uncle, takes the cake with the
casual portrayal of his character. Others too have done well, but have been
badly hit by the shoddy screenplay.
Starting promisingly by focusing on the casteist problem, the films goes wayward
and loses its opportunity to be an unique movie.
