Paradesi - Review

I really did not intend to write this Paradesi - movie review for two reasons.

1. I wanted either Reddy/MSK to own up this review.
2. Bala fans (including me) will not be impressed with this blog.

But opinion differs for everyone, and I do want to record my opinion about this movie. Hence writing. Anyhow, I still expect Reddy/MSK's take on this movie in their blogspot.

Disclaimer - Before commenting anything on this blog, pls be noted that this is my personal opinion on the movie and may not apply to all. Few of my friends exclaimed the movie was excellent and Bala's best - I respect their opinion as well. Now, my perception of this movie.

A group of people in a village leads a happy life, full of fun and celebration. One fine day, a villian enters their territory and slaves the village people as whole. After a tiresome journey along with the villian, they are sold as slaves to one other big villian. Oops.. sorry, I was just saying first-half plot of the movie "Apocolypto". Paradesi, though inspired by a different novel, the plot is same as that of Apocolypto. I don't mean to say the movie is copied. Similar plot makes this Paradesi comparable to Apocolypto in certain scenes, and I still believe only Bala can make a movie like Apocolypto in Kollywood.

This movie ran for around 2 hours, and still I dont understand why Bala has taken such a movie. In the making trailer, Bala strictly treats everyone to get his output pefect, but is a movie only all about perfection? Whats the use of a six-pack body without life? That's how I felt the movie. Visuals without soul. Again, who said everyone will cry when seeing others cry? Adharva, Dhanshika, Vedhika - everyone cries throughout the movie. Is that emotion? There is absolutely no depth in the visuals (except the last one minute, but that's not enough Bala)

In my Vazhakku En 18/9 movie review, I have mentioned Bala for one thing - "Bala to learn from Balaji Sakthivel on how to make films without commercial compromise..". My mention holds very good for this movie. Bala came close to natural in this movie, but the commercial compromise he made - hell a lot. Being a trend-breaker, Bala should have skipped songs completely out of the movie. Dont he have the guts/talent to skip songs or does he still think that the audience are not matured yet to watch movies without songs? The songs really serve no useful purpose. The movie, as i felt, is just full of songs - and the music, very disturbing at times. I'm not blaming Bala for what he has given, but we expect something big for his cadre. If people go out of a village for their survival, should someone sing "sengaade sengaade....poivaravaa" in the background?  We understand it Bala.. (Remembering the dialogue from Anbe Sivam "idhu enna kaadhala.. asingama appoppo solradhukku.. you need to understand it man.."). Show the emotion in the visual. That's your strength and we expect it too.. And for a movie like this, how do you feel it justified to have songs? Did the novel had songs? Another bad thing is predictable scenes - Adharva and Vedika in the first half sings a duet inside the jungle and enters in a old hut specially left half-built in the center of the forest!?.. We all know its time to drop a one rupee coin on the floor and ask ladies to search for it.. :) Its a hyder-ali period standard template sir... boring....

First half - I could remember only two scenes - One between Vedhika and Adharva, and the other scene where the villagers keep walking, walking and walking. Both the scenes are a song and that's it. Nothing more to say. People will say its character establishment. But how long should the character get established? the first half is gone buddy, and the story hasn't started at all. (In Pithamagan, Vikram's such heavy character will be established in the title song itself). Nothing to say about the Vedhika teasing Adharva before their "nenaikaren". Why drag that teasing too long? Its really frustrating, rather sympathetic. But Adharva's hitting thandora all-alone after the insult is beautifully shot. That's Bala's touch..

Another worst part in the first half, just before interval is where the villagers leave the half-dying guy and drag away his wife alone. Generally, in villages most of the people will be relations, like maama-machan's and share a very good rapport within them. In one scene, a villager's wife runs down to join along his husband at the last minute in his journey. Such is their relations. Even in the first scene, everyone sits together and eats in the bandhi when Adharva alone gets teased. But when one of them faints during the journey, no one even cares to give him some water. They all stay around and watch him die. Everyone goes with the villian words that he is further a dead-weight. Not convincingly shot. Is that all the relations are about? especially between villagers of those times? Similar scene will be there in Apocolypto, where one of the injured guy slips-off from the mountain, but others, though tied together, tries to save them with all their might. Any human being will try to do that, but in our case, even his wife leaves him all-alone to die of thirst. What is she going to do with her earning, without her husband? Is the village running such drought? I really dont know. Even our hero will be there in that crowd, but will leave silently. But when the other lady (Karuthakanni) dies in the tea-estate affected by plague, he will run there to cry.. ennappa logic?. Keeping aside these logic things, the fingers that act before intermission - Impressive. Again, that's Bala's touch.

Second half - When they reach the estate and get allotted of their huts, the in-charge guy asks Adharva to use a hut that is allocated for Dhansika. Is that for any specific reason? Doesn't he know that a lady is already using the hut for years? No answer.  Another predictable visual is where Adharva tries to escape and finally falls down at a point. He lifts his face to see that all the villains there standing in a "straight-circle", breathing heavily holding lights in their hands. Just think of the same chasing scene in Apocolypto. In fact, the second half of Apocolypto is only a chasing scene. And, if one tries to escape, will he use the conventional route? he will definitely use short-cuts inside the jungle. Onnum puriyala.. oruvela naan sariyaa padatha paakalayo?

Should I mention anything about the Christian missionary scenes? It appears like our Power-star was the one selected initially for the role played by the dance master Shivasankar, who comes as the doctor. Lucky Power-Star, he just escaped. I partially agree with Bala's views on missionaries, that   mostly concentrated on spreading their religion among poor people. But it was also them who spread education among poor people. Even now, most of the schools are Christian ones. But this scene in the movie was dragging more than required. In the first part, where Adharva goes out to another village for a job and unknowingly sits in the bench allotted for high-class people and gets beaten by the shop-keeper, or when the old man refuses to pay him for his work - it clearly portrays the caste/untouchables issue that prevailed during those days. The missionary scene should have been as crisp as this untouchables scene, but somehow let loose. And that Christmas song, and after it where the doctor and his wife runs to have their peg - Yesappa Kaapathu..!! Even the British (who should obviously be a Christian) points to the doctor and says "he is far more worse than Kangaani who hunts men from villages". Thevaya idhellam?!

Immature acting - Few scenes, the actors didnt carry the role properly. Vedhika's mother acting wasn't upto the mark, especially when she beats Vedhika after knowing she is pregnant. (I adore the climax scene of Nanda movie here. Though the mother character had big scope to shout, scream and justify her side for poisoning her son, she will just keep quiet with tears flowing. That's Bala and his visual magic). Also the discussion between Tea-Estate owners on their labor loss due to flu, the English lady who speaks in favor of Gandhi - mokka scene... and immature acting.  

I watched the movie in AGS-Villivakkam.  Many landscape scenes appeared a bit blurred. Atleast all three who watched the movie felt it. Close-up scenes were clear and perfect, but many long-shot or landscape scenes, it felt like watching a 3D film without glasses. Not sure if its a projector problem or the film itself is shot like that. Whatever it may be, I dont intend to spend another 120/- to confirm this in another theater.

The movie was mostly four or five big scenes. Background music was really horrible. Its 50-50 credits to Bala and GV for killing the soul of the movie to their fullest possible. One review said that Bala had filled the space director Mahendran left. Noway. Let them see Mahendran's Udhiripookal and Mullum-Malarum and say those words again. The final scene in Udhiripookal where Vijayan enters the river or the final scene in Mullum Malarum where Shoba runs back to Rajini - just see it and you will feel the weight of the visual. Bala is amazing in his own way, but nowhere close to the legend, atleast in this movie. I would have really appreciated if Bala has taken this movie as a documentary. Its because, the original novel may not be a fiction, but the real pain the tea-estate labors underwent decades ago, and still going through. Any small piece of commercial element will kill the soul of movie, and that's what I strongly felt has happened here. If Paradesi is made by any other director, I would have said hats-off for him. I read that Aarcharya Ravi was the one who initially wanted to make that novel as a movie.  He was Bala's assistant, and also have directed one movie "Aacharya" starring Vignesh. BTW, that was a flop movie. Looks like Bala said to him that "You will spoil the novel if you direct it, so let me direct this". Ravi gave the movie to his guru and served as Assistance Director for this movie. Bala, who was so careful about not wanting even his assistant to spoil the soul of movie, did the job of spoiling it by himself. 

Naanjil Naadan - I couldnt find him anywhere, except the scene where the villian convinces the villagers to come with him to tea-estate. Otherwise, no big dialogues - but that's better. No GV prakash could have even done better.

Isnt there any positive in this movie at all? Yes, there are -

1. Adharva's acting - Class acting from an entry-level actor like him. Can expect awards.

2. Technical Excellence - Few scenes are captured very well. Color tone of the film sets the right ambiance for a period film. Night shots are excellent, and Dhanshika looks beautiful. :)

3. Karuthakanni - The lady character abused by the British guy in the second half. Excellent acting.

4. Beating scenes - Fighting and beating scenes will be very natural in all Bala movies. No exception here. Scenes where Adharva gets beaten, or the scene where the British guy beats up that man-hunter - pretty natural.

5. Climax - Classic Ending.

6. Perfectionist - Teaser trailer said that all. Its really tough for others to craft movies like this to such perfection. Only Bala can do it.

Overall - Interested in watching a off-beat picture, go for it without any expectation. You are lucky if you really enjoy the movie.

My rating - 2/5