I didn’t really know what to expect walking into this film, which I saw as part of the 2003 San Francisco International Film Fest, but I have a great respect for it. I am in awe that a film like this can get made in India. I don’t believe it was an easy process.
’’A Peck On The Cheek’’ has many Bollywood elements in it though it is a Tamil film. And I know that the director, Mani Ratnam, has worked on Bollywood films. ’’Saathiya’’ was one my wife made me watch and I thought it was an inspired effort to do something different. I feel that ’’A Peck On The Cheek’’ is trying to do the same. The film is indeed inspired and it is powerful. I got the feeling from watching it that Ratnam was trying to do something different with Indian films. This is the type of Indian film that I want to watch. Combining Bollywood elements and mixing them into the harsh reality of South India and Sri Lanka turns this film into something different. Mira Nair’s ’’Monsoon Wedding’’ worked to similar effect yet had a completely different point.
One such point is about the violence in the region. Ratnam uses this idea to explore a child’s innocence. He forces us to see what effect this has on children. One powerful scene has Amudha, played wonderfully by a young actress, surrounded by children with guns. Innocence is lost in favor of violence. The film is an attempt to bring peace to the region. Ratman uses the film to show that India will not be able to ’’fix’’ itself until violence subsides.
The songs by A.R. Rahman were excellent, as always, and fit the film well. For those of you who won’t watch a Tamil film, watch this one. You will not be disappointed. I’d much rather watch this film than ’’The Hero’’ or ’’Dum.’’ Who cares what language a great film is in anyway?
What else can I say? Watch this film. Great acting, great directing, great songs, and a great message. I watched ’’The Hero’’ and wanted to hurt somebody, I watched ’’A Peck On The Cheek’’ and wanted to hug somebody. Give it a shot.