What if you come to know that the woman who showered her all the care and love on you, is not your real mother? How does a mother feel on letting go of the child she has reared all her life, even though the child is not born to her? Does a woman cease to be your mother, just because she has not given birth to you? Who is greater the woman who has given birth to you, or the one who has bought you up?
All these questions form the crux of Mani Ratnam’s 2002 masterpiece Kannathil Muttamithal
. Kannathil Muttamithal meaning a kiss on the cheek is one of Mani’s best and most under rated movie. You don’t see item songs, fancy Swiss locales, designer mansions or people traveling in helicopters or people moving about in chiffons and designer dresses.
What you see instead is a story of ordinary people living in India, narrated in a very simple, unassuming manner. What you see is an ordinary couple who have to deal with circumstances beyond their control. And what you see is the dilemma of a small girl having to choose between her real and adopted mother. Yet Kannathil Muttamithal stands heads and shoulders above the normal fare we get to see in Indian movies.
The Plot
Thiruchelvan( Madhavan) is an idealistic engineer cum writer, who lives along with his wife Indira (Simran) . The apple of their eye is their daughter Amutha( Baby Keerthana) , who is like any typical school going child, bratty, active and mischievous. But then Amutha is not just another normal child. She in fact is the adopted daughter of Thiru and Indira. Her real parents , portrayed by Nandita Das & Chakravarty are in fact LTTE guerillas fighting in Sri Lanka. Amutha’s real parents had given her in adoption to Thiru & Indira, as they felt that they could not give her a normal life. On one condition, though that, Amutha, be told the truth on her 9th birthday. How Amudha deals with the truth, and how her adopted parents help her in tracing her real mother is best left to be seen on screen?
What could have been a standard melodrama, turns out to be one of the most sensitive and poignant pieces of film making? The movie works in two parts, the first half deals with Amudha’s school life, her fights with her mom, and the family scenes. Also covers the romance between Thiru and Indira. The school scenes and the family scenes are wonderfully done, and you could as well be watching any normal Indian family.
The later half when Amutha comes to know of the truth, and the subsequent scenes in Sri Lanka take on a serious note. Particularly harrowing are the scenes where we find the civilians running from their homes, as the Sri Lankan Army bombs their homes. As they say in a battle between two sides, it’s the innocent people who suffer the most.
Mani has shot these scenes superbly also. One memorable scene would be when Amutha speaks with an LTTE suicide bomber, and the next minute, she sees him blowing himself up.
The gun fights between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan officers are also well captured.
One of the best aspects of this movie is Mani doesn’t take sides. Neither the Sri Lankans are caricatured as villains nor the LTTE glorified as heroes.
We feel Indira’s anguish over having to let go of her daughter, at the same time, we sympathize with Shyama for the circumstances in which she had to leave her child.
Performances
Outstanding performances by all members of the cast.
Simran usually seen in glam roles, proves herself as an actress with this movie. As the caring mother who has to bear the anguish of being separated from her child, Simran puts in a great performance.
Madhavan got a break from his usual lover boy roles, and he proves his calibre. As an idealistic writer, loving father and affectionate husband, he traverses different shades wonderfully.
Prakash Raj as a Sri Lankan who helps out the couple is outstanding. One of the best actors in South, he had already proved his mettle in another Mani classic Iruvar.
Nandita Das and Chakravarty do well in the cameos of Amutha’s real parents.
But the best performance would be that of Baby Keerthana as Amutha. Daughter of two talented actors Parthipan and Sita, she does her parents proud with a totally naturally performance, both as a tomboyish, mischievous girl and a girl pining for her real mother.
The technical values is in any Maniratnam movie are top class. Ravi Chandran’s cinematography wonderfully captures the lush green locales of Sri Lanka as well as the battle sequences between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Army. And of course the outstanding art direction by Sabu Cyril, who recreates the tragic beauty of the troubled island.
Music
One of A.R.Rehman’s best but pretty under rated scores. Understandable considering that this doesn’t have any Chaiyya, Chaiyya or Hamma Hamma type chart busters.
Oru Deivam thantha poove
Meaning a flower gifted by God. Sung by Chinmayee( female version) and Jayachandran( male version). One of ARR’s best done with minimal orchestration.
Vellai Pookal Ulagam
Background song by ARR about peace and harmony.
Sundari Sundari
Lively ditty about Amutha and her bratty ways. Picturized on her parents and her class mates. Sung by ARR’s favourite Hariharan, Sujata, Madhumita with kids chorus.
Vida Kodu Engal Naade
Very touching and moving song played in background about the plight of the Tamils in Sri Lanka as they are forced to leave their homes. MS Viswanathan one of the famous Tamil music directors lends his voice to the song along with Balaram and Rehana,
All in all Kannathil Muttamithal is a movie to be watched by any one who loves good movies. Even if you don’t understand Tamil, try watching this movie with sub titles. This is one of the best Indian movies of all time, and deserves to be watched by every one.