Out of a whole array of films, this one stands out the same way a grand prize stands out among rows and rows consolation and participation certificates. Why? Because, just like how the winner often has a distinct quality of its own that enables it to shine above the rest, Kannathil too has its (many) plus and bonus points.
THE STORY
Meet Amutha(Keerthana), a nine year old girl who is playful, carefree and etc., etc., etc. He mother Indira(Simran) is a newsreader and her father, Thiru(Madhavan) is an author cum engineer. In a nutshell, Kannathil Muthamittal is about Amutha who came to know of her adopted parentage and thus, like everyone else (in movies), set out to find her real mother.
And no, in case you are wondering, her knowledge of her adoption was not fortuitous (like millions of other films and books) but told to her by her father. NO, her parents weren?t mad, they were fuffling a pact they made when they adopted her years ago, a promise that she will be told on her ninth birthday. Really, as I reflect on the movie now, was there really a need to tell her that she was adopted? I think not.(Anybody who differs with me, feel free to leave a comment) But then again, we shall be content with the fact that she WAS told since if she wasn?t told, there would be no story. So, after Amutha?s running away from home a couple of times, her parents decided to search and look for Amoutha?s real parents. So they go from place to place and face trials and tribulations (of which I don?t care to write of here) and finally meet Shyama, Amutha?s mother.
TEARY EYES
The scenes of the meeting between mother and daughter were painfully touching. Thankfully, it wasn?t portrayed the same way as it usual is in other films. In other films, mother and daughter will look at each other and immediately hug each other and the end but Mani Ratnam took a more realistic approach.
SPOILERS AHEAD: Shyama was uncomfortable and just sitting quietly on the bench after walking into the park where Amutha was waiting. Then, after a while, Simran says ?Amutha made a list of questions she wanted to ask you.? Then, Amutha asked (predictably) about her father. All the answer she got was painful silence from Shyama. She asked again why did Shyama leave Amutha? Shyama said something about how situation forced her to do so. Then some dialogues, then Syhama hugged Amutha.
The rain falls and music gets loud and a heart wrenching scene that was. Then, Shyama has to go. Amutha says ?ama, ama?.(?ama? means ?mother? in tamil) (tissues are in use again). Then, Amutha hugs Shyama one last time and THE END. Not a silly goofy happy ending but one with a finality of its own. My descriptions are neither accurate nor touching. I guess you have to watch the film yourself to actually get the gist of it.
CHARACTERS
SIMRAN. Simran was perfect as Amutha?s mother. Mother and daughter had fights and stuff but somehow, the message of how much Simran loved Amutha was clear. As a mother, she was mixed up when she came to search for Amutha?s real mother because for Amutha, she had to leave two of her younger sons behind with her father.
MADHAVAN. Madhavan ALWAYS acts well in all his films. Same goes for Kannathil Muthumital. He was the ultimate father. Actually, he was the one who proposed they go and look for Amutha?s parents. There is a scene after the park gets bombed and Simran is injured, he looks at Simran and Amutha while their injuries were taken care of. That look was fabulous, really intense and everything. Ironically, while Simran was the one injured the most during the look for Amutha?s mother, she was the one who insisted on waiting and trying some more.
AMUTHA. This is Keerthana?s first movie and mark my words, she CAN ACT. Her best scene, in my humble opinion, was when she started screaming and throwing a tantrum as Simran and Madhavan tied to drag her out of the park because it will be bombed soon. She was kicking and screaming on the ground and the music and her resistance combined made the audience realize how much she wants to meet her mother. She also acted VERY WELL in the last parts where she meets Shyama. Amutha is the reason Simran and Madhavan even got married in the first place. As Madhavan tells Amutha in one scene, ?We didn?t adopt you, you adopted us.?
Amutha?s childlike innocence surfaced when she wanted her mother to come back wither to Madras. She also gave Shyama a book of hers that was like a diary and a photo album rolled into one.
OTHERS
Kannathil Muthamittal also has some suicide bombers, a little romance between Amutha?s real parents and also between Simran and madhavan. There is a lot of love in this film and not only the usual clichéd romantic love. Everybody loves everybody. No evil ?bad guys? planning to destroy everyone?s happiness, no silly love triangle or whatever. It has its required dose of comedy, in the scenes of Madhavan and Simran when they were younger and weren?t married. No crazy synchronized choreography where half weirdly dressed dancers jump about and call it dancing. Speaking of choreography, I just loved the ?Sundari? song. Camera effects were nice and it really showed Amutha for what she was: playful, tomboyish, popular, determined, and just a kid.
MUSIC
The music is simply breathtaking. Beautiful, beautiful lyrics, especially in the theme song and is well?simply AMAZING. One of the lyrics is ?nee deyvam thrande puve? which means ?you are God given flower?. Ok, so maybe the beauty was lost a little in the translation but really, no matter how much I praise or describe the music, I cannot do enough justice to it. I guess you will have to watch it yourself.
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