Okie....Im gonna be straight forward this time because lots of things have already been written and said about this movie.
The Pithas
This is Bala’s third movie. Saying that he has grown in the art of movie making would be an injustice. He was exceptional in his first movie Sethu itself. But there is one thing I don’t understand - why he is hell bent towards making tragedies??
Why should the Abhis die when Cheeyans comes back making a miraculous escape from the asylum?Why should the mothers poison their Nandhaas in the end?Why make another tragedy Pithamagan? I’ve read Bala’s autobiography in a magazine and understand the hardships that he had to face in his real life, but I’m just wondering if that could be a good reason for making only tragedies! or may be it is because his first flick clicked??
But as a movie Pithamagan stands out to be a real masterpiece. He has done justice to the subject. Bala is one director who knows exactly what he wants from his technicians and artists and how to get it out from them. All the characters are treated equally important including laila’s.
The camera work and editing leaves anyone speechless with the jungles, mountains and trains of south Tamilnadu.
Ilayaraaja, the other Pitha of the movie has again proved that he is a real Mastero. He knows exactly where to sound a chime and where to increase the tempo of the beats. In Sethu you could feel him taking control of the movie after the interval (in the scene where we enter the asylum). But this time he pierces our heart right from humming of the first song piraiye piraiye. One more feather in his feathery cap
The Magans
Laila deserves another best actress award for this movie. Her hilarious character is thrown into a deep shock and sadness due to the sudden demise of her lover and I feel she has handled it extremely well. I heard that on the sets, the usually chattering laila had practiced being silent for one week before doing those serious scenes.
Any uneducated youngster from south Indian village would be surprised to see himself in the screen on seeing Surya. His performance was picture perfect as usual. A great chance to show a difference in acting after Khakka khakka and Surya has blasted the ball to the boundary.
Vikram! You can only love and hate this guy for doing justice to any role he plays. Each stare, each movement has been meticulously practiced and executed. Kudos!!
Other characters like karunaas have also done their part well. Nothing less…nothing more….just what is needed.
PithaMagan
There is no strong reason for the love Surya shows for Vikram.
There are hundreds of loopholes a villain can use to escape from a mad man’s clutches.
What happened to Laila’s parents in the middle? Who would let their daughter to go behind a petty thief? Nijammave Loosaappa nee?
How come Vikram couldn’t talk properly while the “vettiyaan” who adopted him could?
Anyone can guess the end of the story the moment we see a villain in the frame.
Bala’s movies are neat. With such an exceptional creative art in his hands I believe he could handle happy ending stories as well. If he could change the trend of Tamil cinema with one Sethu…why not try changing some social elements too by portraying something positive??
Wish you a happy married life Bala sir!!
Phantom