Rarely Tamil films are made from a literary source, and now we have’Poo’, based on a short story by Tamizhselvan, a marxist writer. No, don’t expect any revolutionary flavor or red dyed script. This is the story of a village girl who madly loves her cousin, an engineer. Maari always dreams of marrying Thangarasu, her maternal uncle’s son, right from her childhood. But he is not aware of this, nor has any inclination towards her. He has to marry his dad’s bosses daughter, according to the elders’ wish. He is also advised that marrying within blood relations may affect their kid’s health, and hence he decides to marry the rich girl. Before this marriage, Maari is also married to another petty grocery owner and she lives happily. During the end she finds that Thangarasu’s marriage is a failure and she weeps for it.
What is special about this movie? Director Sasi who started his innings with’Rojakoottam’ is famous for his soft romantic themes, and now he has shifted the scenario to a dry landscape, we have already seen in’Veyyil’. He has experimented with characters and faces that are fresh for a Tamil filmgoer. The film is set near Sivakasi, the cracker, matchbox and the offset town. The landscape is dry, mostly barren with a few palm trees strewn here and there, unlike a typical green village. The locale like a cracker factory is really new to the screen.
The characters are lively and taken from the real world, thanks to the literary team, who worked in the script, and new faces with good performances. There is a character who always wields a pen and self respect. He is proud when he is called as’Penakkaarar’(penman), and is wounded when called by other names like cartman or loadman. He has high hopes on his son, who is going to be an engineer and earn in five digits. There is a teashop owner, who punctuates every word with a’hallo’.
Every other sundry character like the mother, the factory foreman, the friend who loves to gobble anything, the traders, the phone booth owner is full of life.
Heroine Parvathi is from Kerala, and from her tan make up, you have to believe she is a Sivakasi girl.
Her mobile expressions which change every second is a real treat, until you feel bored and wonder whether she is over acting. Hero Srikanth is a real misfit here, though his character is well etched, his looks deceive. He stands aloof with his complexion and postures comparing with other actors. His rich wife and his girl friend from college are stereo types, we have been seeing in movies for decades together.
The director has given a different tone to the entire movie, but I wonder why should songs be included in such experiments. The film starts with a stupid song with the heroine and her husband singing in all locales, from the bedroom to the green pastures, while we have no idea of who they are at all. We have dream songs, the usual kids’ song associated with village movies, the group dance where right from the hero to the extras, everyone dance in rhythm and careful steps.Of course, there are beautiful moments in the film, and the director deserves credit for them, but does such moments make the entire film?
Though I find the songs needless, they are hits in the FM circuits. When you see the film, you will surely remember films like Azhagi, Solla marantha Kathai, Onpathu roopai nottu and even the chinese classic’Road Home’. Why’Road Home’, you may wonder. The heroine’s waiting, her great run with the eatables to catch the hero on a rough path, the entire re-recording/theme music around her character.everything is’inspired’ from the chinese classic.
But’Poo’ is really a different film, and the Director should be appreciated for selecting a different theme and locale.