Kattrathu Thamizh - Movie review

A very unique theme, certainly caught my interest.  Though initially the movie seemed very slow moving, focusing on the violence in the police station and subsequent cold blooded murders, the love story unfolded very well, it was refreshing to see the simple and naive ways of the young couple - Jiva and Anjali.

Karunas plays a pivotal role too, he is the camera man who records the memoir of Jiva under threats from him - he has been kidnapped by Jiva for this purpose.

The hero is a Tamizh language teacher in Chennai.  He has taken up study of Tamizh out of interest for the subject and the positive influence his own Tamizh teacher had on him.  Had he chosen to follow the masses and study IT (Information Technology) he would be earning thousands, may lakhs per month but now his salary is a meager 2000 Rupees.  He is very hopeful and upbeat as his salary will double after he completes Bachelor of Education which is necessary for every teacher.

Gradually the reality hits him - repeatedly he comes across his college mates or others who are not necessarily smarter than him but make much more and are well settled only because they work in call centres or in so called IT job market.  What bothers him even more is their haughtiness and their prejudice against him just because he chose to pursue the subject of his liking.  The points that he makes and the questions that he ask are very relevant; not simply because he has a low income.  These are very reasonable and sensible questions for which we have to find answers only by soul-searching.

It reminded me of the time that I took such a decision to study Sanskrit which people senselessly call as 'dead language'.  I too was a smart science/computer science student who took Sanskrit to prove that you do not have to be necessarily dumb or turned down elsewhere to pursue this subject as the main course of study.

It is indeed true that these days the IT folks make much more than average salary.  Of course they face their set of difficulties - excessive work pressure / ridiculous work timings etc.  They may or may not have job satisfaction but at the end of the month they see considerable amount of money whereas all those people who did not take the beaten road, who may be smarter and hardworking just struggle to make ends meet.

The hero's personal life of course is riddled with tragedy, the death of his mother, then later in life, of his dad; his childhood sweetheart getting lost to him and then later reappearing in his life.  A good movie, could make the common man introspect a little.

Yuvan's music is awesome - memorable, melodious, poignant  and apt.