Kaatru Veliyidai - an expanse of the senses

"You had me at hello" was the first thing that came to my mind when the frames started rolling out... and when Karthi does an Arvind Swamy rendering Bharathiar's நெரித்த திரைக்கடலில் நின்முகங் கண்டேன் [neritha thiraikkadalil ninmugang kaNdaen] to his wronged damsel, one wants to swoon at the husk of the voice despite his exceedingly boyish face. The lost lover's face, visible in every nuance of nature seems to warn the viewer of an impending search later in the narrative. 

Mis en scene, Mise en place (setting the stage for thought and action) - absolutely no complaints. Maniratnam is the master. Ravi Varman true to his name spells magic with colours & sweeps you off your feet. One may begin to get restless for more defined action, more character impact, but the sheer awe inspiring visuals quickly distract you. 

Mirrors are an important prop of the narrative. Literally and figuratively. Whether it is the mirror where the bridal party sees itself in Sarattu vandilae, or when Leela is in a candid mood and her grandfather (played by Delhi Ganesh) appears at the far corner, the scene where Leela first says "I love you" or the defining "thottu sollatuma" scene that is both unpredictable, free of clichés and outrightly honest; the mirror is there (think of Alaipayuthe, Roja, Mouna Ragam where mirrors make a cameo). Not to forget the typical black telephone, tasteful duppattas and teakwood furniture as recurring motifs as well. The costumes are tasteful, elegant, and stylishly beautiful - despite being real. The make up is natural, especially when Aditi does not sport a perfectly done hairdo, her nails are cut like that of a real doctor;  found it difficult to digest the clean shaven look of Karthi though. 

The music lends itself to the film's poetry and romance; so do the lyrics which capture exactly what Maniratnam wants captured and the protagonists want shown. When Karthi tries to woo his lady with the breezy and playful Azhagiyae penned by Karky, one taps foot and is reminded of the period textures of Hello Mr.Ethirkatchi from Iruvar. Rukmini Vijaykumar's excellent footwork in the tango inspired Kelaayo more than makes up for the missing long stem rose. Vaan varuvan is another Pacchai Niramae visually. The purple and brown hues please the eye and when Aditi dons the peacock colours to perfection one readily forgives the confusing dance moves. The fleeting bhangra bit at the flight take off is catchy. Saaraattu vandiyil is loaded with Vairamutthu's trademark subtle innuendoes; be it the vetthala potta udhatta enakku patthiram panni kodu or  katthazham kaattile matthalam kottudhu parts, one smiles secretly but never squirms. But then that's not just because it's Vairamutthu, Tamizh as a language of poetry itself has that quality.

I was obviously looking forward to watching Nallai Allai picturised in all of Maniratnam's glory but alas! Karthi though, does win his lady love's forgiveness and your heart with his pleading eyes and unshed tear. Aditi Rao Hydari is picture perfect with her snow induced blush. She manages to lip sync almost perfectly too.

What I absolutely loved about the film's screenplay was that it never, even for a moment, gets preachy. Whether it is speaking about war and the nation's soft stance on offensive attacks or when the larger discourse of women and their voice surfaces repeatedly. The script is clear that its focus is love, loss, VC and Leela. One does not see any other preoccupations.

Performance wise everyone does their job well. Karthi's best performance till date. One nods in approval when real life is played out in scenes like when Leela  asks "sattham podalaama" and hesitates, Karthi says "kenji kekaren" or Ilyas (RJ Balaji) longingly looks at Leela. Delhi Ganesh may have been utilised a little better than just the rum induced slur. K.P.A.C.Lalitha as Achamma is yet another grossly underutilised character. Why the hero has a family that is the way it is and a brother who has developmental issues is beyond my ken. Also the dialogues in the beginning have inflections like Malayalam where the characters talk about each other in the third person or by using names; in organic Tamizh one would simply use the pronoun nee/neenga. I watched the movie twice and both times there were scenes where tears would arrive at the threshold of my eyes but they wouldn't flow... some scenes are like that, you would expect them to overwhelm you but they would simply glide by without expected impact. There is also a lot left to the imagination of the viewer, the car scene during the avalanche or the scene after the sortie ride for instance. 

The light is a character itself in the film so are the planes, the snow and the sky. To sum it, Kaatru Veliyidai is for those who love poetry in any form. Go without any yardsticks and the film will not fall short of anything. I came out of the theatre with a smile and so did my real life hero who swears by Behind Enemy Lines, Top Gun and Shawshank Redemption, he also gave a rare thumbs up and meant it. Now that's a sign of a good film.