Thanga Meenkal

My review: Thanga Meenkal

There was more than flashes of Ram's narcissistic tendencies in his debut movie "Kattrathu Tamil". He seems to be more than passionate bordering on obsessive and psychotic in certain issues that seems to interest him. The economic disparity is one and breaking off the societal expectations and norms is another. In his second outing, the long delayed "Thanga Meenkal" these tendencies are most prominent that it revulses you after a point. Watching the movie one gets a feeling that Ram is on a mission to tie up and gag the viewers and foist on them forcibly all that he is passionate about including the almost psychotic love that dad of his story have on his daughter. 

Though the movie is promoted as a movie on father-daughter love if one ponder over this movie after it is over one can realize that it is actually a movie on "How not to raise a child" or rather "worst parenting style that should not be tried at home". As his protagonist in "Kattradhu Tamil", here too the lead actor (played by Ram himself) seems to have bouts of anger dyscontrol with quasi-psychotic tendencies rearing above the surface now and then. He is a school drop-out, not that he is prodigy or a artistic person who comes out of the school to follow his passion. He drops out because he marries his plus2 class mate and lives his life on the shadows of his well-to-do parents. He changes jobs frequently and finally tries to settle on a job only because there he need not go at fixed time and can roam around with his daughter whenever she wants to. 

He pampers his daughter so much that he can go to extreme extents to fulfill her smallest of wishes all in the name of love that father has on his daughter. This is a sure shot path towards her becoming a spoilt brat when she grows up.Though he tries to justify that when his close kith and kin tries to instill some sense in him that his daughter would not ask him things he will not affordable to. But over-romanticization of  the father-daughter relationship results in things becoming way too artificial after a point. And at many points over-the-top "SEE, I AM ACTING" type of one your face theatrics by Ram makes you squirm in the seat.

Except Ram all other characters are sensible and practical. But a narcissist that he is he tries to paint them black. Be it Ram's wife or father or sister, everyone seems to be sensible but when Ram gets angry on them and mouth "FOR THE FRONT-BENCHERS" kind of dialogues you wish someone gives a nice kick on his back and bring him to senses or may be he must be admitted for therapy to deal with all those cognitive distortions. 

Another sore point is the manner they have portrayed the teachers and schools. Though the idea is laudable, trying to showcase how private schools are run with business motive, all those scenes are plain theatrical straight out of amateur drama stages. Especially the teachers characterization are all down right silly. That is what exactly the problem with this movie. There are quiet a few astounding scenes interspersed with quiet a few plain ordinary ones. 

One of the brilliantly written scene is when Chellamma engages in a conversation with her friend Nithyashree where she explains how intelligent she is. Especially the maths and the grandfather's reaction to smoking of her dad and uncle are outstanding moments. But when she avoids studying and performs poorly she gets into one's nerves. It is not that she is dyslexic or having some learning disability, she is plain lazy and spoilt by all the pampering she gets at home. At one point she is shown as a mature intelligent girl but at the very next moment she is shown as a dumb dimwit who believes that "Vodafone dog" is the answer for all her difficulties. 

 

Ram has done an average job as the lead actor. At many points he tries to show all his theatrical skills which gets overboard and silly at certain points. When he hears why her daughter has started stealing things and his reaction to it is a case in point. Shelly as his wife has done a better job than Ram. She is one of the few sane and sensible characters around in this movie. Except for one scene where she goes overboard when her daughter asks her about puberty where there is flashes of Ram's audacity, in all other scenes she has given a matured and restrained performance. An actress with potential and one for the future. 

Baby Sadhana is the heart and soul of this movie. If this movie works a bit it is her performance as Chellama that makes it eminently watchable. Though she too tries to "ACT" at certain places it her spontaneity at large which makes her likable. But of all the actors the one who is the most causal and spontaneous wowing the audience with her charming presence is Baby Sanjana as Chellama's friend Nithyashree. She is outstanding and way better than Sadhana and many of her elder colleagues. 

'Poo' Ramu, Rohini, Padmapriya and the one who comes as Ram's sister, are all very good. Lizzy, the card-board cartoonish Stella teacher is undone by poor writing and execution. 

Apart from the children the other aspect that is astounding about this movie is Yuvan Shankar Raja's songs and background score. "Anandha Yaazhai" and "Nathivellam" are two masterpieces from the young maestro. Background score for this movie is one of his best so far. Actually at many junctures you don't even realize that there is a background score playing behind as it becomes so integral with the narration that one hardly notices it. This is the highest point one can get with his background score.

Cinematography is outstanding. Arbhindu Saara is the cinematographer. Each frame of his is pleasing to the eyes and the use of lighting especially the night effects are brilliant. Technically the movie is all finesse. 

On the whole, "Thanga Meenkal" is for those who can get exploited easily emotionally. For the thinking lot who use rational sense in analyzing what is being shown it is an futile attempt of "How a father should not raise his daughter".

Bottomline: Inconsistent and Narcissistic attempt.

3/5