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| MADHARASAPATTINAM
MOVIE REVIEW |
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| Review
by : Behindwoods review board |
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Starring:
Arya, Amy Jackson, Nasser, VMC.Haneefa,
M. S. Bhaskar.
Direction:
A L Vijay
Music:
G V Prakash Kumar
Production:
Kalapathi S. Aghoram |
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Get ready to be transported back into
Madras. The makers have promised a trip
from Chennai to Madharasapattinam and
that is exactly what has been delivered
through this movie. But, is it just a
trip back in time or is there more to
look forward to? Before we begin analyzing
Madharasapattinam for what it is, let
us lay down |
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that quite clearly define what it is not. Any movie
set in the pre-independence era carries the expectations
of portraying the freedom struggle. Madharasapattinam
makes little or no attempts to get into that. Yes,
the events of the freedom struggle and subsequent
achievement of independence from British rule are
important events that have a bearing on the story.
But, those events have not been shown in detail, nor
have any of the legendary names associated with the
freedom been depicted. So, Madharasapattinam is not
a documentation of the freedom struggle and events
associated with it. Then what is it?
It is a love story set against the backdrop of India
that is on the verge of independence. A young British
lady (Amy Jackson) is visiting India. She is from
a family that is well connected to the highest echelons
of power in the Madras presidency. As it is, tensions
are brewing between the British and Indians all over
the country. That rubs off on a small washer man community
in Madras who stand in the way of the powerful British
personnel when they attempt to evict them from their
place. It hurts the ego of a highly placed British
officer who challenges a young dhobi (Arya) for a
one-on-one which would decide the fate of the place.
The British lady happens to be a silent spectator
to all that transpires between the British and the
dhobi community; she notices the young man who has
the courage to stand up to a mighty force. Soon, she
finds herself attracted to this man who also seems
to be reciprocating those feelings. But, the proximity
between the two does not escape the eyes of the power
hierarchy who look down upon the relation as a disgrace
to the family and the empire. With freedom fast approaching
and the British getting ready to leave the country,
time is running out for the couple who have to make
a decision between love and country. What happens
to the love story that faces the wrath of mighty empire
whose ego has been badly bruised by the freedom struggle?
Watch Madharasapattinam to find out.
The storyline and the events might sound a bit familiar
to you. Yes, there are points in the movie where one
is able to draw parallels to other great movies. The
opening portions remind us of Titanic, while the challenge
thrown by the British at the dhobi community gives
us a Lagaan feel. But, in spite of all this, Madharasapattinam
has a unique identity and the reason for that is in
the title of the film itself - Madras. That is the
single biggest highlight of the movie.
Full marks to the team of Madharasapattinam for recreating
Madras, which existed only in photos, history books
and minds of people who lived during that era. Though
most of us do not have a very clear idea about how
Madras would have looked like before 1947, the picturisation
is good enough to convince us that this is an authentic
representation. First on the order of merit for making
this possible is the art department headed by Selva
Kumar. We are taken to a Mount Road (not Anna Salai)
that is not overflowing with traffic, the old Washermanpet,
the haloed building of the Madras Central and the
Buckingham Canal which once was the backbone of a
very efficient drainage system of the city. We are
even shown a Cooum that is not filthy; which is hard
to imagine, considering the state of the river these
days. All sets are exquisitely constructed and look
very original. Hordes of junior artistes have been
employed in proper period attire to add to the authentic
feel. What is provided by the art department in terms
of magnificent sets has been enhanced into a wonderful
on screen experience through Nirav Shah’s lens.
The cinematographer is in top form capturing Madras
in all its glory. The tone adopted to give a period
theme is apt.
Other technical aspects of Madharasapattianam also
a delight, especially G.V. Prakash’s background
music. The small touches that he has provided, especially
when the love between the lead couple begins to bloom,
are wonderful. The songs too are a treat, especially
‘Vaama Dorayamma’ and ‘Aaruyire’.
Though there is a feeling that adding a few western
pieces here and there would have made it even more
perfect for the movie. Costumes of the entire cast
are almost perfect, especially Amy Jackson’s.
Performances are a real delight in Madharasapattinam.
The one who walks away with the top honors is Amy
Jackson for a beautiful portrayal of a lady torn between
her love and the mighty empire. She looks absolutely
beautiful, emotes well through her expressive eyes
and is able to earn the sympathy of the audiences
during tough times. Arya is perfect for the character
of the dhobi who is also a wrestler. He is intense,
manly, yet soft and romantic when it is required.
A convincing performance. The rest of the cast too
is spot on in delivering the goods. The British cast
looks convincing as the colonial power. VMC Haneefa
delights as the dubashi (translator) lending many
moments of fun as he plays around with languages that
he does not know. Nasser brings power and intensity
to the character that he portrays. The lady who portrays
the aged Amy Jackson, through whose memory the story
is told, also impresses a great deal
While there are positives aplenty for Madharasapattinam,
there are one or two aspects that could have been
better. The dialogues do not seem to be the kind that
would have been spoken before 1947, the lines look
very contemporary, especially the Tamil dialogues.
One can overlook this in a commercial film. Using
the proper 1940s Madras Tamil could have worked either
way for the movie. There are quite a few English dialogues
(understandably), but they do not look like an inconvenience
or act as a barrier between the film and the audiences;
the subtitles have been done well.
Overall, Madharasapattinam is a film that takes you
back in time and shows you a Madras that exists only
in photos and memory. Hats off to the entire team
for making this possible and kudos to Vijay for heading
this team and pulling off the huge task. Also thanks
to AGS Films for taking up such a subject which would
have definitely cost a lot. Madharasapattinam is a
pretty often seen love story where poor boy meets
rich girl, much to the angst of the family. But, it
is the backdrop and the treatment that make it a different
experience. Watch Madharasapattinam for some great
art work, cinematography, performances and to appreciate
an effort that is a rare occurrence in Tamil cinema.
But, do not look for a documentation of the freedom
struggle and other historical milestones. Just enjoy
the trip from Chennai to Madharasapattinam
Verdict:
Enjoyable trip to Madras Presidency!
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: Madharasapattinam
Review,
Madharasapattinam,
Arya,
G
V Prakash Kumar, Amy
Jackson,
Nassar,
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