VIDIYUM MUNN MOVIE REVIEW

Vidiyum Munn (VM) directed by first-timer Balaji K Kumar, begins with Pooja and Malavika Manikuttan running hysterically on an eerie night to reach a railway compartment apparently to undertake a journey. The director sets the tone of the film from this frame and the audience starts experiencing all the emotions of the characters on screen from this point onwards.  

Pooja, a commercial sex worker, sheltering the young Malavika, takes on a journey, and the reasons behind her run, her relationship with Malavika and the ramifications and the culmination of her act are being narrated in a gripping manner by Balaji in this two hour twenty minute tale.

What sets VM different from other films is its lack of a male protagonist or in other words the absence of the ingredients of a normal film viz. romance, inane comedy, liquor parties and sermons. Despite all this, Balaji has given an engaging product that is satisfying in many respects.

He has handled a very sensitive and stigmatized subject in Tamil films with a lot of maturity. It sure is a tightrope walking for the director as a little slip on any side would have rendered the film a different hue.

There is freshness in Balaji Kumar’s execution with a three-act structure of his story. He establishes his characters, puts forth their conflicts and their final resolution. To Balaji’s credit, he has focused mostly on his theme with no distracting unwarranted elements in the narration. The young director is a talent to watch out for.

The suspense element is maintained throughout with unpredictable twists being reserved for the post-interval session. The slow and enticing narration keeps you glued to the seats and towards the climax, when the knots are being untangled sans elaborate dialogues but with terse frames, you can almost hear your heart beating loudly.

Pooja who makes her comeback after three years owns the screen with her body language and emotion laden voice. Her vulnerable face and trembling voice add a lot of depth to her characterization.

Spontaneity marks the portrayal of the young Malavika Manikuttan. Subtle and natural reactions, effective silences and poignant expressions- Malavika achieves it all! The best example is the scene in the railway compartment when Pooja questions about her family. The adolescent brings a range of emotions all in quick flashes and is easily the find of the season.

John Vijay is a revelation with his fantastic mercurial emoting skills who brings in a lot of joie de vivre in his scenes. Vinod Kishan’s steely eyes and expressions are apt for the creepy feel and Lakshmy Ramakrishnan and Amarendran are effective in their respective roles.

Humor runs through serious situations via John Vijay and Amarendran, with the latter at the receiving end mostly. The casual manner in which John handles situations which are ostensibly clever are well brought out.

Technical team has lent its right kind of support to Balaji Kumar. Songs of Girishh Gopalakrishnan blend unobtrusively as short montages while his BGM enhances the feel and mood of the scenes. A great work indeed by the musician ! Cameraman Sivakumar Vijayan’s contribution to the film with his dusty brown, sepia and steel grey toned visuals is quite significant. His camera angles and light capture are imaginative.

In sum, here is a work of a debut director which is gripping, hard hitting and even shocking but all the same, well made to give the right kind of viewing experience.