As it is famously said, our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. So ecstatic that a creator like Mari Selvaraj chose to tell the tale of oppression loud and clear in several of his previous outings and this time comes out with a fantastically layered sports drama with several nuanced undertones and non linear narration which touches you in epic proportions. I was aghast when he casually said in an interview about how young boys disappear from his village to escape abject poverty in search of greener pastures and surface after several years. Surprisingly, contrary to the much pampered upbringing the city kids enjoy, the parents of such boys don’t even do any searching act since they know that they would be surviving elsewhere due to the physically tough working life they had endured as children . Mari did surface big after he left his legal studies and he gave the world of Tamil cinema few classics which are for me truly immortal. Though he always complained about taking caste based films he continued his journey undeterred and I was completely awe struck by this cinematic gem Bison.
As I quickly entered the movie without reading a single review lest I get judgmental, the movie quickly sucked me into the muddy and dry terrains of a small hamlet somewhere in southern tamilnadu. You become oblivious of the surroundings and start to live the life of a Kabbadi player. You tend to go through his torment, anguish, unanswered questions his birth poses to him. Dhruv’s portrayal is brilliant and once you start emotionally getting connected with the protagonist with supporting actors like Pasupathy and Rejisha Vijayan playing his father and sister roles respectively to such meticulous perfection the movie has to succeed big time. Pasupathy is phenomenal and as always he is outstanding and has literally lived the role. The non linear narration was quite gripping as well and there was not a moment you felt any drag. It is not that the initial scene of Kittan representing India gave it all away but you were still very much keen to know about how he got there and the impediment and humiliations he faced to get there is crafted so stupendously well by the maker.
Every scene is sculpted to perfection and you are getting so drawn to the chaos, hardship and travel the near impossible journey of the protagonist .The photography is again brilliant and the visuals are so raw and absolutely real and it makes you get drenched in blood stains and also get immersed in the muddy waters in quick succession. Yes you do go through the anguish of the villagers and somehow you want Kittan to succeed and escape from the oppression and atrocities . Lal and Amir were also extraordinary in their roles and liked their shades of grey and the subtle message that you sometimes require that bit of a push from all the groups is definitely a stark reality. Loved the way the creator built the tension reaching a crescendo in the final Kabbadi match and definitely keeps you hooked though you know the result. The climax is perfectly shot and I could see people clapping in delirium and they felt it as a triumph of their own journey. Don’t even know when is the last time I felt euphoric watching a movie climax. Well it may be a fictionalised version of the Kabbadi player Manathi Ganeshan but the way the entire team has given their heart and soul and with Mari helming it.. the move has turned out to be pure celluloid magic .
Seldom have I seen a Sports drama told with such raw authenticity. Mari Selvaraj seems to be getting better with his craft in every movie . His movie specially disturbs you in all the right ways as you leave the theatre and there lies his success. Surely he is extraordinary in depicting such tales of courage and no wonder it is time for him to embrace all the love his craft is being showered upon. This movie truly deserves to be applauded and celebrated. As I am writing this I made sure I was hearing the lilting music of Nivas.K Prasanna which no doubt stirs your soul. Finally, instead of all the meaningless gangster flicks which were dished out in the name of entertainment in the recent past I am so glad that Mari Selvaraj has churned out this meaningful and technically and visually brilliant cinema.
As they say, your incredible brain , grit and tenacity can take you from rags to riches, from loneliness to popularity and from depression to happiness if you use it perfectly. Since cinema is such a powerful medium which takes the message across to millions even if some child in some remote hamlet gets inspired not only to break the shackles and fences but as they say in this movie to reach places and heights where he can never be chained then this director has done his bit for the society. Well done team Bison for this extremely riveting movie which moves you emotionally from all quarters .
