Super Deluxe….. A Delightful Ride Into The Amoral World

The directors production house goes by the name Tyler Durden and Kino Fist. For the uninitiated Tyler Durden is a movie character immortalized by the creator Chris Palahnuik in his book Fight Club and the movie adaptation going by the same name and brilliantly directed by David Fincher. Kino Fist is the term coined by the legendary Russian director Sergei Eisentein which means to present the world as is in its truest form. Sergei Eisenstein was indeed considered the master of montages. He sure knew how to whip his viewers to a frenzy and how their responses can be aroused in theatres sending them to sheer ecstasy. It doesn’t matter much to the Indian audience whether Kumararaja chose to get inspired by Jafar Panahi’s Iranian drama “Circle” in terms of storytelling or some of the other cinematic legends but after a 8 year break he has no doubt come with a masterpiece and the film critics and the common man have unanimously erupted with rapturous celebration. For the first time I went to the theatre without reading a single review and my decision was no doubt wise. From the minute the movie begins to play on you tend to feel that you are in for an enchanting experience and you cant but get amazed by the detailing, the nuances and the intricacies this movie boasts. Firstly you are relieved to see a not so stereotypical couple you are so used to seeing in movies. Well these are stories about amoral people who on the face of it may seem unscrupulous and deceitful. Thank heavens the women in this movie are not shown as infallible beings. They are depicted as doing deeds which on the face of it would seem to be the most sinful acts a woman can ever imagine to do. Thankfully they are not mutilated by their men for such acts. Their men still continue to like them despite the acts. Of course in the role played by Fahadh he is beyond livid and incensed that his wife has committed such an act but he still goes all out to help her come out of that predicament and quandary. Effortless portrayal by Fahadh and performance of a lifetime by Samantha. A bunch of teenagers who are on a hormonal overdrive is not new to tamil cinema but the treatment here is refreshing and you tend to travel with them with absolute ease and ecstasy. All of them come out with exemplary performances. The emoting of the boy who sees his mother in an adult film is really top notch. Mysskin has also played the role of Arputham phenomenally well though the unobtrusively long takes sometimes seemed a little bit of a drag. Just when you wonder where is Vijay Sethupathy (VS) in the movie he makes his appearance as a transgender who has abandoned his family. The minute detailing and the background noises when his extended family is introduced is pure cinematic frenzy which needs to be savored and relished. The young kid who yearns to see his father is at his breathtaking and brilliant best and it is a sheer joy to see him enact the drama. Well VS as the transgender is astonishing in some scenes especially the subway scene where he confesses to have committed a crime and the scene where he begs and pleads his son to open the door promising that he would never again leave them in a lurch. In the recent times I don’t think Indian cinema has witnessed any actor perform such versatile roles. Well the success of VS lies in the fact that the masses as well as the auteurs just love him and he shows clearly why he deserves such unabashed and brazen adulation through his tremendous acting prowess. Somehow I found the scenes in the Police Station a little too tedious and stretching. Alas what a whiff of fresh air VS is where the field is cluttered with so many hackneyed heroes. In terms of characters and roles he breaks every rule in the book as to what a protagonist should do. Take a bow VS for that. You have managed to give lots and lots of pure mystical and magical moments on screen. If Vikram Vedha experimented on shades of grey this movie delves on the fact that no one can actually decide and dictate on what is right or wrong in terms of relationships, religion, sexual orientation etc..I loved the way the director has broken every single societal and movie stereotypes and typecasts. Vaembu superlatively portrayed by Samantha had done something and she dint seem quite apologetic about it and she doesn’t hide that fact from her husband. Better still she doesn’t want to commit suicide because of that or much to our relief her husband is not secretly planning to kill her. Subbu played by Ramya Krishnan was not coerced into doing anything which she was against nor she was a victim of circumstances. She seemed to ask some pertinent questions at the end of the movie . Instead of feeling remorseful or penitent she simply asks what about people who are unapologetic about watching such acts or films. She simply states that they have committed a crime too. Makes you no doubt ponder why there are double standards in society. 

Much after you have walked away from the theatres the flawed characters in the movie keeps lingering in your mind and there lies the success of this movie. I am sure many would be scurrying to get a hold on the DVD of the directors first flick Aaranya Kaandam a neo noir movie. More people would be watching it now than when it was released for the first time. His second directorial venture has all the ingredients in terms of superb background score, enormous detailing, the dilapidated and crumbling setting of buildings just like the lives of the many layered characters who burst to life in the cinematic canvas so effectively painted by the maverick director much to the euphoria of the audience. Surely it is a cult classic.