Give a miss!

Thug Life (2025)
Director: Mani Ratnam

https://www.justwatch.com/za/movie/thug-life-2025

Following the release of this film, one realises the extent to which external forces are harnessing the power of social media to sway public opinion on various matters. Furthermore, films act as platforms for disseminating the ideologies of political parties.

Even before the film's release in Karnataka, during his promotional tours, Kamal Haasan, the central star of the movie, inadvertently – or perhaps not – provoked a diplomatic row between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. In his speech, he stated that the Kannada language is an offshoot of the Tamil language. This was not taken lightly by loyalists and politicians alike, who spoke the Kannada language. 

It is no secret that Kamal Hassan's political party is currently allied with the DMK, the ruling party of Tamil Nadu. The DMK practises divisive politics based on language, ethnicity, and anti-Hindu sentiments. Kamal Hassan is merely announcing his resurgence in Tamil Nadu politics. The State of Karnataka was a latecomer, having been carved out of the Mysore Presidency in 1956 on linguistic grounds, and has faced conflicts with Tamil Nadu over the flow of water from the River Cauvery, the worst of which occurred in 1991. This was when anti-Tamil looting and the burning of vehicles bearing Tamil Nadu number plates escalated after a Tribunal ordered the release of Cauvery water into Tamil Nadu. Although Hassan's statements were not incorrect, the Kannadian fundamentalists are unlikely to accept any of this. It is irrelevant that Tamil is an older language with evidence from ancient tablets, or that both languages may have arisen from a common ancestor, the Proto-Dravidian language.

The row has taken on monumental proportions, with the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce collaborating with politicians to ban its screening in the state of Karnataka.

The film itself was not groundbreaking. Movie enthusiasts have encountered numerous films with similar storylines. In fact, Nayagan, which the director made in 1987 with the same star, featured a son avenging his father's death, just as this one does. Narratives of betrayal and rebellion among gangsters are nothing new. Netizens were quick to point out several glaring plot holes. There is an awkward moment when an adopted daughter might have married her brother. In another instance, both father and son could be vying for the same woman in intimate relationships. The characterisation is superficial, and there are far too many characters who do not contribute significantly to the story.

 

https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-famous-people
/thuggees-002145

I was more interested in the origin of the word 'thug'. It has Indian origins. It was during the time of the British Raj, and the colonisers were eyeing the mineral-rich interior lands, which were home to a tribal group that prayed to a form of Kaali named Thugee. The Thugees naturally wanted to defend their land. Just as the Mau Mau people of Kenya were vilified by the British to create stories of them being cannibals and baby snatchers, the Thugees were described as deadly assassins who moved in groups to identify their prey. Their weapon of choice was a bandana, with which they would strangle their victims and kill them. The Thugs were feared so intensely that they entered the English lexicon.

There is another connection between thugs and the origin of the word 'assassin'. Not all thugs are Hindus; some are Muslims. The Muslim influence can be traced back to the mid-1200s in Persia. There was a group of mercenaries who were compensated with hashish; hence, they were called 'Hashshashins'. The Hashshashins became known as assassins in the English language. They moved about, fighting for and against the Muslim kingdom while opposing the Crusaders. They battled the Mongols quite disastrously, who chased them away to India, where they lived among tribal communities. They mingled with the Thugee worshippers and collaborated with them. The Hashshashins revered Kali but did not worship Her. Of course, all this could merely be a figment of the British Raj's imagination, conjuring a bogeyman out of the Indians.

 

(P.S. A film that is not worth discussing. There are already far too many YouTube channels offering brutal rundowns on this movie.)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

A comedic tragedy?

Tourist Family (Tamil, 2025)

Written and Directed by Abishan Jeevinth

I never knew that something as sombre as economic migrants fleeing illegally for greener pastures could be transformed into a comedy. This film is a testament to the idea that such a production can be made. 

There is no doubt that economic migrants making the difficult decision to uproot themselves from familiar surroundings and slip under the cover of darkness into a foreign land in search of a better life is no pleasure cruise. However, we must understand the desperation that drives them to take this risk. 

Despite the serious subject, the storyteller successfully presents their narratives in a light-hearted manner. Comedic situations arise when we least expect them, diverting the occasional tense buildup. 

A family of four - parents, a teenage son, and a preteen son- boards a boat from Sri Lanka and reaches Rameshwaram in the dark. The boys' maternal uncle, who had escaped to Tamil Nadu much earlier, is their sponsor. He arranged for their landing and accommodation. Unfortunately, from the very beginning, the family is intercepted by the Tamil Nadu police. The police constable, himself of Jaffnaese origin, who caught them, took pity on their ingenuity in escaping poverty that had struck Sri Lanka and let them go. 

The illegal immigrants arrive in a housing colony, as arranged by the uncle. Of all the places, they end up renting a room owned, of all people, by a police inspector. Although they believed their thick Sri Lankan accent would give them away, the inspector naively assumed they were Malayalis. Shortly thereafter, the refugee family became close to the other occupants of the colony due to their affable nature.

Meanwhile, a complainant turns up at the police station after losing his pet dog. The constable who let the illegal immigrant go, remembers seeing the dog with the Jaffnese. Then a bomb blasts off at a dumpsite, suggesting it could be the work of Sri Lankan terrorists. The constable is taken aback. Could he have made a major snafu? The hunt for the possible dangerous terrorist family goes full force.

Migration has been a part of human civilisation. People have always moved from point A to point B, influenced by various push and pull factors. The émigrés would typically assimilate into their newfound land. Integration was not an issue then. Recently, the new-age immigrants have arrived with a different mindset. They come in with a chip on their shoulder, look down on their hosts, and want to supplant their system. They fail to recognise that the hosts had something good going while the newcomers are there because they have messed up their own country and sought refuge elsewhere. If their own system were so great, they would be ruling the world.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Bad is Good?

Good Bad Ugly (Tamil; 2025)

Story and Direction: Adhik Ravichandran

https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/chennai/good-bad-ugly/ET00431346

I remember watching a movie on TV back in the day, under the watchful eyes of Amma. I remember it was a MGR starring Tamil movie. In one of his stereotypical roles, he, the do-gooder who fought against the evil zamindar, goes to jail at the movie's end for killing the villain. In the last scene, he returns home just to be feted with praise, showers of flower petals, and salutations. Amma was quick to interject. "What rubbish! He went to jail, and people are celebrating!"

I thought, "… but Gandhi and Nehru also went to jail, and you have a statue of them in the house and tell us stories of how we should emulate them." Thanks to my better judgment, I decided to keep my opinions to myself. 

That was how most Tamil movies used to be. The protagonist was the epitome of goodness. He was usually the exemplary one-dimensional character expected to set the mould for how one should love their life. He would indirectly propagate the virtues of being a teetotaller, speaking the truth, being honest and respecting the elders. The resolution at the show's end would teach the audience that goodness always triumphs over evil. Of course, we know MGR went into a successful political career and remains in the Tamil Nadu psyche.

So that was the time when movies tried to teach good virtues. It was then. Around the late 1970s or early 1980s, circa the launch of Kamal Hassan-starred 'Nayagan' and later Rajnikanth's 'Thalapathy', it suddenly became hip to be bad. 

Now, by default, the movie that hit big time at the box office would preach all the antithesis of what their predecessors of the Golden Era of Tamil cinema advocated. Just look at the typical blockbuster these days. It is cool to be a gangster, jobless, showing disrespect to parents, loafing around, getting drunk, indulging in pre- and extramarital trysts and eloping with one's jobless partner against all odds. 

In 'Good Bad Ugly', an unashamed reference to Clint Eastwood's successful spaghetti western, we see a repentant big-time gangster who is behind bars, drawn into his old world of thuggery and violence when his teenage son is kidnapped.

The whole movie is indulgence for Ajith Kumar's ardent fans. The outing is especially heartwarming for his fans. Ajith, also called 'Thala' (Leader), was recently conferred 'Padma Bushan', the third highest civilian award the Government of India gave for his philanthropic work. This film also celebrates his 30-plus illustrious years in Tamil cinema. Hints of his previous roles and innuendos of dialogues from his last outings are glaring in the face for his ardent fans to identify and savour. In short, it is a feel-good movie for his fans and does not contribute in any way to the upliftment of society. 

Darkkey and AK

This is quite diametrical to what MGR was seen to be spreading. We know his messages were political, but at least he told children not to steal or be sleepy heads and reminded them that the truth will always prevail. 

Malaysia's input is also evident in this movie. Darkkey, a Malaysian Indian artist involved in the local Tamil music scene for the past 30 years, appears in a cameo role. He renders his brand of music called Sambarock in the high-decibel song, 'Puli Puli'.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The test of life?

Test (Tamil, 2025)
Director, Screenplay: S. Sashikanth

https://www.indiaglitz.com/test-review-tamil-movie-36143

I am not exceptionally knowledgeable about the nuances of how a cricket match is played. This much I do know: the team scores a six when the batter hits the ball out of the field. The hitter is dismissed if the wicket falls, and a Test match is not merely a test but a genuine match, established initially to challenge the English team against its colonies. It is an endurance test running typically over five days. Moreover, Indian cinema rarely produces authentic cricket films, unlike Hollywood, which often features baseball and American football games. I believe this is the first time an Indian film has been made with cricket at the centre of the story. 

Another point: Due to security concerns, the Indian cricket team will not play in Pakistan or vice versa. Therefore, it would be wishful thinking to expect the Pakistan team to face their archrivals, India, at Chepauk Stadium in Chennai, as suggested in this film. 

The film did not have a particularly stellar outing. Reviewers complained about its exceedingly slow pace and numerous plot gaps, especially those related to the game's technical aspects. Nevertheless, the message behind the story is less about the storyline and more about the challenges the two main (and perhaps three) characters face to achieve success. 

On one side, there is Sara, a frustrated MIT graduate with an epoch-changing water-fuelled engine but no sponsors to help get it off the ground. He must contend with running a canteen with his friend while being caught in the middle-income trap. Meanwhile, his anxious wife, Kumudha, hears her biological clock ticking away and requires a large sum of money to undergo IVF. Sara has become entangled with some unscrupulous loan sharks. 

In the affluent part of town, there is an over-the-hill national cricketer named Arjun, who risks exclusion from the national team. His son thinks the world of him, but sadly, Arjun feels he is no longer a true hero.

Arjun's son attends the same school where Kumudha teaches, and Kumudha's father was once Arjun's cricket coach. Their paths cross again through the son. In a twisted turn of events, Sara abducts Arjun's son for money. Loan sharks also become involved. They run a betting ring and hope India loses their match. They persuade Sara to pressure Arjun into conceding the match to Pakistan's win.

Thus, the test referenced in the film does not relate to the test match, but rather to the trial that the three characters must endure to do what is right. For Sara, is being the provider for his wife (and soon-to-be family) the only way to prove himself as a good husband? At any cost, even if it is illegal?

Is having a child the only goal for Kumudha as a married woman? She was seen gleefully rejoicing when the money she so desperately needed for her IVF appeared in her account. Is it right to kidnap for cash?

The test for Arjun, the cricketer, is whether he should prioritise his self-interest in regaining his son by sacrificing the game or embrace his patriotic duty and focus on winning the match for India.

As anticipated, once the hornet's nest is disturbed, there is no going back. One must do what one must to prevent any repercussions. When the calm water is disturbed, the ripples will reach a crescendo before settling into a steady state, yet nothing is ever the same again. 

No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river, and he is not the same man.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Jobs designated at birth?

Tamil Kudimagan(Tamil, Tamil Citizen; 2023)
Director:Esakki Karvannan

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/t
amil-kudimagan/movie-review/103477872.cms

We are told, 'our profession is our God' (செய்யும் தொழில்லே தெய்வம்). From this adage, we understand that by performing our designated jobs diligently, we respond to a divine call. Along the way, in our long civilisation, our profession has come to define who we are and our status in life. We can blame humanity for messing everything up!

What began as a description of human aptitude and traits was categorised into academic types, those with athletic and combative inclinations, the entrepreneurial type, or the diligent and conscientious workers. People excelled in their respective skills in accordance with their innate talents. Over time, families became pigeon-holed into specific professions. Domineering behaviour is an inherent trait within us. In this way, elitists among us established hierarchical orders within society based on profession, with the scholarly and martial groups at the pinnacle. Those reliant on manual labour to perform their tasks or to handle dead animals, carcasses, hides, dirty linens, and noxious environments found themselves at the lower end of the spectrum.

Over time, this arrangement became increasingly toxic, creating divides among people regarding shared facilities, marriage, and even day-to-day social interactions. They attribute this to the British, who capitalised on the situation to further their 'divide-and-rule' strategy while ruling their Empire. Now, 75 years after independence, India remains mired in its internal divisions and caste politics. Despite all of this, it still manages to bounce back to better days, with the icing on the cake being its economy recently surpassing that of its former colonial master in size.

According to this film, pockets of discrimination persist despite significant advancements. Chinnasamy, a young man with great ambitions, is called upon to perform the last rites for deceased individuals in his village, a duty carried out by his father and ancestors. He finds the task demeaning, as no one wishes to undertake it, and people look down upon the job. The villagers' insistence on conducting one such ritual causes him to miss an important government examination, the Village Administration Officer's exam.

Things take a further turn when his medical student sister falls in love with the son of a chieftain from a higher caste. She and her entire family are humiliated. Those around them seem intent on maintaining the status quo, wishing to keep Chinnasamy's family subservient. Every attempt to improve their social standing is thwarted. Chinnasamy retaliates. When the chieftain's father passes away, Chinnasamy refuses to perform the death ritual. Everyone in his caste follows this lead. Unable to bury the old man, the police intervene. Eventually, the case is brought before the courts.

Although the whole set-up is quite melodramatic, the film carries a very relevant social message. 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Normalising woke culture?

Kadhalikka Neramillai (No time to love,  காதலிக்க நேரமில்லை;  Tamil, 2025)

Director: Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi

https://www.moneycontrol.com/entertainment/kadhalikka-neramillai-ott-release-
when-and-where-to-watch-this-romantic-drama-starring-jayam-ravi-a
nd-nithiya-menon-article-12936421.html

It would have been just another Netflix recommendation that I would have ignored. Having such an unoriginal name, which had been used before, did not excite me. For the ignoramus, in 1964, the Tamil cinema was taken back by Sridhar's superhit. Its psychedelic, picturesque Eastman moment came to be defined as Tamil cinema's first rom-com. The hit song. 'Visvanathan, velai vendum!' became to be sung as the voice of defiance of the oppressed.

My interest was piqued when a YouTuber of a channel I follow went into a tirade trying to tear down Netflix and its moviemakers for thinking out of such a crass movie. Other Tamil movie reviewers were kind to the movie, praising it for its modern approach to storytelling and refreshing filmmaking. They probably did not want to offend the First Family of Tamil Nadu, as the ruling CM's family is involved in the film's direction, production and distribution. My YouTuber accused Netflix and the producers of trying to tear down every fibre of decency and threaten to destroy the Indian way of life. The prescribed Indian or Tamil way of living, where a female is supposed to follow specific rules regarding sex, weddings and patriarchal lead, is torn down.

The movie starts with a rebellious daughter, Shriya, working as an architect in Chennai, asking her mother how sure she was that her unmarried daughter was still a virgin. The mother almost faints whilst the father ducks down, avoiding the confrontation that ensued. 

To put things in order, it is a story about a daughter who plans to migrate to the US after a civil marriage with her 4-year-old boyfriend and obtains her visa. One day, after returning from work earlier than usual, she finds her husband in bed with her best friend. She annuls her wedding.

The 1964 version

In another town, Bangalore, another architect, Sid, is all set to engage his model girlfriend. After a minor misunderstanding, the fiancée decides not to turn up. As is often the case, he goes on bedding beaux one after another for revenge. 

Meanwhile, Shriya realises that her biological clock is ticking away and wants a baby as soon as possible. What does she do? She goes straight for donor insemination. And guess whose sperm she receives? Don't ask how, but she receives Sid's from another state. Sid had once accompanied his gay friend to donate his sperm for future use. Sid does the same. This gay friend reappears later to marry his partner. This became a point of contention for the commentator as if the film is normalising gay weddings in India. For the record, while the third gender is recognised in Indian law, gay weddings are not. 

The purists also have issues with the casual portrayal of alcohol consumption by both sexes and across all layers of society. The familial decorum, such as the parent-child barrier often observed in traditional Indian families, seems to have disappeared. Single parenting is depicted as the most natural thing. It is trying to shove in the Woke's gender agenda. 

Most Indian movies end with all the characters agreeing that the Indian way of life is supreme as if to resolve all the issues. No, not here. The protagonist decides to live with the sperm donor as her live-in partner. 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

An Indian serial killer

Por Thozhil (2023)

Director: Vignesh Raja

https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/por-
thozhil-trailer-sarath-kumar-ashok-selvan-starrer-
action-packed-gripping-thriller-8637264/

Thanks to SD for recommending this. SD is a childhood friend with a photographic memory for anything Bollywood when Bollywood was simply known as Hindi cinema. Back in school, during recess, he would attract an audience of friends who would listen as he belted out old Hindi songs and provided detailed backgrounds on the film's actors, music composers, release dates, and even the studios that produced the movies. Even now, he can still rattle off the same information after all these years. However, his interest came to a grinding halt in the 1980s when he felt that Bollywood had lost its charm. These days, SD is into Tamil and Malayalam cinema, which, he claims, are more interesting in storytelling.

 

This is a Tamil film that faithfully adheres to its intended genre. It is meant to be a thriller about a serial killer, and it remains true to its premise. It is not your usual Kollywood fare. There is romance, but it is barely developed. The songs are kept in the background, and there are certainly no item songs.

 

The film narrates the story of a series of murders involving young women who are killed similarly, with their hands tied back and their throats slit with a sharp object. After the local police struggle to make any progress, Logathan, a grumpy senior police officer, is called in to solve the case. A rookie officer, fresh out of the Police Academy with top marks, Prakash, is assigned as his deputy.

 

This sparks a little drama between the senior officer, who believes the young officers are worthless, and the newbie, who endeavours to impress his superior with his theoretical knowledge. The story unfolds slowly, with a solid build-up, before the potential killer is suddenly revealed to the audience. Sarath Babu, the darling of 1980s Tamil cinema, made his final appearance as a serial killer before passing away in the same year the movie was released. But wait for the twist at the end, hinting at a possible sequel.

 

Good show, 4.3/5.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.