In this episode of Start Action Cut, Sajesh, Ayyappan and Padmakumar are decoding the Tamil film Kottukkaali directed by P S Vinothraj and starring Soori and Anna Ben in lead roles.
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[00:00:11] Hi, welcome to Onmanorama Movie Podcast, Start, Action, Cut. Today we are decoding the Tamil film Kottukkaali written and directed by P.S. Vinod Raj and starring Suri and Anna Ben in lead roles.
[00:00:26] Ayyepen and Sajesh are here to discuss the film. The movie tells the story of a girl who falls in love with a lower caste boy but the family feels that she is possessed.
[00:00:38] Ayyepen and they try to seek the help of a seer to exorcise her through witchcraft. So there are some arguments regarding the casting.
[00:00:50] So Sajesh, you had something to tell about why she was cast as Meena, the main character in the film. So how was the movie for you and what's your opinion?
[00:01:04] Kottukkaali, Patnomer. So I went for P.S. Vinod Raj's Kottukkaali after watching Poorangan. Expectation was high and it never failed.
[00:01:14] So that was the first thing. The movie, as usual, it discusses gender politics. At the same time, you know, it also discusses caste related issues.
[00:01:25] But the problem for me when entire film worked and even acting of Anna Ben worked for me. I would say that. Not just work, it just enchanted me at places which also I would explain.
[00:01:42] But I completely oppose Vinod Raj for showing Anna Ben in a dusky makeover. Either he could have gone for an actor who is of the, you know, if his Meena was a dusky character, he envisioned Meena as a dusky character.
[00:02:05] He could have very well gone for an actor with the same skin or, you know, skin complexion. Or he should have showed Anna Ben as she is. That is the main problem I had because it stood out from the entire film.
[00:02:22] So, you know, her complexion. Whether maybe it is because, you know, we know who is Anna Ben and, you know, how she looks. It could be that. But that is one factor that stood out for me. And I didn't like that factor.
[00:02:36] But at the same time, Anna Ben in two places. Why she, you know, she made me doubt whether somebody else could have filled her shoes. That is once, the first time it was when, you know, she was maintaining this void look where it was echoing that, you know, I was writing this article where it was echoing.
[00:02:56] I am not going to allow them to break me. That was the state, that was the stiffness she was carrying all through. And when they were passing by that lake, you know, you get to see in her imagination, she is walking through that by the lake with her hair free.
[00:03:17] Her face is lit up. There is a smile on her lips. Okay. And then the reality strikes and we see Anna, Mina in fact, not Anna, Mina sitting inside the rickshaw and just one eye pulled with tears.
[00:03:38] And she holds it back. She just holds it back. It conveys a lot. It just, you know, makes your eyes well as well.
[00:03:49] And the second time, the similar same kind of thing that happens when Pandi beats her up.
[00:03:55] The entire commotion after the entire commotion, when Pandi walks off, she gets back into the auto rickshaw.
[00:04:05] And she sits there and looks out for an eternity and comes back and checks herself out in the rear view mirror.
[00:04:15] And you see the same kind of, you know, one eye filled with tears, the other one, same void look, adamant void look in the other one.
[00:04:25] And this time, she has a small smile that comes upon her face. Like, you know, she has defeated her folk, you know, Pandi and others.
[00:04:36] These are the moments that made me doubt whether somebody else could have, you know, filled Anna's shoes.
[00:04:43] Though I completely oppose Vinodra's decision to, you know, go for the makeover. That's what I have to say.
[00:04:51] Yes.
[00:04:52] Actually, Sajesh, you said a lot about the character and the way Anabin portrayed that character.
[00:05:00] And then you are making, I feel that you are making two contradictory statements.
[00:05:05] And here, what I feel is when a director casts an actor, the skin color would be, I think, the last priority.
[00:05:14] And there are so many other factors which you yourself had mentioned here.
[00:05:18] I have to stop you here, just one moment.
[00:05:21] Because this is not a movie, a commercial movie or anything.
[00:05:26] It talks clearly about gender politics, caste issues.
[00:05:31] And this is an issue-based movie.
[00:05:35] From the beginning to the end, it talks about an issue.
[00:05:38] And, you know, you have made entire choice based on that.
[00:05:44] And then you lose out on something like, you know, skin politics.
[00:05:50] That's not fair.
[00:05:51] You are making decisions.
[00:05:54] Then you have to make the entire, you know, you're making a movie for it based on an issue.
[00:05:59] Not just, you know, casting an actress.
[00:06:03] You're bringing the character.
[00:06:05] It's not an actress you're casting.
[00:06:07] You're casting the character.
[00:06:09] Yeah, fine.
[00:06:11] Even if you are doing a movie on some issues that's there in the society, as a movie maker,
[00:06:21] whatever you had said about that character earlier, that's the first priority.
[00:06:26] I think, what do you say, Ayyapan?
[00:06:29] How was the movie for you?
[00:06:31] Padma Kumar, two things.
[00:06:33] Let me first respond to what Sajesh had just said.
[00:06:36] He made a very, very sharp point.
[00:06:39] I love the way he described her emotions, the way she emoted.
[00:06:44] And I will have to concede the point that I didn't notice the one eye being welded and the other eye being dried.
[00:06:51] That was a very minute and lovely observation that Sajesh made.
[00:06:55] It is also a fact that I found her the only person, only person in the film who didn't belong to that milieu,
[00:07:02] to that milieu that was shown in the film.
[00:07:05] She was different from the other actors, which is true.
[00:07:08] But I don't know whether it's right.
[00:07:11] But the way I am trying to rationalize it in one way, that is, I think it was a creative choice.
[00:07:18] She is the only person who seemed to be thinking on a different way.
[00:07:24] She seems to be the only person who is the rebel here, who doesn't think the way her community thinks.
[00:07:31] Even her mother, she's sad only because she's being beaten.
[00:07:35] Her father is sad only because she's being the victim.
[00:07:37] She's being physically beaten.
[00:07:39] She's being brutalized.
[00:07:41] That is the only thing that has saddened them.
[00:07:43] But they all think the same way.
[00:07:46] She's the only person who thinks differently.
[00:07:49] Perhaps that could be the reason why she must have been made to look different.
[00:07:54] She does not look like a person who was brought up in that milieu.
[00:08:00] I agree to that.
[00:08:01] But then I think it's an aesthetic choice.
[00:08:03] And the second point would be, I don't think it was about gender politics.
[00:08:11] I don't think this film was about caste.
[00:08:14] I think it was a political film.
[00:08:17] If it's Kool and a lot of people, it was an emotional film.
[00:08:20] But this one was a political film.
[00:08:23] The entire, I mean, the first cousin marriage, the endogamy around which the film is developed.
[00:08:33] I think it's just an excuse, just the context for the director to make a political point.
[00:08:40] And the political point was, I think it is foolish.
[00:08:44] It is absurd to hold on to primitive ideas, hold on to primitive traditions, hold on to primitive systems, primitive thoughts, illogical, irrational, primitive thoughts.
[00:08:57] I think that was the idea.
[00:08:58] That was the idea that he was trying to convey.
[00:09:00] Not gender.
[00:09:02] It was not about patriarchy.
[00:09:04] It was not about gender.
[00:09:06] Because both the protagonists, Pandi played by Suri and Meena played by Anna Ben, are equally, what do you call, equally trapped in this cultural mode.
[00:09:17] Equally trapped in this traditional system.
[00:09:21] Both have lost their choice.
[00:09:23] She just made a choice.
[00:09:25] In his case, he has already been castrated.
[00:09:28] His individuality has been castrated.
[00:09:30] He has been told right from childhood that your maternal uncle's daughter is going to be yours.
[00:09:35] So, he seems to believe, he is under an illusion created by his culture that this female is a soulmate.
[00:09:43] So, this guy is also trapped.
[00:09:45] So, it's not about female agency.
[00:09:47] It is not about gender politics.
[00:09:51] It is about a political statement that Vinod Raju wants to make.
[00:09:55] And that is, don't hold on to, it is foolish to hold on to primitive values.
[00:10:02] And in that sense, now the question that you asked me, what do I think about the film?
[00:10:07] For me, I love the film.
[00:10:08] But I was not, I was disappointed with the resolution that is shown in the film.
[00:10:14] Basically, the ending of the film.
[00:10:15] For me, this was a political film.
[00:10:18] And I am a mainstream guy.
[00:10:20] And for me, for a political film to actually feel very satisfying,
[00:10:26] the protagonist or the person who holds on to this belief that Vinod Raj wants to demolish,
[00:10:31] I want him to undergo a catharsis.
[00:10:34] I want to feel that this man has been transformed.
[00:10:38] The core of this man has been transformed.
[00:10:41] Somehow, the ending does not give me that satisfaction.
[00:10:45] It is too vague.
[00:10:46] And for that reason alone, I find this film a touch lower or a lot lower,
[00:10:53] not just a touch, a lot lower than his first film, Kurandam.
[00:10:56] Ayipan, don't you think that the ending is a bit,
[00:11:00] though it's not directly telling what you said,
[00:11:03] the resolution.
[00:11:05] But doesn't that implicate this man has been reformed?
[00:11:09] He hasn't shown it in an obvious manner.
[00:11:11] But the way it ends, it gives some hints.
[00:11:14] Don't you feel that way?
[00:11:16] Papamumar, there are two things.
[00:11:17] Either this man has been reformed,
[00:11:20] or what we have shown is that he has a kind of an hesitance,
[00:11:24] or perhaps he might just shake off his hesitance
[00:11:26] and allow the ritual to be carried out.
[00:11:29] But my problem is not with, even if it is, as you say,
[00:11:33] the man has been reformed.
[00:11:35] My problem is how, on what basis?
[00:11:39] See, I'm not given any convincing reasons
[00:11:44] as to why this man should be reformed at this stage.
[00:11:47] Because what we are shown is a witch doctor
[00:11:51] or a traditional healer who is trying to treat,
[00:11:55] I mean, the protagonist,
[00:11:57] and our protagonist is witnessing the treatment.
[00:12:00] The girl he has brought along,
[00:12:02] his maternal uncle's daughter,
[00:12:03] the girl he thinks is his soulmate.
[00:12:05] She has not yet been taken before the traditional healer
[00:12:08] or the witch doctor.
[00:12:09] Now, what he witnesses is another female being treated,
[00:12:15] being exorcised by this traditional healer.
[00:12:19] And what we see is pretty outrageous.
[00:12:23] It seems like a very impersonal ritual,
[00:12:27] but his actions are outrageously predatory.
[00:12:31] It is predatory in nature,
[00:12:32] the way he feels the girl's skin.
[00:12:36] It's outrageous.
[00:12:37] To think that Pandey has seen this
[00:12:41] and has suddenly been reformed,
[00:12:43] beats logic.
[00:12:44] You know why?
[00:12:44] A person in an urban setting,
[00:12:46] perhaps people like us,
[00:12:47] who live in an urban area,
[00:12:49] live in a progressive society like Kerala,
[00:12:51] perhaps we might,
[00:12:52] looking at what the traditional healer is doing,
[00:12:54] we might think that it's pretty odd.
[00:12:56] I mean, why should a girl from a family
[00:12:58] be subject to this?
[00:12:59] We might think so,
[00:13:00] but Pandey belongs to that milieu.
[00:13:03] Pandey knows what is going to happen
[00:13:05] before a traditional healer.
[00:13:06] So why would he be reformed?
[00:13:08] What made him reform?
[00:13:10] What created the transformation?
[00:13:15] I was not convinced.
[00:13:17] I was not shown.
[00:13:17] I was not given to,
[00:13:18] I was not given any reason.
[00:13:20] But when you see the film,
[00:13:23] as Sajesh mentioned earlier,
[00:13:26] the looks,
[00:13:27] the gaze,
[00:13:27] the stare,
[00:13:28] all those subtle nuances
[00:13:30] speak a lot about the story.
[00:13:33] So here too,
[00:13:34] we can see that Pandey was witnessing
[00:13:37] another girl being treated by the exorcist
[00:13:39] and he watches that
[00:13:42] and he watches the whole thing
[00:13:45] standing there
[00:13:46] and then he goes back.
[00:13:49] So what do you say,
[00:13:51] Sajesh?
[00:13:51] Can't you see that as an indication
[00:13:53] of that transformation?
[00:13:54] What do you say?
[00:13:55] Patmumar,
[00:13:56] couple of points.
[00:13:57] So I'll start with accepting
[00:13:59] and at the same time objecting
[00:14:01] what Ayipan said.
[00:14:02] It's definitely a film that's political
[00:14:04] and at the same time,
[00:14:06] it's about agency of Meena,
[00:14:10] her choices,
[00:14:11] her fight for her choice
[00:14:13] and that's what I felt.
[00:14:15] It's definitely the entire film.
[00:14:17] If you had seen the film in the theatre,
[00:14:21] Vinod Raj ends it with a line
[00:14:23] saying that the end of this journey
[00:14:25] is in your hands.
[00:14:27] So it's actually,
[00:14:28] it's political.
[00:14:30] It's also talking about,
[00:14:32] you know,
[00:14:32] the problems that
[00:14:33] these women are facing.
[00:14:35] If you look at one instance,
[00:14:38] I'll point out
[00:14:38] why I felt that,
[00:14:40] you know,
[00:14:40] it is,
[00:14:41] or a couple of points
[00:14:42] I'll point out,
[00:14:43] bring up,
[00:14:44] which made me feel that,
[00:14:45] you know,
[00:14:45] this is talking about
[00:14:47] gender politics
[00:14:48] or a woman's agency,
[00:14:49] Meena's agency.
[00:14:51] First thing is
[00:14:52] situational comedy
[00:14:53] that you love
[00:14:54] when you see that,
[00:14:55] you know,
[00:14:56] all these men
[00:14:57] standing by the road
[00:14:59] and pissing on different platforms,
[00:15:02] like,
[00:15:02] you know,
[00:15:02] whether that be
[00:15:03] on the mud
[00:15:05] or on soil
[00:15:06] or,
[00:15:07] you know,
[00:15:07] on the rocks
[00:15:08] or on the leaves
[00:15:09] and the soundscape,
[00:15:11] it just,
[00:15:12] you know,
[00:15:13] that is what you hear
[00:15:14] for a long time
[00:15:15] and till the last drop falls.
[00:15:18] And then,
[00:15:19] towards the far end,
[00:15:21] you get to see
[00:15:22] women running into
[00:15:24] deep ends of
[00:15:26] the forest
[00:15:27] or inside the forest,
[00:15:29] you know,
[00:15:29] to relieve themselves
[00:15:30] or to change the path.
[00:15:33] So,
[00:15:33] you know,
[00:15:34] one thing that
[00:15:35] made you laugh
[00:15:36] is now coming back
[00:15:37] to you
[00:15:38] in a different form.
[00:15:39] It's asking you,
[00:15:40] like,
[00:15:40] you know,
[00:15:40] it's pointing to the
[00:15:42] gender issues
[00:15:42] that we are facing.
[00:15:44] I'm not saying that,
[00:15:45] you know,
[00:15:45] there should be freedom
[00:15:46] or I'm not saying
[00:15:47] women are,
[00:15:49] you know,
[00:15:49] waiting to pee
[00:15:50] on the roadside,
[00:15:51] just like we relieve ourselves.
[00:15:53] But that's not the thing,
[00:15:55] even then.
[00:15:56] Then,
[00:15:57] the second thing is
[00:15:58] these people
[00:15:59] from the beginning,
[00:16:00] they are presented
[00:16:01] with obstacles.
[00:16:02] That's what I feel.
[00:16:04] You know,
[00:16:05] Vinod Raj
[00:16:05] has given this journey
[00:16:07] a lot of obstacles
[00:16:08] asking them
[00:16:09] just what
[00:16:11] Ayipan said,
[00:16:12] you know,
[00:16:13] giving them chances
[00:16:15] to turn back.
[00:16:16] From this
[00:16:17] very medieval
[00:16:19] regressive
[00:16:20] end,
[00:16:21] they were
[00:16:21] traveling to.
[00:16:23] So,
[00:16:24] that is another thing
[00:16:25] that made me feel
[00:16:26] that,
[00:16:26] you know,
[00:16:26] okay,
[00:16:26] these are the points
[00:16:28] and I totally agree
[00:16:29] that,
[00:16:29] you know,
[00:16:30] this is a political film
[00:16:31] with,
[00:16:32] you know,
[00:16:32] caste and gender
[00:16:33] undertones
[00:16:34] or,
[00:16:35] you know,
[00:16:35] some of them
[00:16:36] speaking loudly
[00:16:36] at points
[00:16:38] and then
[00:16:39] about coming back
[00:16:40] to
[00:16:40] whether
[00:16:41] Pandi
[00:16:42] reformed or not,
[00:16:43] Pandi,
[00:16:44] I felt that,
[00:16:45] you know,
[00:16:45] there was only
[00:16:46] hesitation
[00:16:47] in Pandi
[00:16:48] after seeing
[00:16:49] this woman
[00:16:50] being exorcised,
[00:16:51] the way she is
[00:16:52] being exorcised,
[00:16:53] Pandi developed
[00:16:55] a hesitation.
[00:16:56] The reason for
[00:16:56] the hesitation,
[00:16:58] you know,
[00:16:59] is left
[00:16:59] for me to read.
[00:17:01] I know that,
[00:17:02] you know,
[00:17:02] I felt that Pandi
[00:17:03] is a shamanist person,
[00:17:05] egoistic,
[00:17:06] so he never
[00:17:07] wanted his
[00:17:08] soulmate,
[00:17:09] like Ayipan
[00:17:10] rightly pointed out,
[00:17:11] his soulmate
[00:17:13] to be exorcised
[00:17:14] in the same way
[00:17:15] the other woman
[00:17:16] underwent.
[00:17:17] We see
[00:17:18] two women,
[00:17:19] one,
[00:17:19] a small girl
[00:17:20] when they,
[00:17:22] Mina and company,
[00:17:23] when they
[00:17:24] reach the place,
[00:17:25] when they park
[00:17:25] the vehicle,
[00:17:27] we see another girl
[00:17:28] being brought
[00:17:29] back to the car
[00:17:30] and she is
[00:17:32] so soulless,
[00:17:34] you know,
[00:17:34] so mechanical,
[00:17:37] it's the same
[00:17:38] mechanical
[00:17:38] and absent
[00:17:40] phase that we
[00:17:41] see in the
[00:17:42] second woman
[00:17:43] who's,
[00:17:44] you know,
[00:17:45] shown being
[00:17:46] exorcised
[00:17:47] when Mina and
[00:17:48] company reach
[00:17:49] these shaman's
[00:17:51] place.
[00:17:52] So Pandi
[00:17:53] would have seen
[00:17:53] that.
[00:17:54] Pandi would have
[00:17:55] understood that,
[00:17:56] you know,
[00:17:57] I want Pandi
[00:17:58] to understand
[00:17:59] whether he
[00:17:59] understood or not
[00:18:00] is something
[00:18:01] different.
[00:18:01] I want Pandi
[00:18:02] to understand
[00:18:03] that,
[00:18:03] you know,
[00:18:04] this is a battle
[00:18:04] he long lost.
[00:18:06] He's not going
[00:18:07] to get back
[00:18:07] the Mina he
[00:18:08] loved.
[00:18:09] He's not going
[00:18:09] to get back
[00:18:10] the same Mina,
[00:18:12] the lively one
[00:18:13] he loved so
[00:18:14] much from
[00:18:15] childhood.
[00:18:16] It is going
[00:18:16] to be a very
[00:18:17] blank woman
[00:18:18] going to
[00:18:19] replace or,
[00:18:20] you know,
[00:18:21] come back to
[00:18:21] him,
[00:18:22] his life.
[00:18:23] So that could
[00:18:24] be one reason.
[00:18:25] So there is
[00:18:26] never a reform.
[00:18:27] There is no
[00:18:27] time for a
[00:18:28] reform.
[00:18:28] And I love
[00:18:30] that,
[00:18:30] you know,
[00:18:30] he didn't show
[00:18:31] that there is
[00:18:31] going to be a
[00:18:32] reform.
[00:18:33] He wants us
[00:18:34] to sit
[00:18:34] and think.
[00:18:35] I believe
[00:18:36] why he removed
[00:18:37] this line
[00:18:38] from OTT
[00:18:39] version is
[00:18:40] because,
[00:18:41] you know,
[00:18:41] he wanted to
[00:18:42] make it even
[00:18:43] more open-ended
[00:18:43] and he wanted
[00:18:45] us to sit
[00:18:46] and think,
[00:18:47] us to sit
[00:18:47] and discuss,
[00:18:49] you know,
[00:18:49] what would have
[00:18:50] happened to
[00:18:51] Pandi.
[00:18:51] Did Pandi
[00:18:52] take the right
[00:18:53] way or did
[00:18:55] Pandi,
[00:18:56] you know,
[00:18:57] selfishly took
[00:18:58] Mina back to
[00:18:59] the shawman
[00:18:59] and completed
[00:19:00] the process?
[00:19:01] It is
[00:19:02] something that
[00:19:02] we should
[00:19:03] be discussing.
[00:19:04] It should
[00:19:04] be left
[00:19:05] to us.
[00:19:06] And that
[00:19:07] I love,
[00:19:08] you know,
[00:19:08] the ending.
[00:19:09] Pandi,
[00:19:10] can I just
[00:19:10] intervene?
[00:19:12] I found what
[00:19:13] Sajesh said
[00:19:13] very interesting
[00:19:14] because that
[00:19:14] is precisely
[00:19:15] the point
[00:19:16] that I was
[00:19:16] trying to
[00:19:16] make.
[00:19:17] The first
[00:19:18] point that
[00:19:18] Sajesh made
[00:19:19] that Pandi
[00:19:21] was witnessing
[00:19:22] the atrocity
[00:19:24] that the
[00:19:25] shaman was
[00:19:26] doing on
[00:19:27] another victim.
[00:19:28] And suddenly,
[00:19:29] perhaps,
[00:19:29] I mean,
[00:19:29] as Sajesh said,
[00:19:31] Vinod Raj
[00:19:31] has left it
[00:19:32] open for us
[00:19:33] to think.
[00:19:34] But what
[00:19:34] my way of
[00:19:35] thinking was
[00:19:35] that he
[00:19:36] saw this,
[00:19:37] I mean,
[00:19:37] if at all,
[00:19:38] he aborts
[00:19:39] that,
[00:19:39] he says,
[00:19:40] we go back,
[00:19:40] we are not
[00:19:41] taking Mina
[00:19:41] to the witch
[00:19:42] doctor,
[00:19:42] we are going
[00:19:43] back.
[00:19:43] If that
[00:19:43] has been
[00:19:44] the decision,
[00:19:44] I think it
[00:19:45] was basically
[00:19:46] did because
[00:19:47] he thought
[00:19:49] like any
[00:19:50] normal male,
[00:19:51] it was male
[00:19:52] entitlement
[00:19:53] because he
[00:19:53] saw the
[00:19:54] shaman doing
[00:19:55] something outrageous
[00:19:56] to this female.
[00:19:57] He didn't
[00:19:58] want his girl
[00:19:59] to be subjected
[00:20:00] to that.
[00:20:00] That was
[00:20:01] not transformation,
[00:20:02] that was just
[00:20:03] male jealousy
[00:20:04] and male
[00:20:04] entitlement.
[00:20:05] And that is
[00:20:06] the reason why
[00:20:06] I think it's
[00:20:07] a very regressive
[00:20:08] thought.
[00:20:08] That is not
[00:20:09] transformation.
[00:20:10] That is why
[00:20:11] it didn't work
[00:20:12] as a political
[00:20:13] film film.
[00:20:14] Okay.
[00:20:14] So,
[00:20:15] coming away
[00:20:16] from this
[00:20:16] political
[00:20:17] aspect,
[00:20:18] as a film,
[00:20:19] what I
[00:20:20] like the
[00:20:21] most is
[00:20:21] the realistic
[00:20:23] treatment,
[00:20:24] the use of
[00:20:25] sound.
[00:20:25] sound,
[00:20:26] so the
[00:20:27] surround
[00:20:27] sound,
[00:20:27] which plays
[00:20:28] as a
[00:20:29] music,
[00:20:29] and then
[00:20:30] there are
[00:20:31] sustaining
[00:20:31] visuals in
[00:20:32] between.
[00:20:33] There are
[00:20:33] quite a lot
[00:20:34] of them
[00:20:34] throughout the
[00:20:35] movie.
[00:20:36] So,
[00:20:37] you are
[00:20:37] given some
[00:20:38] space to
[00:20:39] ponder
[00:20:39] what just
[00:20:42] happened,
[00:20:43] and also
[00:20:45] about the
[00:20:45] philosophy and
[00:20:46] the theme
[00:20:47] and the
[00:20:47] subject.
[00:20:47] So,
[00:20:48] it's giving
[00:20:49] you a lot
[00:20:50] of time,
[00:20:51] as you
[00:20:51] said earlier,
[00:20:52] whether
[00:20:53] Pandi reformed
[00:20:54] or not,
[00:20:55] or whether
[00:20:55] he was,
[00:20:56] even if it
[00:20:57] was hesitant,
[00:20:58] he was
[00:20:58] hesitating,
[00:20:59] whatever it
[00:20:59] be.
[00:21:00] So,
[00:21:00] as Sajesh
[00:21:01] also said,
[00:21:02] that the
[00:21:03] director,
[00:21:04] Vinod Raj,
[00:21:04] gave us
[00:21:05] the choice
[00:21:06] to think.
[00:21:07] So,
[00:21:07] anyway,
[00:21:08] people should
[00:21:08] think that's
[00:21:09] what the
[00:21:10] ultimate purpose
[00:21:11] of this,
[00:21:12] I think.
[00:21:12] So,
[00:21:13] those sustaining
[00:21:14] visuals
[00:21:14] give you
[00:21:16] a lot of
[00:21:16] time to
[00:21:17] ponder.
[00:21:18] So,
[00:21:18] even the
[00:21:19] technical
[00:21:19] aspects like
[00:21:20] sound,
[00:21:21] the camera,
[00:21:21] the editing,
[00:21:22] even the
[00:21:22] editing,
[00:21:23] I think,
[00:21:24] was magnificent
[00:21:25] because it
[00:21:26] adds some
[00:21:27] artistic flavor
[00:21:28] to the
[00:21:28] whole unit,
[00:21:29] the whole
[00:21:30] thing.
[00:21:30] So,
[00:21:31] what do
[00:21:32] you have
[00:21:32] to say
[00:21:32] about the
[00:21:33] making of
[00:21:33] the film,
[00:21:34] Ajapan?
[00:21:35] But,
[00:21:35] I basically,
[00:21:36] when you watch
[00:21:37] a film,
[00:21:38] these things,
[00:21:39] basically,
[00:21:39] the editing
[00:21:39] and the
[00:21:41] pacing,
[00:21:42] I mean,
[00:21:42] it automatically
[00:21:42] gets into
[00:21:43] you in a
[00:21:44] very organic
[00:21:45] way,
[00:21:45] you are
[00:21:46] aware of
[00:21:47] it,
[00:21:47] but then
[00:21:47] you don't
[00:21:48] specifically
[00:21:49] know where
[00:21:49] the editing
[00:21:50] had worked.
[00:21:50] But for
[00:21:51] me,
[00:21:52] this film
[00:21:53] did work
[00:21:54] well as a
[00:21:55] social commentary.
[00:21:56] The way
[00:21:57] the script
[00:21:58] was,
[00:21:58] I mean,
[00:21:59] the way
[00:21:59] certain
[00:22:00] creative
[00:22:00] choices
[00:22:01] were made,
[00:22:02] small,
[00:22:02] little,
[00:22:02] little things
[00:22:03] that I
[00:22:04] found very
[00:22:04] appealing.
[00:22:05] When
[00:22:06] Pandey and
[00:22:07] his family
[00:22:08] begin their
[00:22:08] journey with
[00:22:09] the girl
[00:22:09] towards
[00:22:10] the Shaman,
[00:22:11] the first
[00:22:12] thing that
[00:22:12] they see
[00:22:13] is a
[00:22:14] two-wheeler.
[00:22:14] You don't
[00:22:15] see the
[00:22:15] driver of
[00:22:16] the two-wheeler.
[00:22:16] It's going
[00:22:17] in front.
[00:22:19] Behind is a
[00:22:20] mound of
[00:22:21] masks,
[00:22:22] demon masks,
[00:22:22] the kind of
[00:22:23] mask that
[00:22:24] you see
[00:22:24] hung in
[00:22:25] front of
[00:22:25] houses to
[00:22:26] ward off,
[00:22:26] to sort of
[00:22:27] frighten away
[00:22:28] evil spirits.
[00:22:29] So it is a
[00:22:30] multitude of
[00:22:31] these marks,
[00:22:32] I mean,
[00:22:32] grouped together
[00:22:33] behind this
[00:22:34] two-wheeler
[00:22:34] like a
[00:22:34] haystack.
[00:22:35] That is the
[00:22:36] visual that
[00:22:36] in front of
[00:22:37] him.
[00:22:37] I found that
[00:22:38] pretty cheeky
[00:22:38] because,
[00:22:39] you know,
[00:22:39] they are
[00:22:40] going to
[00:22:40] see a
[00:22:41] shaman to
[00:22:44] expel the
[00:22:45] evil spirit
[00:22:46] of love
[00:22:46] that has
[00:22:47] sort of
[00:22:47] possessed this
[00:22:48] girl in
[00:22:48] their family.
[00:22:49] And there
[00:22:50] is this
[00:22:51] symbol,
[00:22:52] this totem
[00:22:54] that wards
[00:22:55] off evil.
[00:22:55] So I like
[00:22:56] that connection,
[00:22:57] that little
[00:22:58] connection that
[00:22:58] is made.
[00:22:59] The same
[00:23:00] thing,
[00:23:00] I mean,
[00:23:00] there is a
[00:23:01] pattern towards
[00:23:02] the middle
[00:23:03] or towards
[00:23:03] the next
[00:23:04] second half
[00:23:04] of the film,
[00:23:05] two people,
[00:23:06] two people
[00:23:07] who are part
[00:23:07] of the
[00:23:08] convoy,
[00:23:08] onto
[00:23:09] Rojj.
[00:23:10] Two of
[00:23:11] them takes
[00:23:12] a right
[00:23:13] turn or
[00:23:13] takes a
[00:23:14] diversion to
[00:23:15] a wine
[00:23:15] shop.
[00:23:16] They want
[00:23:16] to have
[00:23:17] a small
[00:23:17] drink.
[00:23:18] And just
[00:23:19] before they
[00:23:19] take the
[00:23:20] diversion,
[00:23:20] there is
[00:23:20] another
[00:23:21] bike that
[00:23:22] comes,
[00:23:23] that passes
[00:23:24] them.
[00:23:24] And behind
[00:23:25] this driver
[00:23:26] is a stack
[00:23:28] of empty
[00:23:29] pots,
[00:23:30] the kind
[00:23:31] of pots
[00:23:31] that women
[00:23:32] fill water
[00:23:33] with.
[00:23:33] So suddenly
[00:23:34] thirst,
[00:23:35] both in
[00:23:36] different ways,
[00:23:37] one,
[00:23:38] two people
[00:23:38] who want
[00:23:39] to get
[00:23:39] wine,
[00:23:40] two people
[00:23:40] who want
[00:23:40] to get
[00:23:40] liquor,
[00:23:41] and one
[00:23:42] person is
[00:23:42] going to
[00:23:42] sell pots
[00:23:43] that is
[00:23:43] going to
[00:23:44] fill homes
[00:23:45] with water.
[00:23:46] So these
[00:23:47] touches I
[00:23:48] loved very
[00:23:48] well.
[00:23:49] And it
[00:23:50] was also
[00:23:50] the way
[00:23:52] in which
[00:23:52] he made
[00:23:53] this a
[00:23:53] social satire
[00:23:55] that worked
[00:23:56] for me.
[00:23:56] I mean,
[00:23:56] at least
[00:23:57] to an
[00:23:58] extent it
[00:23:59] worked for
[00:23:59] me because
[00:24:01] he gave
[00:24:02] elements of
[00:24:02] social satire
[00:24:03] because there
[00:24:04] are throw
[00:24:05] away lines
[00:24:05] in the
[00:24:06] movie that
[00:24:07] sort of
[00:24:08] amplifies his
[00:24:09] political
[00:24:09] team.
[00:24:10] Take for
[00:24:11] instance,
[00:24:12] they are
[00:24:13] traveling and
[00:24:14] Pandi is
[00:24:16] going triples
[00:24:16] in his
[00:24:16] bike and
[00:24:17] one of the
[00:24:18] guys and
[00:24:19] Pandi asks
[00:24:20] him about
[00:24:20] his father
[00:24:21] and this
[00:24:22] guy says
[00:24:22] don't speak
[00:24:23] about him.
[00:24:24] I mean,
[00:24:24] he's a good
[00:24:25] for nothing.
[00:24:25] He's a useless.
[00:24:28] Why is he
[00:24:28] useless?
[00:24:30] Why do you
[00:24:31] have
[00:24:32] gone to
[00:24:32] become an
[00:24:32] ascetic?
[00:24:33] He's
[00:24:33] gone to
[00:24:33] become a
[00:24:34] seer?
[00:24:34] He's
[00:24:34] gone to
[00:24:35] become a
[00:24:35] witch doctor?
[00:24:36] The irony
[00:24:36] was, I
[00:24:37] mean,
[00:24:37] these people
[00:24:38] were going
[00:24:38] to see a
[00:24:39] witch doctor
[00:24:39] trusting that
[00:24:40] this witch
[00:24:41] doctor could
[00:24:41] cure this
[00:24:43] girl and
[00:24:43] their family
[00:24:44] of evil
[00:24:46] spirits.
[00:24:47] So that
[00:24:47] irony,
[00:24:48] these
[00:24:48] contradictions.
[00:24:49] Then there
[00:24:49] is another
[00:24:49] scene where
[00:24:50] the family,
[00:24:51] before reaching
[00:24:52] the Shaman,
[00:24:53] they visit
[00:24:54] their family
[00:24:55] deity.
[00:24:56] The place
[00:24:56] is reached
[00:24:57] through a very
[00:24:57] narrow dirt
[00:24:58] road.
[00:24:59] And after
[00:25:00] they visit
[00:25:01] to the
[00:25:01] family
[00:25:01] deity,
[00:25:02] what we
[00:25:03] see is
[00:25:04] the auto
[00:25:05] rickshaw
[00:25:05] going in
[00:25:05] reverse.
[00:25:07] And the
[00:25:07] people going
[00:25:08] along with
[00:25:08] Pandi in
[00:25:09] his bike,
[00:25:10] Pandi finds
[00:25:11] this pretty
[00:25:11] odd,
[00:25:12] pretty foolish,
[00:25:13] going in
[00:25:13] reverse.
[00:25:14] So he
[00:25:14] stops the
[00:25:15] auto rickshaw
[00:25:16] and these
[00:25:17] men get
[00:25:18] out and
[00:25:19] the tremendous
[00:25:20] superhuman
[00:25:21] effort, they
[00:25:22] lift this
[00:25:23] auto rickshaw
[00:25:24] and turns it
[00:25:24] around so that
[00:25:25] this auto
[00:25:25] rickshaw can
[00:25:26] travel forward
[00:25:27] rather than
[00:25:27] go backward.
[00:25:28] And what
[00:25:29] is completely
[00:25:29] lost on
[00:25:30] these men
[00:25:31] is that
[00:25:32] they are
[00:25:32] doing something
[00:25:33] far more
[00:25:34] regressive.
[00:25:35] They are
[00:25:35] taking a
[00:25:35] girl to
[00:25:37] a witch
[00:25:37] doctor to
[00:25:38] sort of
[00:25:39] cure her
[00:25:40] of her
[00:25:40] love illness.
[00:25:41] Nothing
[00:25:41] could be
[00:25:41] more stupid
[00:25:43] than that.
[00:25:44] But it's
[00:25:45] completely lost
[00:25:45] on them.
[00:25:46] Such tongue-in-cheek
[00:25:48] humor is part
[00:25:49] and parcel of
[00:25:50] this film.
[00:25:50] And in that
[00:25:51] sense, as a
[00:25:52] social commentary
[00:25:52] worked for me
[00:25:53] until the ending
[00:25:55] happened.
[00:25:55] Pat Mumar, for
[00:25:57] me as well,
[00:25:58] the script had
[00:26:00] beautiful moments.
[00:26:02] So all these
[00:26:03] points that
[00:26:04] Ayipan made
[00:26:05] made me as
[00:26:09] well laugh
[00:26:09] inside the
[00:26:10] theatre.
[00:26:12] And just
[00:26:12] this moment
[00:26:14] that we were
[00:26:14] discussing just
[00:26:15] now, I
[00:26:16] believe that
[00:26:17] Vinod Raj
[00:26:18] must have
[00:26:21] rewritten his
[00:26:22] script on the
[00:26:23] location or
[00:26:24] he must have
[00:26:24] done something
[00:26:25] like, you
[00:26:25] know, accept
[00:26:27] the errors that
[00:26:28] has happened
[00:26:29] on the scene
[00:26:30] and continue
[00:26:31] with it.
[00:26:32] And that has
[00:26:33] worked.
[00:26:33] I believe that
[00:26:35] worked really
[00:26:35] well for the
[00:26:37] movie.
[00:26:37] So the two
[00:26:38] instances that
[00:26:39] I think
[00:26:40] happened as an
[00:26:41] error which
[00:26:42] he kept or
[00:26:44] which he
[00:26:44] improvised,
[00:26:45] the first one
[00:26:46] was this
[00:26:47] particular journey
[00:26:48] when they
[00:26:50] take this
[00:26:51] country road
[00:26:52] towards their
[00:26:53] clan deity,
[00:26:55] you will see
[00:26:56] Suri almost
[00:26:58] going off the
[00:26:59] character when
[00:27:00] the bike slips
[00:27:02] or wobbles
[00:27:02] on the
[00:27:04] pebbles.
[00:27:05] And then he
[00:27:07] regains the
[00:27:08] character.
[00:27:09] It's a split
[00:27:10] frame.
[00:27:11] And then he
[00:27:11] regains the
[00:27:12] character and
[00:27:13] they continue
[00:27:13] the journey.
[00:27:14] And he
[00:27:14] asked this
[00:27:15] friend, you
[00:27:16] know, this is
[00:27:17] an often used
[00:27:18] road, so why
[00:27:19] don't they make
[00:27:20] it a proper
[00:27:21] road,
[00:27:21] tar road.
[00:27:23] And this
[00:27:23] guy says that
[00:27:24] the deity
[00:27:25] had made it
[00:27:26] clear that if
[00:27:27] they tar the
[00:27:28] road, he
[00:27:29] will leave the
[00:27:30] place of
[00:27:31] worship.
[00:27:31] He will
[00:27:32] leave wherever
[00:27:33] his place
[00:27:34] is now.
[00:27:35] So that
[00:27:36] was one thing.
[00:27:37] Can I just
[00:27:38] intervene?
[00:27:40] Yeah.
[00:27:41] That's yet
[00:27:42] another irony
[00:27:43] shown in the
[00:27:43] film.
[00:27:44] See, they
[00:27:45] want the road
[00:27:45] to be tarred.
[00:27:46] I mean,
[00:27:46] Pandi wants
[00:27:47] the road to
[00:27:47] be tarred.
[00:27:48] And suddenly
[00:27:48] his friend
[00:27:49] tells him, as
[00:27:49] said, I
[00:27:50] mean, if
[00:27:50] it is
[00:27:51] tarred, the
[00:27:51] deity will
[00:27:52] leave.
[00:27:52] And he's
[00:27:53] infuriated by
[00:27:54] that.
[00:27:54] I mean, he's
[00:27:54] angry with
[00:27:55] it.
[00:27:55] I mean, he's
[00:27:55] frustrated by
[00:27:57] it.
[00:27:57] But completely
[00:27:59] he's unaware,
[00:28:00] blissfully unaware
[00:28:01] that he's
[00:28:01] doing something
[00:28:02] as stupid
[00:28:02] as that.
[00:28:04] True, true.
[00:28:05] And the
[00:28:06] second one, I
[00:28:07] believe,
[00:28:08] error happened
[00:28:09] during the
[00:28:10] shoot.
[00:28:11] I want to
[00:28:11] believe it like
[00:28:12] that.
[00:28:12] which was
[00:28:13] kept purposefully
[00:28:14] by
[00:28:15] Finodraj or
[00:28:17] maintained
[00:28:17] in the
[00:28:19] movie.
[00:28:19] That happens
[00:28:20] during the
[00:28:21] puja by
[00:28:22] Suri's
[00:28:23] father in
[00:28:25] front of the
[00:28:26] clan deity.
[00:28:26] So they
[00:28:27] break this
[00:28:27] coconut and
[00:28:29] he completely
[00:28:31] breaks it
[00:28:32] and loses
[00:28:32] the water,
[00:28:33] which he
[00:28:34] was supposed
[00:28:35] to sprinkle on
[00:28:36] the deity to
[00:28:37] wake him up
[00:28:37] or whatever
[00:28:38] it is.
[00:28:38] But nothing
[00:28:39] is left.
[00:28:40] But the
[00:28:41] entire crew
[00:28:42] or entire
[00:28:43] crew in a
[00:28:44] sense, the
[00:28:45] actors definitely
[00:28:46] they continue
[00:28:46] in their
[00:28:47] role.
[00:28:48] The camera
[00:28:49] is not
[00:28:49] stopped.
[00:28:51] None of the
[00:28:52] crew breaks
[00:28:53] their momentum.
[00:28:54] They just
[00:28:55] continue with
[00:28:55] the scene and
[00:28:56] the scene
[00:28:57] comes up with
[00:28:57] even with
[00:28:59] that error,
[00:28:59] it just
[00:29:00] comes up
[00:29:00] beautiful.
[00:29:01] And you
[00:29:02] could read
[00:29:03] it in this
[00:29:03] way as well.
[00:29:05] All the
[00:29:05] rituals doesn't
[00:29:06] have to be
[00:29:07] followed in
[00:29:07] the same
[00:29:07] fashion.
[00:29:08] So he
[00:29:09] just sprinkles
[00:29:11] whatever is
[00:29:11] left and
[00:29:12] they continue
[00:29:12] with it.
[00:29:13] So these
[00:29:14] are the
[00:29:14] moments that
[00:29:15] I believe
[00:29:15] happened
[00:29:16] accidentally
[00:29:17] or improvised
[00:29:19] from an
[00:29:20] error.
[00:29:21] So that
[00:29:23] having that
[00:29:26] mindset to
[00:29:27] include
[00:29:27] these errors
[00:29:28] or incorporate
[00:29:30] these errors
[00:29:31] into his
[00:29:32] script from
[00:29:33] the location
[00:29:34] is something
[00:29:35] it just
[00:29:36] works beautifully
[00:29:37] for me.
[00:29:38] Yeah,
[00:29:39] that's what
[00:29:40] I said.
[00:29:40] That
[00:29:41] coconut
[00:29:42] breaking
[00:29:42] scene,
[00:29:43] I think
[00:29:44] that scene
[00:29:44] gives some
[00:29:45] realistic touch
[00:29:46] to the
[00:29:47] whole scene.
[00:29:48] I still
[00:29:49] don't know
[00:29:50] why sometimes
[00:29:51] it's possible
[00:29:52] when it's a
[00:29:53] visual,
[00:29:53] it's okay,
[00:29:54] you can
[00:29:54] retain that,
[00:29:55] but when
[00:29:56] it happens
[00:29:57] with the
[00:29:57] dialogue,
[00:29:57] for example,
[00:29:58] if a
[00:29:59] character is
[00:29:59] sneezing or
[00:30:01] coughing in
[00:30:02] the middle
[00:30:02] of the
[00:30:02] dialogue,
[00:30:03] that can
[00:30:03] happen in
[00:30:04] natural context.
[00:30:06] So I
[00:30:07] sometimes wonder
[00:30:08] why don't
[00:30:09] people,
[00:30:10] the character,
[00:30:11] the actors,
[00:30:12] I mean,
[00:30:13] the character
[00:30:13] in the film,
[00:30:14] why don't
[00:30:15] they cough
[00:30:15] or sneeze
[00:30:16] or have
[00:30:17] some,
[00:30:18] these kind
[00:30:19] of gestures
[00:30:19] that happens
[00:30:21] naturally,
[00:30:22] and then
[00:30:23] when they
[00:30:24] go to
[00:30:25] the dubbing,
[00:30:26] they can
[00:30:27] retain that,
[00:30:28] they can
[00:30:28] do that
[00:30:29] in that way.
[00:30:34] regards the
[00:30:34] performance,
[00:30:35] I think
[00:30:36] Suri,
[00:30:37] as a
[00:30:37] hot-numbered
[00:30:38] man,
[00:30:39] he did
[00:30:39] perfectly
[00:30:40] well,
[00:30:41] and when
[00:30:42] it comes
[00:30:42] to
[00:30:43] Anna Ben
[00:30:43] as
[00:30:44] Mina,
[00:30:44] the girl
[00:30:45] in the
[00:30:46] subject,
[00:30:46] first we
[00:30:46] think that
[00:30:47] why she
[00:30:47] is being
[00:30:49] tagged as
[00:30:49] an
[00:30:50] adamant
[00:30:50] girl,
[00:30:50] he's
[00:30:51] silent
[00:30:51] and she's
[00:30:52] sitting
[00:30:52] there,
[00:30:53] but later
[00:30:53] we realize
[00:30:54] the reason,
[00:30:55] and she
[00:30:57] doing that
[00:30:58] role,
[00:30:58] she,
[00:30:58] I mean,
[00:30:59] actually elevates
[00:31:00] the character
[00:31:00] with her
[00:31:01] strong and
[00:31:01] meticulous
[00:31:02] performance.
[00:31:03] About performance,
[00:31:03] Iyepan.
[00:31:04] I mean,
[00:31:06] one thumb rule
[00:31:07] about performance
[00:31:08] is that you
[00:31:09] shouldn't feel
[00:31:10] that these
[00:31:10] people are
[00:31:11] acting,
[00:31:11] and I think
[00:31:12] the entire
[00:31:13] cast didn't
[00:31:14] make me feel
[00:31:14] that they
[00:31:15] are acting,
[00:31:15] I think that
[00:31:16] in itself is
[00:31:17] a big
[00:31:18] thumbs up
[00:31:18] for their
[00:31:19] performance,
[00:31:19] nothing more
[00:31:20] can I add.
[00:31:21] Patom,
[00:31:22] regarding the
[00:31:23] casting,
[00:31:23] I would like
[00:31:24] to go back
[00:31:24] to those
[00:31:25] two characters
[00:31:26] Iyepan
[00:31:27] pointed out,
[00:31:27] like,
[00:31:28] you can take
[00:31:29] the main
[00:31:29] characters and
[00:31:30] you can say
[00:31:30] that all
[00:31:31] these actors
[00:31:32] are professional
[00:31:32] and they
[00:31:34] have done
[00:31:34] a great
[00:31:34] job,
[00:31:35] which is
[00:31:36] fine.
[00:31:36] But those
[00:31:37] two characters
[00:31:38] Iyepan pointed
[00:31:39] out earlier
[00:31:39] who,
[00:31:40] you know,
[00:31:40] were in the
[00:31:41] search of
[00:31:42] beverage shop
[00:31:43] or,
[00:31:43] you know,
[00:31:43] toddy shop,
[00:31:44] if you look
[00:31:45] at their,
[00:31:47] the way they
[00:31:48] have carried
[00:31:48] their role,
[00:31:49] it's just,
[00:31:50] there is nothing
[00:31:51] artificial in it.
[00:31:53] You won't find
[00:31:53] it like,
[00:31:54] you know,
[00:31:55] from the moment
[00:31:56] you notice
[00:31:57] these two people
[00:31:57] when they
[00:31:58] come into
[00:31:59] that,
[00:32:00] Mina's
[00:32:00] house
[00:32:01] to catch
[00:32:02] the rooster
[00:32:02] who tries
[00:32:03] to escape
[00:32:05] from that
[00:32:06] moment,
[00:32:07] you will see
[00:32:08] that,
[00:32:08] you know,
[00:32:08] they just
[00:32:09] so natural,
[00:32:10] you won't
[00:32:10] feel that,
[00:32:12] you know,
[00:32:12] they're acting.
[00:32:13] You actually
[00:32:14] see them as
[00:32:15] they're behaving
[00:32:16] and these
[00:32:17] are some
[00:32:17] great things
[00:32:19] that we point
[00:32:19] out when
[00:32:21] superstars
[00:32:21] are acting
[00:32:22] on screen.
[00:32:22] You say
[00:32:23] that,
[00:32:23] you know,
[00:32:23] they're behaving
[00:32:24] and sort
[00:32:26] of things
[00:32:26] and this
[00:32:27] is happening
[00:32:28] from two
[00:32:29] minor cast
[00:32:30] who are
[00:32:31] always on
[00:32:32] the back.
[00:32:33] So,
[00:32:34] the casting
[00:32:35] is on
[00:32:35] dot here.
[00:32:37] Even from
[00:32:38] lowest
[00:32:39] character
[00:32:40] to the
[00:32:41] top end,
[00:32:41] the casting
[00:32:42] is perfect.
[00:32:43] My only
[00:32:43] problem with
[00:32:44] casting,
[00:32:44] I have already
[00:32:45] pointed it
[00:32:45] out,
[00:32:46] it is not
[00:32:47] a casting
[00:32:47] issue,
[00:32:48] but it
[00:32:49] is about
[00:32:50] Finoz Raj's
[00:32:51] decision
[00:32:52] to go for
[00:32:53] the makeover.
[00:32:54] Yes,
[00:32:54] that is
[00:32:55] the only
[00:32:55] problem
[00:32:55] that I
[00:32:56] have.
[00:32:56] Yeah,
[00:32:57] and since
[00:32:59] the sound,
[00:33:00] I think the
[00:33:00] surround sound
[00:33:01] is the
[00:33:01] mainstay,
[00:33:02] even more
[00:33:03] than the
[00:33:03] BGM or
[00:33:04] the music,
[00:33:05] the sound
[00:33:06] is the
[00:33:07] mainstay
[00:33:07] in the
[00:33:07] movie,
[00:33:08] but at
[00:33:09] certain
[00:33:09] points,
[00:33:10] that aspect
[00:33:11] was not
[00:33:12] paid the
[00:33:13] required
[00:33:13] attention.
[00:33:15] For example,
[00:33:15] when the
[00:33:16] family arrives
[00:33:17] at a place
[00:33:17] of worship,
[00:33:18] some are
[00:33:19] seen talking
[00:33:19] but they
[00:33:20] are not
[00:33:20] heard.
[00:33:22] And such
[00:33:22] minor things
[00:33:23] can be
[00:33:23] I feel
[00:33:24] as flaws
[00:33:25] in the
[00:33:26] film.
[00:33:27] So,
[00:33:27] as we
[00:33:27] had
[00:33:28] discussed
[00:33:29] it earlier,
[00:33:30] Sajesh,
[00:33:31] you said
[00:33:31] that there
[00:33:32] is nothing
[00:33:32] we can
[00:33:33] point out
[00:33:34] as a
[00:33:35] flaw.
[00:33:35] So,
[00:33:36] what do
[00:33:36] you say?
[00:33:36] I'm not
[00:33:38] sure about
[00:33:40] this instance,
[00:33:41] but sound,
[00:33:43] you can
[00:33:43] talk about
[00:33:45] the design
[00:33:45] and everything,
[00:33:46] but what
[00:33:47] I have
[00:33:47] noticed,
[00:33:48] one great
[00:33:48] thing is
[00:33:49] the moment
[00:33:50] Suri,
[00:33:51] going back
[00:33:52] to this
[00:33:53] one scene
[00:33:54] that we
[00:33:55] discussed
[00:33:56] earlier,
[00:33:56] I even
[00:33:57] also brought
[00:33:57] it up and
[00:33:57] then I
[00:33:58] added to
[00:33:59] it.
[00:33:59] When the
[00:34:00] bike moves
[00:34:02] from the
[00:34:03] tarred road
[00:34:04] to the
[00:34:04] country road
[00:34:05] while they
[00:34:06] were going
[00:34:06] to their
[00:34:08] clan deities
[00:34:09] worship place,
[00:34:11] there is
[00:34:12] this natural
[00:34:13] gear shifting
[00:34:14] or the
[00:34:16] engine just
[00:34:17] goes,
[00:34:17] lull for a
[00:34:19] split second
[00:34:20] and that
[00:34:22] has been
[00:34:22] recorded and
[00:34:23] used in the
[00:34:24] same way.
[00:34:25] it's not
[00:34:26] an artificially
[00:34:27] created,
[00:34:27] so it's
[00:34:29] easy for
[00:34:29] them to
[00:34:30] just opt
[00:34:31] for a
[00:34:31] bike sound
[00:34:32] in the
[00:34:33] folly and
[00:34:34] then replace
[00:34:35] it as it
[00:34:36] is or
[00:34:36] use it
[00:34:37] in the
[00:34:37] scene.
[00:34:37] But here
[00:34:38] they have
[00:34:39] brought the
[00:34:39] live sound
[00:34:40] from the
[00:34:41] location,
[00:34:42] otherwise
[00:34:42] you won't
[00:34:43] get that
[00:34:43] split second
[00:34:44] bike,
[00:34:45] the engine
[00:34:46] going lull
[00:34:47] and then
[00:34:47] you enter
[00:34:49] that by road
[00:34:50] and then
[00:34:51] continue.
[00:34:52] So sound
[00:34:53] really works
[00:34:53] perfect for
[00:34:54] me.
[00:34:54] And all
[00:34:55] through the
[00:34:56] movie,
[00:34:56] clearly don't
[00:34:57] remember this
[00:34:58] scene that
[00:34:59] you mentioned.
[00:34:59] I'm not sure
[00:35:00] why exactly
[00:35:01] they missed
[00:35:02] it.
[00:35:03] It's surprising
[00:35:04] for me.
[00:35:05] So the
[00:35:05] movie reads
[00:35:06] like a
[00:35:06] poem that
[00:35:07] keeps you
[00:35:08] immersed in
[00:35:08] the world
[00:35:09] of Meena
[00:35:09] and Pandi.
[00:35:11] And it's
[00:35:13] a good
[00:35:13] watch.
[00:35:14] And that
[00:35:15] brings us to
[00:35:16] the end of
[00:35:16] this episode.
[00:35:17] Thanks for
[00:35:18] listening to
[00:35:18] Start Action
[00:35:19] Cut,
[00:35:19] produced and
[00:35:20] hosted by
[00:35:20] me,
[00:35:21] Pat Mugumar,
[00:35:22] www.onmanorama.com
[00:35:24] for more
[00:35:24] podcasts or
[00:35:25] movies.
[00:35:26] And be sure
[00:35:26] to come
[00:35:26] back for
[00:35:27] the next
[00:35:28] episode of
[00:35:28] Start Action
[00:35:29] Cut out on
[00:35:30] Mondays.
[00:35:30] Thank you.