Meiyazhagan: Fresh theme, nuanced treatment keep this emotional drama afloat (2024)

[00:00:11] [SPEAKER_00]: Onmanorama, Movies, Start, Action, Cut

[00:00:12] [SPEAKER_00]: Hello and welcome to Onmanorama Movie Podcast, Start, Action, Cut.

[00:00:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Today we are decoding the film, Ajayandiranda Moshnam or ARM as it's now called directed by Jithin Lal.

[00:00:27] [SPEAKER_00]: The film is written by Sujit Nambiar and it stars Tovino Thomas, Krithi Shetty, Aishwarya Rajesh, Surya P. Lakshmi, Baisal Joseph, Jagadish, Abhirduhan Singh and Pramod Shetty.

[00:00:41] [SPEAKER_00]: So the story, Stunning Generations revolves around a mythical lamp with some magical and spiritual power.

[00:00:50] [SPEAKER_00]: The movie progresses with a captivating grip of the old grandma stories on ancient myths.

[00:00:58] [SPEAKER_00]: So today Swathi is here to discuss the film.

[00:01:01] [SPEAKER_00]: So how did you enjoy the movie, Swathi?

[00:01:04] [SPEAKER_01]: I really enjoyed the film Patma Kumar.

[00:01:07] [SPEAKER_01]: I think I wasn't expecting this to be this visually spectacular.

[00:01:11] [SPEAKER_01]: I really have to give all the credits to Tovino who pulled off all the three characters in the movie in a very convincing way.

[00:01:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Whether it is the first character Kalu or whether it is Mani and Ajay and all of those characters.

[00:01:24] [SPEAKER_01]: There were certain distinct characteristics to them and she pulled off all of those things very neatly.

[00:01:30] [SPEAKER_01]: And visually the movie was extremely striking and it had a history to it.

[00:01:36] [SPEAKER_01]: It is happening in three different timelines and three different stories and it was really an interesting watch.

[00:01:41] [SPEAKER_01]: But on an emotional level I do not know how much the movie would connect with the audience

[00:01:45] [SPEAKER_01]: because I don't know there is a lot of emotional depth to the story.

[00:01:48] [SPEAKER_01]: But as a viewer, as somebody who really enjoys a good cinematic experience, I think A.R.M. is a great choice

[00:01:55] [SPEAKER_01]: and definitely a win for A.R.M. release.

[00:01:59] [SPEAKER_00]: Yes, the three different eras as you said is actually quite difficult to pull off.

[00:02:07] [SPEAKER_00]: And we see the making has contributed a lot to this film, the success of this film.

[00:02:14] [SPEAKER_00]: Especially the cinematography by Joe Monti-John transport you to different ages and each period is distinctly depicted.

[00:02:24] [SPEAKER_00]: That's what I feel. And similarly, the music both BGM and the songs are worth experiencing.

[00:02:32] [SPEAKER_00]: And for many the 3D didn't work but for me it weaved the mythical aura it required.

[00:02:39] [SPEAKER_00]: And especially we need to mention Gokulda's production design.

[00:02:46] [SPEAKER_00]: It plays a pivotal role in the success of the film because it shows the ancient times of Kuni Kelu,

[00:02:54] [SPEAKER_00]: the first character played by Kovino and then the medieval period of Manian, the thief.

[00:03:04] [SPEAKER_00]: And the fort which they raid for the lamp or the underwater cave, whatever.

[00:03:11] [SPEAKER_00]: So the world it creates is a magical place where you are immersed and you enjoy.

[00:03:17] [SPEAKER_00]: You are able to see the life of those periods are meticulously crafted.

[00:03:22] [SPEAKER_00]: So how was the making of the film Swati?

[00:03:25] [SPEAKER_01]: Well, Pakumar I completely agree to you when you said that all the eras and the places and everything was meticulously crafted.

[00:03:31] [SPEAKER_01]: I think that was very much needed for us to believe that the whole world they are building is true and genuine.

[00:03:38] [SPEAKER_01]: For me my personal story was Manian's story. I think he was the fierce warrior and all of his expression, his mightiness, all of that.

[00:03:48] [SPEAKER_01]: So really embodied it perfectly I felt.

[00:03:50] [SPEAKER_01]: And that time period also where the whole villages, all of the villages that are against him

[00:03:55] [SPEAKER_01]: and the backdrop that they set in, there is a lot of greenery that is involved like the waterfall, the cave scenes

[00:04:03] [SPEAKER_01]: and a lot of things like that.

[00:04:05] [SPEAKER_01]: The whole village setup and the idol.

[00:04:07] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think one important thing that A.R.M had to strike perfectly is the fact that it had to create a sense of mythical world

[00:04:14] [SPEAKER_01]: where you feel like you are in an actual mythical story and that feeling that I guess the makers were really able to pull off

[00:04:21] [SPEAKER_01]: and that the whole credit goes to cinematography and the making part of it.

[00:04:26] [SPEAKER_01]: Because if you do not feel that this whole setup is true or what's happening is true, I don't think the believability factor would have been there

[00:04:33] [SPEAKER_01]: but they've really done a great job.

[00:04:35] [SPEAKER_01]: Especially I really love the cave sequences where Ajayen goes off to find the idol

[00:04:42] [SPEAKER_01]: and he understands the history behind his forefathers, that is money and his story and how that sort of unravels through the caves.

[00:04:52] [SPEAKER_01]: I think all of that really made a lot of sense.

[00:04:54] [SPEAKER_01]: And there were many like smaller, smaller details like the lighting inside the cave and the certain magic to it and all that was really interesting.

[00:05:02] [SPEAKER_01]: And actually somewhere I felt like you are in another world where I really like movies which has a little bit of history to it

[00:05:09] [SPEAKER_01]: and the whole meteor crashing and a deity or an idol being created from it and the history to that

[00:05:16] [SPEAKER_01]: and this whole village coming together and praying and the whole thing was just very interesting to see how the plot is progressing.

[00:05:23] [SPEAKER_01]: And you're getting to see glimpse of these old stories, like the previous stories while being in the current story

[00:05:30] [SPEAKER_01]: and I think all of that was really made a good, it made sense rather than it did not make a gooey mess out of the whole thing.

[00:05:38] [SPEAKER_01]: It really made sense and it really was able to pull us into that world and I think that is where the making part of the movie excels in.

[00:05:45] [SPEAKER_00]: There are several aspects which actually generated great curiosity for the film.

[00:05:53] [SPEAKER_00]: One is the way the three generations, the three different periods are connected to each other.

[00:06:01] [SPEAKER_00]: So when they narrate the story you go back to that period and connect with those characters and then you come back and you are in the present.

[00:06:10] [SPEAKER_00]: So how the ancient period and the present are connected, the way they have crafted that and the uniformity in portraying the whole story as a single unit was a great effort.

[00:06:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Covino really did a praiseworthy performance in this film because three distinct characters and three different Covino we see

[00:06:37] [SPEAKER_00]: and even though there are no much emotional gaps as you said earlier, whatever physical changes that was required for those each characters.

[00:06:48] [SPEAKER_00]: When you see Kunyikilu, the ancient, the first one, you see a muscular warrior and when you come to Ajayan, he's actually a martial arts expert but he walks and behaves like a simple man

[00:07:02] [SPEAKER_00]: and even Manian is a different character altogether. He's assertive, expressive and valiant but at the same time a bit mischievous.

[00:07:14] [SPEAKER_00]: So the three different characters placed in three different periods are very perfectly shown in the film.

[00:07:22] [SPEAKER_00]: So what do you say about the characterization and the way Covino portrayed those characters?

[00:07:28] [SPEAKER_01]: Well Patmugamar, like you said all of those three characters they had distinct characteristics to them and we did get to see three different versions of Covino.

[00:07:39] [SPEAKER_01]: I think it would not be correct to say three different versions of Toh because I could not really see Toh in those three characters especially Ajayan's character

[00:07:47] [SPEAKER_01]: because it's a completely different, very toned down, very grounded person that you're seeing.

[00:07:52] [SPEAKER_01]: And when it comes to Manian he's physically more I think more capable.

[00:07:59] [SPEAKER_01]: Ajayan's character is very feeble and he is a fighter and he does all the martial arts and stuff but he's a warrior.

[00:08:05] [SPEAKER_01]: I wouldn't say he's a warrior but Manian was and so was Keelu but I was really mesmerized by how he played those three characters

[00:08:14] [SPEAKER_01]: because I've heard that people when they're playing certain characters, when actors play certain characters

[00:08:20] [SPEAKER_01]: they really have to get into the psyche of those characters and then portrayed and to play these three different people in one single movie

[00:08:27] [SPEAKER_01]: and to pull it off with such finesse or easiness.

[00:08:31] [SPEAKER_01]: I think like great efforts that Toh really put in all his efforts I guess.

[00:08:35] [SPEAKER_01]: But I think where Toh in excels and I think we've discussed this before also is where how he is able to tap into the physique of the character.

[00:08:43] [SPEAKER_01]: There are many points in the movie where he is ridiculed for his cast and the things that he does

[00:08:50] [SPEAKER_01]: and for being a descendant of a thief and things like that.

[00:08:54] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think to play those things differently and to have a different understanding of the characters

[00:09:00] [SPEAKER_01]: I think that he was able to pull off but like I said the emotional points there weren't many

[00:09:05] [SPEAKER_01]: like I said there weren't many emotional points to explore and even the chemistry between Ajay and Doh and Krithi.

[00:09:15] [SPEAKER_01]: I really didn't dig it fully because obviously the scenes and the settings and the song sequence were especially very beautiful

[00:09:23] [SPEAKER_01]: but I don't know I couldn't really enjoy the chemistry between them I don't know why that was

[00:09:28] [SPEAKER_01]: but apart from the chemistry Krithi Shetty's performance I really really loved this.

[00:09:33] [SPEAKER_01]: This is her debut film, debut Malala movie and I think she really did seem like this very naive but bubbly Malayali girl

[00:09:40] [SPEAKER_01]: the Malayali girl next door and I think she really did a great part this being her first Malayali movie

[00:09:46] [SPEAKER_01]: but at the same time I also felt like characters like Basel and there are few characters like that

[00:09:53] [SPEAKER_01]: which I felt like they were forced into the movie and also I guess Juhar Gains character

[00:09:58] [SPEAKER_01]: those parts could have been done by anybody you didn't really have to have A-Listers or Big Big Stars

[00:10:03] [SPEAKER_01]: to be in that to play that part because it really didn't have that much of a significance

[00:10:08] [SPEAKER_01]: and I think that was there just to add a lot of value to the movie but for me like obviously

[00:10:14] [SPEAKER_01]: the whole weight of the movie did fall on Doh's shoulders and that he was able to pull off.

[00:10:19] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, among the women characters I think Surabhi Lakshmi did a great job with her certain answers and expressions

[00:10:28] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, she did.

[00:10:30] [SPEAKER_00]: And she did a wonderful job in this film and also Krithi Shetty actually she's a good actress

[00:10:37] [SPEAKER_00]: I wondered about her prowess in the film Openda in which Vijay Sethupati played her father

[00:10:43] [SPEAKER_00]: but here there was no much option to express give expressions or give that depth to the character

[00:10:52] [SPEAKER_00]: but she exuded radiance giving a glow to the whole frame and she exuded charm

[00:10:58] [SPEAKER_00]: and for me the chemistry between Tovino and Krithi Shetty did work

[00:11:04] [SPEAKER_00]: I like those moments and also the songs

[00:11:09] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, maybe Patmura because we have not really shown what sort of changed in those few years

[00:11:14] [SPEAKER_01]: like you're shown scenes like the younger versions of them are like they're meeting and they're smiling at each other

[00:11:20] [SPEAKER_01]: but we don't really get to see what happened and there's a time jump and then you're directly shown the fact that

[00:11:26] [SPEAKER_01]: they are in a relationship and we don't know the reason, at least I don't understand the reasons behind it

[00:11:32] [SPEAKER_01]: maybe that's why I felt like the chemistry was a bit of

[00:11:35] [SPEAKER_00]: okay, but it's fine for me if I don't know how the relationship began

[00:11:39] [SPEAKER_00]: so when it's there, it's there, okay fine but when their equation is I mean explored

[00:11:45] [SPEAKER_00]: it's okay for me so that's why I liked it I don't know how it's for others

[00:11:51] [SPEAKER_00]: but anyway and the whole thing it looked as a beautiful ensemble with all the periods of the characters

[00:11:59] [SPEAKER_00]: and the myths and the characters, story, history, fable, parables and everything

[00:12:04] [SPEAKER_00]: so and also the music and but certain things that didn't work for me was

[00:12:09] [SPEAKER_00]: the cinematography was really great but at some points the scenes were too dark

[00:12:16] [SPEAKER_00]: you couldn't identify what actually was happening there

[00:12:20] [SPEAKER_00]: so that was there and there were some more chase scenes which were too long

[00:12:29] [SPEAKER_00]: and some repetitiveness was there to them

[00:12:33] [SPEAKER_00]: otherwise overall the movie is a great experience and I think it's a theatre watch

[00:12:39] [SPEAKER_00]: of course at home or in OTT maybe you won't be able to watch in 3D with 3D glasses

[00:12:47] [SPEAKER_00]: I have no idea whether if it's possible, do you know can it be watched at home 3D movies?

[00:12:53] [SPEAKER_01]: Yes, I think the 3D element is what really sets it apart because like I said the cave sequences

[00:12:59] [SPEAKER_01]: and the waterfall sequences I don't know if the audience will be able to experience that kind of

[00:13:04] [SPEAKER_01]: the extravagance of it on small screens so yeah I mean I think this definitely meant

[00:13:11] [SPEAKER_01]: some theatres and people should come and watch it in the theatres only

[00:13:13] [SPEAKER_00]: So this is Jitin Lal's debut film and he has a wonderful film to start with

[00:13:19] [SPEAKER_00]: and he is here to stay for long and we are expecting

[00:13:23] [SPEAKER_00]: So with this film he has placed himself at a certain level and the audience will be expecting

[00:13:28] [SPEAKER_00]: many more great films like this ahead

[00:13:31] [SPEAKER_00]: so that brings us to the end of this episode

[00:13:35] [SPEAKER_00]: thanks for listening to Start Action Cut produced and hosted by me Patmugamar

[00:13:39] [SPEAKER_00]: follow www.onmanurama.com for more podcast on movies

[00:13:44] [SPEAKER_00]: and be sure to come back for the next episode of Start Action Cut out on Mondays

[00:13:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you