When the title got released and it went viral for the right reasons a few months later (in the name of film festivals), I was under an assumption that the film will talk in lengths about how animal sacrifices in the name of religion is still rampant in our state. An interview with the director, Suresh Sangaiah, proved it to be wrong when he told me that the film doesn’t preach anything and that’s when I gave a sigh of relief. Fast forward a few days, I finally got to watch the film on the big screens and yes, it’s better than I expected it to be.
When a newly-wed pair and their family set out on a lorry with their villagers to sacrifice a goat in a temple which is in the neighbouring town, an accident in the middle of no where stops the clan midway. With a life of a local villager lost in the accident, the entire group comes up with various antics to save their lives from the clutches of our law and if they managed to do it forms the crux of Oru Kidayin Karunai Manu.
In an industry dominated by stars, a film where almost every cast member get good screen space is a treat to watch. Apart from Vidharth and Raveena who plays the lead, there are many barely known and unknown artists whose names we won’t recall but will surely remember their faces we see them again in the future. I personally don’t remember the last time there was a black-comedy film based on a rural backdrop and this premise itself works in favour of the film. The director scores by not trying to force-feed any message considering the theme. He doesn’t even establish the 15 or so characters and lets the course of the story do the talking. Life isn’t a fight sequence followed by a song in a foreign locale and capturing it truly in the name of art is often brushed off as non-commercial which is almost always considered as a not-so-safe bet in the industry. But what we have here is a very simple film that doesn’t pretend to be something else. The jokes aren’t forced and the one-liners are so spontaneous that when you laugh a bit too much for one, you might miss hearing the next line which is also likely to be a counter line.
Suresh Sangaiah has also made sure that there aren’t dull moments in the film and considering that most of the film happens at the same spot with the same set of people, it must’ve been a challenge by itself. In times when film-makers search for jokes, the director here has made use of humour that a gang of friends would make within themselves and this is the reason why it looks so natural and enjoyable.
Vidharth is making a mark for choosing off-beat roles and he doesn’t seem to mind playing roles that aren’t dominant. That’s the difference between an actor and a hero and I’m glad that Tamil cinema has such an actor. Famous dubbing artist Raveena has become a heroine with this film. Though there’s little scope for her to perform in the film, she has delivered a satisfactory performance. The rest of the cast have also done a splendid job and not one character looks out of place or artificial.
Overall, Oru Kidayin Karunai Manu is a g(re)(o)at movie that deserves a visit to the theatre on a huge lorry with your entire family.
My rating: 4/5
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