(These are
transcripts of Anna M.M. Vetticad’s video reviews aired
on Rajya Sabha TV on October 13,
2019.)
Hello
everyone, today I’m reviewing two films that are complete contrasts in
terms of content and storytelling style. Both are big star vehicles though.
First, Syeraa Narasimha Reddy in which Telugu
superstar Chiranjeevi plays Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy who led an uprising
against the British East India Company in the mid 1800s. This was before the
1857 revolt. To emphasise this point, his story is recounted here by Rani
Laxmibai of Jhansi in a speech with which she hopes to inspire HER men to fight
the British.
In
flashback form, Laxmibai takes us through the life of
Syeraa Narasimha Reddy, one among several once-powerful rulers in the
Telugu heartland who are being stripped of their power by
the British.
The common
people are reeling under the back-breaking taxation policies of the British,
when the hero sets out to unite his fellow rulers and the farmers against
these foreigners.
Woven into
the narrative is also his romance with the classical dancer Lakshmi, his
relationship with his wife, song and dance routines shot on a gigantic scale,
and endless action scenes.
What is
nice about Syeraa Narasimha Reddy is
that it tells the story of an anti-British rebellion from southern India. The
popular discourse in large parts of India tends to focus on the
contributions and achievements of North Indians, not just in India’s freedom
struggle but in all matters. In this context, Syeraa Narasimha Reddy is significant. But it squanders away
that plus point with the WAY it tells its story.
As it
turns out, the primary goal of this film is to underline Chiranjeevi’s star
stature. More effort has been invested in creating a spectacle rather than
in writing in-depth characters. Reddy is built up as a saintly He Man with
superhuman strength and yogic powers. He is projected as SO INVINCIBLE, that
his ultimate defeat seems unconvincing even though it is spelt out as a
historical fact.
To give
the film scale, Chiranjeevi is surrounded by multiple major stars from
Tamannaah to Nayanthara, Sudeep, Vijay Sethupathi, Amitabh Bachchan,
Anushka Shetty and ... well, the list is long. Except for Tamannaah and
Bachchan to some extent, the others are given short shrift by the screenplay.
This story
has huge potential for social insights, but director Surender Reddy is too busy
lionising Syeraa Narasimha Reddy and Chiranjeevi. Therefore the film
offers us little understanding of the class and caste struggles involved.
Realism and facts are not a priority in this revisionist historical
drama.
As far as
technical aspects go, the lavish production design and costumes
are eye-catching, but the special effects are of confusing quality. Some night-time
scenes are wonderfully impressive, but some scenes are surprisingly mediocre.
The SFX in that long passage involving bulls, for instance, is
embarrassingly tacky.
The
overall tone of the narrative is loud, rubbing every point, every message in
our faces.
For
hard-core Chiranjeevi fans, perhaps there is some pay off here since their
favourite star dominates the film in a role designed to overshadow all
else on screen. That apart, Syeraa
Narasimha Reddy is a generic, uninspiring film that lacks soul.
**** ****
Now on to
writer-director Vetrimaaran’s Asuran.
From the
moment he grabbed the spotlight with Aadukalam
early this decade, Vetrimaaran has made his own road. With Asuran he offers a stellar redefinition of Big Cinema in the Indian
context.
There is a
tendency in our country to assume that if a film revolves around caste or
exploitation of any form, then it cannot take on the trappings that give
mainstream Indian cinema its larger-than-life feel. With Asuran, Vetrimaaran walks a fine line to ensure that his hero is
projected as a giant among men without trivialising the struggles of a
marginalised community or making him appear so unconquerable that his defeats
become hard to swallow.
Dhanush
plays Sivasamy whose impoverished family is engaged in a feud with a
powerful land-owning family in the area. Initially, Sivasamy comes across as a
pacifist. His sons are frustrated with his keenness to avoid violence. Later
though, he introduces us to his defiant past and the havoc his defiance wreaked
on those around him.
Dhanush’s
remarkable physical transformation is not the only indicator of the passage of
time in Asuran. His is a richly
detailed character that evolves too as the story runs along. Even when he
metamorphoses into a roaring lion on screen, his brilliant acting, the
direction and the writing ensure that he remains believable.
Although Sivasamy
is the central figure, the screenplay works hard to develop the characters of
his wife Pachiammal, two sons, brother-in-law and antagonists. The excellent
supporting cast does full justice to the writing. But none of the stars
overshadows the film’s story or messaging.
Malayalam
superstar Manju Warrier in particular deserves to be singled out for her deeply
felt, relatable performance as Pachiammal in a film that marks her Tamil debut.
She is so good, that you have to wonder why even progressive filmmakers like
Vetrimaaran tend to think in terms of male-centric stories.
That said,
Asuran uses a conventional genre
– the male-centric action drama – to tell an unconventional story.
It is
violent, but it does not endorse violence.
It uses
episodes of loudness to take us to a point of stillness and calm.
In short, Asuran is lovely.
**** ****
Link to the video of these reviews aired
on Rajya Sabha TV:
Photographs courtesy:
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