Monday Feb 09 2009, Chennai

God, to the rescue!

Genre - Others

Directed by - Bala

Produced by - K S Srinivasan

Music by - Illaiyaraja

Casts - Rajendran, Azhagm Thamizhmani etc

Starring - Arya, Pooja

Bala's ‘Naan Kadavul’ is not the usual feel-good entertainer, which you can watch with a pack of popcorn. This is one movie that hits hard with its strong portrayal of life’s bitter realities.

On the periphery, ‘Naan Kadavul’ might look like a revenge saga, but it is not. This film operates on different layers! No other movie has captured the life of Aghora sanyasis the way ‘Naan Kadavul’ has.

Bala has done his homework well. The characterisation is just impeccable.

The core element of the story – the beggar mafia – is inspired by Jayamohan’s novel ‘Eazhaam Ulagam’. Jayamohan himself has penned the dialogues for the movie, and has imparted a satirical tone to the scenes.

‘Naan Kadavul’ features Arya’s career-best performance; the body language is quite amazing. He has got very little to speak but his body and eyes convey everything.

Pooja portrays her character brilliantly. Rajendran, among others, stands out with his strong performance.

Illayaraja’s music is one of the highlights of ‘Naan Kadavul’; the strains add another dimension to the narrative. Arthur Wilson has done a wonderful job with the cam.

On the flip side, ‘Naan Kadavul’ is a bit too lengthy. Bala could have cut short some scenes to make the narrative crispier.

-Aravindan D.I.