Thaai Kizhavi review: Radikaa steals the show in Sivakarthikeyan's riveting film
Sivakumar Murugesan's directorial debut is as warm and wry as the village it inhabits, and it earns every laugh it gets
From Disney's Snow White to our own Vidaathu Karuppu, the evil grandma stereotype shines, making an old woman the face of terror and crudeness. Indian TV and its serials have furthered this trope of this evil old matriarch harassing the hapless daughter-in-law.
On the other hand, there's another popular archetype of a benevolent old woman, who "melts like a candle" to produce light for those around them. Manormama has been the quintessential choice of Tamil filmmakers for this cardboard cutout. The scene from Shankar's Gentleman, of her telling her son (Arjun Sarja), "Naan irukaen pa" ("I'm there for you"). She is the all-giving mother, and men are supposed to find her godly love and care in their potential mates.
These two effectively rob the old woman of any sort of interesting dimension, and Thaai Kizhavi effortlessly and brilliantly subverts this stereotype, and that's just one of the many wonderful things about the debut directorial venture of Sivakumar Murugesan.
Pavunnu and her village
Thaai Kizhavi, produced by actor Sivakarthikeyan, starts off playing straight into the stereotype of this crude old woman. Pavunuthaai (Radikaa Sarathkumar) is a foul-mouthed money lender, who is a spectre of the small village in the hinterlands of Madurai.
The moment she steps out of the house, a kid runs the length and breadth of the village screaming, "Pavunnuthaai is coming." The villagers retreat to their homes fearing for their money. She doesn't hesitate to pluck out a one rupee coin from a kid's hand if the parents haven't paid the due interest.
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Women remove their jewels and hide them quickly before presenting themselves to Pavunnu. She yells at her grandson for watching TV — it would increase the electricity bill. She is anal about ceiling fans running unnecessarily.
A village full of scene-stealers
One day, Pavunnu goes to sleep and wakes up paralysed and bedridden. It's welcome news for her three sons, her son-in-law, and the villagers. Everyone arrives brimming with hope that Pavunnu will die, ending all their troubles.
But when a secret about Pavunnu is revealed through a stranger, the good-for-nothing sons give their all to save their mom, making up for a hearty comedy drama that's as insightful as it is delightful.
What makes Thaai Kizhavi enjoyable is it teems with interesting and hilarious characters, and the way Sivakumar Murugesan seamlessly blends them into the story.
A homeless loafer, who lives on the offerings made to the village deity Karrupan, has a little to do with the main story, but without him, the film wouldn't be half the fun it is now. His one-sided conversations, pleas, and rants with Karuppan are perhaps the most enjoyable onscreen love-hate relationship in Tamil cinema in a while. There's a moment when this homeless alcoholic asks Karuppan to 'Go back to Kerala' for not fulfilling his wish.
The humour here isn't just about the rural quirkiness, but becomes deeply political and witty. In another moment, it gets delightfully dark too.
Radikaa above all
Casting choices become another strong point of the film. Singam Puli, as an ardent Kamal Haasan fan, contributes to a lot of riotous laughter with his obsession for his star. Aruldoss, Balasaravanan, Munishkanth, Raichal Rabecca, and Ilavarasu are all faces that guarantee able performance, and that's exactly what they deliver.
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Yet, Radikaa, despite her limited screen time, eats them all for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The best part is that her expressions are all new in this film. With interesting mannerisms and commendable prosthetic work, Pavunnu becomes a standalone person with a little of Radikaa's reflection in her.
The right message, delivered in the right manner, at the right time. That is rarer than it sounds.
In the end, Thaai Kizhavi is a film that respects its characters, trusts its audience, and has more on its mind than its cheerful surface suggests. Tamil cinema has a new voice worth paying attention to.
