I saw a beautiful movie last night.
Growing up in the South, I have been fortunate enough to be exposed to what is called “regional cinema” in the North, but is simply cinema in the southern states. Bollywood does not in any way define Indian cinema, and thank god for that. The beauty of the diversity of India also shines through in its movies – Malayalam, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Oriya, Marathi, Gujarati, Bhojpuri (although it’s been maligned a lot)…each region brings a distinct flavor to the industry. There is no other country, or continent, in the world, that has such a buffet of offerings.
The advent of OTT has been instrumental in many people discovering gems of cinema beyond their limitations of language. Human emotion for one, does not need words to be understood, but yes, subtitles help to follow the plot. I would encourage everyone to explore films beyond the languages known to them, and in due course, you will not only begin to understand a good number of phrases, but also the thought process of the people in various parts of our country.
So this movie I saw was being released in a time when Tamil cinema was preparing for the biggie – Jailer 2 helmed by the one and only Rajinikanth. At 75, Rajini defies logic – nowhere else will you see the protagonist at this age belting out hit after monstrous hit. Jailer 2 is on course to become the biggest hit of Tamil cinema ever – beating Rajini’s own 2.0. And so releasing a movie keeping in mind this incoming tsunami was tough, but it had to be done. The movie was average fare as far as the box office is concerned, but that is part of the problem. The Rajini Swag, while thoroughly enjoyable, fades away after a few days, yet commands a premium, and movies like this, which live on with you, are overlooked. Not very encouraging for such brave filmmakers, even the bigger names (I saw Dorothy last week, and it was wonderful, but again, not a massive hit).
Baththa – the movie, starts with a song ,a soulful tune, and ends with it as well. The difference though, has to be seen, and heard to be believed. The story is simple – about a small time gangster who gets locked in a school toilet by mistake, but the plot is far from pedestrian. A small boy, played to national award winning perfection by Master Sai Prithviraj, somehow manages to steal the show from an acclaimed a name such as Vijay Sethupathi, but only because the latter allows him to. A masterclass in acting from both, and a lump in the throat at the end of it. Their interactions are a delight to watch, and amply supported by a talented cast, and a beautiful script.
Steve Jobs (or someone) quoted that ‘Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication’. Baththa is simple, and therein lies its appeal. I strongly recommend that you see it (on Netflix), and applaud, which you will, by the end of it:)
See you tomorrow!