Idli Kadai Tamil Film Review - An Emotional Feast with a Side of Illogical Plot

'Idli Kadai' is a film that demands a specific kind of viewing: one that leaves logic at the door. The plot revolves around two contrasting fathers and their sons. The first father, despite his low income running a traditional idli kadai in a village, successfully raises a good, grounded son, the hero. Conversely, the rich father who owns a big hotel abroad has a spoiled son. The grounded son works at the rich father's hotel and is set to marry the daughter.

The core dramatic conflict arises when the village father dies just before the marriage. The son comes to village to carry out last rites of his father. After that the son cancels the wedding to uphold his father's legacy by taking over the idli shop. This choice pits the emotional value of the humble idli shop against the promise of a lavish foreign life. This decision, coupled with the initial, hard-to-believe love trajectory—moving from childhood sweethearts to a workplace romance, and then a sudden return to the first love—forms the weakest and most illogical foundation of the narrative.

The film attempts to connect the symbolic 'taste of idli' (representing home and comfort) to the 'taste of the father' (legacy and tradition), utilizing a mere costume change to bridge this emotional gap.

The film boasts a powerhouse ensemble including Dhanush, Shalini Pandey, Arun Vijay, Rajkiran, Geetha Kailasam, R. Parthiban, Samuthirakani, Sathyaraj, Illavarau, Prakash Raj, Vadivukkarasi and Aadukalam Naren. However, the saving grace and the film's undeniable strength is the performance by Nithya Menen, who delivers a perfect and wonderful portrayal. She anchors the emotional chaos with authenticity, making her the key element that allows the audience to connect with the film's emotional frequency.

The saving grace and the film's undeniable strength is Nithya Menen’s performance. She delivers a perfect and wonderful performance, anchoring the emotional chaos with authenticity. Her portrayal is the key element that allows the audience to connect with the film's emotional frequency. Ultimately, the film’s sole victory lies in its ability to manipulate and resonate with audience emotions, even when its story structure is entirely illogical. 'Idli Kadai' is not a logical story, but it is a successful emotional experience.

Ultimately, the film’s sole victory lies in its ability to manipulate and resonate with audience emotions, even when its story structure is entirely illogical. 'Idli Kadai' is not a logical story, but it is a successful emotional experience.

Aan Pavam Pollathathu Review: A Missed Opportunity for Nuance

Aan Pavam Pollathathu tackles the highly relevant themes of male chauvinism and toxic feminism, a bold choice in contemporary cinema. However, the film struggles significantly to maintain a balanced perspective, ultimately failing to deliver the sophisticated commentary it clearly intended.

​The central conflict of the movie, as intended, is the imperfect dynamic between the genders. The critical flaw lies in its execution: whenever the script attempts to deconstruct male chauvinism, it inadvertently validates or encourages female toxicity, and vice versa. This seesaw approach means the film never achieves the "perfect blend" of critique, ending up feeling contradictory rather than nuanced. It attempts to critique two social ills but only succeeds in pitting them against each other without offering genuine insight or resolution.

​The film's pacing suffers severely after a strong start. The first half flows smoothly, establishing characters and conflict effectively, connecting well with the audience. However, the second part derails dramatically as the writers seemingly prioritize "enlightenment of couples." This manifests as long, dialogue-heavy sequences where the couples are meant to undergo a transformation towards enlightenment. Unfortunately, these drawn-out conversations break the natural narrative momentum, turning the film from an engaging story into a series of didactic lectures.

​Perhaps the most disappointing aspect is the audience reaction itself. The film has the perverse effect of generating applauses during lines that are explicitly male chauvinistic or, conversely, highly toxic and anti-male. This suggests a complete breakdown in the delivery of the intended message, as the audience is celebrating the very flaws the movie was meant to expose.

​In conclusion, Aan Pavam Pollathathu is watchable, but it is ultimately a deeply flawed execution of a promising concept. It failed to balance its dual critique and, in trying too hard to preach toward the end, lost its narrative integrity and the clarity of its original intention.

'Bison' Movie Review: When the Lion Writes Its Own Story

Directed by Mari Selvaraj and starring Dhruv Vikram, Pasupathy, and others, the film 'Bison' is not just a story of a Kabaddi player's journey to victory. It beautifully unfolds on screen as an important document symbolizing the life struggles of marginalized people.

The Lion Writing Its Own Story (A Revised Perspective)

The African proverb states: "Until the lion learns to write its own story, every story will glorify the hunter". However, the film presents a nuanced view:

"But even if the hunter writes the story of Bison, or if the lion writes it, the story will remain the same". This is a victory for Mari Selvaraj's storytelling skill.

The pain, suffering, and struggle of the oppressed people will not diminish, no matter what perspective they are written from. The core reality remains that the gravity of their anguish is constant.

The Deeper Meaning of 'Refuse to Submit' (Adanga Maru)

The phrase 'Adanga Maru' (Refuse to Submit) has been beautifully articulated with a deeper meaning in the film:

It clearly conveys the determination to 'refuse to submit' mentally, by not backing down from one's goal, regardless of failure, weariness, or setbacks.

Kittan's mental fortitude, as he runs towards his dream despite the pain caused by social pressures, demonstrates what a healthy 'refusal to submit' truly means.

The Shadow of Salya and Karna (Kittan's Valor)

In the Mahabharata, Salya, Karna's charioteer, speaks against Karna at Lord Krishna's instigation, causing him to lose his valor, but upon witnessing Karna's unparalleled sacrifice and heroism on the battlefield, Salya has a change of heart.

Similarly, in this film, the talent displayed by the Kabaddi player Kittan on the field ultimately causes those who opposed and doubted him to change their minds and side with him.

Kittan's story echoing the shades of the Salya-Karna narrative becomes a powerful symbol.

Pasupathy's Anxiety & Dhruv's Internal Struggle

Pasupathy's Performance: He has meticulously conveyed the feelings of a father's anxiety, tension, and fear—the desire for his son to be well and not get caught up in any police cases—through his eye movements and body language. He accurately reflects the perpetual fear of a father from the marginalized community.

Dhruv Vikram (Kittan): Dhruv fully embodies the role of the Kabaddi player dealing with mental stress (Depression). His acting, simultaneously expressing inner conflict and the fierce desire to achieve his goal, makes the audience journey along with the character. The moments where he expresses that mental stress are deeply imprinted in our minds.

Piercing Dialogues

The dialogues are not only sharp and clear in conveying the message. Expressing mental stress and the pain of the heart through the dialogues is a unique feature of Mari Selvaraj's style. The dialogues reminds the the Thirukkural:

“சொல்லுக சொல்லைப் பிறிதோர்சொல் அச்சொல்லை
வெல்லுஞ்சொல் இன்மை அறிந்து

Speak out your speech, when once 'tis past dispute
That none can utter speech that shall your speech refute.
Deliver your speech, after assuring yourself that no counter speech can defeat your own.”

Conclusion: Leaving with a Heavy Heart

The fact that we leave the theatre with a heavy heart is a testament to the emotional connection established by the screenplay. Kittan's mental stress is transferred to us. 'Bison' is not just a film; 'Bison' is the pain of a community, 'Bison' is a dream, and 'Bison' is a voice for liberation. It is a work of art that clearly recorded truths—a true document.