Manoranjan's maro charithra

So, you know I’m going to write about Uthama Villan. But before that, I want to touch up on a movie review in general.

In my opinion, movies are not to be reviewed or analysed or explained. It is all about spot entertainment. (And entertainment is not only about laughing and dancing). If you didn’t get entertained, then it is simply not your mug of beer. Movie is an experience to be shared.

Movies are of different kinds – Some make you think, some make you laugh so much that you forget why you are laughing. Movies like Inception gives you homework too.

Movie goers are like Zoo visitors. Most people go to Zoo only to see Lion and tiger – and don’t bother about the hundreds of colorful and interesting birds and smaller animals.

That is the case with Uthama villan. 

When there is no dialogue or song, and there is silence, people get bored and crazy.

So, what are these nuances of a Kamal Movie ? Or, what am I blabbering here..

This blog has to be elaborate in order to share atleast 5 % of what I enjoyed in the movie, so if you are not interested, you are welcome to close the browser and check IPL score.

To start with a small example – In movie Padayappa, in a scene, Ramya Krishnan removes her sunglasses and at same time Rajni wears his sunglasses – Crowd roars. Because thalaivar wears a sunglass. Few people would have understood that it symbolically tells that character weightage has shifted from villain to hero. This is just 0.001% of what we see in a Kamal movie.

And to start with an easy example from UV, In a scene, Kamal stares at a fish that is just caught and put in a basket,. The Fish jumps and struggles – symbolising that Kamal is nearing his death and is struggling in life.- again, no dialogues at all!

Clear? Now, lets go into interesting ones:

My favorite one:

Scene: Kamal writes a letter to his girlfriend, and she also writes to Kamal (not a reply). Both letters are hidden by his PA. After 25 years, Kamal comes to know of this. He asks his PA to read out the second letter.

Location – a mini theatre where movie previews happen. The word Uthama villan is written in Tamil fonts, with the dot over the last alphabet “in”(ன் ) in red color.

As Kamal comes closer to the screen, his shadow falls on the word villan (also interpreted as villain) – meaning, as the letter was not read in time, Kamal became a villain by circumstances.

Next, as Kamal takes his position to listen to the letter, the red dot over the alphabet “ன் ” falls on his nose – indirectly showing his anger on the PA for having hidden that letter.

Once the letter is fully read, Kamal comes closer to his PA and now, the red dot is on his forehead, indicating that he has come over the incident and is now acting with wisdom.

What an intelligently written and enacted scene !? they’ve simply captured the emotions and explanations which would otherwise take thousands of words and few flashback scenes.

Next scene – where Kamal asks his daughter (separated from him) to read out the first letter.

Location – Shooting spot – Kamal has just come out of a shoot, with a Theeyam make up. 

As she reads the letter, he is removing his make-up. Once the letter is fully read, his original face is back. In her mind, She had a negative image about Kamal, and as she is understanding the truth through the letter, her impression on Kamal changed which was shown through his make-up removal on screen.

This scene has a lot more interesting points like the background image outside the door, but I’m not going to write about all of those.

And then there are performances, humorous dialogues, meaningful songs etc., which lifts the movie. The song in the historical portions are important, as they reveal the most important thing which is again revealed only in the climax in one line. No, i won't disclose it.

The opening song is a nice spoof of present day’s commercial movies.

Kamal's movie, this one in particular needs mind, brain and patience to sit back and enjoy it. This movie will not appeal to all categories of Audience, and if you are one of them, its not entirely your fault. As I said, this is just not your mug of beer.

There are many more hidden messages in each scene, each frame which I haven’t written above. One of the smartest thing is the title - it is actually villan - Villu means Bow, and who is master in that is villan, this was smartly used in English as villain to play with circumstances.

To me, this is one of the most intelligently written and enacted movie I’ve ever watched.

This movie should be appreciated and celebrated. But knowing our Indian movie bluffs, they will term this as a torturous disaster, and after 10-15 years, come back and term this as a cult classic legendary movie. Shame!

Note: The below banner on "Beat the heat" is still valid. But everytime i draft something, it starts raining making the subject irrelevant. So, just waiting for the Bangalore climate to decide by itself whether it is summer or monsoon..!!