‘To-Let’- a captivating tale of a family’s search for a rented house

By Mythily Ramachandran

This national award winner directed by Chezhiyan has been globe- trotting and winning acclaim

Cinematographer turned director Chezhiyan’s debut film ‘To-Let’ is a realistic portrayal of the predicament of a family of three who go house hunting after their landlady issues them a month’s notice to vacate.  

Winner of 32 awards including India’s national award for ‘Best Tamil Film’ last year, ‘To-Let’ is marked with evocative moments, eloquent visuals and standout performances by the lead cast.   

At the film’s outset, we meet this family of three-Ilango (Santosh Sreeram), Amudha (Sheela Rajkumar) and Siddharth (child actor Dharun) who have returned home after an evening at the beach. Amudha quickly changes into her home gown, tunes in the radio and gets dinner ready. Ilango also changes into his lungi and clears the clogged Indian styled toilet. Siddharth fondly called Siddhu baits his father into a game-he mimics a lion out to devour a rat-his father. That picture of contentment inside this dimly lit ordinary house with walls marked by the child’s crayon art is a beautiful portrait not easily forgotten. Life looks good until Amudha is summoned upstairs by the landlady. When she returns home seething with anger, it finds its outlet on Ilango-whom she had asked to keep a watch on her cooking-Ilango has left the dosa to burn on the stove. We soon learn that the landlady- a rude woman who treats Amudha shabbily- has asked them to vacate.  

Ilango, an aspiring director is yet to make his first film. He works as a writer in an ad company. It’s tough making ends meet. Amudha who cautiously manages household accounts suggests they go house hunting on their own instead of relying on a broker. They can cut down the broker’s fees. 

Every morning the family sets out on Ilango’s rickety scooter -that frequently has a starting trouble. Thus begins an ordeal of meeting house owners-some questioning them on their religion, some preferring ‘only vegetarians’ and if everything else is good, the quoted rent –with the IT boom in Chennai-exceeds their budget.  

Tiny details and poignant moments enhance Chezhiyan’s narrative and through his telling frames shot often in natural light, he has you invested in the lives of Ilango and Amudha. You feel their pain when the landlady without prior notice brings in prospective tenants disregarding their privacy; you feel sorry for Amudha when she describes her dream home; you are relieved when they finally find a suitable house; and you laugh with them when Dhruv asks his parents to join in his game of ‘house hunting,’ where he plays landlord. Like a fly on the wall, you can’t help but eves-drop on their life.

Chezhiyan proved that a story can be told sincerely without the trappings of cinematic frills and the tropes of commercial cinema. Lead actors Santosh Sreeram and Sheela Rajkumar share a lovely chemistry as Ilango and Amudha-bonding over intimate moments with an Ilayaraja song in the background and holding differences just like any married couple.

Sreeram, an accidental actor assisted Chezhiyan for ten years as cameraman. And, on his acting debut he reveals immense potential.  Sheela a stage actor slips into Amudha’s shoes with great ease. Child actor Dharun is a natural-his Siddhu is adorable. Moments touching your heart include a scene where Siddhu is trying to erase his drawings on the wall-his mother is angry and has asked him to clean it up before they vacate. And, when the child picks up his drawing sheet crumpled and thrown by the landlady, it leaves a knot in the throat.  

‘To-Let’ is a film that speaks from the heart. 

‘Sarvam Thaalam Mayam’ a beautiful musical drama

By Mythily Ramachandran

Is music the privilege of a select few?

Rajiv Menon’s musical drama ‘Sarva Thaalam Mayam’ while raising this valid question takes viewers through the life of Peter Johnson-son of a Dalit mridangam maker-who aspires to learn music from none other but the renowned percussionist Palakkad Vembu Iyer.

Inspired by the life of Carnatic mridangam vidwan Umayalpuram K Shivaraman, STM is beautifully narrated and complemented by spectacular performances, especially by the two lead actors-music director cum actor-GV Prakash and the Malayalam veteran Nedumudi Venu.

Peter (GV Prakash) is a crazy fan of Tamil actor Vijay. This easy going young man prefers skipping his examination so that he can play the drums during the release of a new Vijay film. His father Johnson (Kumaravel) is probably the last in the family to continue with the profession of making a mridangam. Peter is certainly not keen on following the mridangam, but is fascinated by its beats. When he delivers a mridangam to Vembu Iyer (Nedumudi Venu) for a concert, he happens to watch the live show from close quarters and from then on, his  heart beats for the mridangam. He is adamant about learning mridangam under Vembu Iyer. Will Vembu Iyer accept a Dalit as his student?

Rajiv Menon- known for his earlier two romantic dramas, ‘Minsara Kanavu’ and ‘Kandukondein Kandukondein’-found the spark for this story while making ‘Overtone’ –a documentary on the life of mridangam artiste U.K. Sivaraman.

GV Prakash training in mridangam under Sivaraman for a year prior to shooting has clearly paid. Prakash just lets himself go onscreen as he brings out Peter’s passion for beats and his perseverance to learn mridangam. It’s a delight watching him match every step with the spontaneous actor Nedumudi Venu.

A romantic angle is woven into the tale with Malayalam actress Aparna Balamurali as Sarah, a Malayali nurse who attends to Peter’s injury following a scuffle. 

‘Sarva Thaala Mayam’ a feel good entertainer that without making a loud noise makes a social statement-Music is a universal language that crosses boundaries of sect, religion, culture and language.

'Sigai’ a Tamil whodunit thriller

By Mythily Ramachandran

The first original Tamil feature film on ZEE5 directed by Jagadeesan Subbu has actor Kathir in a never before seen role

With theaters unable to meet the increasing number of films clamouring for space, digital space is opening new doors. Tamil film ‘Sigai’ released online in January 2019. 

‘Sigai’ follows the life of Nimmi, a call-girl, whose sudden disappearance at a client’s home sends Prasad, her pimp investigating.  

Directed by debutant Jagadeesan Subbu, this crime thriller carries within its narrative, a sensitive tale about inclusion of every human being irrespective of who they are.  

Prasad (Raj Bharath) is not the regular pimp portrayed in cinema. His language is neither crass nor humiliating of the women, he sends out on work. And his prostitutes are not garishly dressed. Surprisingly Prasad comes across as a compassionate human being who feels for his women team. So when Nimmi (Meera Nair) fails to report at her client’s place the next day, after visiting Prasad’s client the night before, he decides to enquire about her whereabouts. And, he stumbles upon a murder. Revealing beyond will be a spoiler.

‘Sigai’ takes a while in the first half, introducing us to its different characters. Post interval, with the entry of the London returned Mathivanan-the dead man’s friend-the story gets intriguing. Kathir, a good performer and still basking in the success of his last film-‘Pariyerum Perumal’lends a poignancy to his life as Mathivanan. It’s a subtle performance there.  

Director Subbu is to be hailed for choosing a story that embraces a social message like this one on his debut. I only wish he had invested some more on telling Mathivanan’s background story. Navin Kumar camera work is remarkable.

'Drama’ unoriginal and shoddy

By Mythily Ramachandran

Despite a good cast, this movie is disappointing due to bad writing

The premise of 'Drama' — about respecting a mother’s last wish — is heart warming, but it soon turns its focus on the lead actor, Mohanlal, thus becoming a tragedy of errors.

The film opens in Dubai, where Jomon is on the phone with his mother, Rosamma (Arundhati Nag), now in London with her youngest daughter, Mercy (Kaniha). She tells him that whenever she dies she would like to be buried next to her husband in Kattapana, Kerala.

In London, Rosamma is happy spending time with Mercy and her children. It’s a bright morning when her end comes.

The scene preceding her demise is beautiful. Wearing a fine sari, Rosamma is ready to take on the day. Her son-in-law (Shyamaprasad) compliments her. After waving her grandchildren off to school, she picks a bunch of fresh flowers and goes to her bedroom. She lies down, cross in hand and prayers on her lips. Slumber takes over and a peaceful Rosamma departs still holding the flowers.

The funeral will take place in London and Rosamma’s four other children, living in different parts of the world, arrive at Mercy’s home. There is nothing new in the characterization of Rosamma’s children — a stingy and bossy elder brother, a greedy son-in-law and a manipulative older sister. Why is the youngest always the under-achiever who ultimately cares for the parents?

Dixon Lopez Funeral Services, an undertaker agency, is entrusted with the funeral arrangements. But Jomon is not happy. Remembering his mother’s last conversation, he wants to take her body home to Kattapana to be laid next to his father’s grave.

Intended to be a satire around Rosamma’s funeral, the story veers off track with the arrival of Rajagopal (Mohanlal), the other partner of Lopez. The drama now shifts from Rosamma’s family politics to Rajagopal, who is trying to win his wife (Asha Sharath) back and find his way home. There is enough drama, though it’s of little significance. Mohanlal entertains audiences, no doubt, especially the scene where he shares his drink and chocolate bar with Rosamma lying in the coffin box.

Drama suffers from patchy writing. Despite a formidable cast — Dileesh Pothen, whose Lopez keeps you chuckling as he tries to make the most of this business opportunity; Asha Sharath as Rajagopal’s wife in a role that does little justice to her potential and Renji Panicker as the local political leader — Drama disappoints. The sexist jokes thrown in are old hash and barely tickle. Neither can the splendid visuals of London save the sagging script.