IRAIVI - A flim by Karthik Subbaraj

[NOV]

Awesome Karthik... please continue.

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[mappi]

Iraivi
A Film by Karthik Subbaraj

Part Two of Three

Instances (condt.)

4/ Women

There are actually six women, preferables females, in the film whose life are interlocked with similar emotions over a vague future. They all are from different generations who spin inside a vicious circle interlocking themselves, thus thier positions interchange during the coarse of the film.

(i) Gen minus one : Arul's Mother - The Lady

After years of psychological abuse, a kind of chronic fatigue syndrome put her into a coma, where she hears the men responsible for her state talking around her, but does not react. Unfortuantely she has two sons who have thier priorities listed above too. Arul speaks to her about his pathetic state ; and Jagan talks to her justifing his philosophy ; while her husband grants a permission, an order that a father should never pass to his sons. But the three men don't seem to care about her mother's state, of coarse they worry, but her silence had not struck their sentimental chords.

This aspect is projected through a Nurse. A white dressed Lady interrupts them Thrice - to stop Arul from crying, to object Jagan's proposition and finally to halt their father's decesion. But she is thrown out of the door and the sad white Lady retreats into the oblivion of sleep.

(ii) Current Gen : Ponni, Malar & Yazhini - The Women.

Engulfing themselves inside a social blanket decorated with cultural stains, these three woman fight within debating about their personel needs and punishing themselves with guilt driven by social and personal causes. Malar sheds the typical woman image crowned by the soceity and beds another man to whom she is not socially authorised to sleep with. Ponni subdues all her physical needs and tries to cope up with her life going by the social books. Yazhini sways inbetween not knowing which road to take, the less traveled one of Pooja or the well lit lanes of Ponni.

At a point in time during the narration, the emotional urges of these three woman cross path, where they try hard to switch places.

(iii) Gen plus One : The daughters - Unfortunate girls.


(Michael with his daughter)

Both the daughters, Michael's and Arul's do not recognise their father as a figure for their life. Michael's daughter calls him uncle, while Arul's daughter forgets that she is the symbol of her parent's love but thinks that her parents are still in a proposal phase.


(Arul and Yazhini with their daughter)

Michael's daughter gets to escape the social barrier (Manithi Veliye Va song echoes), while Arul's daughter enters into the vicious circle along with her mother.

Recurring Phrase.

5/ Rain

Rain is used as a Leit Motif - the repetition of identical metaphors or symbols to represent a greater concept.

Eventhough there are other action & sound metaphors - (the toy when Arul & Jagan visit Michael and Ponni), symbols (Michael seated in his shop beside two goddess idols), motifs (the entire lighting theme esp. during the murder by Michael), - Karthik uses rain to establish not only liberation, but a connection and bonding. Within the rain, there are action, sound, object and a collection of detailing. The brightest potrayal is the cycles falling as dominos once Ponni has spoken about her ideals of married life to her friends.


(Vijay Sethupathi as Michael)

Many have used rain to crisply smiplify the deeper levels of the characters and the suituations. Rain is a thin line between two unconnectables and Karthik uses it as a connector to his subplots. Every crucial point in the film, including the opening and closing, is puncuated with rain. Everytime a character(s) does an action of importantance that changes the coarse of the proceedings, it is pointed out via rain - Arul depressed and Yazhini soothes him, the murder, Jagan proposes Ponni, Michael repents before Ponni, Pooja chases away Michael, etc.

Just like the symbols representating another object to elaborate a deeper meaning, the rain gets masked by window panes. The suituation and the dialogues point to the urge of freedom of the three female characters introduced, but its the window's horrizontal/vertical bars project the deepest sense. Arul's mother, a tired married woman and Yazhini, a bridegroom are sitting inside a room watching the rain. Actually they are inside a self prison, where the iron bars reflect the imprisonment cell. Whereas, Ponni, a teenager is outside under a shelter discussing with her firends. Towards the end, Ponni, Yazhini and their daughters are watching the rain - Ponni through the metal rods of the train's window, whereas Yazhini through an open door. Ponni opens the doors and moves out, while Yazhini deceides to stay behind the open doors.


(Arul behind the fence, reactional shot in conversation with Michael)

The difference in the prisons - self-made & social - is projected through simple iron girds for the woman and rombus (squared) fence for men.

Recurring Phrase.

6/ Brotherhood - Bali, Sugriva & Rama


(The Gandhian monkeys sticking together to refuse to speak or see or hear - (think) - properly)

Bali's deception at the closed cave enterance makes him claim his brother Sugriva's wife Ruma by chasing his brother out of the kingdom. Sugriva, criminal by circumstance heeds to Rama who kills Bali. The dying Bali throws few questions at his murderer, and Rama replies to him patiently.


(Jagan outside Ponni Michael's house at the night of thier wedding)

Jagan feels deceived for many reasons - not meeting Ponni well before, permitting Michael, a man-whore to mistreat Ponni, etc. Arul has just come out of his depression, and readily helps Michael to continue his life elsewhere. The conflict between Michael and Jagan turns fatal. Arul, driven by his emotive needs makes another fatal decision that spins the Bali story, the reply he gives to speechless Michael is riveting.

Recurring Phrase.

7/ Iraivi - Art Theif

The theft occuring in the story are the pieces in the puzzle, using which the story is stuck together, as well as the thievish episodes acts as an immense metaphor narrative. The angle from which the robbery is told does not need a mind blowing heist, as it's function is to device a relationship between the stolen idols and the women in the film.

In total three idols get smuggled by the group for a single cause (others were smuggled for other purposes), which puts them into trouble not with the law but with thier relationships. The first theft is of a statue in an abandoned temple building with rusty gates, pointing to the character Malar. Next two are inside a highly worshipped temple gallery denoting Yazhini and Ponni. These placements and respects denotes the social image of the three ladies. When Michael gets to know the truth, (after their second theft of two idols), it affects his life, a kind of omnipresence of Iraivis - Malar and Ponni. Jagan uses the opputunity to save two Iraivis (Ponni and her daughter) according to his personal philosophy. And the seperated statues symbolises the tension around the seperation of Arul from Yazhini and his daughter.


(Jagan reactional shot watching Michael's daughter)

Michael, is the saint in saffron. As he comes from a different faith, stuck inside another faith's source, he dreams his guilt, a sequence picturised surreally. The dress code in the song Dushta represents the darkness as explained under his faith, while he sees Malar dressed in white as an angel - a battle between conscious and subconscious mind.


(Michael after the second theft)

Just like Daniel dreaming of Archangel Michael as the protector, the character in the film, Michael, realises himself as the protector of Ponni when the theft threaten his future with imprisonment. When he gets back to Ponni, he is a reformed man. Similar suituation encircles Arul when he is handled by another faith to overcome his alcoholism.

Archangel Michael throws down a dragon serpent which deceived the world and stabs it with his spear. Similarly, Michael downs and stroms the hammar inside the cheater producer's head who deceived his brother Arul even after coming to terms.

Recurring Phrase.

[mappi]

Iraivi
A Film by Karthik Subbaraj

Part Three of Three

8/ Culmination


(Jagan and Michael)

As the story draws to a close, the narrative arc descends into the realm of Tragic Resolution - the complications and dissent makes a prime character to loose ground ; he gets potrayed worser than when the narration began.

The end looks like a complete closure winding up through fastening the disjoints under rain, but when peeled, it's an open ending where each female character interchange their roles. Eventhough not visually expressed at the end, the registrations made during the entire narration is a guidence to see Ponni becoming Malar whereas the latter must have become a vegetable like Arul's mom enclosed within herself ; Yazhini who persuades herself to become Malar, becomes Ponni accepting her marital life readying herself to sacrifice her needs - it's here the many sprinkled converstations gets importance, major one being between Arul and Yazhini when Arul is completely reformed but behaves as a drunkard infornt her, and Yazhini says she could find out the real Arul, whether drunk or not for which Arul replies with a smile. What this dialouge implies towards the end lands heavily on Yazhini seated on a swing looking at the open door. She does not leave but accepts to sit on a swing (the sway mentioned earlier) cuffed by it's chains holding her daughter after Arul calls her imitating as a drunkard.

Eyes and Facial Expression

Karthik's implicit narrative has created emotional expressive character which requires artists who can overcome the confict with their the interior feelings and context against the needed expression. Crisp editing by Vivek Harshan from the visuals captured by Sivakumar Vijayan go hand in hand with presentation of the performence of the artists. Santhosh Narayanan covers the rest projecting impact on the scenes, sometimes with silence, at times with folk and rock.

Dialogue lines act as a conversation between characters as well voices of non-personal. This brings in a varied of emotional differences between the characters assuming to be under a same suituation.

High importance is given to the movement of eyes and eyebrows including the face muscles. During the coarse of the film each character undergoes several and varied types of emotions - happiness, sadness, worry, embarrassement, pity, interest, concentration, contempt, fear, anger, pain, suprise, excitement, doubt, unfamiliarity, etc.

Each scene occupies many feeling shifting rapidly - Malar interrogated by Michael's uncle, Michael conversation with Ponni asking about her relationship, Jagan who speaks less menances and expresses with his eyes, Yazhini and Arul whisper thier pain without using words, etc.

When Michael gets married, his friends ask him to dance, he dances stone faced. He continues to show multiple emotions using his eyes, face and at times his entire body.


(Vijay Sethupathi as Mickael)

Arul is a sharp man, a creator, but currently blunt taking in all the foul breathe from the bad-mouths. Even when eyes closed, his face emotes what he actually feels.


(SJ Surya as Arul)

Jagan's character is subtle, difficult to analyse or describe. Such a character should be carried without exagaration. Jagan leaves ample clues and marks with his eyes throughout the film, and revisiting his screen time after the film can identify how well the expression have been integrated to bring in the finale.


(Bobby Simha as Jagan)

Ponni, an epitome of shattered dreams. This character gets the most to emote and with taut measurement - energetic in teens, shy during betrothal, joy during marriage, sadness learning Michael does not love her, deceived when Michael goes to jail, gladness when Jagan proposes, anger when Michael questions, desperate while convincing Michael, fear at the train station platform, uncertanity while running back to the wagon and liberated completely towards the end. Hats off Karthik.


(Anjali as Ponni)

Yazhini is a barrel of control fuel which can explode anytime with the spark of anguish.


(Kamaleni Mukerji as Yazhini)

Malar is a symbol of sexism. No shyness but loaded with fake boldness to lock the agony and throw away the key. Pooja enacts the character Malar.

Suprise

Watching Pei Babu completely shaven is a dream come true. He does a cameo (looked like a replacement for "Beautiful" Rajendran) in the song "Onnu Rendu", dancing around as the Boss of a group of henchmen who have come to attack Jagan.

Cheenu Mohan, he still raises his shoulders when he is startled, gald to watch my childhood TV idol on screen.

Radha Ravi as a calm thinker.

Santosh Narayanan appearence during a song sequence.

Loads and loads of IR songs and a couple of ARR songs too.

The wordplay in the character names is a fun to identify. One exemple : Naming Anjali character (Karthik's Kanaki), as Ponni.

Summary

I propose movies that I liked along with few lines to convince my recomendation. Unfortunately, I cannot recomend Iraivi to everyone as it's a film for the like minds who are brave enough to delve into the film and scratch it's metaphysical flesh. Watch Iraivi, maybe, it could turn out dazzling for you too.

Synopsis : To help a depressed elder brother, the younger one's plot to steal legendary idols and with the profit they urge to uplift their pack leader's shattered life, but unfortunately their actions kickstart a domino effect which chops down several emotional mountains impacting everyone else who were touched by their breathe.

Written & Directed by Karthik Subbaraj
Produced by C. V. Kumar
Music by Santhosh Narayanan
Cinematography by Sivakumar Vijayan
Edited by Vivek Harshan

Banner : Thirukumaran Entertainment, Abi & Abi Pictures, Studio Green

Starring : Vadivukkarasi, Anjali, Kamalinee Mukherjee, Pooja Devariya, Radha Ravi, Cheenu Mohan, S. J. Surya, Vijay Sethupathi, Bobby Simha, Karunakaran with cameos by Kaali Venkat, Pei Babu and Bagavathi Perumal amoung various moppet and senior artists.

Released date : The third day of June, 2016.

Iraivi is a multifaceted and complex film, which tries to touch many themes of moral ethics, guilt, art theft (plagiarism) and blind ambition. The intersecting stoyline is ineffective, becoming confusing and frustrating by creeping itself over three story arcs, when one narrative alone could easily coveyed the expression. Self doubt, dreams and rejection combine together resonating few good moments, while most of the part the film roams over unfamiliar grounds depriving itself from effectively reaching and connecting to the general audiences.

Iraivi - Mis(S)fit

[balaajee]

2nd WEEK

[balaajee]

iraivi Movie Director Ram Speech

[A.ANAND]

[A.ANAND]

haiyoo...haiyo!!!

[balaajee]

இனப்படுகொலையை நினைவூட்டிய முதல் பதிவு 'இறைவி'- இயக்குநர் ராம்
கார்த்திக் சுப்புராஜின் 3 படங்களில் இது தான் சிறந்த படம் என்று நான் நினைக்கிறேன் என இயக்குநர் ராம் புகழாரம் சூட்டியிருக்கிறார்.

கார்த்திக் சுப்புராஜ் இயக்கத்தில் விஜய் சேதுபதி, எஸ்.ஜே.சூர்யா, பாபி சிம்ஹா, அஞ்சலி, பூஜா, கமாலினி உள்ளிட்ட பலர் நடிப்பில் வெளியாகி இருக்கும் படம் 'இறைவி'. சந்தோஷ் நாராயணன் இசையமைத்திருக்கும் இப்படத்தை ஞானவேல்ராஜா, அபினேஷ் இளங்கோவன் மற்றும் சி.வி.குமார் இணைந்து தயாரித்திருக்கிறார். இப்படத்தை தமிழகமெங்கும் கே.ஆர்.பிலிம்ஸ் வெளியிட்டு இருக்கிறது.

இப்படத்துக்கு கலவையான விமர்சனங்கள் கிடைத்திருந்தாலும், வசூல் ரீதியில் இப்படத்துக்கு பெரியளவு வரவேற்பு கிடைக்கவில்லை. தற்போது இப்படம் குறித்து தனது கருத்தை வெளியிட்டு இருக்கிறார் இயக்குநர் ராம். இது குறித்து அவர் வெளியிட்டு இருக்கும் வீடியோ பதிவில் பேசியிருப்பது:

"'பீட்சா', 'ஜிகர்தண்டா' இயக்கிய கார்த்திக் சுப்புராஜின் 3வது படம் 'இறைவி'. அவருடைய 3 படங்களில் இது தான் சிறந்த படம் என்று நான் நினைக்கிறேன். இப்படத்தில் வரக்கூடிய ஆண்கள், ஒரு சராசரி ஆன ஆண்கள் பெண்களுக்கு விளைவிக்கக் கூடிய எந்த தீங்கையும் விளைவிக்காத ஆண்கள். இன்னும் சொல்லப் போனால், ரொம்ப நல்ல ஆண்கள் என்று கூட சொல்லலாம்.

பெண்கள் மீது எந்தவிதமான நிலைமைகளைச் சொல்லுவார்களோ, அதெல்லாம் சொல்லாத ஆண்கள். அப்படிப்பட்ட ஆண்களே, பெண்களை எப்படி சித்ரவதைக்கு உட்படுத்துகிறார்கள் என்பதை சொல்லக்கூடிய ஒரு படம். அதுவும், ஆணுடைய இயல்பான குணங்கள் பொறாமை, இச்சை, அடுத்தவருடைய பொருட்களை கவருக்கூடிய ஆசை, புகழுக்கும் வெற்றிக்குமான பேராசை, பொறுமையின்மை, முன் கோபம், பொறுப்பற்ற உணர்ச்சி, சுயநலம் இதெல்லாம் ஆணுடைய குணங்களாக இப்படம் சித்தரிக்கிறது.

இந்தக் குணநலன்களே ரொம்பவும் நேசிக்கக்கூடிய பெண்களை எப்படிப்பட்ட இடத்துக்கு தள்ளுது என்பதை சொல்லக்கூடிய ஒரு படம். இந்த வகையில் தமிழில் வந்த முதல் படம் இது என நினைக்கிறேன். சொல்ல வந்ததை நேரடியாக சொல்லாமல், இறுதிவரைக் கொண்டு போனது இக்கதையின் சாமர்த்தியம் என நான் நினைக்கிறேன். இதற்காகவும், அங்கெங்கு தெறிக்க கூடிய வசனங்களுக்காகவும், சில இடங்களின் காட்சியமைப்புக்காகவும் இது ஒரு நல்ல படம் என்று சொல்ல வைத்தது என சொல்லலாம்.

அப்புறம் இந்த படத்தினுடைய நடிப்பு. இயக்குநர் எஸ்.ஜே.சூர்யாவின் நடிப்பு அதிர வைக்கக்கூடிய, படபடப்பான ஒரு நடிப்பு. அதற்கு நேர் எதிராக விஜய் சேதுபதியின் நடிப்பு. ரொம்ப தன்மையாக நடித்திருந்தார். பாபி சிம்ஹா இப்படத்தில் ஒரு முழுமையான நடிகராக மாறியிருக்கிறார் என நினைக்கிறேன். அஞ்சலி ரொம்ப கவித்துமான, கணக்கச்சிதமான நடிப்பு. நிறைய நடிகர்களை வைத்துக் கொண்டு அவர்களுக்கான பாத்திரங்களுக்கு வலுச்சேர்ப்பது என்பது சவாலானது. அதில் கார்த்திக் சுப்புராஜ் வெற்றி பெற்றிருக்கிறார் என நினைக்கிறேன்.

இப்படத்தில் இயக்குநர் எஸ்.ஜே.சூர்யா, இயக்குநராகவே நடித்திருக்கிறார். இப்படத்துக்கு அவர் எடுத்திருக்கும் படத்தின் பெயர் 'மே 17'. அந்த படத்தை எப்படியாவது வெளிக் கொண்டு வந்துவிட வேண்டும் என்று அவர் படும் சிக்கல்கள் தான் இப்படத்தின் திரைக்கதையாக இருக்கிறது. 'மே 17' ஈழத்தில் நடந்த இறுதி யுத்தத்தில் ஒண்ணே கால் லட்சம் மக்கள் படுகொலை செய்யப்பட்ட அந்த யுத்தத்தில் கடைசி நாள். அந்த யுத்தத்தில் மிக முக்கியமான நாளாகவும் சொல்லலாம். தமிழ் சினிமாவில் அந்த யுத்தத்தை, இனப்படுகொலையை ஞாபகப்படுத்தக் கூடிய முதல் பதிவாக இப்படத்தில் இடம் பெற்றிருக்கிறது. அந்த விதத்தில் ரொம்ப தைரியமான முயற்சி என நினைக்கிறேன். 'மே 17' என்று பார்த்தவுடன் அப்படத்தைத் தாண்டி ஈழத்தில் நடந்த விஷயங்கள் ஞாபகத்திற்கு வந்தது" என்று தெரிவித்திருக்கிறார் இயக்குநர் ராம்.

[NOV]

Excellent analysis Karthik - I have shared your piece on my Facebook. Don't know whether you are on FB or I would have tagged you.

[pavalamani pragasam]

Watched the movie iraivi. Amazed at the hype about it in the media! This is just a third grade melodrama with a lot of exaggerations, distortions and malicious propaganda of false feminism. What stands out glaringly is the evil effect of booze! ��