Anna Ben is mostly silent but wonderfully conveys defiance through her body language. Soori as the volatile Pandi shows once again his versatility. In spite of a hoarse voice, he instils terror. But the ending gives the impression of having watched an incomplete movie.
Recently I watched a movie called Kottukkaali (The Adamant Girl) on Amazon Prime. The movie fits the genre of a slow burn. Director PS Vinothraj takes his own sweet time in establishing the narrative. The beginning scenes are ambiguous in nature bordering on tediousness. It can be called as a test of patience particularly for those who prefer fast paced narratives. But soon the movie starts to draw the viewers in, eventually turning out to be a powerful tale. The title of the movie perfectly goes with the main theme.
The story focuses primarily on Anna Ben’s Meena and Soori’s Pandi. We are told that they are soon going to get married. But now Meena is apparently possessed by a dangerous spirit. So, the families of both Meena and Pandi take her to a local goddess and then to Seer who cures people of ghosts. What happens in this journey forms the core plot line of Kottukkaali (The Adamant Girl).
Through this movie PS Vinothraj has subtly explored the dynamics of caste, patriarchy and tradition. He expertly conveys the defiance of Meena with just visual metaphors. For example, there is a scene where the men had to carry the auto rickshaw on their shoulders while Meena is still inside. Meena refusing to get out can be interpreted as her way of rebelling.
Similarly, a hugely volatile scene takes place when Meena quietly hums a song ‘Othyadi Padhaiyila’, that plays in the background of a puberty ceremony. Pandi goes into a complete frenzy as it reminds him of her lover. He gets very angry thrashing people around, but Meena continues to maintain her stoic expression. She is unperturbed. It’s like I don’t give a damn.
Lastly there is also a rooster playing an important role. In one of the initial scenes the rooster is tied to a stone. It manages to escape for a moment only to be caught again. This rooster mirrors Meena’s journey in interesting ways.
The cinematography of B Shaktivel perfectly captures the rustic surroundings adding to the immersive experience. The film has no songs, but the viewers don’t feel the need for any music. The only background music is the engine sound of auto rickshaw.
It goes without saying that both Anna Ben and Soori are topnotch. The character of Meena has very few dialogues, her emotions mostly conveyed through body language. Anna does a terrific job in conveying the myriad emotions with just her eyes. Soori on the other hand instills terror making the viewers scared whenever he appears on the screen. After Vetrimaaran’s Viduthalai Part 1 this is another movie which showcases the Soori (mostly known for comedy) in a drastically different avatar. He is particularly good in the angry outburst.
The ending of this movie needed cohesiveness. Viewers don’t understand whether Pandi has changed. We see a little portion of him introspecting, but the film ends on a very abrupt note. Nevertheless, kudos to actor Sivakarthikeyan for backing this up.