Meiyazhagan, Starring Arvind Swamy And Karthi, A Blend Of Nostalgia, Culture And Family Bonds – News18

Last Updated:November 09, 2024, 13:58 IST

This year’s releases are a piece of strong evidence that the industry has varied stories to offer.

A man in his 40s reluctantly goes back to his hometown after two decades. He reconnects with long-lost relatives and old love, drinks chai by the road and rides a cycle in the silence of the night that envelops a sleepy town.

Yes, we are talking about the recently released Tamil film Meiyazhagan, directed by C Prem Kumar. Arvind Swamy of Roja and Bombay fame plays the film’s protagonist Arulmozhi — arguably the most tender man in Indian mainstream films this year. Little moments make up Swamy’s Arul. A gentle tap on the shoulder by someone from the past, his daily ritual of feeding parrots and pigeons, his mornings as a cricket coach and his banter with his daughter. Arul is not afraid to cry, laugh his heart out, be vulnerable and admit he is wrong.

The film also features Karthi, a well-known actor in South Indian cinema. It was produced by his brother, Suriya, who is also a prominent actor and producer. In a recent interview, Suriya was asked whether the film met box office expectations. He responded that financial numbers were not a priority for a film like this, adding that they had made “25 per cent profit on the budget.” Suriya then reflected, “Who knows what defines a film’s success?”

It also points towards a culture of collaboration that seems to be taking place in the constantly evolving mainstream Tamil cinema, which has been able to strike a balance between staple masala high-octane fare and more subtle, imaginative and character-driven filmmaking.

This year’s releases are proof enough of the variety that the industry has to offer.

If director Prem Kumar’s debut film 96 was a nostalgic journey about unrequited love, his second film Meiyazhagan is an emotional odyssey of Arul Mozhi (Arvind Swami) in search of his lost home. While 96 has predecessors like Hollywood’s Before trilogy, Meiyazhagan stands unique. Though it is primarily about Arul’s return to his native village in Thanjavur for his cousin’s wedding, when Karthi’s character enters the scene, the film evolves into a deep exploration of Dravidian identity, Tamil culture and history.