Official Trailer:
Ayali will ace the Bechtel test hands down. While we had movies that centered around women characters, like TGIK or Gargi, Ayali may be the first regional series where the story revolves around women characters, focusing on women’s issues and empowerment. The topic they have picked up is the biases and prejudices women face around Menstruation. A big applause to the writing team and the director for handling the sensitive issue with refinement and nuance. Ayali series with 8 episodes is fresh, sharp, and focused. Except one or two scenes which are inserted for comic relief narration sticks to the core story.
Ayali is about Tamizhselvi’s dreams of becoming a doctor while the village she lives has a 400-year-old regressive custom where girls are forced into marriage soon after they get their first periods. With such fearsome tradition no girls have gone beyond 9th standard. The local school board shows 0 girls in 10th grade. Plus, no boys have cleared 10th exam. Village men folk are highly protective of their women and take pride in that. Tamilzhselvi sees her classmates pulled off from school and pushed into marriage off one by one once they attain puberty. She also sees their sufferings and watch their anguishes. So, when she attains puberty, she hides it from everyone, including her mother, to attain her dream. We get immersed in the world of Tamizhselvi and her journey, the obstacles she faces and how she overcomes them. Credit to the writers, the questions she asks herself and others are what we expect of her age. Those questions, the lack of sense in the practices, are directed at us too. If those have been from an adult character the series may have gotten into controversies with cultural vigilante groups demanding a ban. Another applause to the writers for choosing a child protagonist.
With no baggage, not fully brainwashed yet, it is refreshing to see how Tamilzhselvi perceives the Ayali God. As per age-old belief girls who have attained puberty should not enter the Ayali temple. If they do Ayali will take their life before the next full moon day. Since Tamilzhselvi has hidden her puberty, she is forced to enter the temple on full moon day as per the custom. This experience changes her relationship with God. This belief isn’t only one, Ayali doesn’t shy away from questioning the various customs related to women and puberty that are still being followed.
The relationship between mothers and their daughters are beautifully captured. Each mother and daughter relationship has its own equations and nuances, Tamilzhselvi and Kuruvammal, Mythili and her mother, and Kayalvizhi and her mother. There are lots of moments that brings tears in our eyes, the relationship between two step-wives, Kuruvammal’s bus ride, Mythili’s life trajectory and her cries of desperation, when Thavasi realizes what true love is.
Ayali takes a strong stand against patriarchy and how women are controlled by men in the name of tradition/God/Caste/family honor/. Question it raises are woven into narration and staged well. Dialogues are crisp, sharp, and explosive: Why are the dignity of the family, caste and creed hidden between the legs of the women? Why customs apply only to women? We have never seen boys being punished for their crimes. Women don’t need men to protect them. Men don’t need to waste their time and life protecting women. Director captures how lived experiences shapes our reality when Mythili cautions Tamizhselvi about love vs honor – you have not seen the true color of your father yet.
Excellent performances from everyone. Special call out to Abi Natchatra (Ayali), Anumol (Kuruvammal), Madan (Thavasi), Lovelyn (Mythili), Gayathri (Kayalvizhi), and Lingaa (Sakthivel). Cinematography captures the land, its people, and merges seamlessly with the vision of the director. Ayali isn’t without its flaws, Singam Puli character would be etched better, last episode felt rushed, English teacher character could have been used better (may be as a catalyst that ignites Tamizhselvi’s quest of understanding). But these are minor quibbles against what Ayali has accomplished in boldly questioning the patriarchy and social norms. If you live your life as per what others tell you, you live their life not yours. If you follow someone, you cease to follow the truth. As Tamizhselvi says, start using your brain 😀