Official Trailer:
How do you make someone to watch the 5-story anthology? Start with one of the worst in the pack. Set the bar low. Then hope relativity kicks in. Even so-so later episodes look better due to the priming by the first one. That is how Putham Puthu Kaalai: Vidiyatha comes across. In first Putham Puthu Kaalai from 2020, stories were set during first wave. This one I think the stories happen during second wave. Rather than focusing on the trauma of second wave, lack of oxygen deaths, overwhelmed doctors, nurses, and hospitals, ambulance siren sounds, long lines in front of funeral grounds, all stories stay away from it. Except the first and fourth one, other three are more of mood pieces – about loss, relationship, breakups, loneliness – about yearning.
Episode 1: Mugakavasa mutham: I felt this is a PSA for government – wear mask, stay at home, don’t go out. Complete dud. We will be better off picking any episode of a Tamil mega serial, that will have much more interesting things happening than this one. Lesser said better.
Episode 4: The Mask: While we wear masks to protect ourselves from the virus, how about many other invisible masks we wear because without that we will not conform with the society? We will be an outcast? N95 masks will go away post COVID but these invisible masks will continue to stay. Will we ever overcome those? Good premise. Looks a great concept on paper. Unfortunately, it stays at concept level in The Mask. Can’t blame the actors too…they have done what they could with the material given to them.
Episode 5: Nizhal Tharum Idham: Shobi is an independent woman, hates anyone infantilizing her, and finds it hard to build relationships. When her father dies during second wave due to heart attack, she makes a trip to her hometown Pondicheri. How she overcomes her existential crisis, gets over her inner demons, and start feeling alive again makes the rest of the story. While I felt the story didn’t come together well, visuals kept me engaged, how it captures the loneliness, line between well-wisher and stepping into personal space, self-control vs relationships.
Episode 3: Mouname Parvayaai: This episode keeps us engaged with its narrative craft – no dialogues spoken till the end. Yashoda and Murali haven’t spoken in years despite living in the same house – after a fight. They communicate via board, messages, and minor coughs. Title is from an old classic song. Google tells us it is from the 1966 movie Kodi Malar, story about a woman who is mute. Opt. Director creatively uses the don’t talk premise, scenes are staged well. One of them gets infected by COVID and rest of the story one can easily guess. While the director has done an excellent job with the form, story lacked in the content, it didn’t have the required force. I think little bit more detailing on the break-up, fear of loss, and passion would have made it more compelling.
Episode 2: Loners: This comes out as better of the lot, nudging ahead of Mouname Parvayaai. Loneliness and loss are captured so well. Nalla is just out of a break-up, stuck at home, lost her job and trying out new ideas. Dheeran is going through loss of his friend to COVID, stuck at home, takes care of his friend’s dog. Nalla and Dheeran meet each other in a virtual wedding. Initially we see more people, of course via zoom calls. As the story progresses, it zooms in on only these two characters, Nalla and Dheeran. They figure out they like talking to each other, Dheeran likes Nalla’s wit, and kindness. Their talk meanders on various topics, elitism, consumerism, Aloe Vera to wine making. They develop feelings for each other over their joint sense of loss and loneliness brought about by the virus and lockdown. Like Mouname Parvayaai, nicely crafted but felt something missing. Maybe that is what the director intended? 🤔