Director Mari Selvaraj is one of those Tamil directors who offers audiences stories from her innermost being, connected to her beliefs and values. Vaazhai, his latest film, is based on true incidents from his life and this rural drama connects everything from life, hope, dreams and destiny to the unsavory reality. (Also Read: Mari Selvaraj denies Dhruv Vikram’s Bison Kaalamaadan is a biopic; says film revolves around kabaddi)
Vaazhai Story
Sivanaindhan or Sivanenjam (Ponvel) and his best friend Sekar (Raghul) study in the public school of Karunkalam village and Sivenenjam’s crush on teacher Poonkodi gets him into trouble. When Poonkodi (Nikhila Vimal) drops the pink and white handkerchief from his hand, Sivanaindhan quickly snatches it and hides it in his pocket. In class, he sniffs the handkerchief and starts imagining himself as Rajinikanth and his teacher as Radha in Rajathi Radha, with whom he falls in love at first sight.
Incidentally, Sivenenjam is an ardent Rajini fan while Sekar is a Kamal fan and the two joke about their idols quite a lot. Sivenenjam lives at home with his mother and sister Vembu and goes with them to the plantations on weekends to pick bananas to make ends meet. Sivenenjam hates working in the plantations and will come up with any lie to escape this tedious task and in Poonkodi he finds a sympathizer who forgives his lies instead of punishing him.
Apart from his own family, the villagers work on the banana plantations. Kani (Kalaiyarasan), who helps load the banana trees onto three trucks, becomes the voice of the village against the scheming trader who pays them a meager wage. All this comes to a head when the Kani demand more money. What happens next? Does Sivanenjam go and help his mother on the plantation anyway?
The themes of Vaazhai
Writer-director Mari Selvaraj’s repertoire of work is so haunting that every film is a work of art that transcends the screen. In Vaazhai (Banana), he presents a simple film from the point of view of a child, but it is not a child’s film. Sivanenjam represents everything a child does – innocence, joy and happiness despite the poverty and hopeless life they lead. Yet the painful and harsh experiences they go through are all that affect the entire community.
But this story also embodies immense love, a sense of caring and the vibrant beauty of nature. The themes of caste, capitalism, exploitation and oppression are woven into the story very powerfully and subtly and that is the most striking thing about this film. Mari Selvaraj has given us a heartbreaking film that is also heartwarming and that is a great achievement for any director.
Santhosh Narayanan’s music is a highlight of this film as he has captured the village, its people, nature and emotions so seamlessly through his background score. The visual effects by DOP Theni Eswar are captivating and along with the music, a real treat to the eyes. Most importantly, Ponvel is the backbone of this film and his performance deserves a National Award. Raghul too is perfect as Sekar and the chemistry between the two boys is a delight on screen.
Vaazhai is not just another Tamil film – it makes you laugh, cry and, most importantly, think. The oppression and inequality that still exists in society today needs a voice – and who better to do that than the brilliant Mari Selvaraj.
