Meiyazhagan — a soothing experience
There is something about director C. Prem Kumar and Thanjavur and a family needing to leave Thanjavur overnight due to a property dispute and the subsequent loss of their home, and then revisiting Thanjavur after many years to rekindle an unfinished tale, that then leads to a poignant story of just one solitary night in pursuit of “closure”.
Remember ‘96’?
Ram and Jaanu. Childhood sweethearts in Thanjavur. Separated untimely when Ram’s family lost their home and left the city overnight. After many years, Ram passes through Thanjavur visits his school, and is overtaken by all the memories. Along with his classmates puts together a reunion. And Ram and Jaanu meet again …for just one solitary night. A poignant tale unfolds with Sethupathi (Ram) and Trisha (Jaanu) living through the delight, wonder, sadness, and eventual sense of everlasting loss through that night.
It was an unforgettable experience elevated by the silence of a Chennai night and the brilliance of the violin of Govind Vasantha. A tale of an unlikely pursuit of an improbable closure …that could only end in one way…
With Meiyazhagan, Prem is back with Govind Vasantha, and Thanjavur, Chennai, and the backdrop of a family in distress having to leave Thanjavur for Chennai resulting in a deep sense of loss, sadness, and anger in the mind of a young teenage boy (Arul).
Many moons later, Arul now an established and successful family man has an opportunity to go back to his past. A past he had intentionally expunged from his heart and mind. A past that lingers in his heart and mind as he curates his love for the nature around him, but also lives with a perpetual sense of hollow, sadness, and bitterness.
With a great degree of reluctance, he makes the journey to Needamangalam (via Thanjavur), where the wedding is. And as he starts meeting people he realizes their overt warmth and love for him. He is a man of very few words. But his eyes cannot hide his sense of being overwhelmed.
And then arrives this whirlwind of energy. A man who knows everything about Arul. Who has lived with Arul in his heart, mind, and soul as his God, his inspiration, his “Athaan”. Arul is perplexed as he cannot recollect anything about this man.
Meiyazhagan is the story of Arul and this nameless man, and their story of that one solitary night in Needamangalam — their bickering, their endearing conversations, their connections, their bond, and through it all a tale of a pursuit of discovery, healing, happiness, and another closure… Will they get there?
It’s a simple tale and a very simple cinema. Nothing spectacular. Yet it tugs at our hearts. It keeps us enthralled in this mystical world of love and devotion between two strangers. And that makes Meiyazhagan special. In times like today a relevant tale of pure kindness, finding love in nature, forgiving, finding joy in smaller things.
Govind Vasantha is a genius when it comes to music. And he weaves a magical symphony to elevate the narrative — especially using Kamal Haasan to sing “Yaaro Ivan Yaaro” and “Poraen Naa Poraen” was a stroke of absolute genius! That trembling voice of KH catapults the emotion of the moment to another completely different stratosphere.
I have a huge respect for Karthi. For the longest time he remained in the shadows of his big brother as “Suriya’s brother”. But one look at his filmography makes it clear how cerebral he is with his choices and range. Paruthiveeran, Katru Veliyidai, Ponniyin Selvan (1 & 2), Kaithi, …the range is out there for everyone to see. And here as the nameless stranger, Karthi pens a masterpiece of sincerity and generosity. For this nameless man, Arul has been the only light of hope and inspiration. And Karthi makes us feel that devotion in every frame — without once missing the beat. This is a fine actor, who is slated for many bigger and greater things ahead.
Devadarshini as Arul’s wife delivers another first-rate cameo. She was incredible in 96 and a huge surprise as the Tamizh Police Officer in “The Family Man 2”. Her voice of strength and assurance and love for Arul is a cup of warm chocolate.
But this is Aravind Swamy’s outing as Arul. Out and out. For we lost this powerhouse of an artist to the business world for many years — is our misfortune. But it’s so great to have him back. On another day, in another canvas, this was an author-backed role for Kamal Haasan to dazzle in. Probably 20 years back. And maybe Prem had that in his mind hence got Kamal to sing the lines that capture the mental anguish of Arul. But Swamy in his own way elevates the game here.
Imagine a mind that has sadness, grief, bitterness, introverted, is visiting a part of the family that he doesn’t want to meet but feels mildly happy to be with, his eyes roving all over to try and recognize everything and everyone while trying to also not meet anyone’s eye, his listening passively, his gradual shift from trying to shrug the sudden nuisance of this nameless man to slowly getting captivated in the conversations….. and now try and bring all of that as expressions without much to speak.
Swamy nails it. The scene of him with his sister on the wedding stage is where he peaked. Purely with his eyes. One of the very few actors who is deeply comfortable with silence and can say a million words with his eyes.
This has to be his finest.
This may not be a major cinematic masterpiece. But Meiyazhagan is an earnest attempt at telling a simple yet endearing tale. And sometimes, just that experience is a masterpiece.
It’s on Netflix.