A still from ‘Anithi’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
In a career spanning a little over 20 years, director Vasanthbalan has made only seven films and in most of them his anger towards many aspects of our society is palpable. if he has a great second year weil was about a dysfunctional family, angadi theru and his previous releases, JailIt was about the exploitation of the underprivileged. ArwaAnd Kavya Thalaivan It was about betrayal. However, what has come up repeatedly in almost all of his films is the mistreatment and injustice meted out to those below them by those in power. The filmmaker’s angst towards real-life incidents due to this demarcation appears to be the spark for his latest release, the aptly titled Anithi.
Anithi (Tamil)
Director: Vasanthabalan
mould: Arjun Das, Dushara Vijayan, Shantha Dhananjayan, Kali Venkat, Vanitha Vijayakumar, Arjun Chidambaram
Story: A delivery boy’s mental health takes a turn when he has to face the wrath of those in power
In most of his films, the protagonist faces troubles in his career, which wreak havoc on his personal life. if it was an advertising agency weilit was about the store employees Angadi Theru. Aravan was about thieves, and Kavya Thalaivan The play was about the actors. Anithi This one is also no different as it throws light on the troubled lives of food delivery boys. What happens when Thirumani (Arjun Das), a man with a troubled childhood, chronic depression and a tendency to commit murder, takes up a job where his customers treat him rudely without any remorse? This sounds like a great, straightforward take on ‘giving it back’. But instead, the film introduces us to Subbu (Dashara Vijayan), the attendant of an elderly lady. When a series of events leads everyone to blame Thiru for the murder, it brings out the side of him that was dormant since childhood and goes into all turmoil. This is where the film starts becoming predictable and ends with all the turmoil that one would expect from a film about a serial killer.
Anithi Undoubtedly Vasanthabalan’s darkest film till date. Although his previous films have had their share of death and violence, they don’t prepare you for this horror Anithi Is. While this might not be the most disturbing Tamil film ever made, it is not what you would expect if you are used to the director’s filmography. The helplessness and pain portrayed by Thiru is similar to Arjun Das’s character. darkness, But the actor makes a difference well enough and carries the film on his shoulders. Although his character’s descent into mayhem isn’t perfect, it’s his performance that makes it good.
A still from ‘Anithi’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Surprisingly, for a filmmaker whose work is based on realism, Anithi There is also Vasanthabalan’s most dramatic effort. No person sitting in power has even an iota of humanity in his world. A woman can go to the police station and fire a few rounds, but get away without consequence because she is rich, and except for Subbu, Thiru never meets a customer who treats him like a fellow human being. Behaves like a man, forget about a man doing his job. Anithi is full of one-dimensional characters, and apart from Arjun, it is Dussehra that almost manages to break free from that shackles.
The transformation of a professional issue into a personal one doesn’t feel as organic as it did in the director’s previous films and the resolution doesn’t really seem like that either. There are scenes on the need for an association for delivery professionals and this is where the filmmaker shines, but the film fails to capitalize on it. There is also a subtext in it about how parents, abroad with their children, are drowning in loneliness. Add to this an extremely predictable flashback as to why Thiru gets infatuated with chocolate and we have a number of tracks that make you feel that the film has bitten off more than it can chew. Not a single character in the film dealing with mental illness acknowledges its importance. Instead, when a policeman sees his medical report, he replies “Loose Ah or Awan?” After that, ‘Here’s Johnny’ wasn’t even recommended Shining Damage control will help.
Anithi It is miles ahead in its plot and treatment as compared to the director’s previous film. Jail, But it is very different from Vasanthabalan’s earlier works which were more detailed and compelling. Despite having his heart in the right place and a beautiful performance by Arjun Das, AnithiOverall, it is insufficient in delivering many of its messages in an interesting way. This is unfair for a film on injustice!
Anithi is currently running in theaters