SIVAPUTHRUDU

Sivaputhrudu (The Destroyer's son).Watched this movie yet again. One of the very few masterpieces I would say. One of those movies, where everyone performed and where the hero was the story.

The story of an orphan, who lives among the dead since birth, and shifts into the "living" world. Living a life without any emotions or attachments, where a prayer for the dead just before cremation is a mechanical process, Siddha (Vikram) lives in the graveyard, as the cremator. He doesn't speak, he doesn't emote. He knows his prayer by heart. He recites. And when, the chief cremator and his caretaker dies, he is forced to move into the land of the living or "society" as we call it. Hunger takes him into a restaurant, where he is considered untouchable or unwanted, and is not allowed. The animal instinct in him makes him an enemy to all but Kamala (Sangeetha), the local "ganja" seller. She gets him food and then a job at the local ganja tycoon.

A police raid lands Siddha in jail, because, being away from civilization all his life, he doesn't know about the police or escaping from them or their atrocities. Newly discovered emotions and feelings bring him closer to Satya (Surya), in jail. Siddha still doesn't speak, yet he emotes. He slowly understands relationships, and the feelings of love and true friendship. Siddha also experiences the pangs of jealousy, although mild, when Satya spends time with his girlfriend Manju (Laila). And yet, the relationships grow and stay strong and uncomplicated.

Satya then gets killed, for turning into an approver against the atrocities of the Ganja tycoon. Everybody cries but Siddha. He stares into the blue sky, crouching at a distance from Satya dead body, with a smirk on his face. Kamala gets furious with this attitude of Siddha's and drives him away! After Satya's body is cremated, he crouches beside the burning pire and for the first time in his life, cries. And he cries out aloud. His pain turns to anger and yet again, his social "training" gives way to animal instincts. Here he is reminded yet again that he is but a mortal, and his anger turns to a feeling of revenge. He burns down the whole ganja farm and chases the tycoon, killing him slowly but brutally, with as much pain as he can inflict. And then he cries out aloud, trying to prove his love for his dear friend Satya.

The performances by Vikram, Surya, Sangeeta and Laila are commendable. Although we have a couple of love stories running in the movie, the director Bala chose to maintain the subtlity. The emotions displayed by Vikram with just Grunts and Growls and Body language is superb. No unnecessary song sequences (except for that of Simran!!), no additional comedy tracks, no showing the protagonist as a super-human. In Tamil, the movie is Pithamagan. Also commendable is the music by none other than the Maestro Ilaiyaraaja, and his selection of RP Patnaik for the only song still surprises me! This movie shall stay close to my heart forever.