Still from ‘Kudumbastha’ Photo Credit: Special Arrangements
At a time when family audiences are expected to be entertained by gore and violence, which seems to be the go-to genre for superstars, it is difficult for those who grew up in the 80s and 90s, Who didn’t remember about the family dramas that built audiences. Thrag the theatres. Auteurs like K Balachander, Visu, V Sekhar and Bhagyaraj filled their filmographies with films that cater to the family audience. While they played to their strengths and had many themes in their films, the common thread—at least in most cases—was a realistic depiction of contemporary middle-class life. Manikandan with YouTube channel director Rajeshwar Kalisamy imitations fame, has prepared us together ‘Kudumba Padangal’ It discusses current issues that have evolved over the years and the film almost nails what it aims to do.
family homeFollows the trials and tribulations of Naveen (Manikandan), a newly married young man who, as the only earning member of his family, lives paycheck to paycheck thanks to an onslaught of commitments. If his mother wants him to sponsor his pilgrimage, his father needs to refurbish his dilapidated house. While his pregnant wife Vennila (Sanawe Megagana) is preparing for her civil service examination, resulting in many expenses for Naveen, his niece’s ear-piercing ceremony means he has to give gifts to his sister’s baby. To go above and beyond. If that’s not enough, Naveen is keen to make it big because of his brother-in-law Rajendran (Guru Somasundaram), who loves to assert dominance and bring him down. While walking a tightrope, Naveen has to juggle many responsibilities as life teaches him why changing the system is futile and becoming a cog within this ill-fated machine is inevitable.
Manikandan with back-to-back hits- Good nightAnd Lover – Looks to have the Midas touch and his winning streak continues family homeAs with most of his earlier films, he plays a relatable, boy-next-door character who has to fight his odds not to win but to survive. Rajeshwar Kalisamy brings his taste imitations More than the feel-good nature of the channel and film for the big screen, it’s the humor that’s become family homeUSP. Set in the filmmaker’s tried and tested Kongu region, the film feels like a medley of imitations stitched together and this serves as both the boon and bane of the film.
Kudumbasthan (Tamil)
Director: Rajeshwar Kalisamy
Mould: Manikandan, Guru Somasundaram, Sanve Megana, R Sundararajan
Runtime: 155 minutes
Story: The life and peace of mind of a newly-married middle-class youth goes for a toss as he adjusts to the pressure of being a family man
While it may take a few moments to sink into the world family home Humor, once you become a part of it, the barrage of jokes keeps the waves of laughter flowing. There are some hilarious stretches in the film – like when Naveen is literally penniless but needs to buy a chicken, or when his parents buy dolls for their 60th wedding celebration, or even a A short sequence featuring a character locked inside a room, complete with a short. Shining Reference. Fascinatingly, in a film populated by multiple characters each with their presence felt, the best sequences are those involving Naveen, alone in the bathroom, talking to himself with only his thoughts and words for company. We do. The unpleasant scenes felt like a hat-tip to Janagaraja’s legendary comic sequences. Anna Nagar Mudhal Theru,
More than the obvious jabs, it’s the little touches from Rajeshwar Kalisamy and Prasanna Balachandran that have penned the story and screenplay. The very first scene involves Naveen and Vanilla eloping while a church speaker delivers a sermon about love. The film liberally uses songs – mostly ironically – to dig into our hero’s state of affairs. A personal favorite is how Naveen’s battered car audio system plays the track ‘Lesa Lesa’ on its own as if it sums up its owner’s hard life and another scene where Naveen visits his friends’ location. Have seen them and with them in music. The close-up of the bodies makes it look like a Renaissance painting. The set-up and pay-off on the writing front comes to fruition in several places—where Naveen and his friends meet a tire puncture shop owner or the way he befriends his new-found park companions. There are good examples of uses.
Do these amazing sequences come together to make a well-rounded film family home Falter. The film doesn’t warrant its 155-minute runtime and once we get past its hilarious bits, the back-to-back hits that knock the living daylights out of our leads are upon us. They also charge a toll. As with most comedies, some jokes don’t land the way they were intended.
Still from ‘Kudumbastha’ Photo Credit: Special Arrangements
A subplot involves Naveen’s family, who belongs to a community oppressed by his wife. While the film’s honest attempt to portray a woman’s issues within an intercaste marriage is commendable, some of the “jokes” at its expense leave a nasty aftertaste. Speaking of subplots, the companion characters’ arcs could have benefited from more attention; Be it Vanilla’s instinctive reactions in certain sequences or wanting to make the divorce feel inorganic initially despite another character’s change of heart. The climactic sequence where several knots unravel, which sounds like a good idea on paper, doesn’t translate strongly to the screen.
But it is the performances of Manikandan and, in some sequences, Guru Somasundaram, that take the film to victory. Manikandan elevates the role of an underdog and the actor does a phenomenal job of portraying a man who rises to the biggest challenges of life but at the same time, enjoys the joys that life has to offer. The final stretch where he turns from being straight into a crooked system breaks down just as much as the system itself wishes it had more to offer on this front. Guru has always been a force to be reckoned with and he pulls off the role of an egotistical madman with ease. family home Technically strong and how Sujith N Subramaniam’s cinematography and Kannan Balu’s editing work in tandem demands a special mention. In one scene, a character spills some sand to form a pile and the shot cuts to the same character pouring ketchup over a samosa. family home Full of such cuts and they embellish the mood of the film.
family homeLike most families, it has its flaws and shortcomings. But similar to the inspirational talks filled with affection fed by a mother’s hand or the care of a father, the film comes as a tender affirmation that Tamil cinema has more to offer than just action and violence.
Kudumbastha is currently running in theaters
published – January 24, 2025 06:30 PM IST
