Pirivom Sandhippom

Karu. Pazhaniappan's debut Parthiban Kanavu was a wonderful film. Though simple and unassuming, it offered a complete package with a strong story with unexpected surprises, a meaningful script, nice performances, a superb soundtrack and funny comedy. After an uneasy foray into action with 2006's Sivappadhigaaram, the director is back to the softer, family-oriented genre in which he pleasantly surprised us. While Pirivom Sandhippom isn't as complete a package, it is obvious that this is what Karu. Pazhaniappan should stick to. Disarmingly realistic and paced just right to let that realism pull us in, it is a soft, feel-good film that serves as a good antidote to the violence and crassness of the other Pongal releases like Bheema, KaaLai and Pazhani.

Natesan(Cheran), who belongs to a large family, works as an engineer in the Electricity Board. His marriage is fixed to Visalakshi(Sneha), the only daughter of a businessman(Mahadevan). Visalakshi, who is used to spending all her free time with her friends, loves being part of Natesan's family. So she is more than a little disappointed when Natesan gets a transfer to a hillstation. But for Natesan, this transfer is the chance for some alone time with his new wife.

Pirivom Sandhippom sees Karu. Pazhaniappan take the Vikraman route. Cheran's large family, whose every member is affectionate, fun-loving and good, takes the viewers on a fun, feel-good journey. Their conversations and interactions feel natural and unforced and the undertone of humor keeps us smiling. Theirs is a family we would love to be a part of and its no wonder Sneha feels right at home. It helps that the family's goodness is not showcased through cinematic incidents or contrived sequences. There are a few scenes, like the one where Sneha is shown the family's puja room, that raise a sense of 'too good to be true'. But for the most part, their goodnaturedness is conveyed through everyday, practical situations and things never descend to the cinematic level of, say, Srikanth's family in Oru Naal Oru Kanavu.

There are quite a few spots where the director creates situations rife with possibilities and conveys expectations of something substantial brewing. As we learn that everyone in Cheran's family likes Sneha but one family member hasn't seen her yet or that newlyweds Cheran and Sneha aren't really going to have much privacy, we expect that these situations are simply the calm before the storm. We've been conditioned to expect something to happen in every scene by so many films that we expect these situations to lead to some problems. But then, as the situations unfold without any issues or crises, we realize that there is no real 'storm'. This lack of 'action' is a bit disappointing initially but once we realize the director's intentions, it becomes easy to enjoy the film for what it is - a simple, no-frills look at life as it is.

Cheran and Sneha moving out saddens not only Sneha but us too. They could be interesting characters but it was their being part of the bigger group of characters that made them interesting so far. But it does finally pave the way for the movie's central plot point.

We've seen several movies(and megaserials) where the new wife develops friction with members of her new family. So its interesting to see Sneha's problems arise because she is away from those same members. Her loneliness - both her initial attempts to tackle it and her gradual succumbing to it - have been captured effectively and we do understand her situation. Questions do arise(like why, inspite of her knowledge of and interest in books and embroidery, she never pursues them as a means of combating her loneliness) but it isn't too difficult to understand her plight.

Cheran fits the role though he mostly plays second fiddle to Sneha. Sneha is fabulous as always. She is radiant in the first half and the happiness she feels being part of the large family is very evident. Similarly, her expressions, body language and appearance accurately convey her state of mind once she moves out. Jayaram has a small but key role as a doctor and his likeability makes his dialogs(like his explanation of a doctor's role) less preachy. Actors like Mouli, Baskar and Ilavarasu fit the bill well. Vidyasagar delivers another album with emphasis on melody and barring one duet, all the songs play in the background, enhancing the movie's realism.