What Is the Story About?
Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum is an anthology movie about three women from different decades. The prejudices they face, the hardship and sacrifices they make to get on with their lives are chronicled by focusing on one particular harrowing chapter in their lives.
Performances?
Kalieswari Srinivasan, Parvathy Thiruvothu, and Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli are three principal leads. They are central leads in the three anthology stories.
Kalieswari Srinivasan is a natural. She is raw and rustic without any sophistication. She plays a role that faces domestic abuse from a non-responsive, male chauvinistic husband. More than the acting, the extreme natural depiction of poverty-ridden lives breaks our hearts.
Parvathy Thiruvothu gets the fresh short story segment among the three. She plays an urban city woman who seems to have everything normal on the surface. However, one incident changes it all. The actress brings the right mixture of fear, aggression and disgust towards the family members when things hit the roof unexpectedly one day.
Lakshmi Priya Chandramouli’s is the more conventional drama. Her physicality is utilised well also as part of the act. She is good at creating a compelling character out of daily routines.
Analysis
Director Vasanth S Sai picks tales of women across three decades in his anthology movie Sivaranjaniyum Innum Sila Pengalu. The idea is reportedly inspired by his guru K Balachandar’s iconic films with strong women protagonists.
Despite the inspirations, Vasantha Sai makes Sivaranjaniyum Innum Sila Pengalu in a documentary-style devoid of the usual melodrama. It is shot in guerrilla mode and comprises long shots with lengthy takes capturing the actors live their characters. It feels as if the camera is intruding into real people’s real lives only here it is all enacted. The first story particularly feels this way.
The walk towards the bus stop with the husband pacing ahead nonchalantly, not caring about the wife (holding and walking with a baby), is enough to stir angry and frustrating emotions in the viewer’s mind. But, it doesn’t stop there. Vasanth Sai further pushes it with each new act of the husband. The entire short is one long torture sequence until the end.
The second short is without any doubt the best of the three. We have seen different sorts of depictions of curbing women’s freedom. For the first time, we see her ‘freedom of thoughts’ getting clipped. The entire sequence related to the dairy neatly encapsulates the deep-rooted bias we as a group have on ‘progressive’ women.
What is interesting in this segment is that it is not the male of the house that act violently; the animosity starts from other women in the place. Even the kids having it is subconsciously shown without showing it down our throat.
And finally, the last short is almost like watching a soap opera. Also, it directly ties with the recent Malayalam OTT blockbuster The Great Indian Kitchen. A prodigious female athlete is restricted to the kitchen and taking care of husband and child. The daily chores, the small happenings are showcased in detail. It is another compelling portrayal but offers nothing new story-wise.
Overall, the stories are well-intentioned and made without any commercial contrivance. There is a lot of poverty porn, though, and predictability on offer. Still, the sheer drama and compelling nature of the whole thing makes it a watchable affair. It is, however, only for those who enjoy rooted and realistic dramas and don’t mind the pacing issues.
Other Artists?
The movie primarily focuses on the three women. The men are the typical male entitled guys we see in every household. Karunakaran, Sundar Ramu, G Marimuthu etc., play those parts with conviction. Apart from them, the rest have more minor roles, but they all are vital in the overall picture. Even if acting-wise, they don’t have much to do.
Music and Other Departments?
Maestro Ilaiyaraaja provides the background score to the movie. It is very minimalistic. But, it creates the required impact and sets the mood whenever used. The cinematography by NK Ekambaram and Ravee Roy makes the narrative look like a documentary rather than a movie. The editing is fine as it helps create the desired effect with its long cuts. The writing is also minimal but on the spot. It captures the words spoken in our day to day lives.
Highlights?
Performances
Second Short
Relatable Situations
Realistic Drama
Drawbacks?
Extremely Slow Paced
Predictable (Because We Have Seen It Before)
Boring (Even Though It Might Be Intended That Way)
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes
Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum Review by Binged Bureau
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