There is a common thread in the works of Raj. If you look closely, we don’t know where they come from and at the end, they leave with his closed ones (who are never really his own family but a family that becomes) being affected. Be it Shiva, Toby or Aniketh - the stories are different, unique but there’s something cyclical about these themes in the characters. And in Swathi Muthhina Male Haniye, again there’s a similar thread but slightly different than the previous ones - as in he’s very quiet and heartwarming with no rage or anger only a hint of rebellion against the rules - after all his end is near. We don’t know of his past but we know of him now - fighting a terminal illness and trying to deal and cope with the incoming death. We do not see much of his resistance but we hear of it. Being anonymous to the world, trying to replicate and live the death of his dog - he’s a timely philosopher in search of little joys and happy taste buds that ends up bringing in a breath of fresh air and love in Prerana’s life.
Prerana, played by Siri Ravikumar is just brilliant. The way she emotes anger, hesitation, awkwardness, embarrassment, love, hatred, vulnerability without saying a word is brilliant. One of my favorite scenes of her comes by the lake when Aniketh is hungry and she has nothing to offer him other than the dosa she cooked in the morning. She’s hesitant and keeps judging her dosa even before it’s eaten. It’s so good.
Rekha Kudlig as Prerana’s mother is again such a warm presence on screen. The last time I saw her was when she was a potential mother-in-law to Siri Ravikumar’s character in Sakutumba Sametha. The ‘making of the box’ scene will be forever one of the best and my favourite scenes written for screen (shout out to Pooja Sudhir). But in this film, she comes for a short stay but again effective and beautiful. Right from the moment, she gets off from the bus till she leaves - her smiles speaks volumes assuring her daughter of her actions and decisions. The parallels she lays of her dilemma listening to a daughter and a woman is so beautifully written, acted, and again goes down as another memorable moment in cinema.
Maturity is a two way street. When it isn’t, something dies - a relationship dies. Just like how the dog leaves before it’s death, you leave the steps of your own home because the relationship is no more. Someone else has stepped in with their heels. It’s time for a new beginning. Like how when the first rain drop falls on an oyster on Swathi Nakshatra it becomes a pearl and gets a new lease of life. Through exploring death, Raj and his team have given us great story of life and love. Thank you. :)
There is a common thread in the works of Raj. If you look closely, we don’t know where they come from and at the end, they leave with his closed ones (who are never really his own family but a family that becomes) being affected. Be it Shiva, Toby or Aniketh - the stories are different, unique but there’s something cyclical about these themes in the characters. And in Swathi Muthhina Male Haniye, again there’s a similar thread but slightly different than the previous ones - as in he’s very quiet and heartwarming with no rage or anger only a hint of rebellion against the rules - after all his end is near. We don’t know of his past but we know of him now - fighting a terminal illness and trying to deal and cope with the incoming death. We do not see much of his resistance but we hear of it. Being anonymous to the world, trying to replicate and live the death of his dog - he’s a timely philosopher in search of little joys and happy taste buds that ends up bringing in a breath of fresh air and love in Prerana’s life.
Prerana, played by Siri Ravikumar is just brilliant. The way she emotes anger, hesitation, awkwardness, embarrassment, love, hatred, vulnerability without saying a word is brilliant. One of my favorite scenes of her comes by the lake when Aniketh is hungry and she has nothing to offer him other than the dosa she cooked in the morning. She’s hesitant and keeps judging her dosa even before it’s eaten. It’s so good.
Rekha Kudlig as Prerana’s mother is again such a warm presence on screen. The last time I saw her was when she was a potential mother-in-law to Siri Ravikumar’s character in Sakutumba Sametha. The ‘making of the box’ scene will be forever one of the best and my favourite scenes written for screen (shout out to Pooja Sudhir). But in this film, she comes for a short stay but again effective and beautiful. Right from the moment, she gets off from the bus till she leaves - her smiles speaks volumes assuring her daughter of her actions and decisions. The parallels she lays of her dilemma listening to a daughter and a woman is so beautifully written, acted, and again goes down as another memorable moment in cinema.
Maturity is a two way street. When it isn’t, something dies - a relationship dies. Just like how the dog leaves before it’s death, you leave the steps of your own home because the relationship is no more. Someone else has stepped in with their heels. It’s time for a new beginning. Like how when the first rain drop falls on an oyster on Swathi Nakshatra it becomes a pearl and gets a new lease of life. Through exploring death, Raj and his team have given us great story of life and love. Thank you. :)
