Naan Kadavul

Philosophically rich and very realistic to those who have seen and dwelt in the social-law defying black hole that is sometimes India. Divine and terrible at once, spiritual and materialistic living hand in hand. Like the beggars around the holy man in the South Indian temple who themselves dress themselves up as great sadhus but are mere men. It takes a trained eye to differentiate the true sadhus from the fake in India.

This is not a brutal movie deifying moral killing. It is a true telling of the beliefs and lives of a sect of people who practice a system of law and order much older than the English language. The court scene punctuates the point further; does a easily corruptible legal system really serve justice better than the judgment of one realised soul? What the movie doesn't perhaps cover too well is that by punishing the unjust/unwilling to live, the Aghori is taking on his/her karma on himself and considers it a task that he is duty bound to do.

The personality of Rudra's mother is a stereotype taken out of vedantic stories of mothers who want the best for their children yet who struggle to release their offspring who wish to dedicate their lives to god. Very similar to a mothers reaction to a child wishing to become a nun or a priest in the western world. The sage Ramana Maharishi's mother struggled similarly to accept his calling.

They say you cannot convert into Hinduism, that you must be born into it. Perhaps more such movies are necessary in this globalised age for the world to breach this misconception and bring the philosophies of the east and west together. There is still so much I can learn from this movie and I intend to watch it often enough to grasp exactly what the writers were trying to say.

as SUPER STAR 'RAJNIKANTH' said here after never such a movie can be made..it goes down as one of the all time classic movies..like bala's previous movies SETHU, NANDHA , PITHAMAGAN he continues to stunt you with realistic story of NAAN KADAVUL..ARYA's dedication in the movie will make his carrier to look back...he has set a standards which other have to follow..ilayaraja has again gave a evergreen memories with his excellent music..he has done magics with the background score..Bala has tried to debate a few serious issues in the movie. The first is obviously about who is God? He also talks about life and death and how death is actually a boon to one who cannot lead a good life. Summing up, Naan Kadavul is not a movie that everyone can digest. It shows reality in such brutality that you wonder whether such things really do happen. It cannot be called violent; the word 'brutal' has to be repeated often to describe the movie.

Naan Kadavul may not have had the box office run of its commercial stereotype counterparts but it has every aspect that exemplifies a great movie. Bala has the tendency to bring out the best of every actor he directs and Naan Kadavul is no exception in this regard. Every member of the acting crew has lived their characters. Arya's impact, while short, is majestic and adds an aura yet unseen in Tamil cinema. Every scene has been brilliantly crafted and Bala's attention to detail is second to none. Illayaraja music adds vibrancy to what is already a magnificent piece of art and takes its beauty to an entirely different level. The directorial standard set by Bala will hold as a benchmark for many a generations to come.

Have no words to describe this masterpiece. "Naan Kadavul" may offer different kind of feeling to everybody -am sure. But all I want to say is that "This Is A true Indian Movie". This movie must be nominated for Oscars and wish that the world takes note of it. This is good for the world at large and since this was created in India, it will have to follow the same fate of every other immortal classic that was done in India Viz..."No recognition at large" unless the world gives the recognition. It created in me the same sorry feeling when I knew - Vedanta, Mahabharata or any other immortal spiritual classics was produced in India. They will never be acknowledged great unless world looks at it. ...

About this movie - what happens when an enlightened man living all his life with his guru and as a complete recluse and practicing the teachings taught; is suddenly taken by providence to his birth place. There is this sudden clash...A man beyond the world impacted with not just the world but with the harsh and depraved part of the world. Bala explains thereafter with extreme fragility and immense knowledge of spirituality. Thanks to you Bala...you have proved once again.

One of the bold and unique movie ever made! This movie for sure is not for the faint-hearted. Wish the director could tone down the gore and violence in his movies, even this movie has quite a lot of disturbing visuals. Apart from that, the movie is brilliantly made with pitch- perfect detailing, the exquisite photography and the brilliant re- recording. The lead performers as well as some newbies were top class. Rajendran, the antagonist, was absolutely terrifying. The Kasi episodes with the priest are intensely shot, i haven't seen any similar scenes in any other movie. So are the humorous dance episode inside a police station, you have to watch the expressions of the actors mimicking old actors, terrific indeed!!