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.

Director Bala is notorious for his unique choice of disturbing subjects and Naan kadavul is no different. This time around he comes up with a story down under the hells of reality.

Aarya plays the lead role of an Aghori devotee named 'Rudra' which probably is the least humane character that any actor would dare to do. Shiva is the lord of elimination in Hindu texts, and an Aghori who is an ardent follower of Shiva believes in 'Dushta nigraha' or elimination of the evil. Aarya has done fair justice to the role and Bala has exploited him in his looks and acting potentials. Bala seems to have spent enough time in studying the life style of the Aghori sects and beggars. That reflects in the eventual realism that results.

Cold blooded action and shocking pragmatism may disturb the audience. So you have to prepared for 'anything' and 'everything'. Cinematography is a chilling package of the movie and every face that comes along in the movie appears real and original to the plot. Music by ilayaraja is definitely fitting to the scheme.

Violent imagery is objectionable to minors and women. So it's not any family 'go-watch'. But the movie is well told, and questions the true nature of Kadavul- the God and repeating statements made by Rudra-'Aham brahmasmi' surely keeps you thinking.

If you can appreciate the alternate thinking that the director has convincingly achieved in the movie then go and give it a try.

1 extra star for Arya's acting! Throughout the movie i was convinced i was watching an Aghori baba and not Arya. I think he deserved a National Award for this movie. Anyways, coming to the movie it's disturbing, shocking and at the same time it's a naked truth. A truth that we all choose to not look at because it disturbs our lives.

The climax is not something i had expected and it kept me horrified for days. This movie is the reason why i explored Hindu spirituality in more detail and the concepts of Aghoris...it's transformed my way of looking at life.