“Aval Appadithan” – That’s what she is!!!

01Dec08

Sripriya, Rajini & Kamal

Spoiler Warning: Reading this may reveal some details of the plot. Read at your own discretion

When I thought about blogging, I knew that one post of the first few  would be dedicated to this Tamil film titled ‘Aval Appadithan‘. The film was directed by a little known director C.Rudraiya (never heard of him before). Perhaps he has directed one more movie and vanished. It is really sad that we couldn’t see more of his work, because going by this masterpiece, he could have created many more.

It was perhaps a year ago that I got a chance to watch this film; flicking through the channels I stuck on to this which was being aired on KTV as a special telecast on the occasion of Rajinikanth’s bitrhday. It was almost 10 pm and probably it was more than 30 minutes into the film. I saw Kamal and Rajini together on screen and it was a black and white film. So I grew curious. I had always loved both of them together on screen and I am no big fan of the ‘Superstar’ (Rajini is reverred by Tamil fans) but I like him in his earlier days. For me, Rajini in the beginning of his career did exemplify good acting but was morphed into perhaps one of the biggest commercial showman of Indian cinema.

It was almost time for bed and I was irked at thought of office next morning. Few minutes later I was watching one of the most memorable films I had ever seen. Perhaps it is the best Tamil film ever made. Coming to the plot, it is about three characters whom we do meet everyday in our life; a cynical, modern woman, who hates men (Sripriya), who had a very disturbed childhood and equally tumultuous relationships; her boss (Rajini), perhaps symbolizing the typical man of the times, arrogant, successful, male chauvinist; and an aspiring film-maker (Kamal), soft-spoken, progressive young man. It follows the lives of these three individuals; the woman is in search of some solace and love, the boss who thinks that you don’t analyze women but enjoy them and has an eye on the character played by Sripriya; and the aspiring documentary film-maker who wants to understand the psychology of women and is currently shooting his film on women (and society).The film-maker is assisted in his work by the lady upon the request of her boss, who is a friend of the film-maker. Eventually the film-maker falls for the lady but ends up marrying another typical woman (Saritha) as expected by the  patriarchal society.

As the film draws to an end, in Rajnikanth’s car, Sripriya asks Saritha, “What do you think of women’s liberation?”. Saritha replies, “Oh, I don’t know anything about that”. Sripriya replies with a cynical  smile “No wonder you are happy”. The film ends with Sripriya standing on the road as the car with Rajnikanth and the married couple pulls away from her. A voice-over says, “Manju meendum irandhu ponaal, aval irappal, pirappal, pirappal, irappal. . . . . Aval Appadithan” (“She died today. She will be reborn tomorrow. She will die again. She will be reborn again. That’s what she is”).

As a whole the movie follows a very unconventional filming and most engrossing are the dialogues. So outspoken and sharp are the dialogues that perhaps most of it would be considered vulgar even today. I was almost dumbstruck to see a film of that kind made in that era (1978). Considering the amount of crap that comes out as movies today, I was really taken aback to see such an radical movie from those times. It touches upon woman, relationships and how Indian society (though filmed in Tamil and in Chennai, it is easily the representation of women even today) views women. In one of the most beautifully conceived and equally thought provoking scene in the movie, the aspiring director with Sripriya interviews several classes of women (students, working women, those living in slums, social workers, actresses etc) for their opinion on themselves, working women, women’s role in society, women’s equality, smoking & alcohol, sex, love etc. I believe that this particular scene was not filmed with actors reciting the writer’s dialogues but with real people expressing their real views. The success of the film lies in subtlety bringing out what women think of themselves. Though the film may be from a period three decades ago it would hold true even today. Despite our beliefs of modernity, I think, most of it particularly the view of themselves holds true even today for a vast majority of Indian women.

The best thing is that this movie is not judgemental. It does not critcize, it does not have a propoganda, it does not preach women’s liberation. It is so much that it could easily be some of our lives and thoughts. And most importantly it is devoid of the ususal cinematic melodrama that takes it few steps closer  to reality. Each character is as flawed as reality would require. The on screen chemistry of all the three actors is phenomenal. Especially that of Sripriya’s. It could have so easily been melo dramatic or the preaching types, and would have taken away the charm. But it was indeed a rarely constructed character so well acted upon.

Thinking of it now, I do feel that this eternal movie could well epitomize our times too. Nothing much has changed…

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Tags: cinema, feminism, review, society, Tamil, women