Velaiyilla Pattathari

I’m frustrated. I recently was made to endure two and a half hours of extreme physical and mental pain disguised in the name of velaiyilla pattathari (not the movie as a whole, but the reality that is being portrayed in it). I tried very hard to see it just as a movie but I couldn’t stop thinking of the dumbness of the protagonist and how stupid it is of him to blame everything and everyone around him for everything that is wrong with him.

The guy around whom the movie revolves is someone (unemployed, duh) who came from a tamil medium school, from a middle class family living in a decent neighbourhood, with decent internet connection, a few employed friends, and a lot of opportunities in his hand. I can totally understand if someone who doesn’t have all this luxury in his life, blaming someone apart from himself for anything wrong that is happening in his life. But this bugger, practically has everything, and still blames the misfortunes in his life on others. As a movie, this can be tolerated. But when you think further, this actually is the reality that is happening in many households here.

All this is because it is so easy to blame someone. When you blame it on others, you won’t have any guilt in your heart. Whenever something bad happens, you can point fingers on that someone and you will be fine. Everyone loves making others feel guilty. As humane as someone is, people still have that tiny little grey shade inside some corner of their heart that always wants make others to feel guilty for some of their wrong-doings.

Back to the movie. The only reasonable person that the guy blames in the whole movie was his father. That guy behaves as a total jerk. He keeps complaining, comparing, whining, scolding, mixing all his emotions and trying to seem very strict. Although sometimes I did feel that the behaviour of the father may be because of how irresponsible one of his sons is, but on the other hand, the possibility of his son behaving the way he does might be because of how his father treated him his whole life also keeps disturbing my mind. On further thinking, the latter scenario is the one that seems more plausible.

Also there is this stereotypical mother who keeps ‘saving’ her son whenever the father starts whining about him. And the same stereotypical mother who hits her son when he talks back to his father (Apparently for the first time. In 26 years. Seriously?). I understand the motherly sentiments and stuff but the what kind of a mother encourages and cheers for her son when he starts a brawl right in front of their home with some rowdies? How am I supposed to take this relationship seriously after you’ve shown something like this? The mother character was one of the characters that seemed very far away from reality.

This guy has a laptop (his brother’s but still he uses it whenever he wants). This guy is on facebook. This guy knows to use the internet. This guy has an engineering degree. The guy is good at building stuffs. The only downside of this epitome of worthiness is that he can’t seem to talk in english. And for that too he blames his father for not making him study in an english medium school. The same dialogue from someone from a not so lovely background and opportunities is totally understandable but I can only laugh when someone like this guy tells it. (apologies if this sounded offensive to someone but you should watch this movie to understand my irritation)

Also this completely unreal heroine character who falls in love with someone who keeps drinking every night. I’m really not sure what impressed her the most about this guy. His rejection of 50k worth IT and call center jobs (Remember. This guy doesn’t know english) as he wanted to do something related to his graduation? This guy has a younger brother who earns in lakhs and is the embodiment of the good guy template. For all I know, the girl should have fallen in love with him. But still she chooses this one who keeps calling himself a loser (He doesn’t even look good).

Although, I do understand one of his frustrations. Undeserving people people getting accolades. That has to be highly irritating and discouraging for someone who is trying to achieve something in life. But then it is also not really fair blaming someone for doing a job that is not related to what they studied. What he is trying to say is if someone studied mechanical, he shouldn’t do anything else but to work in a core company and not work as an assistant director, news anchor etc. Dude, ever heard of dreams and stuff?

(This is not a review per se, but my frustration on something that actually is happening in this country. Kudos to the director for portraying something that is this serious. Not sure if he did it intentionally or by accident but kudos anyway. The movie is quite watchable and enjoyable (If you can tolerate dhanush speaking punch dialogues and the usual lengthy dialogue of his apparent struggle all his life. ). Give it a try of you don’t have anything important to do.)

[rating:2.5]