Iraivi (2016)

There are almost dozens of reasons that Iraivi wouldn’t make you relaxed if you are watching it as a Nedil “ Man”, yet the movie is made for so called Kuril “Woman” but it wouldn’t be comfortable for the them too. Iraivi is an ambitious apparition from Karthik Subburaj to move towards the league of next level. But why is that he doesn’t make you love his movies, He pulls you near him shows all their coarse phases, cheap desires and at some point in the travel all characters look like a monster drowned completely in slutism, swindling, cheating their wives, Alcoholism. And then he throws you back to show the radically opposite inefficient, incapable as men staring at defeat from life yet not losing the hardheaded feeling of being a man.

It’s a different and ambitious outing for Karthik Subburaj conventionally breaking the mixt version of recent screenplays. He significantly has matured to pack it with autism, rehabilitation  feminism, radicalism, haughtiness yet sticking to his ordeal to Rajini & also allowing Santhosh Narayanan to give his homage to Ilayaraja. Beginning with “ Thendral vanthu theendum pothu “ in trance signifies that we should be ready for a unconventional ride in abstraction   The plot traverses from female protagonists, who are completely destroyed by male arrogance and paltry characters yet trying to break free every time they are trapped in blunders of their men. Iraivi pays tributes to women hood especially women who are squeezed and plundered by the irresponsible men dreams who couldn’t meet their reality and mediocre desires.

Anjali or Kamalini or Vadivukkarasi are three medleys yet they suffer the same pain and there are four to five women who are deep rooted and trapped in the destined life who deservedly needed attention at the least form. Every time they move forward a single step, the conventional bond of man and woman brings them ten steps behind. This dark tale has  frame full of men, but Karthik attempts to show every action men do, has a reaction on women who are miles away from them. I was moved by the scene when Michael ( Vijay Sethupathi) hammers the producer, Karthik shows Ponni ( Anjali) waiting for him on a rainy day window with a biggest news since their marriage. Two completely different worlds yet connected through actions of men, turning their lives completely on the reverse, There is this collateral damage which these men bring to the lives of women on a sequential way. Every second you pass by, you feel the density and sequence director wants us to feel and view. Yes you are immersed thoroughly, but do you realize what has drowned you ? I am still finding an answer how this could be. 

Thanks to the movie for bringing SJ Surya’s as a complete actor, at last we see how extreme screen existence he has got when he is around killer performers like Radharavi , VJS & Anjali . There are certain badass traits which comes through him very naturally, and he knew this is his chance of making it big. Vijay sethupathi is at his blatant best but an idiot who does for his trust and couldn’t control his cheap pleasures. One great scene where he walks away from Jegan with out any dialogue , swamped in pain and loss , He just wants to walk away. When he hammers the producer on the second front, I wouldn’t dare to show my Star actor of the movie showing his shapeless back & ass in a printed shirt with out any conventional movie looks but just finishing the job for his boss. Karthik could have made a Nayagan killing scene , but Vijay sethupathi steals the whole movie in one shot.  As Ponni says “ Oh ivaru thaan thaalai yum thalapathiyum kalanthu senja thosaimaava” is what he is now for viewers like me who doesn’t want to pick a side.

There are bits and pieces about Iraivi like this, Drizzling rain which follows the whole movie or an impulse for Anjali, Vadivukarasi, Kamalini to get drenched or where Ponni(Anjali) puts herself in Vijay sethupathi’s beard “ Nee evlo kettalum antha kelvikku bathil sollamaatten “ or Yazhini(Kamalini’s) need to believe moment again and again for the love she has on Arul( SJ Surya). Some how you see Silaneranglil sila manithargal and Manathil urudhivendum or Aval appadi thaan . A honest attempt , maturely handled needs to clear editing at some scenes.

 I couldn’t hate this movie or come out to say “I didn’t like it “ , But I wouldn’t get contended with this. This is a very multipart compendium with layers and layers of emotions and relations. I couldn’t come back to my wife and say there is a movie which you need to watch, because it hits the reality in many frames so hard that it bleeds to every man who watches it. It asks every woman to step out and get drenched and feel the love beyond the Unisex !