Apr 30, 2003 04:28 AM
12279 Views
(Updated May 02, 2003 01:21 AM)
I am in complete & utter awe of Mani Ratnam the director after seeing this most awesome movie. This was shown at the International Film Festival here in San Francisco. If you have to see ONE Indian movie or ANY movie, for that matter, in your lifetime...then I urge you to go see ''Kannathil Muthamittal'' or ''A Peck On The Cheek'' in its English title. Not since Satyajit Ray nor Mira Nair's earlier films has a film captured the brilliance of Indian cinema. This is not only a family/love story movie, but it is also a movie that deals with the troubled existence of Tamils in Sri Lanka. ''A Peck On The Cheek'' is a story about a 9 year old girl named Amudha (brilliantly played by P.S. Keertana) who after years of a blissfull existence in Chennai, is told by her dad (an understated performance by the very handsome Madhavan) that she is adopted. Throughout the film, Amudha is searching for her true identity & what it means to her. She alienates her adoptive mother (Simran excelling quite well) & runs away from home several times until her father finally relents & decides to search for her biological mother in Sri Lanka.
Upon their arrival in Sri Lanka, in no time they are besieged by the chaos of a troubled nation. We see the Sri Lankan (probably Sinhalese) army drop bombs & start shelling Sri Lankan Tamils. We then find out that Amudha's mother (Nandita Das in a touching performance) is living in a Tamil terrorist camp. She has been hardened by the ravages of war compared to how she was in the opening scene of the film as an innocent, young bride. In the meantime, the story shifts back to Amudha's deep & profound perspective as a child wanting to know WHO her real mother is & WHY she gave her up. Keertana's Amudha is the BEST child acting I have ever seen in my whole entire life. Nobody can beat this child because she was SO real, so sincere. & so AUTHENTIC in her emoting. You can really feel the pain as Amudha bottles up her pain & try to comprehend why war, circumstances & choice made her who she is. She is a child with so much wisdom & sensitivity that you wonder how on earth can ANY child ever portray a character with such depth.
The soundtrack is done by A.R. Rahman so you know that the songs are contemporary, listenable, and most importantly...TIMELESS. It isn't overdone & cheesy like the Hindi K3G which is so overtly manipulative & cheesy in pulling your emotions. ''A Peck On The Cheek'' has perfect timing in placing the songs at the right place & the right time. This is what Indian Cinema is SUPPOSED to be! The cinematography is beyond gorgeous. It is lush, colorful & simple & devoid of over-produced opulence that Hindi movies are so famous for. In my opinion, Mani Ratnam's Tamil movie is the best of what India has to offer. Definitely better than Lagaan or ANY North Indian Hindi movie. The makeup on the women is very minimal. Simran's simplicity in ''A Peck On The Cheek'' makes Rani Mukherji in ''Saathiya'' look like a hooker in Paris. Don't expect glitz, glamour & embroidered costumes in this film because you won't find any. Thank God.
If Bollywood movies are going down & losing it's taste & quality as of late, then maybe it should take it's cue from South Indian movies. After watching ''A Peck On The Cheek'', every Hindi film I've seen does not compare to it's magnificence. Suddenly, blockbusters like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, K3G, Asoka, Lagaan, The Hero, Jism, & Taal seem like frivolous, insignificant, little films. Bravo for Mani Ratnam & the cast of ''A Peck On The Cheek''! Shame on Bollywood for making such poor quality movies. I'm almost ashamed to be of North Indian descent. I feel as if I have been brainwashing myself with shallow Bollywood crap. Don't get me wrong, I will STILL watch all that Hindi blockbuster crap but now I know that if I need a reality check, then all I need to do is look down South. ''A Peck On The Cheek'' should have been sent to the Oscars instead of Devdas or Lagaan. We would have stood a chance in winning if they did. But seeing as how the Hindi speaking public dislikes South Indian cinema (Yes, its true. I know a Bengali guy who actually gets disgusted at the thought of watching a Tamil film), I doubt it will ever happen. I think India would like to believe that only fair skinned Hindi actors & actresses should represent India in the international arena. As if light skin & heavily Sanskritized Hindi is the ''Ideal''. Whatever. All I can say is if you don't watch South Cinema, then you have been watching crap. Go see ''Kannathil Muthamittal/A Peck On The Cheek''. It will restore your faith in humanity AND Indian Cinema once again. Vanakkam:)
