The River Of LIfe. Review on Mahanadhi Movie

Mahnadhi depicts the life of a common man who undergoes volumes of indescribable agony in life and his will to overcome the darkest facets of reality.  Krishna (Kamalhaasan) is a widower leading a peaceful and content life along with his kids Barani and Yamuna and mother-in-law in his ancestral village. When Krishna bumps into an old friend of his, he is ridiculed of leading a simple life, and also triggering his kids’ ego when they’re made fun of their spoken English. Just then, he accidentally meets Dhanush (Hanifa), a sleazy trickster who flings his net and lures Krishna convincing him to move to the city and set-up a business enterprise. Krishna falls for the bait in hope of providing a better lifestyle for his kids’.

He sells all his property, and shifts to the city with big aspirations. But the city life takes a toll on Krishna, especially when he finds out Dhanush has swindled all the money. But fate doesn’t favour him, and is sent to jail. He meets his cellmate, Panjabakesan ('Poornam' Vishwanathan) and learns that it was his daughter Yamuna (Sukanya) who had responded to his matrimonial advertisement. As he undergoes tormenting days in jail, the only solace he receives is the visit by his family and his new found love, Yamuna. But fate yet again intervenes in his already disintegrated life, when his daughter lands up in a brothel masterminded by Dhanush, and his son who gets lost in the big city. Upon his release, he realises that endurance and virtuousness never pay off, and bursts with anger, embarking on a mission in search of the broken pieces of his life…

The movie earned critical and commercial success, and went on to bag the National Award for the best feature film in Tamil. Interestingly, the name of the title and the main characters in the movie are names of eminent Indian rivers. *Mahanadi, Krishna, Yamuna, Kaveri and Barani. *Kamalhaasan’s versatile transformation from a naive villager to an aspiring businessman and finally to a tormented individual is nothing short of sheer class. Hanifa as Dhanush emerges as one of the most despicable villains, supported with an honest performances from the rest of the cast. Exploring the harsh realities of life and following a series of fateful events that change the course of a man’s life, this film will leave you with an impact that’ll last for long.