| Director | Lenin Balakrishnan |
| Cinematography | Askhar |
| Editor | Sandeep Kumar |
| Music | Gopi Sundar |
| Producer | Dhanoop Joseph |
| Production | Walk With Cinema |
Gist of the Story
The need to safeguard the fundamental rights of the disadvantaged and marginalised members of our society is discussed in Article 21 along with the potential impact that education may have on the lives of individuals who are homeless.
Detailed Plot
Every child in India has the legal right to receive free schooling from the age of six to fourteen, as stipulated by Article 21 A of the constitution. Nevertheless, a sizable portion of the populace is still uninformed of this fundamental right and unsure of how to exercise it. The film revolves around Thamarai, a Tamil immigrant, and her impoverished family. Dalapathi and Muthu are her two sons. Unfortunately, Thamarai’s husband is imprisoned, leaving the family to survive by scavenging for discarded objects. However, their circumstances take an unexpected turn when the children stumble upon a school bag. Suddenly, the younger child develops a newfound desire to learn, prompting the family to do everything in their power to provide their children with an education. Throughout the film, the family’s relentless efforts to give their children a chance to study are beautifully portrayed, with the support of a few compassionate individuals who lend a helping hand.
Artistes’ Performances
Lena masterfully brings to life the character of Thamarai, showcasing her kind-hearted nature and her vices of smoking and drinking. Thamarai’s inner strength and tenderheartedness are expertly depicted by Lenaa, who also creates a representation that is extremely resonant and true. Through Lenaa’s portrayal, Thamarai’s strong resilience and compassionate nature are beautifully captured, creating a depiction that is deeply meaningful and authentic. The picture gains depth via Leswin and Nandan’s portrayals of Thamarai’s boys. The communist auto-driver in this film is portrayed by Aju Varghese. In a brief cameo appearance, Joju George also delivers a powerful performance.
Direction / Technical Side
The film claims to take viewers on a moving journey that examines human hardships and the search for justice, all within the bounds of the law, and draws inspiration from Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which protects the right to life and personal liberty. We get a sense that the movie will explore further in order to help us comprehend their journey when we first see a thorough closer look at the daily activities of this family in the opening seconds of the movie. However, the movie’s ending, which purports to be just an awareness campaign, just strips away every potential layer of complexity from the narrative, making the poverty and suffering you witness on screen appear more like a smokescreen for a lack of creative filmmaking. The film does an excellent job of highlighting how important it is to provide accessible education for all children, therefore despite its imperfections, given the theme’s relevancy and significance, they can be disregarded.
The film deftly spins a heartwarming and thought-provoking tale of encouragement and help, highlighting the generosity of decent people like driver Vishnu and his friends who selflessly step up to support the family’s pursuit of education. The characters’ tribulations vividly illustrate the challenges encountered by poor communities in their relentless endeavor to improve their futures through education. This poignant narrative explores the indomitable human spirit and the power of unity in the face of adversity. The movie’s first half often moves at a moderate pace, giving the plot plenty of time to develop. The second half, though, amps up the pace as the action moves considerably more quickly.
Verdict;
The film explores human hardships and the search for justice within the law, drawing inspiration from Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. The film seemingly attempts to shed light on important issues, but fails to do so in a coherent and meaningful way. Its shortcomings overshadow any potential impact it could have had. The film’s greatest asset is Lena’s outstanding performance!