Review: Kaatrin Mozhi

Film: Kaatrin Mozhi

Director: Radhamohan

Cast: Jyothika, Vidharth, M S Baskar, Mayilsamy, Lakshmi Manchu, Manobala, Elango Kumaravel and
others

Music: A K Kaaship

Cinematography: Mahesh Muthuswami

Rating: 2.5 stars

When Radhamohan and Jyothika work together on a film, one automatically expects it to be in the class of Mozhi. Unfortunately, Kaatrin Mozhi has only about half the class of the earlier masterpiece.

The remake of Tumhari Sulu, Kaatrin Mozhi has Jyothika playing Vijayalakshmi Balakrishnan aka Viji, an ambitious housewife, who has plans of  becoming a big entrepreneur someday. Her husband Balakrishnan (Vidharth) works as a manager in a  garment export unit. The couple have an eleven-
year- old school going son.

Life is peaceful until the time Viji wins a contest in a radio station. When she goes to collect her prize (which happens to be a pressure cooker) , she sees an advertisement in the radio station calling for
entries to a Radio Jockey position.

The enterprising lady that she is, Viji convinces the station head Maria (Lakshmi Manchu) to give her an opportunity despite the fact that she hasn’t even completed schooling. Maria agrees but the catch is that the programme that Viji is to anchor is a late night programme in which she has to talk in a sensual tone to callers.

Within a month, Viji proves that she is more than capable of handling the job. In fact, she is so good at it, that her talk show becomes a hit and she even wins an award for it. But then, while her profession gives her satisfaction, it takes away the peace at home. What does Viji do? Does she choose profession over personal life or does she give up her job for her profession? Kaatrin Mozhi gives the answer.

What works in the film:
Radhamohan knows how to put to use the extraordinary skills of certain brilliant artistes. The trust that the director has in these artistes and their skills is evident from the fact that he uses them in almost all his films on a regular basis.

This film too has four powerful performances coming in from such artistes. The first of these comes from actor M S Baskar, who can showcase both negative and positive traits of a character with equal ease. As a widower struggling to come to terms with the loss of his wife, M S Baskar delivers exactly what Radhamohan has in mind.

The second is Elango Kumaravel, who has, time and again, left an indelible mark with his performances. The third is Mayilsamy, one of the finest comedians Indian cinema has produced. Mayilsamy provides some much needed genuine humour in the film as groceries store owner and the fourth is Manobala, who, in the short and sweet role that is given to him, makes an impression.

Vidharth, who plays the character of Jyothika’s husband in the film, does complete justice to his role.

What doesn’t work in the film:
Jyothika’s performance in Mozhi was mind-blowing. The actress, who wowed audiences and critics alike with her brilliant expressions in that masterpiece of a film called Mozhi, comes across as being too imposing and artificial in this film. While her expressions were apt and measured in Mozhi, Jyothika’s expressions in Kaatrin Mozhi are exaggerated and unconvincing. In fact, the forced smile that she sports in some sequences brings down the reality factor by a considerable margin.

The agonizing part is that she sports it in almost regular intervals.

One reason why Radhamohan’s films generally manage to strike a chord with the audiences is because his stories are usually close to reality. However, Kaatrin Mozhi’s story seems a little exaggerated.

This appears to have been done deliberately to please women audiences in general and feminists in particular. Almost all male characters in the film have at least one negative trait associated  with them. Viji’s dad is shown as someone who is discouraging and dismissive of her efforts. He is often found belittling her. Viji’s son is shown stealing her husband’s mobile in the hope of making enough money to buy a videogame. Viji’s office colleague Kumki, played by Elango Kumaravel, is shown as a temperamental dreamer, who does not mind using unfair means to achieve his goals. Mayilsamy, who plays the grocery store owner, is shown as a lascivious predator, whose only thoughts are about sex. In fact, not just him, there are at least three other male characters that are showcased in that fashion in
this film.

Now, consider the female characters in contrast. For a start, take Viji’s character. She is perfect in every manner possible. Fair, strong-willed, responsible, smart, go-getter and sacrificial in nature, Viji is the embodiment of all goodness.

Not just her. Her boss Maria (played by Lakshmi Manchu) is tough and smart on the one hand and compassionate and considerate on the other. Then, there is a woman RJ who is just as kind as her boss. Apart from these people, there is also a woman entrepreneur who goes about selling pickles because she believes that she should work and not live off the money that has been left behind for  her. It doesn’t take much to realize which segment of the audience the director is trying to please.

One other factor that works against the film is the predictability of the plot. This could be because the film is a remake of Tumhari Sulu. Even otherwise, the film’s story progresses in such a way that even those who haven’t watched the Hindi version but who are fairly acquainted with the Tamil film industry, would be able to predict the outcome.

In all, Kaatrin Mozhi has some really enjoyable portions, which remind one of Radhamohan’s class and his capabilities as a director. The film, despite all its flaws, is a reasonably well made entertainer but definitely not anywhere close to the standard of Mozhi.