Review: Kuyili

Film: Kuyili
Director: P Murugasamy
Cast: Lizzie Antony, Thashmiga Lakshman, Puthupetta Suresh, Hello Kanthasamy, Ravicha, V V Arun Kumar
Producer: V V Arunkumar
Cinematographer: Praveenraj
Editor: S Rajesh Kannan
Music: Jhoo Smith
Co-director: Ajin Karthik
Run Time- 107 min 30 sec
Rating: 2.5 stars

Director P Murugasamy’s Kuyili is a valiant attempt at creating awareness on the evils of alcoholism. The film seeks to highlight the fact that alcohol is a threat, not just to those who consume it but also to the families of its consumers.

The film revolves around the character of Kuyili (Played by Lizzie Antony), a woman from the poorer sections of society whose life has been repeatedly destroyed because of the sale of alcohol by a greedy businessmen. As a result, she attempts to create an awareness in society about the evils of alcholism. She tries to first burn down a liquor shop and then, with time, tries to shut down a liquor factory that has won a contract to supply alcohol to the whole state.

The story in brief…
Kuyili, a poor maiden living in a hamlet, has had a difficult childhood. Left in the lurch by an alcoholic father, Kuyili and her mother have had to fend for themselves all their lives. Having seen what an alcoholic can do to his family, the maiden carefully picks her life partner, ensuring that he is not someone who drinks.

However, a greedy businessman, who knows how addictive alcohol can be, offers the drink for free to the poor who often have to take up jobs that demand hard physical labour. Kuyili’s husband, who suffers an injury at work, is administered alcohol by those with him to numb his pain. However, that gets him addicted to the habit. Eventually, he dies and Kuyili is again left to rebuild her life from scratch. She is nevertheless determined to raise her son to be an IAS officer and put an end to this menace of alcohol.

After years of hard labour, she succeeds in making him an IAS officer. Just when she thinks she will be able to succeed in her goal of shutting down a brewery supplying alcohol to the whole state, she is again in for a heartbreak. What happens then is what Kuyili is all about.

Analysis
Murugasamy looks to narrate a tale of empowerment and rebellion. And to his credit, he manages to do a reasonably decent job of it. The film, despite its technical flaws and glitches, manages to hold your attention for the entire duration, thanks to a convincing performance by the lead artiste Lizzie Antony. However, as the story progresses, Murugasamy gets carried away by Leftist idealogies so much that the focus of his film shifts from the story onto the idealogies of the Left.

It is at this point that you begin to feel as if you are watching a documentary, made to promote the Left parties.

The film has a socially relevant message to offer and for that, director Murugasamy wins brownie points. The film’s cast, most of whom have little to no experience, still deliver neat, clean performances. A round of applause for them as well. Technically, the film just about manages to make the cut.

As a film looking to create an awareness on a social evil, Kuyili scores handsomely. However, as an entertainer, it doesn’t impress. Nevertheless, a valiant effort that needs to be commended.