Review: Once Upon A Time In Madras

Film: Once Upon A Time In Madras
Starring: Bharath, Shaan, Abirami, Thalaivasal Vijay, PGS, Rajaji, Anjali Nair, Pavithra Lakshmi, Syed, Kalki, Sini and others.
Director: Prasadh Murugan.
Music: Jose Franklin.
Producers: Captain MP Anand, Haroon, Bala, PGS.
Lyrics – M Jegan Kaviraj,
DOP – K.S.Kalidoss & Kannan R
Editing- San Lokesh
Rating: 2.5 stars

Director Prasadh Murugan’s Once Upon A Time In Madras has a plot that combines four stories, all connected by a revolver that its original owner looks to discard.

The story begins with a retired army officer who resides in his building that is located opposite a slum. A young boy from the slum attempts to steal mangoes from a tree in the army officer’s compound and the man lets the kid off the first time, with a warning not to steal his mangoes.

The young kid does not pay heed to the warning and attempts to steal mangoes a second time. Angered by the boy’s repeated attempts to steal his mangoes, he fires a shot from his revolver. The bullet finds its mark and the kid dies. However, the bullet which entered the boy’s body, comes out the other side and therefore cops investigating the boy’s death state in their report that there was no bullet found. Looking to seize this opportunity to escape, the army man, in a bid to destroy evidence, seeks to dispose of his revolver. He hurls it into the Koovam river. The disposed gun is discovered by a woman worker from the Corporation. What happens then is what the film is all about…

It doesn’t take long for you to realise that the director is a feminist, who strongly believes in the outdated feminist theory of how women are “victims” in society.

He comes up with four concocted stories, cleverly infusing them with parts inspired by real-life incidents. All four stories have two things in common. One, the women in these stories are all victims and the men in them are monsters and two, the revolver discarded by the army officer has a role to play in all of these stories.

The film attempts to stereotype men as monsters who prey on women and those from the third gender. The attempts to stereotype are unmistakable. There is a dialogue in the film in which Abhirami (who plays a sanitation worker) says,”All the men are like this, aren’t they?”

The first story is about a sanitation worker trying to educate her transgender child. The next is about a couple trying to get married against the wishes of the bride’s father, who is particular about the caste of the boy. The third is about a wife, who finds that her husband is gay and the fourth story is about a gangster, who is desperate to save his wife who has a life threatening health condition.

Once Upon A Time In Madras has some decent performances to offer. Actor Bharath, who plays the lead in one of the four stories, delivers a neat performance as the gangster desperate to save his wife.

Anjali Nair, who plays a pregnant wife who discovers that her husband is gay, also delivers a good performance. Lyricist Jegan, who makes a cameo appearance, impresses in the brief period that he appears.

If you are a feminist who finds films dealing with women’s issues appealing, you are likely to like ‘Once Upon A Time In Madras’.