A good movie should leave us with some kind of good feeling every time we watch it after the passage of time. A great movie should be thought provoking. In that sense, ‘Dharmadurai’ released in 2016 and starring Vijay Sethupathi, Tamannaah and Aishwarya Rajesh directed by Seenu Ramasamy is a film with emotional and thoughtful scenes. There are many things to talk about this film. Let us now recall some of its salient points.
Madurai took over Tamil cinema:
In fact, in the last 30 years in Tamil cinema, more films have been made based on Madurai than any other part of Tamil Nadu. Madurai Man is the combination of two districts Madurai and Theni. Sometimes even Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram can be included. Than the films that came during Bharathiraja’s time, after the arrival of Baruthiveeran, innumerable films in Tamil cinema are coming in the story line around Madurai. Up to the currently released Viruman.
Although they say that these films reflect the village culture in a way, most of the stories are taken with a particular society as the background. They will kill without learning lessons about bravery, affection, and pride. All this can be tolerated, obviously, the pandering of caste pride creates a wrong direction for future generations. (You can make films to incite caste sentiments by claiming that you are making films to eradicate caste) But in reality the stories that need to be told about those communities (thugs) are yet to be told. Some films like Madayanaik Kutam are films made with good intentions. The pictures reflect the life of that society so elegantly. However, the way the films were received by the audience turned out to be negative. Instead of thinking about which way of life took the life of that hero, it was once again caste pride. The director himself has recorded this regret.
In that way, Dharmadurai is a film made with beautiful feelings, realizing how to tell the life of Kallar society. Now let’s see the important things discussed in that film.
Historical Significance of Kallar Schools:
How were people belonging to every community in Tamil Nadu before independence. There is a great history of how they gradually progressed to the next stage. That’s how the thief community is. They suffered many cruelties beyond what they were subjected to by the British. The Tamil Nadu government has taken various initiatives to improve their lives. Kallar reformation schools are one of them. There are a lot of people who have studied in those fake reform schools and have reached a high level of education and gone on to good jobs. All these are not shown in Tamil cinema. The director would have recorded this at a certain point in the course of Dharmadurai film.
After the death of Anbuselvi (played by Aishwarya Rajesh), Paraman (played by Anbuselvi’s father, played by MS Bhaskar) comes to the police station to file a complaint against Dharman’s (Vijaysethupathi) family. Then, Paramani’s mother Pandiamma (Rathika’s character) pleads with the police officer for her son. Then, he will tell the officer that both of you have studied in a blackmail school. Only in this one place is it mentioned. It was Thurman who studied in that school and became a good doctor. These are important things that everyone should know in history.
Economic inequalities even within the same society:
Director Seenuramasamy has a strong criticism of his own caste. Even if they belong to their own community, Dharman’s brothers will ask for 50 pounds of jewelry and 5 lakhs in cash as dowry. Because of the dowry they asked for, the marriage stopped and Anbu Selvi committed suicide. The director will reveal that there are difficulties in marrying someone from the same community who wants to marry someone who is economically less than them. The director will be dealing with this issue for Southwest Monsoon. No one can see Dharmadurai as a caste film. The director tells the story with such common features.
Good lessons for the medical field:
A film about a medical profession based on Dharmadurai. Among them, the verses spoken by Dr. Kamaraj, who was Dharman’s professor in the medical college, are important. Kamaraj would have talked about the importance of diet plan. The professor would say that he changed his name to Kamraj because of his love for him. He would advise his students not to be greedy for money but to seek medicine for people with less income. According to that advice, Thurman set up his clinic in the village. He insisted that there should be no raking in the college. Dharmadurai is a film that says that medicine is service.
Importance of Transgender:
Transgender people are generally treated badly in society. Many people treat them as a laughingstock and a man of sexual desire. As such, Thurman will employ a transgender woman as a compounder at his clinic to show how important transgender employment is. Jeeva Subramaniam, a transgender, will play the role.
Suffering in life is not constant:
Dharmadurai movie will be a hopeful movie. The scenes between Vijay Sethupathi and Tamannaah’s characters are so emotionally shot. Tamannaah divers her disagreeable husband. Vijay starts a new life with Sethupathi. Vijay Sethupathi starts a new life from where he thought life was lost. The scene where he bathes in the waterfall is a symbol of transformation. Both live in a live-in together. The director tells through Professor Kamaraj that it is necessary to live in a married relationship in this society.
“The sky is one everywhere you look
Wherever you go, there are towns
There is love even when a love fails
A small cockroach is alive even if its head is gone
Oh, when the roses cry, they shed honey…” The lyrics of the song are a seed of hope. It is noteworthy that Vairamuth also received a national award for these lyrics.
Small things:
Thurman handles Tange’s love interest in medical school beautifully. Again it was Tange who he sought out first. He will look for Tamannaah second. Makka Kalanguthappa recorded his comment on Dhapattam in the song. ‘Who gave you the name Tappattam? You are the perfect match’. Aishwarya Rajesh’s character will be a farm laborer in a village. However, he was writing for small magazines. There is a small library in that town. Many things can be mentioned in such a small way.
Tamil cinema would be better off if they made films like Dharmadurai with emotional scenes, instead of making films with Madurai, Theni, Sivagangai and characters who are rowdy with sickles and knives. There is nothing wrong with taking biology and culture. But in the end what matters most is what idea, what kind of feeling the work instills in our minds.