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[madhuraman]

VENNIRA AADAI --II
Dear friends,
The story in V A relates to a novel approach in both the weaving and shot arrangements by visual presentation with very little verbal narration. Obviously, in presentation the Editor played a major role as there were 2 independent lines within the story. However, the 2 were neatly blended to bring a clear knot that was again unfolded by a sacrifice through withdrawal from centre stage by the heroine.
Major Sunderrajan - a high placed officer with a rich background has only a daughter as his progeny. At the mid teen he gives her in marriage to a matching young lad. As per the family custom the new couple go to a temple and return. On the way back, the car meets with an accident killing the groom on the spot. The young girl at the sight of the goary event gets emotionally shattered and behaves as a lunatic. The deeply anguished father tries everything to restore her mentally as the girl is still in her later teens. The parent couple almost hold back this information even as they genuinely try to get her restored to normalcy. From a leading mental hospital in Madras, the rich man seeks the services/assistance of a good psychiatrist. Thus the young Srikanth is sponsored by the chief doctor to take care of the patient [Jayalalithaa] at kodaikanal. The doctor, on this assignment moves to k kanal, leaving behind his love [Nirmala] at Madras.
Right from day one, the doctor withstands all the pressure associated with such treatment schedules displaying enormous patience and a high scale dedication. As the girl slowly comes back to her normal self the natural instinct in her shows up as her love for the doctor whom she calls "friend" throughout the movie until she is fully recovered. She even makes it clear for others that she wishes to marry the doctor. But, the doctor is in a delicate spot having all these maintained genuine love for Nirmala. Due to a domestic situation Nirmala too comes to k kanal.
As the rich man proposes an alliance for his daughter with the doctor, the doctor opens up narrating his commitment to Nirmala and he politely excuses himself from this intricacy. Overhearing the lines of argument between her father and the doctor, the girl fully realizes that she is a widow. Having been mentally restored, she drapes herself in a white saree symbolising her marital status in the Indian custom.
Thus it turns out a Vennira aadai.
The screenplay has been brilliantly cast. The very opening signifies the bondage between NIRMALA and SRIKANTH as a pair of true lovers. This has been carefully done and kept as a separate thread for treatment later.
Throughout the movie, the casting of the doctor's role has been meticulously done with Srikanth performing cool and composed without succumbing to the basal instincts. Thus, the two songs given to him are only with Nirmala where he "participates'. In 3 other songs -'AMMAMMA'. 'ENNA ENNA VAARTHTHAIGALO' and 'KANNAN ENNUM MANNAN PAERAI' Srikanth is there without participating.
Even in 'ENNA ENNA VAARTHTHAIGALO' he plays on the piano only at the insistence of the elders on the scene. These are some finer nuances in the screen play to avoid the impression of any mess that the presentation may automatically assume.
In all the Hero-Heroine interactions, only words relevant to the occasion figure with no tempting looks from either players and most of their interactions occur in the company of other members and the dialogues penned for the doctor sustain the dignity of his profession. Soon after the song"AMMAMMA KATRU VANDHU" when the heroine seeks the hero's assistance to latch up the hooks of her brassiers, the nervous hero appeals for the Divinity's pardon before helping her. But, the heroine in the advanced stages if recovery opts to hook it herself. These were used as occasions of character elevation while strengthening the story line. On the whole, it was a balanced treatment .The screen play also provided for enough situations to progressively depict the efforts of the doctor and how he identifies the crux of the heroine's problem ; how he arranges to draw her out of her fear psychosis have all been done without fatiguing the audience. That these were done in an era where heavy melodramatic approaches were common, reveal the advanced approaches from Sridar unit.
Other facets to be taken up soon . [To Continue]
Warm regards Prof.K.Raman Madurai.
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Prof. K. Raman
Mumbai