Nailing the little moments – An essay on “Blue Star” and “Por Thozhil”

It had been a few months since I had caught any of the newer Tamil film releases.  I had missed watching “Blue Star” and “Por Thozhil” in the theatres.  And even when I caught them on OTT, it was later than usual for me.  But maybe because of the little lacuna in my watching new films, I watched these films with a rather fresh pair of eyes, which is not a luxury that I had when I would inundate myself with films.  “Blue Star” and “Por Thozhil”, in terms of content, are vastly different from one another.  But a common aspect of both films is their remarkable ability to generate immense power and impact – of different kinds – in the smaller moments.

Let us start with “Por Thozhil.”  It is an investigative thriller (directed by Vignesh Raja) featuring stupendous performances by the lead cast and a surprise (with the casting choice, that is) antagonist.  It is an intelligent whodunit that peels the layers of the investigation gradually, while demanding the audience’s attention and respecting their intelligence.  Sarath Kumar (who is fantastic) plays a world-weary cop with a back story that we are only given hints of.  He clearly suffered physical abuse as a child.  Usually, we get vignettes or at least a stirring monologue to capture a glimpse of the gory past.  Here, there is a superb little scene where Sarath refuses to excuse the antagonist’s actions that may have been the result of a sordid past.  The writing is so precise that we are not left to imagine much but it doesn’t spoon feed us to the point of exhaustion either.  We are expected to fill in the blanks.  The gentle romance between Ashok Selvan and Nikhila Vimal also has its moments.  Even after the former has rescued the latter, there are no dramatic gestures expressing gratitude.  Instead, a wheelchair-bound Nikhila simply cracks a joke that is a nod to the awkwardness that Ashok had confessed to earlier.  These little moments have a certain finesse that make the film international standard in terms of quality.  

“Blue Star” (directed by S Jayakumar and presented by Pa Ranjith) is a tale of a group of youngsters overcoming oppression by staying united and focused on displaying their talents, in this case, cricketing talents.  Ashok Selvan, who stars in this film too, displays a remarkable maturity in his performance.  Whether he is insulted, indignant, cared for, loved for, or feeling triumphant, there is not a single false note or overdone moment.  Shanthnu Bhagyaraj and Prithvi Rajan too, are delightfully nuanced in their performances.  There is a pair of scenes where Shanthnu visits the home of Ashok, where this understatement adds to the gloss of their performances and the filmmaking.  In the first scene, Shanthnu, who oversees loan recoveries, calls out Ashok’s mother by name, in an intentionally disrespectful manner.  The way Ashok broods over it, you can feel his anger and helplessness in equal measure.  In a later scene where Shanthnu visits them, he is a lot gentler and more respectful.  He calls Ashok’s mother, “Ma.”  He realizes that the trepidation of Ashok’s mother is a result of his rude behavior in the past and instantly comforts her without saying much.  And the casual manner of interaction suggests, without stating it loudly, that all is well between them. 

The gentle humour not feeling out of place in both these films, which are serious subjects, is also testament to the delicacy of the writing and staging.  In “Por Thozhil”, there is a scene where Ashok narrates the rather amusing origins of him becoming a policeman.  If Ashok is pitch-perfect in his narration of the funny story, Sarath is equally wonderful in his reaction shots, where he is completely in character.  During the moments where Ashok puts his bookish knowledge to good use in the investigation, watch Sarath’s reactions – the silent nods and the contained expressions are fabulous.  Having watched Sarath turn in mostly demonstrative performances, “Por Thozhil” was a pleasant surprise.  In “Blue Star”, the romance between Ashok and Keerthi Pandian features a couple of light-hearted moments where the quiet glances speak volumes.  A case in point being the scene where Keerthi plays cricket joyously. 

In “Blue Star” there are some moments where the antagonists screaming “thagudhi” and insulting Ashok and their gang feels a little loud when compared to the tone of the rest of the film.  A subtler approach actually works better in registering the oppression and inequality felt by the lead characters.  For instance, if you notice the first cricket game where Shanthnu recruits pros from a university, it is clear that they look down upon him, not joining in any of the celebrations and acting dismissively when he offers them cricketing suggestions.  These moments work better than the sniggers and louder insults.  What I admired was how the theme of unity was brought to the fore during the quieter moments.  I especially liked how Ashok and Shanthnu display solidarity with one another and their groups, once they realize that their disunity will only do them a disservice, in their quest for progress.

Overall, both “Por Thozhil” and “Blue Star” were refreshing examples of how a ‘less is more’ approach can work just as well as, if not better than, a louder style of filmmaking, ensuring that the core themes register in our minds.  The filmmakers as well as the actors in these films seemed to have come together with a shared vision of what good looks like and have executed them flawlessly.  With this resultant synergy, they have collectively ensured that I better not miss any of their future releases or even be delayed in reviewing them anymore!