Kollywood gives as at least 200 films per year. But not even a handful of them have scripts that require some kind of research work by the writer. Such films where the script-writer has to read many books and discuss with scholars and field experts to get equipped with details to write the script have become rare gems.
Debutant director Julien Prakash’s ‘Ilami’ has the potential of becoming one such rare gem. The film starts with the author’s narration of the history of Jallikattu and how it was an integral part Tamil’s living in a particular locality. The story is set in the 18th century (1715 AD).
Ilami (Anu Krishna) is the daughter of Kiliyur’s chieftain Veerayyan (Ravi Mariya). She is in love with Karuppu (Yuvan) a Mangulam resident who involves in hunting with his friends.
Kiliyur and Mangulam are neighboring villages located near the ancient town of Madurai. They are friendly on surface but have an undercurrent of resentment over an idol of lord Karuppu.
The deity which is common to both the villages has been taken away by Kiliyur residents some two centuries ago. The Mangulam residents deem it as a matter of prestige to bring back the idol to their village.
Sadaipuli (Akhil) a brawny and cunning youngster from Mangulam instigates a quarrel between the two villages over the deity, for his selfish gains. Veerayyan announces that he will return the idol and give his daughter to the one who tames his bull in the Vadam Jallikattu (the toughest form of the ancient Bull-taming sport).
Now Karuppu for his love for Ilami, is forced to involve himself in this struggle of pride between the two villages. He has to win in this life threatening adventure and for that he has to take on powerful players like Sadaipuli on the field.
The self conceited Sadaipuli will go to any extent to win the event to elevate as the most respected person of his village.
For Veerayyan, the bull he has been nurturing like a son is a symbol of reputation as it has never been tamed by anyone.
What happens in the Jallikattu event and what happens to Karuppu and Ilami forms the rest of the film.
Julien Prakash’s commitment and hard work to bring out the culture and lifestyle of Tamils before a few centuries and the way it has transformed on the screen is nothing short of the highlight of his debut film.
The promotions said that the film will glorify Jallikattu. But it is not just that. The writer-director and his team have taken utmost care to bring authenticity in the dialect, costumes, food habits, festivals and every other life style and cultural aspects of Tamils who lived in Madurai district in the 18th century. There is also a consistency maintained in the barter system prevalent among the people during that period of time. Apart from these the film also gives a complete detailing of the ancient Jallikattu-how it is considered as a matter of pride by every Tamil male, how marriages are decided over Jallikattu, how a young woman will have to be ready to marry some stranger for winning her father’s bull. Prakash and his team deserve a pat on their back for such detailing and authenticity.
As a visual experience, the Jallikattu sport portrayed on screen might be a turn off as the makers have resorted to poor graphics to escape the wrath of Animal welfare activists.
The script lacks the depth and drama that fails to register the feeling of watching a great film and makes us call it as a sincere attempt which has failed to capitalize its full potential.
But the film despite moving on a predictable route as far as story is concerned, does not fail to retain the viewer’s attention to a large extent. The love and sentiment are not forcefully inserted and thankfully the melodrama is avoided in these sequences.
The climax is a shocker and impactful but we it need not have been narrated in that way. The goriness could have been certainly played down.
The film does not boast off rich production values but the makers have definitely played well with the limited resources available.
For a film like this one would expect a better performance from the lead actors. Both Yuvan and Anu are sincere and try to give their best for the character. But they could have done better with the expressions and dialogue delivery part.
Akhil who played a shy hero in ‘Kalloori’ has brilliantly transformed as a menacing villain in this film. We hope this film fetches him more opportunities.
The actors who have played the supporting roles infuse life to the proceedings. Thavasi who comes as the vociferous old man in the Kiliyur Village gives a fantastic performance. Ravi Mariya and the two debutant guys who come as the hero’s friends who are ready to sacrifice their lives for their friend give a neat performance. All other actors fit the bill.
Kavignar Vikramadithyan comes in just one scene and succeeds in making us laugh. Kishore is impressive in an extended cameo but his dialogues and they way they have been delivered sounds a little odd.
Songs by Srikanth Deva set well in the village and period milieu and most of them are pleasing to ears but they recall value. Rerecording is good in most portions but resorting to uncanny sounds for the comic scenes is an archaic practice and that could have been avoided.
Yuga’s cinematography makes us feel the heat of villages of Madurai. Art direction by John Britto is commendable.
Verdict: Despite shortcomings, ‘Ilami’ is worth a watch for its authentic portrayal of 18th century Tamil lifestyle and culture. Director Julien Prakash and his team deserve praise for this.
