Natchathiram Nagargiradhu movie review: This Pa Ranjith film challenges heteronormativity and endogamy with love

What is love in its purest form? What can it be in the absence of prejudice and oppression that attaches itself to any relationship in a society that is dead set on heteronormativity and endogamy? The answer to this question is what a theatre troupe attempts to portray through their play. Rene, Iniyan, Arjun, and the other members of this troupe represent different sections of the society. There are gay couples, a young woman belonging to SC, a young queer man who belongs to a savarna group and a young man who come from an extremely conservative family.

This group closely represents that society that we live in today, save for one difference. The majority of savarna people that surround pockets of queer community, this burgeoning presence in the every day lives of people that repeatedly tries to invalidate queer existence, and continues to invalidate the systemic oppression which is continuing to take place against the Dalit community is present just around the edges.

The film uses its primary characters to first break down personal politics. In a conversation between the members of this theatre troupe — when they discuss what about love can be staged as a play — everyone registers their opinion. It is not all politically correct though, as neither is the society at large. There are incongruencies in many of these individual’s ideas and beliefs. For instance, who does the savarna queer individual side with? The dalit individual who has been a victim of systemic oppression, or the current generation of literate savarna sections that idolises brahminism?

Natchathiram Nagargiradhu is not trying to be politically correct, it just does its best to reflect the people who make the majority of society today. It is only after the film resolves the individual political identities does it approach a larger picture. The ideas of using labels such as ‘Kaatu Poona’ and ‘Naatu Poona’ instead of caste groups, the idea of exploring love in the absence of such restrictions, the psychology of parents who go to extremes such as honour killing form the edges of the crux of personal politics. As one delves deeper, the film presents corruption of ideas, evolution of the human mind, and the depression that comes with broken dreams. It is a grand notion really.

All of this is a living breathing entity in Natchathiram Nagargiradhu. Two scenes really struck a chord with me. First is when Rene explains to Arjun that she is a broken mirror — one that had a hundred cracks. However, she put herself together, piece by broken piece and every flaw is burned into her like a scar. Only, this one doesn’t disappear over time. The little girl who was an outcast in her village, on the streets to her home, her school even, because of the caste she belonged to grew up into a young woman who took all of that hurt and built it into a shield. One that even love was unable to pierce through.

The second is of a boy — Arjun — from a privileged background getting an opportunity to learn from his mistakes. He is given an opportunity to take responsibility for his actions, and he is held accountable. This leads to his reformation, but also hope that he could possibly change his parents’ mindset about inter caste relationships. He believes that their love for him will trump their crazed obsession with caste. A brilliant and overtly dramatic follow-up sequence runs true to Pa Ranjith’s signature. He doesn’t laugh at Arjun’s naïveté. Instead, he focuses on toxic parents. He doesn’t redeem them, but holds these figures in Arjun’s life as an example.

At some point, as a viewer, one would have felt like the tone of these scenes are different from the rest of the film. It may have even comes across as jarring, but I felt as if it was to spotlight the underlying reality of these situations. One where parents go to the extreme of self harm to blackmail and force their children’s choice. The melodrama in this scene indicates that the parents are being unreasonable, and yet, the consequences prove that they get away with the most extreme actions with their manipulative behavior that forces filial piety.

Even the build up in the end, of a common enemy who rises from nowhere, and answers to a “master” is necessary despite the tonal shift because it tells an important story. For one, this enemy comes with a mask, in the garb of a friend that very few suspect. He then takes on the form of an animal, one that would be seen as superior — indicative of how the society panders to the perspective of savarna while protecting them. His superiority allows him to manipulate the system that is supposed to protect everyone, mainly the oppressed. This is then followed by a one-sided attack. These moments are filled with tension, the kind that makes us as viewers anxious for the safety of our favourite characters.

Here is a group of people who have now come into their own politics, who have come to a conclusion about the flaws and faults in society in a safe environment. Not all of them are products of lived experiences, so it is then granted that they would first hide. They would avoid confrontation, try to veer away from fights that would put them at a disadvantage. It takes a force of frustration that builds into anger and rage for these young individuals to take control of the situation. They are forced to revolt because not doing so could kill them. When the chairs are pushed to one side, and the animal (which I see as the symbol of caste fanatics) is cornered, it is liberating. The intense tonal shift then suggests that the sudden eruption on the screen is a huge part of a revolution.

The narrative of using love to understand why politics is personal is a brilliant attempt, and at large the film also succeeds in convincing us with its intention. The music by Tenma, who has collaborated with Pa Ranjith for the first time also works hugely in favor of the film. What doesn’t, however, is that certain characters come across as flimsy. Even Rene for that matter is not a well-rounded character. She is fleeting. Yes, she does have her moments, but what about her present? What about Iniyan? He hurt Rene unlike anyone else, and he is not aware of his actions. He has a rebound relationship with one of his co-actors on the play, and there really is no depth to his actions. The strength of the film lies in its narrative. In the way it portrays the idea of what love is today vs what it should be. The weakness lies in the people who love. The people who come across as nothing but surface level characters. Natchathiram Nagargiradhu is a lot of amazing things, but what it isn’t is a great study of the female mind.

Priyanka Sundar is a film journalist who covers films and series of different languages with special focus on identity and gender politics.

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