THEENDATHEY--REVIEW
Pretty much any movie can be based on a
true story, but there are a select few that take real-life events and turn them
into cinematic masterpieces. Here comes ‘Theendathey’, a short film based on a
true story that happened in a hamlet near Cumbum in Theni district. Since the
story happened in 80s, people from Cumbum walked all the way to Idukki for
working in the Cardamom estates for their livelihood. One important thing to be
noted here is both the director of ‘Theendathey’, Raja Pandian and the producer
and the wife of the director Kalpana Raja Pandian are also involved in Cardamom
cultivation.
The story starts with a grandmother
talking to her daughter Bharathi who decides to take her school-going girl
Kannamma to the Cardamom estate area since it was holiday. While on the way to
the estate, both the lead characters Bharathi and Kannamma met one speech
impaired antagonist Shiva. At the night both of them arguing about a small bell
which is to be tied around the waist of Kannamma.
Kannamma said that everyone would mock
her. Bharathi told Kannamma that small bell was to find her if she misses out.
In the next morning Bharathi left for work. Kannamma plays hide and seek game
with her friends. While playing Kannamma wants to hide inside a big wooden box which
is airtight for which she seeks help from Shiva to get inside it. When one of
her friends asked about her whereabouts, the Shiva chases her friend away.
Kannamma who struggled for breathing screams for help but in vain.
After sometime the speech impaired came
to the room where the wooden box is kept and opened it. Shiva took Kannamma who
is unconscious out from the wooden box. Making the circumstances favourable to
his will, Shiva rapes the minor girl who died instantaneously. Then Shiva threw
the body of the girl into the chimney. After reaching the home, Bharathi along
with Shiva searched for Kannamma but couldn’t find.
Bharathi who could not know what to do laid
down on the floor and started crying. Suddenly she found the small bell which
was tied around the waist of Kannamma. Bharathi enquired Shiva about Kannamma.
Finally Shiva expressed all that happened to Kannnamma. And Bharathi ferociously
killed Shiva and walked out of the room to the street…
The camera is to film as the brush and
canvas is to art. Right from the scene one, the cinematographer Vaishaly Subramanian
who is the president of the South Indian Film Women’s Association (SIFWA) influences
the narrative significance of the scenes through her camera angles. Particularly
the low-angle shots make the subject appear bigger and more dominant. And more
importantly, Vaishaly makes everyone feel like that they are also part of the
short film. Vaishaly gained experiences from Fowzia Fathima who was the
associate to the legendary cinematographer P.C.Sreeram and also worked with renowned
Cinematographer R.D.Rajasekhar. Music is composed by Rasanth Aravind and edited
by S.Nagarajan. An advocate by profession Jhansi
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