Kannammaa Writes

KANDUKONDAIN KANDUKONDAIN - MEENAKSHI SUPREMACY Everyone's favorite in the Indian cinematic adaptation of Jane Austen 's Sense and Sensibility , Kandukondain Kandukondain is Sowmya. But my personal favorite is Meenakshi. She speaks her mind and doesn't mince her words. A rebel and a dreamer, she is however willing to learn and rectify her flaws.  Meenakshi lectures Major Bala who advises her to take vocal classes that he should quit drinking before telling her what she should do. The cattiness defines her character and she carries it till the end, being unapologetic and a badass. She's very supportive of Sowmya and doesn't tolerate it when she's deemed "unlucky." She fights on behalf of her meek elder sister and comforts her as well. Meenakshi doesn't tolerate Sowmya being branded unlucky. She speaks on her reticent elder sister's behalf, showing her displeasure openly and defending her - subtly breaking the "athista kattai" (jinxed ...

 I grew up watching Minsara Kanavu and dancing to the Ooh La La La song with my cousins. I absolutely loved all the characters and I vibe to the movie's playlist and BGM until now. Now, as a grown woman, I am able to see the underbelly within the movie's plot and I could understand Priya's feelings - as a kid, I used to think that she's overreacting when she learns that she was subjected to schemes by Deva in order to make her fall in love with Thomas. That said, let's look at the problematic areas in this evergreen favorite of many - I am about to break this furniture and if you don't want your sweet memories with Minsara Kanavu being salli salliya odachified (broken into smithereens), you are warned - read and there is no going back! Body shaming in such a refreshing song - "Your nose is oversized. It's okay ma, we'll get plastic surgery done!" "Do you see the mirror every morning?" And we used to laugh at these lines, dismissin...

  I like how child sexual assault is handled so sensitively in Chiththa. It’s not graphic and the focus is on how the child is affected, not what was done to her. The film doesn’t try to prove, “not all men.” Ponni becomes afraid of ALL MEN after her abuse. That’s what trauma does to anyone, and this is what the not all men gang fails to understand. I was afraid of bearded men for quite a while after I was molested by a heavily bearded man in the school toilet. I was 10. I was even afraid of Santa Claus who is loved by children. When Ees is accused of sexually assaulting Ponni, he doesn’t use the “not all men” card. His innocence was proved by Ponni – the onus was left on females to decide which men among men. The victims’ experiences weren’t trivialized and deflected through the “not all men” clarion call. Notice how Chiththa is hurt when Settai’s mom tells her that even if he touches her, it’s wrong and she must report to her but doesn’t say anything – that kind of unders...