My Top 5 Impactful Moments in Tamil Movies

 

My Top 5 Impactful Moments in Tamil Movies

Tamil movies play a huge role in shaping my worldview on a lot of aspects. In this blog, I will share five moments in Tamil cinema that left a lasting impression in me.

1. Avvai Shanmugi on Brahmin hypocrisy

After finding out that Baasha the cook is a Muslim, the "pure vegetarian" Brahmin household gets antsy. Then, Shanmugi pinpoints their cow skin shoemaking family business, and hooks the oppressive castes' hypocrisy. 

India is one of the major exporters of beef. The meat businesses are predominantly owned by "upper caste" Hindus, including the "pure vegetarian" Brahmins. Meanwhile, poor, oppressed caste Hindus mobilize the Gau Raksha (Cow Protection) movement to harass and even kill Indian Muslims under suspicion of beef possession, consumption, and cow slaughter, not growing economically themselves or letting others grow. As these Gau Raksha groups live hand to mouth, those oppressive caste beef businessmen live lavishly. One cow - two rules - one rule for the rich getting richer - one rule for the poor getting poorer. All under the umbrella of religion. This scene is especially important now to rub on the faces of Hindus who pressured Netflix to ban the movie Annapoorani starring Nayanthara, Jai, and Satyaraj in lead roles.

2. Naanum Rowdy Dhan on period products

A father leaves sanitary napkins at the bathroom door for his daughter to use in a region where menstruation is actively hidden from men.

The credit for showing sanitary pads for the first time in Tamil movies, though goes to K. Balachander - he did it in Kalyana Agathigal. However, the Neeyum Naanum song from Naanum Rowdy Dhan by Nayanthara's husband takes it a step further by involving a man's understanding of this stereotyped, "women's issues." Period ignorance and perhaps, relegation are why we have Sandeep Reddy Vanga writing vacuous lines in the movie Animal, that men bleed more than women having periods so women should STFU. These lines take us back to the Dark Ages.

3. Anbe Sivam on atheism

Atheism is all about believing in the goodness in people who exist and doing good to others rather than asking God for this and that and bribing God to answer mortal prayers. 

This movie and the quotes in it laid the foundation of atheism in me. It also taught me to not be so invested in my appearance.

4. Five Star on a lesson to stand up for yourself

When Eeswari takes agency over her life, she looked like Bandit Queen to me. Her defiance at her elders who choose another husband for her resonates with every woman who are denied decision-making in their lives because, "After all,  she's an immature girl." 

Five Star is a revolutionary movie per se. And when the meek and obliging Eeswari ferociously fights for herself against all her relatives and village folk, she makes a point about how important it is for women to decide what to do with their lives. Yeah, and when things don't go as expected, we'll handle it - that is not an excuse for elders who ostensibly "know better" to interfere.

 

5. Kannathil Mutthamittal on manmade global crises 

This short exchange says a lot on geopolitics - "Japan vocally advocates world peace. But the country is one of the world's biggest weapon manufacturers." 

As Israel hammers Palestine, this scene is worth revisiting to reflect upon human vice and greed. Wars are wholly avoidable - all they bring is utter devastation.