Katrathu Tamizh (2007)

http://www.zshare.net/video/64097897420843ff/ - Part 1
http://www.zshare.net/video/64099209811a5aeb/ - Part 2
http://www.zshare.net/video/64120681e1afe0a3/ - Part 3
http://www.zshare.net/video/64123736abe07048/ - Part 4
http://www.zshare.net/video/646508174743aa04/ - Part 5
http://www.zshare.net/video/6465367543204341/ - Part 6



Starring: Jeeva (Prabhakar), Anjali (Anandhi), etc.
Director: Ram
Writer: Ram
Music Director: Yuvan Shankar Raja

Katrathu Tamizh. Innocence. Innocence lost amongst the realities of life -- the reality that brings joy & unmeasurable luck to one, while crushes the other to bones & ashes. Even when you have absolutely nothing in life, no wealth, no prestige, or even a place to call your home, you can rest in peace knowing that it is all in your mind: your mind controls your path to destiny, writes the "script" to your future -- good or bad. But what happens when you lose the key to your "safety box"? Are you, then, considered a nobody? Do you still exist? Are you still...you?

From the first look, Katrathu Tamizh -- translated into 'I Learned Tamil'/'Tamil is What I Learned' -- seems to portray the life of an average Tamil graduate, battling the many brutalities of the phenomenon that is life; however, as the film unfolds, one obtains a broader understanding: that the circumstances the protagonist, Prabhakar (Jeeva), is a part of are merely secondary & that the "real" objective of the film lies beyond just that.

In a nutshell: Prabhakar is a Tamil post-graduate, having finally secured a position of a teacher in an elementary-level schooling. Through a misunderstanding regarding outdoor smoking rules, he ends up in jail, is humiliated by being pressured to sit in a room full of prison mates with a mere undergarment, escapes from prison, & allows his legs to take him where they please -- even if it means to the door of a murderer, which is what he becomes through sheer accident. Eventually, his "infatuation" toward murder comes to a point where he resorts to killing as his escape from pain. By abducting a television anchor, he forces him to capture his revealings to the public via a video camera (e.g., how he accompanies a group of what might be considered by some as "hippies," grows his hair, loses his mind in the process, &, upon a chance encounter, rekindles his love with his childhood sweetheart, only to end a life as tragically as it had begun).

One may label the film as just a "big bowl of violence," but there is more to it than meets the eye. For one, the scenes revolving around the police officers convey a message of hypocrisy & corruption, as they blatantly misuse their powers for their own good. There seems to be a lack of "respect," for a lack of a better term, for professionals in the academic realm, as witnessed by the movie; even Prabhakar's college professor humiliates him for having majored in something as "unvaluable" as Tamil, with such excellent grades, when he could've easily partook in something more "prestigious," say, Engineering. This failure in crediting the occupation is beautifully demonstrated in a particular scene between Prabhakar & a college mate who, despite a stupendous academic background, has secured a career, with an income greatly surpassing his friend's.

The only drawback I found in the film was Prabhakar's way of dealing with the so-called "unappreciative" people, showing frustration toward those who showed no sign of respect to his profession. Regardless of being aware of the realities of life, he demanded something which he knew was impossible; he was well aware life in a teacher's shoes -- or, at least, should have -- yet seemed astonished when the public failed to meet up to his expectations.

Katrathu Tamizh is director Ram's debut film. It has gained immense critical acclaim, despite losing out on commercial success. According to an anonymous source, having spent an incredible amount of wealth on the film's completion, the director has been found roaming around the streets, only leaving behind a gem of a production that needs absolutely no introduction.