Nandhan Movie Review: A mediocre film featuring sporadic highlights and characters that lack depth.
Nandhan Movie Synopsis: Following the designation of the Panchayat President’s position as reserved, village leader Kopulingam proposes Ambedkumar for the role, convinced that he can manipulate the situation with Ambedkumar serving as a mere figurehead. What unfolds from this point?
Nandhan Movie Review: Era Saravanan’s Nandhan takes place in a small Tamil Nadu village where leadership has been monopolized by individuals from a single caste. The villagers take pride in the absence of elections, a situation that allows the oppressors to maintain their absolute control, leaving the marginalized without any voice in the community.
In this context resides Ambedkumar (M Sasikumar), a laborer whose unwavering loyalty to the village head, Kopulingam (Balaji Sakthivel), is evident in his actions. Despite enduring mistreatment from Kopulingam, Ambedkumar consistently defends him, even in disputes with his wife, Selvi (Suruthi Periyasamy). However, when the village's single-caste tradition is challenged by the introduction of Dalit reservations, and Kopulingam is forced to relinquish his role as Panchayat President to a member of the oppressed caste, tensions escalate.
Kopulingam and his caste members express their displeasure at the prospect of those they deem inferior assuming a position they have long monopolized. Nevertheless, the film tends to gloss over this discontent rather than exploring it in depth. Upon learning that the Panchayat President's position will now be reserved, Kopulingam begins searching for an "ideal candidate." The ensuing scenes of Kopulingam and his associates discussing potential candidates provide comedic moments but fail to convey the seriousness of the situation.
He subsequently concludes that Ambedkumar represents the 'ideal candidate,' as his interpretation of this term is someone who will exhibit unwavering loyalty to him. In narratives that advocate for change, particularly those featuring a central protagonist, the character's development and their assumption of the role of change agent are typically of paramount importance. In Nandhan, the timing of the scene in which the protagonist asserts himself and his community is noteworthy. However, even at this pivotal moment, the audience does not witness the character's internal evolution, as he was prepared to pursue an entirely different course of action just moments prior. Throughout the film, Ambedkumar tends to act according to the directives of others, including his wife, fellow villagers, and Kopulingam. The film does not provide insight into his thoughts, leaving viewers unable to grasp how the influences of those around him impact his decisions, particularly during the climactic scene.
Furthermore, the sequences depicting a main character lying on the road following an accident and another character being brutally assaulted while naked are unsettling. The issue with these scenes of violence is that they appear to be designed primarily for shock value rather than to authentically convey the severity of the characters' situations.
Regarding the performances, M Sasikumar and Suruthi Periyasamy are assigned underdeveloped roles, limiting their ability to enhance the material provided (and the overt brownfacing detracts from their performances). Balaji Sakthivel, portraying a casteist and arrogant individual, along with Samuthirakani, who appears briefly, are given one-dimensional characters that do not allow for depth.
In summary, Nandhan is a film that approaches a serious theme with good intentions and features several noteworthy moments, particularly in its comedic elements. Nevertheless, it fails to convincingly depict the environment in which the story unfolds and the characters that populate it. While the film does not resort to parodying its characters, given the gravity of the subject matter and the talent of the cast, it had the potential to be a far more captivating experience than the rather forgettable one it ultimately became.
