Ever wondered what would happen if someone accidentally locked you in a place that is somewhat isolated, where you cannot reach people even when they are within reach? And what if you are forced to survive for a week only on powdered rusk and some water accumulated in a washroom tank to hydrate yourself? How long will it take for you to mentally break down?
Baththa, a local gunda, finds himself in the same situation when a school-going kid, Sabari, accidentally locks him in his school washroom. But, as soon as Sabari realises that someone has been locked inside, he rushes to open the door. However, the moment he realises that it’s Baththa, the man who has just sworn that he would kill the person who locked him inside as soon as he gets out, the child runs away.
And no, that’s not his first encounter with Baththa. His first encounter was when he saw him beat his opposing gang member black and blue on the streets. So, the fear runs deep. It’s not psychological in the sense of being unfounded. It has stemmed from what he has witnessed himself and from the stories that he has heard about Baththa’s way of getting things done.
If we take a close look at Baththa’s life, he doesn’t truly value anyone or anything in his life. From slapping his wife to spitting out food cooked by her just because he doesn’t like the taste – there are never-ending stories of the trouble he keeps causing. His wife is, hence, always scared. Not because he is always violent at home but because she fears for his life. If anything upsets him, she fears that he may spend the night outside home and someone may harm him. If anyone comes home, she is afraid that it’s bad news. His methods have made everyone, including his dear ones, live in constant anxiety and fear. Sabari is just another victim who has fallen prey to these emotions.
Baththa pays for what he has done to others when he gets locked inside the washroom for 8 days. He learns to value and respect his wife, and he learns to respect food when all he has to survive on is powdered rusk. And most importantly, he learns to value life. From saying, ‘I will kill you once I step out’ to begging the person standing on the other side of the door to let him go, the character goes through a massive transformation.
And then we have this child who is scared for his own life but goes out of his way to make sure Baththa survives, bringing him rusk every day so that he doesn’t die. When he learns that his family has planned a long stay in their native place as school vacations are ongoing, he quickly writes a short note to Baththa saying the door is now open and takes all the precautionary measures before opening the door so that he doesn’t get caught.
While, on one hand, a grown man is creating a ruckus and taking ego battles to the streets, badly affecting people’s mental health, on the other hand, there is Sabari who, in the face of fear, chooses courage to save a life.
Until the door opens and we see Baththa lying unconscious in the water tank, the movie is gripping yet funny, thanks to three people: the writer-director, Balaji Tharaneetharan, who successfully handles subjects like violence and fear sensibly while giving them a humorous treatment; and the two great actors, Vijay Sethupathi and the child actor, Sai Prithviraj.
I would really like to mention Master Sai Prithviraj once again for his lovely performance. Child actors never fail to surprise you. I wonder where they get their skills from. I wish the industry would find their next superstar in him (obviously, once he grows up).
The downside? I felt that the movie should have been shorter. What happens after Baththa comes out is unnecessarily stretched, and later, to give it an emotional and funny twist, Baththa’s singing sequence has been added. It looks forced, honestly. If they had kept things to the point and wrapped the story up within 20–30 minutes after he came out, the movie would have felt like a roller coaster for the brain while continuing to be a laugh riot until the very end.
Language: Tamil
Where to Watch? Netflix
