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Pirivom SanthippomKaru. Pazhaniappan is somebody whom I think could be my mentor in marriage life. I consider his 'Parthiban Kanavu' a bible for all who start their marriage life with a cynicism. After a disastrous 'Sivappathikaram', Karu. Pazhaniappan returns to his familiar terrain - the marital life of a girl with dreams of being in a big family. In 'Pirivom Santhippom', Karu. Pazhaniappan dissects the concept of 'thani kudithanam' (nuclear family) and puts the life of a newly weds under a microscopic scanner. Karu. Pazhaniappan manages to demystify the so called privacy and space a nuclear family (thani kudiththanam) offers. Also he breaks the prototype of a 'realistic' movie by making PS, a reality far from regular grisly output. "Pirivom Santhippom" is colourful yet honest, earnest and at the same time tugs the chords of your emotional strings.

I went to see "Pirivom Santhippom' even without knowing the story line but for only one reason - Karu. Pazhaniappan, but loved for the following reasons:-


Pirivom Santhippom1. A heroine oriented script (I am always biased towards the movies that travel in the fragile shoulders of fairer sex)
2. A simple linear structured screenplay (No twists or turns and very much predictable)
3. An emotional thriller (You might not agree with it because a viewer knows whats going to happen next, how it will wind up but 'Pirivom Santhippom' keeps you engaged in looking forward how things is going to unfold further)
4. Picturesque locales of Karaikudi and a diametrically contrasting Attakatti, Valparai
5. A near fool proof Pazhaniappan - Vidyasagar team.
6. PS breaks the cliche of a joint-family. You expect the problems to arise from incompatibility among the members but something else other than that crops up.

What is this Pirivom Santhippom about? It all starts, travels and ends with Visalakshi a.k.a Sala (Sneha) an offspring from a nuclear family, getting married to Natesan (Cheran) from a huuuuuge joint family of 32 members. Sala's dreams come to a screeching halt when Natesan moves to Attakkatti, even though in the pretext of job, but actually wanting a private life. Sala swallows the tough pill of loneliness only to get her psyche gradually deteriorated. With the timely intervention of Doctor (Jayaram), Natesan realises the love of Sala and reunites her with the family.

Pirivom SanthippomSala's character had been established as spirited and gregarious, who loves to be in a group of people. She invites her whole bunch of friends for studying during exam, when they go for a movie she gathers all of them even though some of them had seen the movie already, she is all excited about getting into a family of 32 members and effortlessly mingles as one of them. She gets clautrophobic when confined to just four walls in a lonely place and refuses succumbing to the tear jerkers of idiot box. How she seeks the attention of other people via the "ceiling fan episode" and slowly her sanity getting eroded through the sound recordings indeed compels your attention and applause.

There could arise some questions about the technologies like telephone, internet shrinking the distances, then why Sala should feel the heat of being alone? Also Sala discusses writers Nagarajan and embroidery in length but why can't she take up them to swat the lonely bug. Karu. Palaniappan puts the answers in the first half itself with their honey moon trip. Sala is a people's girl, who craves for the physical presence of people. Why her parents and in-laws or even her friends didn't visit them in turns is not answered. When a distance must be bridged it MUST be done at any cost.

I would put Pirivom Santhippom in the league of Stella Bruce's classic novel "Maya nadhikal". The similarity is the chain of events - you see a happy protagonist at the start and find them in a deranged state towards end, but you will find it tough to pinpoint exactly when the emotional equilibrium is disturbed. It is attributed to a chain of events that bring the change subtly, as if driving a needle in a banana - slow and steady. There are few useful psychological notes about the lonely wives, woven in the story like how they strive for attention, futilely combat loneliness, something useful for newly weds moving abroad or remote places.

During the first half virtually there is no story - just the bride and groom seeing each others, a detailed-to-eye, elaborate Nattukottai Chettiar wedding (highly authentic) and the initial days of getting acquinted with the extended family, something in lines of a feel good entertainer like "Hum Aapke Hai Kaun". There is an ample dosage of melodious, grammatically rich songs from Vidyasagar's tunes, encashing the scope for scintillating background scores. Towards the intermission we get a feel of what the rest is going to be all about. Even in the second half, there is not much hurrying forward. Don't miss those master strokes of 'felling down the ceiling fan' and the rainy midnight scenes.

Naturally the film is carried by Sneha, who gets more mileage and footage than the male protagonist Cheran. Even though Sneha is tad old to carry off the role of a college student, she amply makes up in the later part as a disturbed young wife. Her clear viseage is so translucent that it looks as if she is 'actually' reacting internally rather than the carrying out the predetermined / rehearsed process of acting. Another milestone role for Sneha. Thanks that good sense prevailed with Karu. Pazhaniappan that he replaced Kamalinee Mukherjee with Sneha. A really tough task to think anybody else Sneha carrying out the role of Sala.

Then there comes the whole loveable family of Natesan lead by 'Meesai Murugesh, Mouli and MS Bhaskar'. They provide such a picture perfect family that their absence is conspicuous in the latter part. Their Karaikudi slang is so authentic - not the 'eley' cinematic Tamil. Jayaram is OK with the small but significant role but the biggest let down of the flick is the hero - Cheran. Please somebody tell Cheran that his 'late 40s' show in his face and he tries too hard to look and behave like a 30 yr old. His close-ups are really really intolerable. Let him stick to what he is best at - directing behind the camera.

Rubbing the shoulders with Karu. Pazhaniappan's story telling wizardry are M.S Prabhu, Rajeevan and Vidyasagar donning the hats of cinematographer, art direction and music respectively. In the second half, you could see MS Prabhu fitting the camera tough into Sala's bedroom and dining hall. This one time P. Vasu's regular is on a roll with PS. Rajeevan is very much conspicuous in the detailings of Karaikudi part whereas Vidyasagar puts his soul and toil to come up simple tunes. My favorites are "Iru Vizhiyo Siragadikkum...." & "Nenjaththile...", even though the latter falls in the oft heard category makes up for "teaching Tamil Grammar", hear to those lyrics carefully.

There is one similarity between Sujatha's 'Pirivom Santhippom' and Karu. Pazhaniappan's 'PS' that both take place in the location near a Hydro-Electrical Project. Else Karu. Pazhaniappan's PS is something original, not seen on screen before. I stand by 'Pirivom Santhippom' no matter how it is received in the Box Office window or even by the critics. Thumbs up Karu. Pazhaniappan for choosing a sensitive subject and developing it on screen.
பாடல்: நெஞ்சத்திலே...
பாடியவர்கள்: ஷ்ரேயா கோசல், ஜெயராம்
வரிகள்: யுகபாரதி

Pirivom Santhippomஇந்த பாடலில் உள்ள தனித்துவம் முதல் வரியின் கடைசி வார்த்தை அடுத்த வரியின் முதல் வார்த்தை. ஷ்ரேயா கோசல் வழக்கம் போல அசத்தியுள்ளார். அந்த அழகிய பெண்ணின் இனிய குரலுக்காகவே எத்தனை முறை வேண்டுமானாலும் கேட்கலாம்.

நெஞ்சத்திலே நெஞ்சத்திலே நீ தானே மொத்தத்திலே
மொத்தத்திலே உன்னழகை கண்டேனே முத்தத்திலே
முத்தத்திலே ஓசை இல்லை சத்தமெல்லாம் வெட்கத்திலே
வெட்கத்திலே தத்தளித்தால் காதல் பொங்கும் நெஞ்சத்திலே

நீ பேசியும் நான் பேசியும் தீராதம்மா பொழுதுகள்
பொழுதுகள் தீரலாம் மாறாதென்றும் இனிமைகள்
இனிமைகள் முளைத்தன ஆதாம் ஏவாள் தனிமையில்
தனிமையில் இருவரும் பேசும் மௌனம் இளவெயில்
வெயில் சாரல் அடிக்கும் நிழல் கூடி அணைக்கும்
அணைக்கும் ஆசை ஆயிரம் அழைக்கும் பாஷை பாசுரம்
சுரம் ஏழிலும் சுவை ஆறிலும் கூடும் இன்பம் நெஞ்சத்திலே

நெஞ்சத்திலே நெஞ்சத்திலே நீ தானே மொத்தத்திலே
மொத்தத்திலே உன்னழகை கண்டேனே முத்தத்திலே
முத்தத்திலே ஓசை இல்லை சத்தமெல்லாம் வெட்கத்திலே
வெட்கத்திலே தத்தளித்தால் காதல் பொங்கும் நெஞ்சத்திலே

வா என்பதும் போ என்பதும் காதல் மொழியில் ஒருபொருள்
ஒரு பொருள் தருவதால் நீயும் நானும் மறை பொருள்
பொருள் தரும் புகழ் வரும் ஆனால் வாழ்வில் எது சுகம்
சுகம் தரும் சுவை தரும் காதல் போல எது வரும்
வரும் வார்த்தை தயங்கும் நம்மை பார்த்து மயங்கும்
மயங்கும் மாலை சூரியன் கிறங்கும் நாளும் ஐம்புலன்
புலன் ஐந்திலும் திசை நான்கிலும் தேடும் இன்பம் நெஞ்சத்திலே