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Film: Thalaimuraigal
Starring: Sashi Kumar,Ramya Shankar,Master Karthik
Director: Balu Mahendra
Producer: M. Sasikumar
Banner: Company Production
Music: Ilaiyaraaja
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Story:
Thalaimuraigal is a simple tale on the relationship between a Grandfather and his city cultured grandchild. Anand [Master Karthik] is son of a doctor couple, who get tied through an inter-caste marriage. Due to circumstances Anand had to stay back in village with his grandfather played by Balu Mahendra, an overzealous retired Tamil teacher craving about his religion, caste and language. How would an old man turns his English speaking city bred grandson Aditya into a native Tamil child, forms the crux of Thalaimuraigal...
Performances:
Balu Mahendra, who is known for his cinematography and direction has turned an actor and the veteran has proved he is also a best performer on screen.
Master Aditya has done his parts well. Especially, the scene where he teaches his grandfather English in return are well portrayed.
Other cast namely television stars Sashikumar, Ramya Shankar, Vinodhini did their parts well and director- actor-producer M. Sasikumar cameo is worth mentioning.
Technical Analysis:
As ever Balu Mahendra has come up with a typical off-beat film. Cinematographer turned director, who has done many path breaking films earlier has come up with an interesting nostalgia for the present generation being brought up in cities.
Simultaneously, Balu Mahendra has handled cinematography and editing for Thalaimuraigal. For the first time Balu Mahendra has used digital camera 'Canon 5D DSLR' for Thalaimuraigal and shot most of the film in the real locations such as the old house without using artificial lights.
Thalaimuraigal is tight and crisp with only 105 mins running time. Tough there are no songs, Ilayaraja made his presence felt with fascinating background scores for the movie.
Thalaimuraigal is a Tamil family drama that speaks about the relationship between a grandparent to his grandchild and the importance of traditions and culture that is to be adopted by present young generation.
Balu Mahendra has come up with a affective script after Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam in 2005 and Thalaimuraigal has succeeded in striking the audiences chords. Fist half of Thalaimuraigal is fizzy with the scenes of slowly building relation between Master Karthik and Balu Mahendra. Comparatively, second half of the film as it is filled with melodrama and sentimental scenes towards the end.
Final Verdict: Nostalgic Tamil Movie by Balu Mahendra