Bommalattam - we are the puppets

Are you a fan of the novel of mystery? I am, and that's why Bommalattam disappoints. From the days of Arthur Conan Doyle's Holmes, to the queen of crime's Poirot and Marple, to our very own Byomkesh Bakshi and Feluda, a good mystery yarn has been rooted deeply in two important rules: (i) the plot must be watertight, and (ii) all the facts must be presented before the solution is outed.

Let us look at the first rule. There can be no obvious loose strings if your plot is to make sense. Usually, it is the case of committing a murder, or setting up a red herring, or creating an alibi, or some such, and in these cases, if there are glaring errors such as (i) impracticality, (ii) physical impossibility, (iii) uncharacteristic actions of the principal(s) or (iv) irregularities, then there is a leak somewhere, and on closer inspection, the reader feels let down.

Consider for example the following scenario - Mr. X needs to establish an alibi for his activities on the night of the murder. He thus claims that he was in Bangalore during the event. However, it later transpires that he purchased an airline ticket from Chennai to Bangalore at 6:43pm, boarded the flight at 6:45pm and landed at Bangalore at 7:08pm. He then proceeded to his office in Whitefield and was seen by the guard there at 7:30pm. Now, unless there is a prepped and ready rocket jet waiting to take him to Bangalore, and there is a super expressway linking the airport which is someway off to his office, this falls outside the realm of Physics. If later, the claim is made that the alibi is false, everything is "oojah cum spiff." But, if the author claims this alibi is true, then the reader is unaware of some new warp technology for sure.

Now, the second point - a good mystery is one in which everyone including the reader has an opportunity to think objectively about what has happened and arrive at a conclusion. If we are smart, we may hit the correct sequence of events, and guess the psychological tapestry to a nicety. The prowess of the author is then to show us that he or she is more devious than we are. For instance, A, B and C are in a room, and C has been murdered. So, the logical conclusion should be that either of A or B have committed the crime. But, if at the end, the author reveals a person D out of the blue who actually did it, then its no longer a whodunit, but a whatthehellisthis?

Unfortunately for Bommalattam, the movie fails on both counts. Without revealing too much of the plot, suffice it to say that impracticality, time dilation, new character introduction and physical impossibility have all been used in this movie.

But, I would have been willing to accept these major story faults, provided the direction and editing were top notch. Sadly, the movie fails to impress here too. The criminal investigation carried out by Arjun seems to be haphazard, and lacking in order and method. The investigative process is not at all showcased, and results seemingly appear out of thin air. Another way of looking at it is that this is a case where the investigator has a surmise, but he lacks solid evidence to prove it, and is forced to use unconventional methods. However, if this were the case, it is not portrayed logically. Sequence seems to be lacking.


While there is a surfeit of suspense, and the finger points to all the principals at one point or another, there seems to be a lack of interest in exploiting this element. For instance, I suspected Arjun himself at one time, but the motivation for him is built up in a single scene and then forgotten.

The psyche of the director and the heroine of the movie within the movie is delved into deeply, and clearly, it is Bharathirajaa's desire to make this the story's centerpiece. But this relationship is given to us not from the perspective of the principals, which would have been a position of strength, but as a series of conjectures and surmises by the bit players around them. This makes the whole endeavor seem a bit artificial.

But I will take my hat off for the plot twist at the end though. It is completely unexpected and new to Tamil cinema. But, for a mystery relying so heavily on the climax, this could have been integrated into the story in a different manner at a much earlier stage. Revealing more of what I have in mind would be telling all. Ask me in private if you want to know what I think!

And a bit about the editing. The movie moves so slowly in places, especially during the bits about the movie shooting, and the interrogation sequences, that you can cut the silence with a knife. This tends to ease the tension and loosen the grip in places where it is needed most. And whatever happened to the lip sync and the dubbing I will never be able to say. It was like watching a Hindi movie dubbed into Tamil. Totally unprofessional sums it up.


As for the acting, a weak rendition by Nizhalgal Ravi takes the intensity away from Nana Patekar's acting. Lackadaisical performances from Vivek, the heroines, and Arjun seem to indicate that the director has put his entire weight behind the story and has lost it everywhere else. The music, as is the usual Himesh Reshamiya fare, is nothing to write home about, although the BGM's were quite impressive, especially during the investigation sequences.

The puppet master is able to make dolls dance to his tune. Sadly here, although it is clear in the end who the real puppet is (which is a bit of an unexpected shock really), the audience have been made the puppets by being kept in the dark, and by having their intelligence assumed to be sub-par. In all, therefore, Bommalattam fails to impress and really has too many glaring flaws for it to be a good mystery yarn.

By the way, the reason this review may seem cryptic is because I don't want to reveal anything. After a decent amount of time has passed (once the movie has run its course), I will explain each aspect in an addendum.

Slumdog Millionaire - My wonderful India

Just finished watching Slumdog Millionaire. I know that its an English movie, and what's more, set in Mumbai. But still, I thought I might say something about it, because it resonated with me. It is one of those rare things that happen in life. You suddenly find that a third person has made an observation about you that revelas something about you, and that helps raise your own self beyond what you are presently. Like what this guy Danny Boyle did in this movie - made a statement about my country, a good one, atleast personally to me.

By the way, there are no spoilers here, so watch the movie, and then read my blog.

What a movie!!!!! Everything about the movie showcases the level of sophistication that Indian Cinema has to reach. That a beautiful story like this was told about Indians by a Britisher is most ironical. Why? Because the one tenet of India that the movie showcases more than anything else is the resourcefulness of a nation in conflict with itself, and the root cause for that conflict was the British occupation.

When the British came and wiped out our industrial might (India had a share of 34% in industrial exports in the world pie in the eighteenth century) of a proud nation, and made the disparities hit hard home - on the stomach, they left behind the morass of babudom and corruption, that led to millions of slums and rampant crime in every major city. They left behind a communally divided India, in which followers of one faith pit themslves against those of another faith just to wash the bile in their bellies, if not for anything else. But this movie is about how even the lowliest Indian, and not just the IT techie fights in life to make something of himself.

The tragic life history of Salim (yes, the brother blackguard), and the cute love story were just trinkets on the visage of the fight for life. Nowhere more in the movie is this more visceral than in the scene when the young boy Jamal jumps into the open defacation pit in order to run upto and get an autograph from Amitabh Bachan. In my opinion, that was the moment when the movie for me, transcended the screen and became a monument to the Indian power of will. The power of will, that is and always will be our great nations's mightiest attrribute. It is probably also our Achilles heal, because when anything goes to an end, that only produces more Jamals and Salims.

So, that one scene was the most well conceived one, because it makes a huge social statement about our psyche. We will survive, no matter what the odds, and we will also do anything it takes, no matter what. So, there is a society that is divided by a thin line between what is right, and what must be done - a society where Jamal fight against all odds to make a life for himself; a society where Salim will do whatever he must to make a life for himself. The difference becomes blurred, and good and evil are both in a race for survival. Caste, religion, language and all else is secondary. And finally, the backdrop of the KBC program was just brilliant. Because it underlines the film's fundamental argument. In an impoverished nation like ours (and yes, we are sadly, still impoverished), that thin line becomes a note, and the struggle for the note is the struggle for life.

There were two other scenes, both part of a minor story arc, that were meaningful to me. The first one is when an American tourist couple feels compassion for Jamal when he is unjustly beaten by a policeman, and gives him a hundred dollar bill. The second is when Jamal sees a blind beggar in a subway, and gives that boy the same bill. In a land blessed with plenty, and where its leaders strive for a compassionate society, that compassion is easy to trickle down and easy to express. But, even in a land ravaged by selfishness, there are pockets where the same compassion is evident. This to me, was a significant statement about the values of our people.

Thalaivar Rahman's background score was totally unbelievable. If it were left to me, for the sheer powerfulness of the BGM's, I would give him an Oscar today. But to talk about his music would need a separate essay for itself.

Slumdog Millionaire shows up India for what it looks like - a sham, a lie and a facade. The reality is the urban agglomeration, the slums, the beggars, the exploitation of the meek, the millions of focusless and jobless youth that are driven to crime for a roti in their stomachs, the evils that happen behind the veils of social mores, the open disparity between the rich and the poor. But it also shows our country for what it really is - a nation of hope, of resourcefulness, of infinite patience, a land where life will find a way. That is why Slumdog Millionaire tells us that for all its perceived faults and contradictions, India will be the powerhouse of the future - from the bottom up.

Watch this movie, please. And for many Tamil and Hindi directors out there - racy musicals can sentimental dramas can also be made this way.