The best way for me to describe my understanding of Mayakkam Enna doesn't come from explaining the story or the acting. It comes from the reaction of one character in the film. She plays the protagonist, Karthik's (Dhanush) sister Ramya. You will see at varying points the inclusion of his friends and their reaction to the events but this particular character is what determined this writer's understanding of the story and along with it, a simple message.
The life and struggle of a wild life photographer maybe the main point in the story but this character shows you that there is never one constant state of mind for people in your life. There is always going to be change. It maybe intensely displayed or just subtle. For cinematic purposes, Ramya, alongwith the other characters have a rather extreme change and reaction to everything. From when Sundar (Sundar Ramu) introduces Yamini (Richa) and Karthik reacts badly to when he returns after running away because of an intimate encounter to the same Yamini he developed feelings for.
But life is not always about the love stories in our life and it most certainly isn't all roses. Besides being robbed of a prestigious award and recognition from the man he called his idol, Mathesh Krishnaswamy (Ravi Prasad), Karthik meets with an accident and loses the control most people would have of their emotions. Yes, I know its depicted like he is crazy but considering the so-called 'transformation' he goes through, its can be accepted if only in a loose format. After all, desperation and devastation can change any human being to a speck of their former self. Coming back to the point, people are bound to change with situations. And Ramya once again changes from the sister who was so scared and pissed off at her brother for leaving her to one that makes subtle yet sharp comments at her by then sister-in-law Yamini. Even to the point when she in a fit of rage says that he should be institutionalised. If this isnt enough, her jealous streak comes out as well when the same brother receives a world renowned award, a much bigger achievement that of her husband, Sundar.
So what's the message? Life is life. Challenging, beautiful, turbulent and unpredictable. So there is no point in thinking people will always be the same. Those that stick it out for a length of time arent surviving because they are the same person. Its because they work at themselves and through it all. The good, the bad, the ugly. Yamini and Karthik may be fictional characters but they go through turbulences that any married couple would go through. Some more severe than others.
But hey, this writer saw the life lesson in a film some may have thought was too long. Yes it needed a few snips here and there even while you enjoyed the picturesque-ness [Ramji], inebriating music [G.V.Prakash Kumar] and soul-stirring performances by the lead cast, but at the end of the day, Mayakkam Enna isn't anything different from Selvaraghavan's filmogrpahy. He doesn't follow trends and you can never guess what type of film you will expect when the mastermind is at the helm of things. He does things his own way and nothing quite prepares you for Selvaraghavan's films beyond knowing what he did before. Very little frills or splashes in the water but a whole lot of emotionally charged story-telling. That is the case with Mayakkam Enna, and as usual, brilliance is the current that works his magical waves.
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