“Valai” will eat you alive.

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“Valai” will eat you alive.

In an interview with Barathwaj Rangan, the director  Mari Selvaraj told that the film “valai” is like:   “you consume normal water and you die”.

That’s how simple and perplexed it is!

The film is not just a slice of life of a downtrodden family, it is also the nature of life and the vicious cycle of power itself.   It is more than a week since I watched the film, I can’t get over it. I feel there is a rusted knife slowly piercing my stomach inch by inch.  

The film transports you to a beautiful world of a boy’s coming of age. His life is calm, beautiful and pretty much sticks to the routine. Things change as he develops resilience and decides to retaliate against things he detests. in contrast, the equation between him and his teacher is sheer delight. The innocence of his unadulterated love for his teacher is rejuvenating.

 As the little boy’s wings equip him to fly, he is clipped down by hunger and poverty. He begins to perceive the world with what is deprived for him. The boy’s fear and anger over his mother’s choice of pushing him to labour is so crucial and the dynamics of this relationship is poignantly captured in the climax song (Something in me is colliding and collapsing everytime I hear this pathavathi song).

Ae pethathaayum naanthaan
Thinna peyum naanthaan
Anji odum thappi odum
Sellakkutti vaa vaa
Thangakatti vaa vaa

 Ae vathipona maara naan
Picheduthu thaaren
Rathama nee muthama nee
Mothama nee vaayen
Sathama nee vaayen

The lyrics and the song shreds anything alive in to pieces. 


The amount of sorrow and helplessness it infuses is an experience for the audience. The film can be a revelation for those who are ignorant of the lives of marginalized people. 

I am sorry that the world is bleeding under the hands of power, sadly everyone is a victim and none could escape.

(I don’t know if the above written lines are coherent nor does it convey what I intend to share. But I just want to get that out of me. The pain  is immersive. Anything I see is a reflection of its shade).

 


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