The filmmaker, who lost his ability to impress audiences for a while, seems to have regained his magical touch with 'Aneethi'.
A poster of the film 'Aneethi'. (Vasantabalan1/ Twitter)
Aneethi (Tamil)
Director Vasanthabalan, best known for having delivered exceptional films like Veyil (2022) and Angadi Theru (2010), seems to have delivered yet another fascinating winner called Aneethi (Injustice).
The Tamil movie sends out a hard-hitting message — not only about how the powerless and the weak are exploited by the rich but also about how those with wealth lack kindness.
Every time Vasanthabalan comes up with a story he deeply believes in, he has never failed to move audiences. Aneethi is no different and makes a profound impact on you.
You don’t need an expert to tell you that this is a story that’s come from Vasanthabalan’s very soul.
A still from ‘Aneethi’. (Supplied)
Thirumeni (Arjun Das) is a food delivery agent who slogs from the minute he wakes up until the time he crashes into bed out of exhaustion.
Even as he slogs like a machine, day in and day out, Thirumeni is often ill-treated and humiliated by those who order food.
More than their ill-treatment, their lack of compassion is what is even more striking.
Every time he has to interact with an inconsiderate customer, Thirumeni has a strong urge to kill him or her. However, he controls his anger, patiently takes all the abuses hurled at him, and silently returns to slog again.
Thirumeni has no friends, save one roommate named Pothi (Bharani) who also works as a food delivery agent. Pothi is the only one who is kind and considerate to Thiru.
Arjun Das and Dushara Vijayan in ‘Aneethi’. (Supplied)
It is under these circumstances that one day, he goes to deliver food to a posh house and ends up meeting Subbu (Dushara Vijayan), a girl working as a maid servant-cum-caretaker.
Needless to say, Thiru falls for Subbu and reciprocates his feelings for her.
Subbu’s primary task involves looking after the owner of the house, a wealthy but rude, heartless rich old lady named Mangayarkarasi (Shantha Dhananjayan).
Mangayarkarasi’s self-centred son Ajee (Arjun Chidambaram) and greedy daughter Anitha (Vanitha Vijayakumar) live abroad.
Both son and daughter, like their mother, treat Subbu like a slave and often threaten her over the phone.
Subbu is the only earning member of her family comprising her mother, father, brother and sister. She desperately needs the money her heartless bosses pay her. So, she puts up with all the humiliation and threats.
One day, the old lady dies and Subbu’s frantic calls to Ajee and Anitha to inform them of their mother’s death go unanswered.
She calls Thiru for help, and he responds. They realise that it will take at least two-three days for the old lady’s children to fly back and therefore, choose to move her body to a private mortuary.
They use the old lady’s ATM card to hire an ambulance to shift the body to the mortuary. What happens then is what Aneethi is all about.
Arjun Das in ‘Aneethi’. (Supplied)
Vasanthabalan, who lost his ability to impress audiences for a while, seems to have regained his magical touch with Aneethi.
This powerful story drives home the point that those who cannot forgive or show mercy to the helpless, who genuinely plead for mercy with folded hands, are not humans but beasts.
The film is a powerful take on the exploitation of the poor, not just in cities but also in rural parts. It is a fantastic film that wins your attention right from the moment it starts and manages to hold you prisoner with its impressive narration.
Lead pair in ‘Aneethi’. (Supplied)
Every scene, however insignificant it may be to the central plot, has a substantial point to make on its own.
More importantly, Aneethi highlights the fact that all that is legal might not necessarily be just.
For instance, the scene where an arrogant customer makes a delivery boy climb 13 floors to deliver a food packet. After receiving the food packet, the customer hands him a ₹2000 note and demands change for it.
With no other option, the delivery agent agrees to go all the way down to get change and climb 13 floors back up only to be met with a question, “What if you take the money and run away?”
Vasanthabalan does not hold back while showcasing the dark, inhumane side of the wealthy and it stirs in you the same anger that the character at the receiving end experiences.
There are three primary reasons why Vasanthabalan’s story works like magic.
The first is a powerful story that is rooted in reality. The next is his choice of performers who breathe life into the characters, and the third is some outstanding technical support.
Arjun Das plays the role of a delivery boy. (Supplied)
Arjun Das, who plays the poor, exploited delivery boy Thirumeni, comes up with an outstanding performance that leaves you shaken.
His deep voice, subtle expressions, soft demeanour, and tough transformation enhance his performance and makes it one of the finest in his career so far.
Kaali Venkat, who plays the innocent father of Thirumeni, whips up a storm with his exceptional performance in this film.
As it is, the film moves at an impressive pace and this pace further picks up when Kaali Venkat makes an entry through a flashback sequence.
His dialogue delivery, his expressions and his body language are all absolutely spot-on. He plays the character of a doting father — who goes to the ends of the earth to make the dreams of his son a reality — with so much conviction that you are moved by his plight and can relate to his pain.
Dushara Vijayan as Subbu, Shantha Dhananjayan as the old lady, and Vanitha Vijayakumar as Anita also excel.
On the technical front, GV Prakash’s background score is just perfect for the movie as are the visuals of cinematographer Edwin Sakay.
In all, Aneethi is an impressive and powerful take on exploitation, kindness and everything in between.
(Views expressed here are personal.)
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