Kadaisi Vivasayi - A world class cinematic experience

M. Manikandan the creator of the critically acclaimed 'Kaaka Muttai' , 'Kuttramae Thandanai' and 'Aandavan Kattalai' is back with 'Kadaisi Vivasayi' that speaks about an octogenarian farmer who holds on to farming while the rest of the world moves on to nothing.   Will this true to life depiction of the last farmer standing strike a chord with the fast food generation remains to be seen.

Nallandi (Played by himself) is content with his solitary life as a farmer who has become one with his cows, hens and land.   The village that he lives in plan to conduct a carnival after fifteen years to appease the angry deities and request him to provide the required amount of rice grain for it.  Meanwhile there are a couple of land grabbers who try to coax Nallandi into selling his land which he refuses.   Just when the octogenarian begins to till his land single handedly to keep his promise he gets into a legal trouble and is jailed.   Does Nallandi prove his innocence and can he keep his promises to his people and deities is what 'Kadaisi Vivasayi' is all about.

Nallandi, a non- professional actor plays the iconic title character with so much authenticity that one tends to forget that its a film and begin to travel with him.  He has perfectly nailed the body language required for a hearing impaired person and the innocence of the people he represents comes naturally to him.   He is a scream in the court scenes where he behaves naturally in spite of being in a dire situation.   To sum it up Nallandi who is unfortunately no more now will live on forever in the minds of those who watch him in the film.   Vijay Sethupathi appears as Ramaiah a mentally deranged person through whom Manikandan reminds the audience of the divine and the occult that are very much a part of farming communities all over the world for generations.   The Makkal Selvan supports the unknown actors much in the same way he does the superstars without stealing any moment from them.     Similarly Yogi Babu plays the symbolic character of a man who sells fifteen acres to buy an elephant and tend to it for the rest of his life.   That these two frontline stars will also help with the box office draw is purely incidental.   Raichal Rebecca Phillip as the young judge who empathizes with the farmer has done a neat job.  The actor who plays Nallandi's nephew, the villager who tries to grow hair on his bald head, the midget girl who dreams of marriage, the constable and the jailbird who find their calling through Nallandi are all memorable characters that the audience will carry home.

What works best in 'Kadaisi Vivasayi' is the authentic depiction of farming so painstakingly done by Manikandan right from the showing of sowing of the  seeds to the sprouting right till the crop growing.   The conversations captured by live sound are without any frills but still hard hitting.   The core theme that God gives everyone ample seeds to grow and flourish is poignantly explored throughout the film.   To crown it all the 'Kadaisi Vivasayi' is not one who is the last but one who inspires many more from his own kind and the outsiders to embrace farming and agriculture showing all its deep rooted glory.

On the downside the pacing is uneven and at times the screenplay sags which is by no means a big detterant.  The humour that you associate with a Manikandan film is few and far between considering the opportunities that go a begging.  

Manikandan the cinematographer dominates the rest of his crafts by vividly capturing every blow of the wind to the earthworms coiling to the aesthetic creation of pottery and finally the spectacular dance of the peacock.  The  long takes are effective from start to finish making the storytelling immersive.  Manikandan the director wins big with his originality and in extracting solid performances from the largely amateur cast. Most importantly he creates impact by ending his story on a high note with hope for that all important and much misunderstood person - the farmer. 

Verdict: Don't miss this world class cinema in Tamil that comes to you once in a blue moon.