Kadaisi Vivasayi movie review: Vijay Sethupathi film is a nuanced plea to know our roots

Language: Tamil Manikandan’s films always operate on two levels. There’s a seemingly straightforward story and then, there’s the fine print. For example, Kaaka Muttai was about the permeating effects of globalisation and consumerism in our society. Even for people who miss the subtext, the film holds well as a charming comedy about two kids who lived in a slum and dreamt of having pizza. His films are examples of the middle ground Tamil filmmakers have carved in the mainstream – where social relevance and entertainment are significant equals. In his latest film, Kadaisi Vivasayi (The Last Farmer), Manikandan digs into farming. Agriculture is one of the evolutionary pillars of civilization. And yet, it’s a profession that ‘civilised’ want to do nothing with. While the paradox is relevant, it’s a subject that has been hacked to death in Tamil cinema. Almost every hero has found a way to ‘voice’ the plights of the farmers, romanticise the fields, and finally, ‘save’ them from the evil corporates. But Manikandan’s foray into the paddy field is much more documentarian. With the help of the septuagenarian farmer, hearing-impaired farmer Mayandi, Manikandan puts out some deeper reflections on modernisation and development, making a case for how we need to return to our roots, and harness the wisdom of our predecessors. What’s refreshing is the nuance in Manikandan’s writing, and the careful selection of thoughts he presents throughout. Kadaisi Vivasayi presents a balanced picture – one that juxtaposes wisdom with worldly innocence. Mayandi maybe an old man who believes papads can cure leg pain, but that doesn’t mean his knowledge in farming can be duplicated, substituted or invalidated. There are several insights, presented with a side of wry humour. A farmer sells his land and buys an elephant, and finds the latter more profitable – a telling parallel on the state of farming today.

More importantly, unlike several other films, Kadaisi Vivasayi doesn’t turn a blind eye to the social tyranny that ‘faith’ has enabled in the past.

When the film speaks of faith or god, it doesn’t necessarily speak of religion as we know it today. “Ullatha kadanthavanga than kadavul,” remarks an elderly person. Their temple has no deity. Their festival includes and necessitates contributions from people from all communities. The film seeks to go earlier, to simpler times, and tap our practices of ecological and hormonal peace. One of the older Tamil songs used in the background is ‘Poyum Poyum’ from Thaai Sollai Thattadhe. The opening verses roughly translate to, “Unwittingly, God gave a brain to the human species. With lies and spite, man used it to spoil the earth.” This crystallises Kadaisi Vivasayi’s plea. The film argues that we need to address our tendency to ape the west under the garb of ‘development’ or ‘modernisation’ and follow their dictums without any real comprehension of our land or ecological balance. And this needs to be corrected before it’s too late. Unlike his earlier films, Manikandan moves away from the middle line, and closer to the parallel cinema with Kadaisi Vivasayi. There is no aha moment that the Tamil mainstream cinema always runs towards. The film is held together by its subtext and the footnotes. This makes experience more atmospheric, and therefore, not everyone’s cup of tea. Kadaisi Vivasayi is closer to life – Santhosh Narayan’s oriental score is a charming exception. It has been shot in sync sound, which means dialogues are at conversational volumes. Most of the actors are people from the villages. (Vijay Sethupathi and Yogi Babu make cameo appearances.) And the pace of the film is consciously relaxed. In an era of dwindling attention spans and pint-sized content, films like Kadaisi Vivasayi will naturally be called ‘slow’. But it’s a reminder that ‘slow’ is not boring. Amid all the huffing and puffing, Kadasivi Vivasayi feels like a deep breath of air – wilful and refreshing. Rating: 3.5/5 Ashameera Aiyappan is a film journalist who writes about Indian cinema with a focus on South Indian films.