Azhagu Kutti Chellam - A few rough edges but definitely a gem

Bharath Vijayakumar

A sense of tranquility dawns upon us as the starting credits of Azhagu Kutti Chellam begin to roll. They are not rushed and take their time and we get glued to the melodious title song composed by Ved Shankar. The team's intent is evident even before this as the statutory warning about alcohol and cigarette too is not quickly pushed over. It appears on screen and the voicover reads it after a few definite seconds. A far cry from the madrush these days!!!

Plot:

Around six plots, each centered around or involving an infant run in parallel and come together in the climax.

Cast:

The kids do a decent job.They might not be instantly likeable but they do make an impression as the film progresses. The best part is they act like kids and their unrefined performance certainly helps.

Karunas is brilliant in the film. Looks like he can make a huge mark in the character artist space. The girl who plays the young mother out of wedlock is extremely impressive. She is so much expressive and yet so restrained. A number of known faces including Thambi Ramiah, Suresh, Riythvika (the Madras girl), Vinodhini and Naren have well defined characters and each of them make their presence felt.

Crew:

Ved Shankar has done a great job with the title track. It keeps being played very often in the movie and you really do not mind the repetitiveness. It is so captivating that the audience stayed back to watch the end credits as the song was played again. Vijay Armstrong makes a mark with his cinematography. This is a simple movie filmed at regular locations and indoors but you sense an aesthetic appeal with the colours used and the lighting.

Direction:

Charles has been able to strike a chord whenever there is an emotional scene. The reason is that these peaking instances do not happen all of a sudden and we are shown the background of the characters and every important sequence that contributes to the crescendo. And the best part is that the acting in these sequences remain subtle. There is this scene where Karunas loses his temper but he behaves exactly how we would expect a person from such a background react to such a situation.

The icing on the cake is though the film is about infants being gifts of God and the great mistake that few people do by abandoning them, there is not an iota of negativity in the film.The orphanage in fact is shown as a happening place with joyous faces all around. Not sure if the film really needed six plots. Would it have been better with a more crisper and concentrated storytelling involving maybe say only three plots. There is no definitive 'yes' but the film certainly might have got us more involved with fewer characters. There are few cinematic liberties as well as portions that really do not matter much. But these are more like the fumbles of a kid whom we do not desist but are willing to pamper with.

Bottomline:

If a sweet little, unfussy, simple and pleasant drama that would leave you with a good feel as you step out of the cinemas is your cup of tea then do try out Azhagu Kutti Chellam. It has it's rough edges but is a gem nevertheless.

Rating: 3/5