Kozhipannai Chelladurai Review

Out of 10 people, seven or eight will offer some solution to every single thing in the world, from a small civil issue to the Israel-Palestine or Russia-Ukraine war situation. But their pride in solving problems fades when it comes to their unresolved grief and troubled past. Filmmaker Seenu Ramasamy’s Kozhippannai Chelladurai is a film that challenges such ‘solution providers’ with a proposal to relieve them of their emotional burden.

Kozhippannai Chelladurai begins with little Chelladurai and his younger sister Jayasudha remaining mute spectators to their parent’s tumultuous marriage. Their alcoholic father Viruman, who returns from the army without informing them in advance, ties up his wife and her lover, whom Viruman knows about through his nosy neighbors. Viruman leaves the children at their grandmother’s house forever. How the rest of this scattered family struggle to save themselves and give some meaning to the word ‘family’ is what the film is all about.

Like other Seenu Ramasamy films, Kozhippannai Chelladurai too doesn’t bother itself with creating moments at regular intervals and doesn’t pledge allegiance to the three-act structure. Part of the problem with such films is that the world-building and character establishment alone must be so good that it compensates for the other momentary pleasures they lack. The film suffers the most from the fact that it largely uses the routine of characters’ conversations, which form a major part of Seenu Ramasamy’s screenplay.

Egan looks impressive as the stoic Chelladurai who will easily trample anything that comes in the way of his focus and dedication toward his sister’s well-being. The first half would have been much better if the exposition had been economical. Chelladurai’s love for his sister Jayasudha (Sathya Devi), his embarrassment due to his mother’s slander, his stoning of Thamaraiselvi (Brigida Saga) for her romantic advances, and his respect for uncle Periyasamy (Yogi Babu) were all essential details, but there are too many scenes dedicated to portraying each of these aspects.
Also, set in the lush Theni district, Kozhippannai Chelladurai errs in restricting the Chelladurai-Jayasudha story to themselves and those close to them. In the past, films based on rural backgrounds have succeeded due to a screenplay that is driven by the everybody-is-a-business aspect of life. Despite having such a story, the lack of involving multiple players to create conflict or drama feels like a missed opportunity. The failed attempt to evoke laughter also contributed to our displeasure with the first half.

Director: Seenu Ramasamy

Cast: Egan, Sathya Devi, Yogi Babu, Brigida Saga

Rating: 2.5/5

Since this is Egan’s debut film, we are not yet aware of his limitations in acting. If being expressive is a thing, it has indeed helped him to pull off this role well. Sathya Devi’s performance as the cautious and submissive sister looks good. Though at places it seems that her role gives rise to Chelladurai’s trust issues, which he needs help with, that doesn’t make us dislike her.

While we appreciate the fact that Jayasudha doesn’t know more than 10 people in her life, we are reassured, if not satisfied, that it is natural for her to react in a set pattern to certain situations. The line between sympathizing and admiring has been blurred here. As we mentioned earlier, the humor doesn’t land in most places, but thankfully for Yogi Babu’s Periyasamy, he was handed a lot more than just body-shaming jokes like “Neeye kozhi boti (intestine) Madhuri irukka, enakku nee pottiya (contest),” and he did a good job of it.

Brigida had a lot more to do compared to the three. But yes, there is nothing technically new left for her to stand out among the many heroines seen in hundreds of films whose roles involved nothing but cooking and dressing up to lure the man. Brigida could only do so much.

All is not lost with Kozhipannai Chelladurai as the second half has some exceptional twists and moments that are emotionally moving. Like in some of Seenu Ramasamy’s previous films, when a life and an ecosystem are established, problems arise and pile up that could disrupt it, shifting the narrative towards the climax. Chelladurai’s vulnerability when he can no longer run away from his past seemed compelling, and he won all our sympathies.

We would have seen several Tamil cinema heroes accepting missions to save the world; none of that could match the daze one would be subjected to when a bad, distant memory resurrects and imposes itself on reality. Seenu Ramasamy’s Kozhipannai Chelladurai is another story of his that breaks the façade of strength to expose the emotional and psychological fragility of a man, not because of any nuclear weapon but because of something as simple as lack of warmth and reassurance, which are by far the deadliest weapons.

Source: https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/review/2024/Sep/21/kozhipannai-chelladurai-movie-review-an-emotionally-unsettling-second-half-makes-up-for-the-flaws