Thakarachenda - movie review

'Thakarachenda' is a 2007 Malayalam movie set in the slums of Ernakulam. Many movies have been made around this theme from Mira Nair's excellent 'Salaam Bombay' to the stereotypical 'Slumdog Millionaire'. While all these movies relied on melodrama to make an impact that invokes pity or even inspiration, 'Thakarachenda' is a very raw depiction that shows the purposelessness and harshness of the lives of these poor slum dwellers. Period. The minimal but impactful background score and just a single song emphasizes this rawness.

Sreenivasan as a totally cynical handicapped beggar 'Chakrapani' is at his satirical best, and most of the men in the slum seem to have given up hope and are ekeing out an existence. In contrast the female characters in the movie are strong personalities (as in many Malayalam movies), doing their best to lead an honourable life, ensuring their kids can have a better future. Lata's attempts to keep her children away from Chakrapani's attempts to rope them in for begging even in the face of hunger is both tragic and inspiring.

Technically, the film by a debutant director leaves a lot to be desired, especially the acting of the kids. But it more than makes up for that with the choice of a very relevant theme and a tight narrative. Movies like these just remind us how fortunate we are in the lives we enjoy, and just reaffirms that we have a responsibility to excel in what we do, to lend an ear to what is going in around us, and to make a positive contribution beyond the cocoon of our comfortable lives.