Cast:  Suriya, Vijay Sethupathi, Parvathy, Remya Nambeesan, Prayaga Martin, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Yogi Babu, Arvind Swami, Bobby Simha, Aditi Balan, Rohini, Delhi Ganesh, Revathi, Prakash Raj, Prasanna, Nedumudi Venu, Atharvaa, Anjali

Directors: Bejoy Nambiar, Priyadarshan, Karthick Naren, Vasanth, Karthik Subbaraj, Arvind Swami, Rathindran R. Prasad, Sarjun KM, Gautham Vasudev Menon

Language: Tamil

The much-expected Navarasa on Netflix is the most recent addition to Tamil cinema’s anthology cluster. With an enviable cast and crew, this set of 9 films (based on the 9 rasas) is produced by Mani Ratnam and Jayendra Panchapakesan and was made to help daily wage labourers in the film industry who have taken a hit due to the pandemic.

Edhiri

The first film of the lot, and an interesting start to the anthology, Edhiri is directed by Bejoy Nambiar. Starring Revathi, Prakash Raj and Vijay Sethupathi, this short is on the rasa ‘Karuna’ or compassion. When Revathi’s character almost witnesses a tragedy, her life changes forever. Driven by her fantastic acting, the film takes us through the motions of a tragedy from the points of view of both the victim and the perpetrator. How easy is compassion in the face of injustice? Edhiri strives to answer this quintessential question. Revathi owns this film. And Vijay Sethupathi follows at a close second. The warring emotions from dread to anger, from guilt to sympathy in the climax of the film, are beautifully portrayed by Revathi. I would like to have seen Prakash Raj in a more substantiated role, though.

Summer of ‘92

Directed by veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan, Summer of ’92 is supposed to be based on the hasya rasa – laughter. I am still waiting for laugher to hit me, though. Based on some real-life incidents in the life of actor Innocent, Summer of ’92 stars Yogi Babu  as a famous actor who returns to his school after many years. Instances of school pranks and reminiscences of those are dime a dozen. But somehow, the pranks felt flat, and the cliched characters more so.

Project Agni

This is Karthik Naren’s hat tip to Christopher Nolan, Stanley Kubrick and other Hollywood biggies. Project Agni, based on the Adbhutha rasa or Wonder, stars an in-form Arvind Swami as a scientist with a great discovery in hand and his ISRO friend, Prasanna.  The film is filled with easter eggs like the characters being named as Vishnu and Krishna, a super secretive Project Agni, and a climax that is truly well-done. Despite some ‘generic’ scientific ideas being thrown at us, Project Agni was slick to the boot. Arvind Swami has aged well and so has his craft. He carries on the role of a genius scientist very easily and the Tanglish dialogues work for him. Maybe Project Agni could be done justice to in a full-length feature!

Payasam

Director Vasanth’s Payasam is an ode to the Bhibatsa or Disgust. Delhi Ganesh knocks it out of the park, as always! In Payasam Delhi Ganesh is a disgruntled widower who has deep-rooted hatred for his wealthy relative. A simple wedding in an orthodox family, gives us a peek into the intricate lives of the family members, including Ganesh’s young, widowed daughter played by Aditi Balan. The climax so to speak, is a typical, almost childish act of defiance by an old man and Ganesh pulls it off with aplomb.  The way the plot goes hand in hand with Tambrahm wedding preparations is beautifully portrayed, all thanks to cinematographer Sathyan Sooriyan. It easily is one of the better films of the lot. I have my doubts though, whether the rasa here should be Disgust or Jealousy?

Peace

Karthik Subbaraj gives us a full-fledged Tamil Eelam film with Peace. Starring Bobby Simha and Gautham Vasudev Menon, the story gives us a peek into some heart wrenching events in Sri Lanka. The story is set during Sri Lanka’s tumultuous times when identities and communities were torn apart. There is this one scene which gives us a perfect idea of the situation with the camera roving in a 180-degree shot. The idea of the fight for land is so amazingly shown then and there. As much as I like an idealistic ending for a political film – despite its powerful stance – it did not exactly sit well with the rest of the short and its tone. Subbaraj was maybe trying to experiment with his casting, but Gautham Menon speaking Lankan Tamil stood out like a sore thumb! 

Rating: 2.5/5