Director: Radha Mohan

Cast: Jyothika, Vidaarth

‘I want to be a Renaissance Woman. I want to paint, and I want to write, and I want to act, and I just want to do everything.’- Emma Watson

Radha Mohan is back with his latest film ‘Kaatrin Mozhi’ and it has all the elements that you come to expect from a film of his- a medley of eccentric characters, conflicts on a personal level and a subject that will definitely resound with you. A remake of the Hindi film ‘Tumhari Sulu’, the film stays true to its intentions for the most part.

Vijayalakshmi Balakrishnan (aka) Viji (Jyothika) is a homemaker who is vivacious and exuberant and whose life seems to revolve around her small family. She does have lofty ambitions though and is determined to make something out of her life. She however keeps facing condescension even from her own siblings and father, who never seems to miss a chance to point out her academic failings (more specifically her 12th grade failure!). An opportunistic visit to a radio station turns surprisingly fruitful as Viji auditions successfully to become an RJ for the station’s new late night show. She seems a perfect fit for the show’s concept and it is a runaway hit within days! At what cost does this success come though? Is this sustainable, especially on the face of increasing tension on her personal front? Radha Mohan examines this new chapter in Viji’s life in the second half as he builds towards an interesting climax.

The film does a great job in establishing the premise in the first half. Jyothika captures the essence of her character flawlessly and sets the tone. Vidaarth (as Viji’s husband Balu) too handles his role well within the limited scope it offers. Lakshmi Manchu essays the role of the radio station head authoritatively and the support cast in general have put in a shift. There is a sense though, that the second half did not have strong enough conflicts for the protagonist to resolve, especially in her new role as a radio jockey which is a challenging assignment generally. In fact, Balu seems to face tougher conflicts at his work place due to an unempathetic boss who really gets under your skin (essayed brilliantly by Narayan Lucky). The sequence that captures her show and the calls she receives had terrific scope and could have been handled with more creativity. For once, Yogi Babu’s cameo did not really work though a scene where she gets a call from a certain character takes the audience by surprise and leaves a mark. On the other hand, the conflicts Viji faces on the personal front have been portrayed relatively well, especially towards the end of the film.

Ultimately, you do think the film could have been better with a stronger second half. We do also have to take into account that this was a remake. Radha Mohan probably had his hands tied due to this and did not have the freedom he is used to having with his own stories. The film does examine an important aspect of the world we live in today. Though times are changing, it is a fact that women still do face a struggle to follow their dreams due to various constraints placed on them. The film is an ode to women who break these barriers and it does have a good message to take away at the end of it.

Overall rating: 3/5