Movies that are targeted at the fairer sex are referred to as
'chick-flicks' in Hollywood. These movies keep away from
testosterone stuff like chases and explosions and instead
concentrate on sentiments, emotions and in general, getting
the women in the audience to get their handkerchiefs out
(Stepmom is a recent example). Annai would
be the Kodambakkam equivalent of a 'chick-flick'. As the name
makes amply clear, it zeroes in on the 'mother sentiment' and
never strays from it. But the movie avoids the pitfall of an
overdose of sentiments and contains some surprises in the
proceedings. The director also earns respect with a high-concept
ending.
Kanagamahalakshmi(Banupriya) is a businesswoman who is always on
the go. From her flashback, we get to know that after being
childless for a few years, she and her husband(Nasser) had
decided to adopt a child from an orphanage for one month a year.
She had then gotten pregnant but had lost both her child and her
husband in a car crash. Single and childless, she goes ahead
with the plan of adopting a child for one month a year and it
has worked out well for the past couple of years. When
Anjali (Baby Sadhika) gets the chance, she brings about some
changes in the household. Mahalakshmi gets really attached to
her and even finds Anjali's parents.
Director Manobala deserves credit for eschewing all commercial
trappings in the movie. With a villain established early on and
reentering the picture after Banupriya gets attached to the
child, I fully expected the final reels to involve a kidnapping,
car chases, etc. But these portions have been handled cleanly.
Ofcourse, another point of view could be that the developments
are a disappointment after the setup but the selected path
suits the overall atmosphere of the movie. The movie also
contains some surprises. For instance, it does not stick to the
expected route after the child's biological parents have been
introduced. This issue is resolved quickly in a rather unexpected
manner(though it does seem unfair to one of the parties involved).
One of the factors which irked me from the beginning of the
movie was that the arrangement(of 'renting' an orphan for one
month every year) seemed grossly unfair to the child and to the
other children of the orphanage. The director scores some
points by letting the child herself point this out to
Banupriya later. Another appreciable aspect of the movie is
the climax. The ending is a pleasant surprise and with its
lofty ambition, reveals the director's good intentions.
The development of Banupriya's attachment for Baby Sadhika has
not been portrayed very well. A few more incidents to establish
their rapport would have been welcome. Infact, the scenes
where the servants(the gardener and the cook) interact with
Sadhika are much more enjoyable.
There seem to be several loose ends scattered throughout the
movie. The story of the old man in the orphanage(which, by the
way, is definitely not a story that a child needs to hear) is
never touched upon later. Smaller sequences like the simple
nature of the child's meals and why she likes to sleep on the
floor are also not followed up. Ramesh Khanna's separate comedy
track involving Balaji and Mayilsamy is unfunny and unnecessary
but can be forgiven since the characters turn out to be useful
later on.
Banupriya uses her years of experience and breezes through
the role. She expresses her emotions well in the scene where
she searches for the child on the beach and when shouting at
the child's parents. Baby Sadhika is a good selection. Though
she seems wooden initially, she improves and is natural in
her scenes with Banupriya. Director Manobala takes on the role
of old man Moses (he even looks like Moses with his white hair
and beard!) and is convincing. Newcomer Dhina's songs are
surprisingly quite good.
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