Freedom is what you do with what is done to you. The most-awaited Aadai teaser begins with this quote of philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, hinting at a survival story of a girl, who fights back to reclaim the freedom snatched away from her.
Though there are hardly any visual cues to explain the storyline, the lyrics of Bharath Shankar give away the central theme of the film. The song played in the background questions the forced identities that are thrust on women ["Ne vaanavilla?" (Are you a vivid rainbow?), "Vannam thedum vellai poova?"(Are you a flower seeking colours?)], their objectification by society, "Ne parkum porula?"(Are you a showpiece?), and the long-prevalent superstition that women bring good luck to the family, "Ne parpadhellam ponn dhana?" (Do the things you see turn into gold?)...
Meanwhile, the camera hovers over an abandoned workspace, as the police hunt for the missing Amala Paul. We get to see a murder and the next shot is arguably one of the boldest in Tamil cinema, featuring a nude Amala Paul waking up after a traumatic incident.
The teaser has certainly raised the hype created by the first look, and if the film manages to shock and surprise us the same way, Aadai can very well be called, 'audacious, and artistic.' as the tag line claims.
(This story originally appeared on cinemaexpress.com)