Reel stories real connect

CHENNAI:To watch a woman on the 70mm screen and relate to her every emotion, is an empowering moment for most women. It could be a scene where she’s blamed for no fault of hers, or is stopped from pursuing a dream, or silenced when she simply stands up for another woman. Some of the more recent women-centric movies in Tamil like Nachiyar, Aruvi, Tharamani, and Magalir Mattum, feature women from similar backgrounds with different struggles. We talk to women in the city to find out what about their characters are most relatable

What appeals to Jaishree Bhojan, is when the protagonists stand up and question the society — be it Aruvi’s monologue at the TV set or Jyothika’s speech in 36 Vayadhinile. “My favourite was in Tharamani when Andrea asks ‘so what if a woman is alone at home?’ In that moment a ‘dark side’ is depicted. It’s uncomfortable, because her independence is questioned

Uma Thiagarajan, a 25-year-old teacher, quit her corporate job, three years back to follow her passion — teaching. “It was not easy to convince my family that I was quitting a well-paying job to join an NGO.” When Uma watched Aditi Balan or Jyothika play the roles of strong-willed independent women, their perseverance gave Uma the reassurance that she had made the right choice.

Sreemathi S, a 19-year-old student, finds it hard to pick a favourite. But she sees herself in Jyothika’s shoes the most. “In Naachiyar, I felt the anger in her to catch the rapist. And in the end I felt the same sense of achievement that she does. Her characters are people I want to be.”

Do the happily-ever-after endings take away from real struggles? Apoorva Subramaniam,  who watched 36 Vayadhinile with her mother says, “My mother is a working woman and is selfless but she thinks about herself too. She felt Jyothika’s character was too polished for a working woman. But she was moved by Aruvi, even though Aruvi’s conflict with her family too ended unrealistically.”

Malini Jeevarathnam, assistant director of Aruvi, believes that when female protagonists share their desires and aspirations, they become the voice of women watching them, and probably live a vicarious experience. “I watched the film with my aunts, and their reaction at the end of the movie moved me. They said that no matter what fault Aruvi was at, her parents shouldn’t have asked here to leave home.” ‘Humour’ makes a character “I identified with the way Aruvi’s sense of humour helped through her struggles.”