CHENNAI: The deep bonding between a rustic grandpa and his city-bred little grand daughter, each filling up the emotional void in the other, is narrated with a fair amount of interest in Vannathupoochi.
The film carries a relevant message to the parents, on the importance of sensitising themselves to the emotional needs of their children.
Debutant Azhagappan (who has assisted Kamal Haasan in many films), who has scripted, directed and produced the film, strikes a contrast between the materialistic, fast-paced urban life, and the pristine purity and simplicity of rural life and relationships. The IT sector gets its fair share of flak here too (as in quite a few recent films), where the parents of Divya in their pre-occupation with their highly paid jobs, neglect their child, which leads to her alienation from them. So when Divya gets a chance to make her first trip to her father’s village and stay with her grandpa, a silk weaver, she is excited.
Her dad snobbish and estranged from his father, had no inclination to bond with lesser folks. It’s a totally different world Divya steps into, the warmth and love of the village folks, and the deep bonding she develops with her grandfather. And then, the little girl takes a stand that would decide the future course of her life.
The director in his enthusiasm has capsuled various issues within his script. There is the forming of the weaver’s union, the washerwoman, the midwife, the village baddie and even the village idiot; we get to see them all, the script loosely etched here. The stereotypes could have been avoided too, when he contrasted the urban and the rural. Divya’s parents’ attitude to each other could have been more natural. Holding the film together are the central characters, played by Balasing and child artist, Srilakshmi, the latter revealing a rare maturity in bringing on screen the little pains and pleasures of Divya.
After playing insignificant roles in various films, Balasing gets a role that justifies his talent and he performs it with panache, bringing out the loneliness of the aged rustic abandoned by his son, and his new-found happiness when he meets his grand daughter.
Revati in her appearance in the closing court scene as the judge who takes on the case of Divya, lends dignity to the proceedings.
The director through her makes some pertinent points about nurturing children and their emotional needs. Children’s films being a rarity, this is a welcome one.