Film: Kadha Solla Porom
Director: S Kalyan
Cast: Shibana, Arvind Raghunath, Ravina, Naren, Vijaylakshmi,Kali Venkat.
A participant in the Naalaya Iyakunar TV reality show, Kalyan makes his feature film debut with Kadha Solla Porom. Neatly crafted and sensitively handled, the film centres on children from a shelter home and their yearning for love.
The director has extracted fine performances from the child actors who play the central characters in the film. Laudable is the confidence with which he moves his narration with just the right nuances. No doubt there are glitches, but they are minor and don’t mar the flow or the feel of the story.
There are two parallel sub-plots. The first opens with the kidnapping of a businessman’s newborn baby girl from a hospital. The cops move into action and apprehend a woman suspected to be the kidnapper. But before she can be interrogated, a road accident leaves her in a coma. Eight years pass by with the woman still in a comatose state while her parents desperately wait for her recovery. The film gradually reveals the chain of events leading to the kidnapping and ends with the culprit apprehended. The whole episode has been handled deftly and flows naturally from one scene to the next. There are no heroes and villains in the plot, but only humans driven by circumstances and the wrong moves they make.
The second sub-plot focuses on an orphanage where a group of children are being taken to a summer camp. The rich-and-poor divide as the orphans come into conflict with some spoiled brats; the rekindling of love between a couple; and the various activities at the camp are all interestingly narrated. The fantasies that the children indulge in, and their little joys and sorrows are all brought out with instinctive understanding. It’s an enjoyable summer camp for the kids.
The different segments are integrated seamlessly into the plot. The songs are pleasant and blend well with the narration. Child actors Shibana (as Priya) and Arvind Ragunath (as Arun) are natural and spontaneous. There are a couple of twists towards the climax. The finale may look a little mushy and cinematic in its take, but it ups the film’s emotional quotient, leading to a touching end to the story.
Children’s films are a rarity on screen; a well-crafted one, rarer still. It is to the director’s credit that he has managed to handle his debut effort with sensitivity and sensibility. Kadha Solla Porom has a feel-good flavour and positivity. And capsuled within just an hour and forty minutes, it makes for an ideal summer vacation experience, not just for kids but for adults too.