Legend of the Water-bird
have to work a few days without an umbrella. I said I was fine with that. Neerparavai has a wonderful theme, and it was great to work with a National Award-winning director. This will be a proud addition to my list of films. I had great faith in Seenu sir,” she re-iterates. “He is a perfectionist. And I feel blessed.” Her co-star, Vishnu, is similar in his effusion and is understandably ecstatic. “Director Seenu Ramasamy is a complete professional. It was great working with him,” he has been quoted as saying. “He also gave me complete freedom.”
Pavithra Srinivasan takes you through the resplendent saga that Neerparavai is
Director Seenu Ramasamy is one of those talented people who can take a subject and inject such life into it that it walks away from the screen and becomes a part of reality. After Thenmerku Paruvakattru, which dealt beautifully with the love of a mother for her son, and her fierce desire to make a life for herself, he comes back with Neerparavai, through which he deals, with another serious topic: the battle fisherman face at sea, not just from Nature herself, but a foe far deadlier: Man. And it’s not just certain characters that he focuses on, but the entire fishing community that makes its home in the little hamlet of Thangachi Madam, in Rameswaram. Predominantly Christian, these folk have their own customs and religious events, which are strictly adhered to. The story takes place sometime in the eighties, and the terms and speech prevalent then, add to the delectable experience of watching the film. Neerparavai is all about a youngster, Arulappa Saami, who has nothing better to do than drink all day and loaf around the village, while his parents, played by Saranya Ponvannan and Aruldas, both fishing folk, watch him with dull misery, unaware of how to help him. Arul has earned the dislike of not just various villagers, but Udhuman Gani 28
(played brilliantly by director Samuthrakani, who’s proving to have a flair for such roles) and his assistant, and even Sister Benita (Anupama Kumar) who arrives at the village with her adopted daughter, Esther (Sunaina). It’s only when the pastor of the church (Azhagam Perumal) walks in and offers a solution, that things clear up a little. But even here, fate decides to play a hand: Arul, despite recovering from his alcohol addiction, now has to face a batch of irate villagers who question his very origins, as he arrived in Tamil Nadu as a refugee from Sri Lanka. Arul, however, is now fired with ambition, fostered by none other than Esther, who proves to be the reason for his changeof-heart. In many ways, Neerparavai satisfies all the requisites of serious cinema: there are no unnecessary masala elements, no song-anddance routines or slapstick comedy pieces either. And the characters have lived their roles, which makes it easy for the viewer to understand their experiences. Sunaina, the heroine, is justifiably excited that she got to play the role. “Director Seenu sir did say that I would have to work really hard for this role,” she reveals in an interview online. “He called me up early on and said, Look, you have to be a bit dark for this film, so you may
Producer Udhayanidhi Stalin too, is extremely happy with the positive reactions the film has garnered. “Director Seenu Ramasamy has given a remarkable movie in the form of Neerparavai,” comes his comment. As for the man at the helm himself, he’s satisfied, with a job well done. Studying in Madurai as a youngster, he reveals in an interview, that he was part of an NGO that travelled all over the state, to spread the message of educating all children, and sending them to school. “I have gone to the coastal areas and seen the way those fishermen lived.” The trip had a great impact on him, he says, and after all these years, has even helped shape his film. The extensive research he has done makes a profound impact too. Seenu Ramasamy is happy that producers such as Udhayanidhi Stalin have come forward to produce such films. “He has to be complimented for providing opportunities for directors like me, who are not part of the commercial circuit,” he enthuses. Serious it may be, but in no way is Neerparavai a preachy film – and thus, successfully bridges the gap between mainstream and art-house cinema. Quite frankly, it is the need of the hour. 29