Putham Puthu Kaalai

 "Putham Puthu Kaalai" (PPK) - An anthology of 5 different short movies by 5 different directors, with covid as pivotal theme in each of the stories, PPK is easy, breezy, simple and identifiable making you ponder are all houses so beautiful so the ladies        !

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65536957

The first segment directed  Sudha Kongara is called "Ilamai Idho Idho" and stars Jayaram, Urvashi, Kalidas Jayaram and Kalyani Priyadarshan in the lead. A love story that blossoms during the autumn years of its protagonists, the narrative uses the lock down as an opportunity for the seniors to convey their feelings for each other to their respective families. Jayaram impersonating as a  yoga center head over phone and the Urvashi's silent expressions while closeted inside the cupboard are quite nostalgic.  The smart use of the younger couple and the easy chemistry that they share with each other adds further to the narrative. 

Up next is  Gautam Vasudev Menon's - "Avarum Naanum, Avalum Naanum" - that is about a granddaughter (Ritu Verma looking every bit the new age working professional - tastefully clothed by Eka Lakhani) rediscovering her grandfather (M S Bhaskar ) during the lock down. The grandfather had shut his doors on her mother who had married against his wishes and has been living a secluded life thereafter. A sensitive tale that has been narrated very carefully without getting into melodrama, this one also benefits from P C Sreeram's visuals and Bombay Jayashree's vocals towards the climax. Ritu Verma's  stands up competently against M S Bhaskar who is in excellent form making in engrossing!

Next comes Suhasini Maniratnam's "Coffee Anyone?" - a family affair starring the Hassan cousins - Suhasini, Anu and Shruti - along with the director's mother - Komalam Charuhassan and is about the daughters visiting their ailing, bed ridden mom during the lock down. Suhasini's trump card here is the casting of veteran stage actor Kattadi Ramamoorthy as the father - the senior actor stands tall among the cast members and delivers the most honest and nuanced performance in this segment. I know not many are fans of Suhasini Maniratnam, and the most negative review of the lot was for this, nevertheless, I lied it and for me it was the most emotional.

Rajiv Menon's "Reunion" is about a young musician (Andrea Jeremiah ) who takes shelter in the residence of her old school friend during the lock down. The friends discover and rediscover things about each other over the course of the lock down and how it impacts their lives there after is what this segment is all about. The graceful Leela Samson as the friend's mother and  one of the most promising young Carnatic musicians in the country - Sickle C Gurucharan as the male lead deserves a round of standing ovation. 

If all these 4 were about upper middle class families, Karthik Subburaj comes up with the final segment "Miracle" that is totally different from the others in terms of mood and setting - it is about 2 petty thieves who depend on the food parcels delivered by the corporation authorities for survival and are conspiring to do something big during the lock down days. They come up with an idea which you think will work but as the title suggests, "Miracle" happens and as is customary with Subburaj, he throws an enjoyable twist at you. Bobby Simma, a Subburaj regular, is in good form as are Muthukumar and Sharath Ravi playing the other 2 prominent characters.

Five stories of love, hope, beginnings and chances  set in the times of COVID-19 is a treat to watch.