Maayakoothu

However, Maayakoothu succeeds in how it makes its argument. The film is a largely entertaining drama with suspense that is maintained till the end. The elements of fantasy—of characters coming to life—are handled with mature dexterity. It could all be happening in Vasan’s head, or they could be real. Either way, the film makes for an engrossing watch. Added to its merit are the performances of almost all the actors. Nagarajan Kannan is infuriating as Vasan, and that’s a major win. Most often, it is a risk to have a hateable protagonist, but the constant self-aware humour relieves such tension, and you begin to see Vasan as a tortured soul rather than a sadistic writer. Maayakoothu is another example of how indie filmmakers and small-budget films reach greater heights of storytelling and immense depth in philosophical thought than our mainstream cinema.

Maayakoothu hinges on the question of what happens when art imitates life; what happens when his characters knock on his doors to issue an ultimatum to reflect on his stories. Nagarajan Kannan is extremely convincing as Vasan, a character so nonconformist that even at gunpoint, he is unshakeable in his beliefs. Director AR Raghavendra, along with writer M Srinivasan, crafts a screenplay that is engrossing. Despite limited screenspace, every fictional character written by Vasan is memorable, even when their stories wander around in predictability. The film truly thrives when the lines between fiction and reality blur and ventures into a thrilling narrative. Cinematographer Sundar Ram Krishnan engages the audience with artistic frames in every scene. Even when it does get overwhelming and unnecessary at times, the story is compelling and keeps us glued to our seats.