Sarvam Thaala Mayam film review: An honest attempt to explore the cultural politics of Carnatic music

Sarvam Thaala Mayam filming: GV Prakash Kumar, Nedumudi Come, Vineeth, Kumaravel, Aparna Balamurali
Sarvam Thaala Mayam director: Rajiv Menon
review of the movie Sarvam Thaala Mayam: 3.5 stars

Film director and filmmaker Adored Menon takes over after 18 years with Sarvam Thaala Mayam – a story that revolves around the life of a young Dalit who wants to make his mark in carnatic music. As a connoisseur of the Chennai music scene, Rajiv explores the problems that torment him as a connoisseur of the arts and reflects the endless debate of this art form taken up by socially dominant Brahman patrons and practitioners.

Peter (an impressive GV Prakash Kumar) does not want to be like his father Johnson (Kumaravel), who makes the mridangam, but never plays it. We know where the problem exists, but Rajiv has beautifully translated it to the screen without blaming anyone. Although Johnson is a recipient of Kalaimamani, he is happy to make the instruments that brought him money. Rajiv intends to question: "Why do not we see a member of the mridangam manufacturer community become a popular name on the kutcheri circuit?"

Peter, fan of Thalapathy & # 39; Vijay, is hooked on the drums, but later attracted by carnatic music after watching the legendary mridangam artist Vembu Iyer (a superb Nedumudi Venu) perform on stage.

Peter is constantly discouraged from pursuing his dreams. His mother wants him to focus on studies and his father asks him to stop dreaming. "The doors will be closed on your face, and that's the reality," warns Johnson. Peter replies simply: "I will break the doors if the need arises."

That's what Peter does. He climbs very high beyond his caste restrictions, and that is the beauty of the music. When you believe in art and submit, it does not disappoint you.

Since Peter saw Vembu Iyer's recital, he wanted to learn from him. He decides to pursue him relentlessly and goes home. Mani (Vineeth), Iyer's experienced disciple, humiliated him and suggested that he attend clbades at a government music college in order to get a job at a graduate school. Peter does not give up; meet Iyer and confess his wish. Although Peter is drunk, Iyer appreciates his talents by seeing him sing and dance in the street. I would say that this is the second best performance of GV Prakash's career after Bala's Naachiyaar

Iyer is not a casteist like his disciple Mani. In a way, he likes Peter's sincerity; guru bhakti, and decides to teach him mridangam after testing his patience for a while.

Iyer is described as a "purist" and a "traditionalist", opposed to "Skype clbades" and reality TV. In addition, he does not believe he is an artist accompanying singers. Nedumudi Venu is quite powerful and offers a commendable performance with all the quirks of a seasoned percussionist.

Peter is literally exposed to a new world. He stays away from non-vegetarian food, alcohol, learns slokas and attends an avittam ceremony. His life takes a new turn when he learns music. In fact, the film tries to show how your life changes when you take seriously a form of art and you discover a guru. Even when he is with his girlfriend Sara (Aparna Balamurali), he thinks of carnatic music. He sees someone cutting vegetables and refers to 'Adi Talam'.

Circumstances slowly led Peter to leave Iyer. He goes on tour in India, meets different musicians and learns from them. Of course, he misses Iyer and his tutelage. There is this scene where Peter is pouring tea into a plastic cup when he goes to his village. You are shown how "untouchability" (which knows no division) is still prevalent. Peter is treated the same way, both in the city and in his hometown.

It is interesting to note that the cast of Sarvam Thaala Mayam includes professional musicians of carnatic dance, including Sumesh Narayanan, Sikkil Gurucharan, Unnikrishnan, Srinivas and Karthik. In one way or another, everyone in the film was related to music or dance (especially Vineeth, Shanta Dhananjayan, Dhivyadarshini).

Rajiv's previous films – Minsara Kanavu and Kandukondain Kandukondain – had strong female characters. Without Kajol, there is no Kanavu Minsara. Without Tabu or Aishwarya Rai, there is no Kandukondain Kandukondain. But in Sarvam Thaala Mayam, the role of Aparna Balamurali is well defined.

I would have liked Sarvam Thaala Mayam more if Rajiv had not touched reality TV in the second half of the year. I felt that these portions were strong and a little orchestrated. I would have liked to see more of Iyer 's transformation and how he adapted to his time. Watch for Shanta Dhananjayan's role. Although his portions were limited, they were full of heat. The first half of Sarvam Thaala Mayam is refreshing. Whenever I saw Vembu Iyer, I remembered Gemini Ganesan (Bilahari Marthandam Pillai) in K Balachander's Unnal Mudiyum Thambi. Both characters are imperfect but humanized. In the end, they understand that the art form is bigger than the artists from one day to the next.