Aaranya Kandam - Thiyagarajan Kumararaja's Master Play || Plot Analysis #1

First of all, for those who haven't watched that movie yet. Here comes the SPOILER ALERT!!!

Wait.... Nope... Not at all... No Way... Guys go watch the movie and come again.

Hello, Movie Buffssss... This is my first post after a long break, cause I was so busy in... Hmmm.... Nothing. So... Just like that I woke up today morning like any other day. Suddenly, I got an idea of doing a plot analysis for AARANYA KAANDAM.
So, Here comes 

THE PLOT:           

The film opens with the aging gangster, Singaperumal, forcing himself on a young girl, Subbu. He is unable to perform, and vents his anger by slapping the helpless Subbu. Singaperumal is the grand don of crime in Madras. His lieutenant, Pasupathi, brings a proposal. A large stash of cocaine, worth about 20 million rupees, has entered the city. The guy bringing the stash wants to sell it for 5 million rupees. Pasupathi sees the immediate easy profit, as well as the long term benefit (to control the cocaine market with such a large supply) and the recognition that they are able to pull off such a deal. The drawback is that the stash really belongs to their arch rival Gajendran. Singaperumal knows that Gajendran is a vicious and unpredictable adversary, and the venture is risky and likely to become messy. He decides to pass. Pasupathi dourly suggests Singaperumal is getting old and rusty. He asks Singaperumal to loan him the five million so he can do the job himself. Pasupathi is prepared to face the risks, and in return for the loan, he offers Singaperumal a cut of the profits. Singaperumal agrees to the loan, but, instead asks Pasupathi to first get the stash and then think of the profit distribution. The money for the loan is brought to Singaperumal.

The film introduces Kalaya, a now destitute farmer, and his young, street-smart son Kodukapuli. They live in the slums and earn a meager living staging cockfights; as a coincidence, Singaperumal loves to watch these cockfights. One evening, a man arrives to bunk with Kalaya for the night. This man is the cocaine courier. He routinely transports various stashes of drugs in and out of the city, and collects a relatively small fee (10 thousand rupees) for each trip. That evening, after a long bout of drinking, he reveals that he has learnt the true value of the stash, and he now intends to sell it himself instead of delivering it to its true owner. He passes out.

Seeing Subbu in tears, Singaperumal asks one of his men, Sappai, to take her out and comfort her "so she is prepared to perform for him at night". Sappai takes her to the beach and tries to console her.

Pasupathi and the men meet with the tipster and drive off to retrieve the stash. En route in 
the car, one of the men receives a call from Singaperumal, who orders him to bump off Pasupathi as soon as the stash is acquired. Pasupathi overhears this as the call is on speaker mode and gets into a Mexican standoff with others. In a desperate ploy he deliberately provokes a cop at a checkpoint, getting arrested and then later making an escape . The other men kidnap his wife, Kasturi, and use her as bait to lure Pasupathi. Singaperumal orders them to bring Kasturi to him.

Subbu hates being a plaything for Singaperumal. She yearns to be free and live life on her own terms. She tries to persuade Sappai to think for himself and realize that Singaperumal is merely using them. Sappai, however, is too fearful and weak to oppose Singaperumal. Subbu and Sappai become unlikely lovers, and Subbu continues to hope for a way out. We learn that Subbu is somewhat educated, and learns whatever she can about the world outside Singaperumal.

Kalaya stages his cockfight the following day. But this time, his prize cocks get killed. Kalaya is in serious financial trouble. Kodukapuli senses this and immediately goes to see if their visitor, still unconscious, has any money. They find out that the man had overdone his drink and died. Kalaya and Kodukapuli find the cocaine stash and the telephone number of a prospective buyer (Singaperumal and Pasupathi). Kalaya declares that his financial woes are at an end.

Singaperumal is worried. His stash has not arrived, nor has he got word that Pasupathi is dead. He gets an angry call from Gajapati (Gajendran's right hand man): if Pasupathi seizes Gajapati's stuff, Gajendran will unleash a terrible gang war. The cunning Singaperumal tells Gajapati that Pasupathi has gone rogue, and that Gajapati is free to take out Pasupathi. Singaperumal figures this will benefit him both ways: he will get the stash, and his avaricious general will be killed by Gajendran. Gajendran sends his thugs after Pasupathi. Pasupathi is on the run. Now that Singaperumal has become his enemy, Pasupathi figures that Gajendran could possibly become an ally.

Kalaya calls Singaperumal to meet and make a deal for the stash. While waiting for him, Singaperumal's thugs arrive and kidnap Kalaya at the rendezvous point. After continuous torture, Kalaya is unable to reveal anything as his son Kodukapuli has the stash. Kodukapuli ends up calling Pasupathi's number accidentally, and offers to trade the stash for his father. Pasupathi joins Kodukapuli and offers the same trade to Singaperumal: the stash in return for Kalaya and Kasturi. Pasupathi places a call to Gajendran and offers to reveal the location of the stash.

Gajendran and his gang arrive at the location to make the exchange with Pasupathi. Singaperumal's thugs also arrive at about the same time. Pasupathi pretends to offer the stash to Gajapati, but instead slices his throat right in front of Gajendran. An engraged Gajendran and his gang chase Pasupathi. Pasupathi leads them around the block where Singaperumal's gang lay waiting. Both gangs mistaking Pasupathi's loyalties charge at each other and ensue in a gangfight. Pasupathi gets out of the fray, and watches as Gajendran and the key generals of Singaperumal's hack each other to bits. Pasupathi's plan to decimate the two strong factions has succeeded. He returns to finish Singaperumal.
Back in his rooms, Singaperumal discovers that the bag with the loan money is missing. He rushes to the conclusion that Sappai took it. When Sappai returns (having been sent by Subbu to fetch fruits), Singaperumal beats him up severely. Sappai's faith is shattered. In his first moment of independence, he grabs a pistol and shoots Singaperumal dead! Subbu emerges from the shadows. She is proud of Sappai, but in a stunning twist, she shoots and kills Sappai! When Pasupathi arrives, he finds Sappai and Singaperumal dead and Subbu in tears. Having always been sympathetic to Subbu's suffering with Singaperumal, he says she is free to go. Subbu leaves. Pasupathi summons the remaining thugs of Singaperumal's gang and assumes command. Kasturi is unharmed. Pasupathi gets the stash and pays Kodukapuli a fair commission.

It is finally revealed that Subbu had planned the whole thing. She sent Sappai with the bag containing the loan money to provoke Singaperumal's temper. She retrieves the bag with the loan money and quietly leaves the city to begin her new life. She remarks that the men basically mistrusted, misused and slaughtered each other. In her view, Sappai, too, was not really an innocent victim. The film ends with her line: Sappai is also a man.but all men are sappai (The word 'sappai' has varied meanings, but in this case, it means insignificant to the point of being contemptuous) .

THE ANALYSIS :

The name Aaranya Kaandam, English Title: Jungle Chapter, originally denotes a chapter in Ramayanam. That particular chapter tells us about the Raavan’s plot on captivating Sita. Just like Vali’s epic, Ramayana carrying lots of details and references in a historic epic, Thiagarajan Kumararaja has written Aaranya Kaandam well with perfect sense, making one to sit and get locked up tight to the characters and the plot. And with elegant posters designed in the style of art-house novel covers the movie created the buzz of expectation through Neo-Noir audience.

There were lot of remarkable/loveable/enjoyable scenes and shots from AK. Particularly,

The conversation amongst the gangsta members on ‘How to get a desperate lady?’.

The Phone call sequences between Gajapathi brothers, Singamperumal, Pasupathi, Kaalai & son were top class.

The way kaalai curse the people during the cockfight and blaspheming about it.

Two autos, BIGLE (Aarya’s auto) & Son of Gun (Villain Vijay’s auto) from Oram pomovie directed by Gayathri Pushkar, friends of Thiagarajan Kumarajan, crossing up sappa and subbu accidentally.

Narrating Sappa & Subbu’s situation in the Mario game scene sequence was really loveable. Matching the game’s ending, in the climax subbu walks away with an attitude that shows ‘Middle finger salute’ to the male chauvinistic/dominating society with unspoken words, “Thank You Mario! But Our Princess Is In Another Castle!”

Kaalai trying to keep up his super dad image in front of his son but ends standing as an dumb-ass.

Pasupathi’s strategy and monologue conversation.

The final handshake dialogue between Pasupathi & Kodukapili.

Ohhhhhhhh.. stop me there !! I almost mentioned all the scenes. 

Talking about Profanity, AK will be a trend setting movie in tamil cinema for this aspect too. I love the way profanity usage is handled in AK. It was not used on purpose or for the sake of usage but the characters utters it because emotional, angst soul. Always envied its usage in Hollywood and foreign films. Even the Hindi'Delhi Belly' made me to worry and wonder when such movies will come to tamil. Inspite of those 52 cuts, NOC certificates, (A) certificate from the censor board, Thiagarajan Kumararajan and producer SPB Charan almost made it possible and won battling the censors. SPB Charan truly deserves the credits and success for trusting the script and a new director, backing  up such a great project. 

FINAL POINT:

On the whole, Aaranya Kaandam introduced the neo-noir genre in tamil cinema. It will be praised, hailed and referred a decade later just like Anbe sivam, Kattradhu Thamizh and Pudhupettai. Can't wait for your next movie. Please make it soon.