Nathicharami

A widow is in the process of getting over her husband's death. But when she realises that she has physical desires that need to be taken care of, will she be able to get herself to fulfill them? Meanwhile, a civil engineer, who is unhappy in his marital life, thanks to his wife, ends up befriending the widow. Will they find solace in each other?

Take your routine 80s story of an unsatisfied husband trying to find more in a friendship outside marriage that was told in a lascivious, chauvinistic tone and give it a subaltern twist from a woman's point of view and you get Nathicharami. The film strikes the right chord when it comes to its sensitivity. The tale of a widow on one side trying to come to terms with her physical desires while getting over her husband's death, and a neglected homemaker who yearns for her husband's acknowledgement on the other, is refreshing compared to the usual rut of tales that have a misogynistic undertone. The women here are more evolved characters who know when to say no and when to pursue what they want.

The film's setting is rather sombre and the treatment is simple. There aren't any excesses shown when it comes to building up the narrative. A successful career woman, who leads a team in an IT firm and is seemingly in control of her life, tries to cope with the fact that she might be finally forgetting the her dead husband at time and is looking at fulfilling her physical desires elsewhere. She ends up meeting a civil engineer, who seems different from the rest of the predators that she encounters. While there is a bond that develops between the two, are societal moors going to play filters in its progression? There is also the civil engineer's wife, a neglected homemaker who tries to ensure she is seen and heard by her man. And an interesting maid servant whose unique nuggets on life and philosophy add both laughs and aha moments.

That Nathicharami is bolder than the usual Sandalwood fare is evident from its A certificate. The film is new and has its positives going for it. But, at the same time, the narrative style is slow and more for the seasoned festival veterans, as opposed to those who want quick masala fare. The dialogues are well written, the music is one of its plus points and some of the shots are beautiful. Sruthi Hariharan leads the honours with her sensitive performance when it comes the cast; Sanchari Vijay and Sharanya also deserve applause. Balaji Manohar as the shrink is another treat.

Nathicharami is different, bold and relevant. It talks about desires and yet discusses the idea of consent. The film is definitely a step towards more gender sensitive cinema that is required in the industry. It does have some drawbacks when it comes to the pace, but it is definitely one of the better experiments of 2018.