Soorarai Pottru (2020)

Brilliant. Not only is this the mass movie that Suriya and his fans deserved, it is also a testament to the fact that in 2020, it's high time we start giving our women directors and writers the credit they deserve. As glorious as Maara (Suriya) is, the real star of the show is Bommi (Aparna Balamurali). From the moment she starts bobbing her head when she sees Maara dancing, to the bit where she goes to him with her business proposal, it is just one long "YAAAAAASSS QUEEEEEEN SLAAAAAYY!!!!" And needless to say, it was so cathartic to watch a strong female MASS HERO in a movie directed by a WOMAN my god I'm sorry if I sound repetitive but you have no idea how long I'd been waiting for this day when I'd see an impactful mass movie directed wonderfully by a woman with strong female characters that wasn't just about women's issues. And yes, I know the woke crowd will be out to destroy me because at the end of the day this movie revolved around a man and his ambitions and dreams, but SO WHAT? Men have been writing women (disastrously) for ages, and anyway, Sudha ma'am has written Maara's character so realistically that it is genuinely a treat to watch. I don't even want to say anything more because I'm afraid that it'll take away from the experience, but rest assured, I am not exaggerating when I say that Sudha, Suriya and Aparna saved Indian cinema in 2020. And we have no choice but to stan.

Paresh Rawal's performance as the asinine villain reminded me of his role in Kshana Kshanam (1991), albeit much more toned down than that. Urvashi was a GIFT and I just wanted to hug her in the end and also cry with her. Speaking of crying, I was sobbing so much throughout the movie and also for 15 minutes after I was done. It made me feel so much- I was discussing a particular scene with a friend and I burst out crying again. Okay, just thinking about it is making me tear up. And no, it's not only because I'm generally a crybaby or because I'm PMS-ing. It is genuinely a very moving tale, and I really cannot recommend it enough.

In conclusion, SURIYA IS BACK AND HOWWWW!!!!!

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