Anbe Sivam
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| Anbe Sivam | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Directed by | Sundar C. |
| Produced by | K. Muralitharan V. Swaminathan G. Venugopal |
| Written by | -Screenplay- Kamal Haasan -Dialogue- Madhan |
| Starring | R. Madhavan Kamal Haasan Nasser Kiran Rathod Santhana Bharathi Balu Anand Chelladurai Uma Riyaz Khan Laxmi Ratten R.S. Shivaji Natarajan Nellai Siva Thatha Ramachandran K.Vishvanath Vijayganesh |
| Music by | Vidyasagar |
| Cinematography | Arthur Wilson |
| Editing by | Suresh Pai |
| Distributed by | Lakshmi Movie Makers |
| Release date(s) | 2003 |
| Running time | 160 mins |
| Language | Tamil |
| IMDb profile | |
Anbe Sivam (2003) is a Tamil feature film directed by Sundar C.. and stars Kamal Haasan and R. Madhavan. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Vidyasagar. It was screened at the 2003 International Film Festival of India. It is loosely based on John Hughes's 1987 film Planes, Trains and Automobiles. The film met with critical acclaim upon release.
The film is about comic clashes between Nalla Sivam (Kamal Haasan), a communist and Anbarasu (R. Madhavan), a young advertisement maker, when they both happen to stay and travel together from Bhubaneshwar to Chennai. Themes such as globalisation, financial disparity and compassion in present day India are explored around the two protagonists.
[edit] Plot
Two travellers, a trade unionist - Nallasivam (Kamal Haasan) and an advertisement executive - Anbarusu (R. Madhavan) get stuck together when their flight from Bhubaneswar to Chennai is cancelled due to bad weather. They both take an eventful journey on trains, buses, trams and taxis, passed the rich and poor of India engaging in comic reflection of the present day public situation in the country. During the journey, Nallasivam has a flash back into his life. He was an activist, falling in love with a progressive factory owner's daughter Bala (Kiran Rathod). Their love blossoms whilst he fights to convince the factory owner Padaiyacchi (Nasser) to raise the minimum wage of the factory workers. Padaiyacchi, Bala's father, disapproves of the relationship. Whilst actively pursuing the workers' cause, Sivam sets up plays, street dances, dramas and painting exhibitions to further bring light to the workers' situation. Within this artist troupe, are Sivam's friends, including a girl who falls in love with him and Venkatesh, a man who battles with Sivam for the affections of Bala.
The film explores the relationship between the lady activist rejected by Nallasivam and her endeavours to woo him. The rejection, because of Nallasivam's feelings towards Bala provides little comfort. Meanwhile, Padaiyachhi begins to take action to end the relationship - between his daughter and Nallasivam - he so vehemently opposes. In a twist of events, Nallasivam meets with an accident, disabling him, and due to mounting opposition from Bala's father, who tells him Bala is to get married, he leaves to pursue his social near communist agenda.
His journeys unite him with Anbarasu, a man who tries to rid himself of NallaSivam's company on many occasions, but fails miserably. Anbarasu shares his love for the advertising world and the MNC, and argues why corporatisation and industrialisation in the country has allowed young professionals like himself to become citizens ready to embrace globalisation. Sivam counters with how a large proportion of the labour force in the country is left in the lurch because of MNC industrialisation. References to the collapse of the Soviet Union are drawn, and many incidents along their journey provoke them into further discussion on social issues. Eventually, Anbarusu is drawn to Nallasivam in the end, and the young man invites Sivam to his wedding.
The film ends with an unexpected twist, with the themes of compassion and idealism explored and the impact they have on Sivam's mission to help the factory workers.
[edit] Trivia
- Dialogues were written by Madhan, who also made a brief appearance in the film as the writer Madhan himself.
- The movie failed to do well commercially.
