As the title suggests, Navarasa is an anthology where each of the nine short films is directed by different directors. The stories take you through a myriad of emotions. Each short film captures a different emotion and leaves you with a unique feeling after watching it. The good news is, there is something for everyone.
This anthology is a treat for Tamil cinema fans. They have taken care of every emotion in its due course with a parallel story in each of them and tried to express each emotion as precisely as possible through their protagonists.
– Navarasa Review does not contain any spoilers –
What makes this anthology special is the realistic portrayal of the nine emotions under the tutelage of the maestros- Mani Ratnam and Jayendra Panchapakesan. The essence of this anthology is that it is dedicated to the millions of technicians who lost their livelihood in the Covid-19 pandemic.
Navarasa is the name given to the nine different emotional states that a human being can undergo and experience during their lifetime. The film, however, is not a story about these nine emotional states but the feelings related to them as experienced by every person in their lifetime. And this kind of understanding you will only get if you watch Navarasa.
Navarasa Edhiri- A Marvel of Compassion
The director’s penchant for compelling storylines is evident in how the narrative unfolds with a Kandasan poem in the background. “Manithan enbavan deviam aagalam” translates into “A human can be God.”
The screenplay is well-written, and there is but one twist where the director brings in an unforeseen angle. Anticipation is always the best part, especially when it comes to movies. The screen splits into two distinct frames showing Revathy, and Vijay Sethupathi is an incredible shot and leaves an indelible impact on the viewer.
A beautiful set-up, a powerful script, apt casting and, of course, the winning dialogue, which makes the film an engaging experience. However, it is barely about just these things; what makes this work is its simplicity as we see the characters beautifully weave their fates.
All I can say is, watch this movie. Watch it for Vijay Sethupathi, Revathy’s subdued and restrained performance and the subtle direction. Rarely do they come out unscathed with a marvellous film like this.
Navarasa Inmai- Artfully Weaving in Fear
It is a psychological thriller with a scientific twist and has the potential to thrill your sensibilities if you are an enthusiast of thriller and suspense stories, which I am; and also it will pique your interests.
Siddarth and Parvathy Thiruvothu are two prominent characters with a dazzling presence and sheer brilliance in the character development. A well-crafted character study that takes you into the mind of a woman accused of a heinous crime in Navarasa.
He weaves a fine line between binary emotions – fear and hope. While the former infects the characters in the film, it is in real life that the latter propels us to dream big, overcome our fears, conquer all obstacles. Essentially, it is the journey of all of us from our birth to our last breath.
It is never easy to give a critique on a short film. The art of storytelling in shorts tend to be different from that in full-length films. A few things that make a movie work are the narration, screenplay, dialogues etc. I love watching shorts because the makers tell their stories without worrying about the length of the film.
Navarasa Project Agni-Orchestrating the Background Score of Wonder
This episode represents the rasa of wonder (abdutha), which is beyond human imagination. Karthik Naren’s directorial venture in Navarasa orchestrated the storyline with a technical perspective. The production values and the background score were good. They don’t overpower a scene or make it look artificial.
Project Agni is a short film, making it a perfect opportunity for the makers to showcase talent in all its glory. And they have lived up to the expectation in every way possible. Even when there is more importance given to the plot than characters, the performances are simply flawless and easily surpass the requirements of any short film out there right now.
The film will kindle curiosity at almost every part of the sci-fi narrative, and the ability to keep the readers on edge is at the heart of its success.
Navrasa Guitar Kambi Mele Nindru- Beaming with Musical Notes of Love
Guitar Kambi Mele Nindru seems to have struck a chord among Suriya’s fans as they took to Twitter to praise his performance in this music video and even dubbed him as “God of Singing”. Suriya has once again proved that he is much more than just a superstar.
The movie is not a mainstream movie but just a small film that will bring out the best of both the artists and showcase their talents. Though small, this Navarasa movie is full of emotions and catches the eye immediately. The songs are the highlight of the movie, especially Guitar Kambi Mele Nindru, preserved on many social media platforms.
The film’s theme was unique that opened up a new avenue to explore the mind of a musician, and it was, no doubt, very interesting. The concept of the plot is fresh and innovative.
Suriya is his beautiful avatar of a musician, and Pragya Martin is his soulmate in character- Nethra. The musical movie is the roller coaster ride from Suriya, showcasing himself as Kamal and growing into the immensely loved character onscreen.
Also Read: Aftermath (2021) Review: Decent Thriller Keeps It Going
Navarasa Summer of 92-Talking about Laughter
Set in the 90s, this Navarasa slice-of-life tale revolves around Veluswamy (Yogi Babu), playing a popular comedian who returns to his school as chief guest and reminisces about his days as a student.
The plot is the usual story of how a young lad with no education or roots reaches dizzying heights in life. The young boy who plays the young Yogi Babu is a good choice. His dialogues feel natural and credit to his expressions as he tries to understand what is happening around him.
The story is about the eternal tussle between teachers and the kids, not missing out on the comedy of errors element. Many scenes will leave you in splits with impeccable timing and genuine delivery of comical lines.
Several laugh-out-loud moments would make you wish some of these lovable characters were in your life. The actor neatly plays out one-liners, jokes and dialogues that have a Yogi Babu touch. He is not alone. There are no weak links in the formidable cast of the movie, which comprises Ramya Nambesan, Arul Doss, Nedumudi Venu, and even Dog King.
Navarasa Payasam-Revealing the Insecurities in Disgust
This Navarasa movie is a refreshing look at human existence, which is bottled beautifully in thirty-three minutes. The screenplay, the dialogues, and the story write-up (when credits roll) stand in tribute to the fact that the film is based on a very small episode that would happen every day across our Tamil homes.
This is a brief but touching emotional journey of a father who ponders over the logistics of life and its unfairness to his daughter. Payasam is a minimalistic film with characters that are not shady. It unravels the frustrations of a villager and his inability to become his best self.
The movie successfully brings out the main defect in the protagonist, which is an excess of disdain, but it takes its time to reveal how the character reached that point. Telling only one side of the story might seem exhausting at first, but the film manages to keep you occupied with its stunning cinematography and brilliant dialogues.
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Navrasa Peace-Huddled on the Path to Peace
This short from Navarasa shows how the characters embark on a path which is toward peace. After being at the receiving end of several directors in the film industry, Karthik Naren’s talent can be measured by his brilliant attempt at making a movie that appeals to the audience. The lyrics and music score are also praiseworthy, but one has to appreciate the amazing cinematography.
Shanthih forms a major portion of this movie, which can be noticed in how the characterization of either lead characters is done or how the plot progresses. There are instances in the movie when you feel that it’s heading towards an entirely different direction with no sign of peace.
When every war movie runs into flak for being highly politically motivated, this one seems like a genuine attempt at showcasing the lives of the soldiers on the battlegrounds.
Navarasa Thunintha Pin- A Testament of Glory to Valour
Here is a Navarasa story that will not leave you with an empty stomach, and its director is the one to tell this tale. The way he unravels events and describes the feelings of his characters in a very lucid way, you can’t help but wonder about the mishaps and the consequences.
While it might have short-term consequences for us because we are privileged and safe, we need to realize that these Naxalites are still humans we are talking about and not monsters. They fought for their reasons, but now there is only one way out for all of them – life in itself. What begins as an encounter between a special forces officer and a Naxal leader develops into a thrilling ride that makes you wonder who the real bad guy is.
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Navarasa Roudhram-A Surplus of Anger
Arvind Swami’s Roudhram in Navarasa is a dream come true as a debutante wonder striking all the right chords. It is a wonderfully diverse set of narration – in tone, content, and style – yet each scene fits in neatly with the flowing narrative. The film has a very crisp, contemporary feel, and each character is compelling in its way.
The film is an accomplished feat from Arvind’s arsenal that has been well mounted with different techniques used therein. Its moments connect hard with the heart, and the climax scene has been strongly written and aptly delivered.
It was a sharp burst of emotions that came flowing through the windows of our eyes. Not just that, but it was also laced with some great performances and a spellbinding background score by A.R. Rahman.
Stream It or Skip It?
A whole day into the Navarasa frenzy, and for most of us, it has been a roller-coaster ride with all kinds of emotions — anger, excitement, joy, happiness, love and more. But what is it that we love so much about the anthology? The answer is diversity. It doesn’t matter if nine directors helm nine different stories. We can be sure these stories won’t bore us to death!
There is plenty to appreciate in each of them – a risqué visual language, an unusual story you haven’t seen before, or an intriguing performance. The idea of bringing together the mighty minds to explore the nine emotions that govern human experience on celluloid might have appeared like a charm at the artist selection table.
Watch Navarasa here.
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Surya episode was the worst! What a waste of time. Just an opportunity to relive college life!
Good Review.. I guess for being in the short film format, every episode is worth a watch. Some standing out compared to the rest. Dont expect a feature film kind of output… just watch.. one correction in the review is that ‘peace’ was directed by Karthik Subbaraj and not Karthik Naven.
Not Karthik Naven its Karthik Naren.
Like slip of the tongue, it might be slip of letter and slip of word.