Kaaka Muttai

Recently a friend of mine told me that there was this cute movie that was running in town and I must see it. "Don't worry, even if it is in Tamil, it has subtitles in English and one can follow the story easily" she said.
It has been a long time since I saw a Tamil movie, so I thought why not give it a go.
Before I start off, let me warn you, this movie has no villain, no fight scenes, no car chase, no item numbers, no song and dance, no famous actors, but still it is so entertaining that you will recommend it to others.
Released this month, it is a simple story about two young boys who have a goal to achieve and how they go about it.

Small incidents make you laugh, but then you realise that they are true to life and very convincing. It is light, easy and enjoyable.
Take for instance the granny who takes it on herself to make a Pizza at home and tries to replicate it by looking at the picture of a Pizza on the handbill.

Or for the matter, the boys try to sell their dog at the same price as the pug which was bought by their "rich" friend

The boys (acted by Vignesh and Ramesh) have given their best and they have acted as if there was no camera. Dhoni who saw the movie said that it would help if all Tamil cinemas had subtitles by which anyone could see the movie.

Keep a watch on the facial expressions of the little boy (Ramesh)

Selecting the cast to play the supporting role also makes a difference as each one fits the role perfectly. Ramesh Thilak who is actually a radio jockey, plays one of the roles.

Special mention should be made about Iyshwarya Rajesh who plays the mother.

Her intense performance reminded me of Smita Patil who could emote with her face.

Credit goes to each and every department, like the make up man who could transform Iyshwarya from this 

to this:

Glimpses of Peepli Live can be seen in Kaaka Muttai where a small incident is blown up by the politicians and the media for their personal gain. 

I think all the credit should go to Manikandan who has written and directed the movie. This is his maiden film as a director.
The movie has already fetched two awards.
National Film Award for Best children's film and National Film Award for best child artists.

The musical score by Prakash Kumar is another feather in the cap. I just loved it. 
You can see snippets of the movie here (along with the music)

The camera movements (especially in the slums) were real smooth while following the characters

The friendship of the character above with the boys reminded me of the story of Kabuliwala.
 
The best part I liked was the exchange of dialogue at the end between the boys. It is exactly how I felt when I had pizza for the first time (and the last time)

I say, if Slumdog Millionaire could fetch eight academy awards, then by any yardstick this movie should fetch more than eight.

 all the above pictures are from the internet