Kaaka Muttai

Like a pizza, Manikandan's Kaaka Muttai is multi-layered; on the surface, it is all warm and inviting a feel-good film about two kids and their simple desire and the earnestness in the filmmaking invites comparision with Iranian films like Children of Heaven. Then, there is a hard base to it as well and from time to time, the film turns into a commentary on the class divide in our society and how it is exploited by wily politicians, an allegory of the effects of globalization, and even a satire on media's obsession with sensationalism, a la Peepli Live.

The story begins with a plot of land which acts as a playground to the kids in the slum being sold off to make way for a pizza outlet. The pizza place is opened by a film star (Simbu in ...

When PIZZA was replaced for the CROW'S EGG.

India is the world's largest film producer, but when it comes to the international standards, it falls short. They make movies for the domestic market only, just like the largest mango producer in the world and consumes it all with a 1% export rate. Even small countries that have no big market like India competes with the European standards. But in the recent times the changes have been seen, lots of parallel cinemas are made; is what called alternate to the masala films (mixed genres). The young generation supporting it, both from the audience and the filmmaker.

The sad thing is they're choosing a wrong movie to represent the country in the Oscars, so as a result ending up with a disappoi...