#tamilcinema

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🖊️ Daily Sketch Practice - 28-Mar-2025

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

Daily sketch practice 15 mins sketches. @nithyamenen

"Sathya & Parthiban"

Pencil on paper

This is a fluff-ish ArulmozhixVanathi oneshot and my first fanfic ever! Read and share your thoughts 😊

Arulmozhi Varman stared at the olai Vanthiyathevan handed him. " An olai from Kodumbalur Ilavarasi Vanathi Devi" Vanthiyathevan said with a knowing smile. It was popular knowledge that his Akka had been planning his marriage with the Ilavarasi with the support of the elders. And Arulmozhi had been dilemma. It would be a lie to say he never noticed the kind and gentle companion of Kundavai. He had heard of her calm demeanor, beauty and dancing skills, mostly from his Akka and more than once he had wanted to see her performance in person or have a proper conversation with her without a third person between them. But on the other hand he didn't wanted to end up like his Anna - completely consumed by love. This was his dilemma - he was struggling to find that right balance between love and duty. With a heart heavy with all these thoughts,he untied the olai and read Vanathi's letter.

Thodudaya sevian

Vidai eriya

Thoo venmathi soodi

Sudalai podi poosi

En ullam Kava kalvan

He recognised the lines as written by Thirugnana Sambandar about the beauty of Lord Shiva. Was Vanathi hinting that her love for him was similar to what the poet had for his deity ?

His eyes slightly widened as he released that perhaps all this while he underestimated the depth of Vanathi's affection - the genuine care she had for him. At that moment he felt guilty for not showering her with half the attention she had given him. Moreover, his heart was filled with warmth and happiness at the thought of seeing her again and maybe making her blush by indirectly hinting that he has indeed read her letter and that there was a part of him that felt the same affection for her.

He didn't realize that he was smiling the entire time he was reading her olai and suddenly snapped into reality - surprised at how far his thoughts took him in that single moment.

But then his overthinking found dominance again - What if there was a part of Vanathi which craved for the throne just as Nandini? His Anna's face flashed in his mind and he became restless once more. ' I have to talk to Vanathi ' He thought and surprised himself that he was now thinking of her as Vanathi and not as Kodumbalur Ilavarasi. When did that happen?

Non-spolier review

The film is set in the 7th century (around 270-250 years before Ponniyin Selvan) and tells the fictional story of a small tribe (Einar) that fought against the famous Pandiyan king Ranadheera Pandiyan aka Kochchadaiyan. Remember Rajinikanth's old film? The protagonist is named after this historical King.

The film was written and directed by debutant director Dharani Rajendran. The film's dialogues are in Old Tamil, which are subtitled for viewers in modern Tamil and English. The cast and crew, comprising mostly of debutants, deserve high praise for making such a good film on a shoestring budget (7-10 crores, according to various online sources).

Revolving around the theme of the hunger for power and the thirst for authority, Yaathisai doesn't sing the glories of the emperors or the goodness of their heart. It is a raw, visceral, gripping tale about the corrupting influence of power and the people who are caught up in it.

Newcomers Shakthi Mithran, Seyon Rajalakshmi, Samar and Vaidhegi Amarnat play the main roles and they are amply supported by actors like Guru Somasundaram (the only name I could recognise), Chandrakumar, Semmalar Annam, Subathra and Vijay Seyon.

Cons of the film would be shoddy CGI in some parts and the lack of budget which is reflected in the technical side of the film. That doesn't mean that the film is bad or unwatchable. There are some glitches in some parts, that's it.

If you loved Ponniyin Selvan and wants to watch something like that, this is a very interesting choice. On the surface level, it is a historical fiction, period movie set in a similar period. On the deeper level, it questions and scrutinises everything monarchist narratives like Ponniyin Selvan stands for.

7/10

The movie is available for streaming online and you can watch it on Amazon Prime Video.