People’s hero, godfather, king, protector and emperor!!!
We have seen Countless films in these templates, Haven’t we?? One such cult classic is Bharatan’s ‘Thevar Magan’ (1992), written by Kamal Haasan. Kamal Haasan’s Thevar Magan is about Saktivelu, who returns to his hometown after finishing his studies in London. Although he is initially appalled by the practices of the villagers, he becomes one among them due to certain circumstances. Considered a classic, this film stood the test of time and is celebrated for many reasons. But it is also equally criticized as a film that was made with a casteist lens that glorified caste-based practices of a particular community. The script of Thevar Magan was completed in seven days; it was written using screenwriting software called Movie Magic. Kamal said The Godfather (1972) and the Kannada film Kaadu (1973) were inspirations for the film. It was chosen as India’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film for the 65th Academy Awards but was not nominated. Thevar Magan won five National Film Awards, including Best Tamil Film, Best Supporting Actress for Revathi, and a Special Jury Award for Ganesan, which he declined. It was later remade in Hindi as Virasat (1997) and in Kannada as Thandege Thakka Maga (2006).
Surprisingly, Director Mari Selvaraj spoke at the Mamannan audio launch while Kamal Haasan was sitting on the stage, ”One of the main reasons behind the creation of Maamannan is Thevar Magan,” and the audience broke into unanimous applause and celebration. He continued, “When I watched Thevar Magan, the kind of pain and impact it had on me, both positive and negative, led me to make Maamannan. While it is celebrated for its film language, it also had a different ripple effect on some audiences. It created a storm in my heart, and I didn’t know how to take it. But I started wondering what if in the world of Thevar Magan, besides Periya Thevar and Chinna Thevar, my father was there; this thought was the spark for Maamannan.” It was not clear why he made such a statement. There was even a doubt whether Mamannan’s arrival is as a replacement for Thevar Magan. But Mari Selvaraj’s speech at the event sparked controversy as the director shared his resistance against the subject of Kamal Haasan’s ‘Thevar Magan’. The word ‘Mamannan’ itself means king of kings, or emperor. On further examination of the first written lines a definite point can be observed.
Have you Ever noticed who becomes the ‘Emperor’??
Even when the heroes who are sons have to take that position due to the death of their father, many institutions can be seen working there, why; Even caste. We know the stories of many Mamannan’s who have ‘no shortage of money and land’, ‘of a renowned clan’ and ‘high caste’. Mari Selvaraj Tevar mentions Makana because it is such a classic status film. No one will forget the character ‘Esaki’ played by Vadivelu in the movie, which tells the story of the emperor Thevar, who is respected by everyone for many reasons like caste, clan, tradition, money and soil, and later his son Sakthivel, who takes over the position after his death, and Maya Thevar, who holds a grudge against Thevar family.
Have you ever think, What if someone like Esaki, who is extremely loyal and submissive to the Thevar family, occupies the position of Thevar?? Is it possible that Mamannan, who has to be ‘Mamannan’ in circumstances beyond that movie, will get the same respect that Thevar gets??
Is it the position of mamannan/emperor that is respected, or something beyond that?? Even if you sit in that position and fulfill your own responsibilities, will that respect come?? Or is it important to society who sits in that position?? This is all Mamannan is talking about in a nutshell. The reference point of ‘Who’s in front when sitting’ like Panchayat Sabha, Revathi – Gautami combination scenes, which comes in many places in Thevar Magan, is magnificently added to the story environment in Mamannan.
Although there is nothing left to prove, the role of Ratnavel will definitely be a milestone in the career of actor Fahadh Fazil. Fahadh Fazil becomes Ratnavel with the same physique, while the discussions about his body changes are going on in one part. He proves again that character is something that needs to be reflected beyond the body shape. A classic reference to the acting enthusiasts! It is not a new knowledge that Vadivelu is a good actor, but it seems that he could not get a better Tribute than Mamannan in his long acting career. Vadivelu’s Mamannan was such a magnificent performance. And Udayanidhi Stalin, who is one of the main characters, who has participated without any ego right from the production to the title card, also deserves a round of applause. Mamannan happens after Karnan because of his desire to be a part of Mari Selvaraj film.
The director Mari Selvaraj captures a political subject in the simplest way without the accompaniment of hyperbole. Mamannan is simply saying that identity politics is not something that should be said along with mainstream politics, but that identity politics should be independent by demolishing the existing system. Even though the ingredients of commercial cinema have a struggle in the last scenes, the politics that are told throughout the movie make up for that lack.
Mamannan is yet another spellbound entry to Mari Selvaraj’s flawless filmography streak. If there was anything left in Karnan, then Mamannan is also a film that saw a complete cinematic transformation in his making style. It becomes complete when AR Rahman and Theni Eshwar join the technical crew. After the magnificent works like Peranbu, Karnan and Nanpakal nerath mayakkam, Theni Eshwar’s excellent frame sense and shot setting ability are proven. Examples include the focus change shot of the Buddha statue and Vadivelu, and the grading in the flash back scenes. The number of songs felt a bit high, while AR Rahman’s background music deserves a theatre experience.
Mamannan is just a glimpse of typical Indian culture skillfully portraying the harsh realities of India’s oppressive caste system. Mamannan is not just a statement against Thevar Magan, it is clear from the interval scene of the movie that Mari Selvaraj spoke in that audio launch. No movie, no matter how classic it is, is not meant to be kept in a glass cage forever. With all due respect to a master’s work, some corrections like in Mamannan are not only justice done to films and characters but to a society itself..!!
“Pirappokkum yellaa uyirkkuchiirappovvaa seitholil
seitholil vaetrrumai yaan!!” (All beings are the same in birth, But work decides their varied worth.)
– Thirukkural 972
By Devadath
