Tamils have long cribbed about the representation of them in Bollywood movies. The stereotypicalised ‘Enna Rascala‘-spouting ‘Madarasi’ is nowhere close to being real. But from the cringe caricature that the comedian Mehmood made famous in Padosan to the so-called tribute to the ‘Thalaiva‘ through the rambunctious and crude Lungi Dance, Hindi movies have unfortunately sought to perpetuate a puerile parody.
Of course, this is all from the perspective of the Tamils.
So, when a new Hindi movie about the long distance relationship between what appears to be a Tamil couple is arriving, there is a bit of healthy scepticism among the Tamils.
But can the new film at least get the Tamil nuance right, because in this age and time not getting the facts is a cardinal error?
Well, going by the trailer of the Netflix original Meenakshi Sundareshwar, the new film in question, the answer can only be ambiguous.
For, the trailer the flogs the usual Tamil character clichés (Rajnikanth fan, engineering graduate, vibhuthi smear on forehead etc.), but also offers some hope that beyond the inevitable stereotypification, there will be relatable flesh and blood depiction.
Meenakshi Sundareshwar to stream on Nov 5 on Netflix
The hope stems from the fact that it has a solid cast and a well-known production house backing it.
Directed by Vivek Soni and produced by Dharmatic Entertainment (the digital arm of Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions), Meenakshi Sundareshwar features Sanya Malhotra and Abhimanyu Dassani in lead roles. The film encapsulates the various interlinked aspects of relationships, joint families, the awkwardness in a new marriage and everything in between.
The film is set in the backdrop of Madurai — a well-known city in Tamil Nadu — and the presiding deities of the city are Meenakshi and Sundareshwar. Little wonder the makers of the film have chosen that as the name of the film, too.
Sanya Malhotra was previously seen in Netflix films Pagglait and Ludo. She also had a strong role in Amazon Prime Video’s Shakuntala Devi.
Abhimanyu Dassani is the son of actress Bhagyashree, who, as it happened recently played a Tamil role in the film Thalaivi.
The two seem discerning enough to portray a typical Tamil couple in realistic terms.
Meenakshi Sundareshwar is set to premiere on Netflix on November 5, 2021.
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