Late Abdul Kalam stressed on the importance of thinking big and urged people to dream grand. In some ways, this thought forms the crux of Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's debut directorial Amma Kanakku.
Dreams could be varied but for widow Shanthi (Amala Paul) belonging to the lower economic strata of society, her teenage daughter is her dream. Therefore, in Amma Kanakku produced by Dhanush for his Wunderbar Films, we get to see how Shanthi goes about realizing her dream.
The Hindi version of the film Nil Battey Sannata which was out a few weeks ago had garnered good feedback. However, the Tamil version has a few issues of its own, which render this film a little less impactful than its Hindi counterpart.
To start with, Amala Paul, although delivering a nuanced portrayal, does not appear convincing enough completely. She looks too suave to pass off as a poor woman doing odd jobs for sustenance. It is also tough to believe her as the mother of a 15 year old. Yuvasri who is essaying the role of Amala's daughter Abinaya in the film delivers well, but looks to be from a middle income group rather than the one she portrays in the film. The language spoken by the duo is inconsistent in tone, sometimes refined and on some other occasions, raw. The character of Samuthirakani should have been etched properly as he appears comical, but tries to come across strict with weird jumpy feet movements on and off.
The director's objective undoubtedly is lofty and needs applause, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. The significance of education and the bond between mom and daughter are nice aspects, but it could have been given a better treatment. The whole episode of Amala meeting the collector, makes one wonder about its purpose. A sort of docu drama feel persists in the film.
Revathy doing the role of a kind of a mentor is neat and the experienced artist does her bit perfectly. Ilayaraja's RR is a soothing feature in the film that fills in only at required spaces to communicate things, giving a realistic feel. Gavemic U Ary's lighting is effective in conveying the mood of the film. Vijaimurugan's set designs are apt.
Amma Kanakku would have turned into a better film for its social angle, had it been executed in a better way.
Verdict: Amma Kanakku, an average flick that has good purpose but falls short in its execution
