Maara: Movie review

 


After hearing a couple of friends' praise Maara, I immediately logged on to Amazon Prime and braced myself for a good movie. I wasn't disappointed.

Maara chronicles the story of a girl named Paaru who hears an enchanting fairy tale in her childhood. Years later when she comes across the painting of the same fairy tale in the coastal town of Kerala, she sets off on a quest to find out more about the man behind the painting-Maara. During this endeavor, she learns about how Maara made a difference to the lives of several people. Be it a daughter of a dead prostitute by ensuring her education or preventing a lady doctor from committing suicide. 

Maara isn't just a movie. It's a journey that needs to be experienced. You come across some endearing characters grappling with their own regrets and sorrow that almost makes them give up on life. You smile and cry with them as you delve deep into their psyche. 

You are appalled when you watch a father almost selling his own daughter to the dreaded flesh trade in order to make ends meet. It instills anger and also a sense of helplessness when you realize the existence of a such a heinous crime existing in our society. Isn't there any savior for girl children subjected to such horrors? Instances like these make me wish that I was some kind of an invisible monster who could beat those sickening barbaric creatures to pulp. Or only pray that God takes some sort of Avatar to rescue like how they did to vanquish the Asuras. The latter seem more docile in comparison to those who torture and abuse the girl child. 

Coming back to the movie, Maara boasts of beautiful cinematography. With its scenic locales, there is an element of magic brought to the surroundings, hinting at the theme of magical realism. Showcasing the beauty of story telling, its fascinating to note how stories connect people and intertwine lives together in an unexpected manner. To an extent where life comes a full circle. No doubt the movie is slow paced and there have been naysayers who couldn't watch it beyond 20 minutes. It requires patience and is worth the watch as it entails some vital lessons-to give life a second chance, embrace it and the ability to forgive yourself. 

Its always a pleasure to watch Madhavan. His maturity as an actor is clearly seen over the years, since he started out in 2000. One actor, whose has also made a mark in Hindi films. 3 Idiots and Tanu Weds Manu, Rang De Basanti, Guru, to name a few. Maara is set to be inspired by the Malayalam movie Charlie and also the Marathi movie Deva, neither of which I have seen. Nevertheless, it made an impact as its heartwarming and tugs the heartstrings. A feel good movie and a good getaway from the current torrid conditions in California and United States. For those 150 minutes, I was lost in a different world and I guess thats the magic of good story telling. 

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