Amuda is an adopted child who longs for her birth mother, about whom she has managed to find out as many details as she can. She learns her mother was a Sri Lankan refugee who had given birth to her in a refugee camp in Rameshwaram, India. As usual, Ratnam's narration is perfect, with realistic portrayals of Amudha's home and family members, and the warm and funny (and not at all "filmi") flashback romance between Simran and Madhavan.
Ratnam then brings his camera to the Eelam, from which point Amudha's own story gets partly eclipsed by a passionate revelation of a struggle for freedom. The scenes in Sri Lanka are spectacular, with the heart-wrenching song 'Vidai Kodu Engal Naadu' playing as an entire village is evacuated. Vairamuthu has penned painfully beautiful lyrics. In another evocative scene, strong winds batter the lush, green fields as Madhavan's character (initially viewed as a suspicious intruder by the rebels) and some militant rebels jointly recite a patriotic poem. Their united voices rise above the howling wind. "Vellai Pookal" is another Rehman gem, a cry for peace, playing as background while refugees gather in Rameshwaram from their war-torn land.
Keerthana, as Amudha, astonishes with her articulate acting skills. Simran, finally in a performance-oriented role, is perfectly at ease with her character. Madhavan, Prakash Raj (PR is sometimes annoying) and the others do a good job. We see very little of Nandita Das, and when we do, she impresses with her naturalistic acting. The Rehman-Vairamuthu combo is at its best in this film, with a superior soundtrack that is only second to their earlier Iruvar, perhaps.
Ratnam then brings his camera to the Eelam, from which point Amudha's own story gets partly eclipsed by a passionate revelation of a struggle for freedom. The scenes in Sri Lanka are spectacular, with the heart-wrenching song 'Vidai Kodu Engal Naadu' playing as an entire village is evacuated. Vairamuthu has penned painfully beautiful lyrics. In another evocative scene, strong winds batter the lush, green fields as Madhavan's character (initially viewed as a suspicious intruder by the rebels) and some militant rebels jointly recite a patriotic poem. Their united voices rise above the howling wind. "Vellai Pookal" is another Rehman gem, a cry for peace, playing as background while refugees gather in Rameshwaram from their war-torn land.
Keerthana, as Amudha, astonishes with her articulate acting skills. Simran, finally in a performance-oriented role, is perfectly at ease with her character. Madhavan, Prakash Raj (PR is sometimes annoying) and the others do a good job. We see very little of Nandita Das, and when we do, she impresses with her naturalistic acting. The Rehman-Vairamuthu combo is at its best in this film, with a superior soundtrack that is only second to their earlier Iruvar, perhaps.