Orange mittai: a slice of life superbly etched by A MIDDLE AGED VIJAY SETUPATHI
Hello Friends,
The next time we hear an ambulance siren, it definitely will conjure memories of the film Orange Mittai (meaning Orange Sweet/Chocolate). Yes, Orange Mittai is a film: that brings together Kailalasam (Vijay Sethupathi), Sathya (Ramesh Thilak) and Arumugam (Arumgham Bala) when they travel together in an ambulance van and all that transpires during this journey.
I don’t know how Vijay Sethupathi does it, but he has an uncanny knack of coming up with intelligent and smart films that make you think. And more than that, he makes films that make you say – yes I can exactly relate to this! His films, setting, acting, clothes, body language, dialogues are so ‘everyday’ and reflects the common man’s life. From Pizza, Naduvula Konjam Pakatha Kanom, Soothu Kavum, Pannayarum Padminiyium, Vijay Sethupathi has a unique charm that he lends to each of these characters which very much appeals to the audience. In this particular film he has additionally penned the dialogues and produced it as well.
Plot: From a story angle it is fairly simple, Kailasam is a lonely middle aged man in his 60s and has a health problem which requires hospitalization. But he ignores this and lives life on his own terms. And he uses the visits to the hospital in an ambulance van more for amusement rather than to get treated. During one such trip he meets Sathya an Emergency Rescue Team member who is a nice guy, (really nice guy) and they become friends. But then the story and its several aspects are much left to the reader’s imagination or interpretation. None of the above has been clearly spelt out, as there are only a set of incidents/situations through which we come to conclude the above. Especially the scene where Kailasam dances with gay abandon to a tamil yesteryear song tells us how much he loves life. He seems to yearn more for camaraderie and entertainment, than love. And that is simply because he does not come across as a father pining for a son who has quarreled and left him. In fact Kailasam is quite snappy and anti-social but he does warm up to Sathya, who is clueless on how to handle this cantankerous old man. Sathya’s love life is also tottering and at this juncture the friendship with the old man blossoms from nowhere. And Sathya seems to enjoy it too because the final scene where they are both sitting on a rock chatting shows how comfortable they are with each other.
- So is this is a film about a rare friendship?
- Is this a film about old age?
- A film about medical treatment and the way terminally ill patients are treated?
- Is this about an old man’s histrionics?
It could be a bit of all of the above with no proper conclusion.
Costumes: I am sure there was hardly any spend on the costumes, because there was only one set of attire that I saw all of them with. It’s pretty much a days’ events told, so not much scope for new costumes. And anyway there are NO dance sequences in Switzerland so we find them all in everyday comfortable wear.
Décor: Rural aspects of Papanasam and Ambasamudram are vivid. That apart the action is all centered in the ambulance van, roads and Government Hospitals.
Acting: Needless to mention Vijay Sethupathi scores as always with effortless and spotless performance. And he has the confidence to allow another actor to share equal screen space with him, and in that Ramesh Thilak has used this opportunity well. He has done a neat job and likewise the Arumgham Bala as the driver essays a perfect supporting role and giving that bit of comedy relief to the film. It is obvious that every character is handpicked and no one seems out of place. Every character fits the bill one hundred percent. For instance, the lady doctor in the Government hospital who is bored and rude is completely convincing.
Useful Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_Mittai
Pictures sourced from the Internet
BT Bottom Line:
We had a beautiful time watching Orange Mittai and our recommendation for the film is SUPER STRONG!
Cheers
Bhuvana Rajaram
