Solid: Prakash Raj, Sampath Raj, John Vijay, Vivek Prasanna, Amrutha Srinivasan
Director: Priya V.
Barring a couple of, most of us have modified homes innumerable occasions, and houses, a couple of. These homes have a allure about them, a sure vibe, however Anantham (which suggests countless) is a house. A dwelling respiratory residence the place the individuals who dwell there resolve its vibe.
Within the eight episodes of the riveting V Priya directorial, now streaming on Zee5, the identical residence takes on completely different seems to be — it’s brilliant and cheery, dignified and understated, full of hope, darkish and brooding, and full of ghastly secrets and techniques — based mostly on who lives there.
So what makes a home? The development or the individuals? And what decides the temper and perspective of the residents of the house? The home itself or their innate character? Anantham units out to discover these questions via many tales, all however three named after girls.
Spearheading the sequence is Prakash Raj as Venkatesan, an official with the Indian Railways, who buys an previous bungalow referred to as Anantham, in-built 1951. He’s crazily in love along with his spouse Maragatham, they usually adore the home with a heartbeat a lot they identify their valuable little one Ananth. Maragatham is dedicated to the home, she weeps when she has to go away and requests the house to behave nicely.
As soon as they get transferred, many individuals drive into and out of doors Anantham, having fulfilled their destinies or having courted failure.
The sequence principally inhabits a optimistic house, and heading that zone is Rekha (Mekha Rajan), a girl with an admirable self-assurance that may grate some. She’s surrounded by individuals who present her actuality, however she sees miracles, magic and stardust, at the same time as she surrenders each remaining piece of jewelry to maintain her household afloat. She’s proper, as at all times.
Among the many most haunting of the tales is that of Seetha (Amrutha Srinivasan), the visually impaired girl married to a person who sees solely her cash. She is caught in a jail in her own residence however nonetheless finds the house to make a pal, and do something she will be able to to get her story out. One other story Lalitha (Anjali Rao) takes off from right here too, and says that whereas individuals can escape the world, they’ll’t escape themselves.
Venkatesan loves the sprawling Anantham a lot, and believes those that lived right here may in the future return for the issues they left behind — all of them are saved in a room, holding onto tales, ready to inform the world what they’re about. What a pleasant thought!
Prakash Raj is Venkatesan, the person who’s all cooleth to the world however who has an enormous spot of darkness and small-mindedness relating to his son. His one act modifications their life. And who does the rescuing? The neighbour, who his youngsters thought was simply not cool like Venkatesan.
Sampath, typically underused and compelled into stereotypical roles, shines as creator Ananth, the boy who loves his neighbour, the boy whose love will not be thought of ok to be acknowledged. Bear in mind his function in Goa? This one is as pretty, as delicate, as tender. Priya has performed a lot to normalise a same-sex relationship and make you see it for what it’s — simply one other stunning love story.
In Krishna Menon (Episode 5), you chuckle lengthy after the credit roll, due to Vinodhini Vaidyanathan. The girl’s a pure and almost jogged my memory of Manorama’s impeccable act in Michael Madana Kama Rajan’s ‘Sivaraathiri’ tune. If Vinodhini in actual life or have interacted along with her, you’d know what an act she’s placed on to occupy this house — she’s all gray matter in actual life, right here she salivates over dry fruit bedecked halwa.
The episode on little one sexual abuse is haunting, and cathartic at ranges, as a result of how can a baby defend herself from an offender when he’s the darling of the household?
What Priya has additionally performed is herald entrance of the world proficient actors who deserve extra love. Vinoth Kishen, Vivek Rajagopal, Mekha… the checklist is lengthy.
Not that the sequence is with out minor blips. The very audience-friendly climax appeared very abrupt and incongruence with the zone the sequence inhabits until then. How can Seetha’s mother and father not marvel even as soon as why she doesn’t reply the cellphone? However contemplating what Priya has managed with the remainder of the sequence — a delicate present that’s aesthetic and which options actors one has lengthy admired — they continue to be blips, not errors.
Sathish Suriya, the editor for the sequence, permits each section to breathe, by no means actually dashing. It’s nearly calming. And, artwork and manufacturing design by Surya Rajeevan is elegant, minimalist and glittery in flip, in line with the characters who inhabit Anantham. Mahakavi Bharathi’s poetry is ready to tune superbly by AS Ram. And the dialogues by Priya V and Rakav Mirdarth are totally on level. The screenplay is by Priya, Rakav Mirdath, Preetha Jayaraman and Reema Ravichander.
Go for Anantham, savour each nearly-hour-long episode, as a result of now we have actually not seen one thing like this with coronary heart in a very long time. We deserve a deal with generally, no?
