Review of movie Kaatrin Mozhi

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Rating:3.5/5

 In her second innings, Jyotika has been choosing roles that are author-backed and neatly fleshed out, and she has, so far, hit bullseye. And this one doesn’t disappoint either. As Vijayalakshmi aka Viji, she gets to play a spirited woman who faces every situation in life with a song on her lips. Quite literally! Her husband Balu (Vidaarth) dotes on her and her son thinks she’s his world. Her simple pleasures in life include winning the lemon-and-spoon competition at her son’s school! But there’s one thing she still wants to accomplish – to get a job and prove to her disapproving dad and twin sisters that despite failing Class 12, she has it in her to make it big. A visit to a radio station and a chance meeting with its head, Maria (Lakshmi Manchu), helps her land a job as an RJ who hosts a night show, listening, and offering solace, to callers who have ‘andharanga prachanai’. Is this a happy ending for her, or the beginning of trouble in her paradise?

This is the second time that director Radha Mohan and Jyotika are teaming up, and in fact, the title of the film has been picked up from a song from their previous movie, Mozhi. Thankfully, there are barely any references to the first film, except when the song, Kaatrin Mozhi, plays in the background in the climax.

One of the pluses of the film is that each character has been neatly defined. Vidaarth fits into the shoes of Viji’s supportive husband, and the actor impresses in most sequences, especially when he takes out his work-related anger on his wife when she insists she will continue her job as a night RJ. Lakshmi Manchu as the radio station’s head is authoritative, but quite supportive of Viji when she yearns to come on her own. In his role as Kumki, a poet-forced-to-write-jingles, Kumaravel is a treat to watch, making us wonder why he is not often seen in films. MS Baaskar as the lonely Neelakantan who snaps at everyone, Mayilsamy, Manobala, Sandra, Mohanram and Uma, all have purpose in the film and they fulfil it with much conviction. The two cameos – by STR and Yogi Babu – don’t add much value to the story, but make for an interesting watch.

The character on whom the entire screenplay rides is Viji, and Jyotika pulls it off with ease – be it getting naughty with her husband, handling callers who want to talk dirty with her, explaining with much simplicity the complexity of life to a bird, expressing angst when she is taunted for not passing Class 12 or even when she is forced to choose between her family and job.