Putham Pudhu Kaalai Vidiyaadhaa - Alone Together

 

Putham Pudhu Kaalai Vidiyaadhaa...

Tamil, 2022 

Mohan's Measure ⭐⭐⭐

An anthology of five short films, Putham Pudhu Kaalai Vidiyaadhaa follows the original in weaving tales of hope and humanity around the dreaded pandemic, this time specifically, during lockdown.  Of the five, the first three are very centered around the topic of Covid, and in that way, present us with believable characters and stories that make us look, and sometimes laugh, at ourselves. 

Most charming is Mouname Paarvayaai, in which the seasoned actors play an empty nest couple who are giving each other the silent treatment, until the realities of Covid hit home.  Charming too is Mugakavasa Mutham, a sweet, comical tale of romance in the social distancing age. 

It is the last two stories in which the respective plots drift from the point.  There is something that feels forced in the latter two, perhaps because the topics put Covid aside, keeping it largely in the background to focus on the needs of the individual characters.  Indeed, the final story goes so far tangential, we are suddenly introduced to a modern art theme.

While still worth the watch, Putham Pudhu Kaalai Vidiyaadhaa proves that a sequel is never quite as good as the original.

Mugakavasa Mutham

Director: Balaji Mohan

Stars: Gouri G. Kishan, Teejay Arunasalam

Loners

Director: Halitha Shameem

Stars: Lijomol Jose, Arjun Das

Mouname Paarvayaai

Director: Madhumita

Stars: Nadiya, Joju George

The Mask

Director: Surya Krishna

Stars: Sananth, Dhilip Subbarayan

Nizhal Tharum Idham

Director: Richard Anthony

Stars: Aishwarya Lekshmi, Nirmal Pillai