Anti Indian movie review: Blue Sattai Maaran's film, which is a bold take on religious anarchy, deserves a better making

2.5/5

Story: Baasha, a political street artist, has been gruesomely murdered by unidentified assailants. Being a Muslim, his relatives and friends take his body to bury it in a nearby mosque. However, the mosque officials refuse to bury Baasha's body as the deceased never followed any religion apart from the fact that his mother is a Hindu. 

His acquaintances take his body to a burial ground where Hindus are cremated. But the officials there disagree to cremate him citing his religious identity. A Christian clergy, too, becomes a part of the commotion by claiming that Baasha's body belongs to their religion as the mother of the deceased had converted to Christianity a while ago. 

Review: Anti Indian is quite an unusual and catchy title for a movie, given the fact that the term is often used in a derogatory manner on social media by many to purposefully offend and provoke those with a different opinion when it comes to topics of national interests. 

With YouTuber Elamaran aka Blue Sattai Maaran making his directorial debut with the movie, all eyes are on him from the time the project was announced, thanks to the popularity his scathing film reviews have garnered over the years among Tamil movie buffs. A political satire, Maaran has attempted an out-of-the-box idea with the film.

The movie begins with the close up shot of Baasha's (played by Maaran himself) dead body, followed by an establishment shot of his mother and other acquaintances grieving over the unfortunate incident. Baasha, a political street artist and a known figure among local politicians, has been murdered by unknown goons.

Post the official police inquiry, his friends and relatives take his body to a mosque to bury it. But the officials there disagree to bury his body there as, the deceased, according to them, is someone who doesn't practice any religion. They also point out the fact that Baasha's mother is a Hindu, another reason for them not to allow his burial there.

This leads to a small communal tension which is nipped in the bud by a few cops. Upon the suggestion of an opportunist right wing politician, they take back his body and decide to bury it at a cremation ground which is meant for Hindus. 

But little did they expect that they would be disappointed this time, too, as the official there expresses his disapproval for burying the body of a Muslim. A group of Christians enter the scene, under the leadership of a priest, and start claiming the body of Baasha as the mother of the deceased had converted to Christianity sometime ago.

Despite several people in the film industry waiting to malign him, it was bold of Maaran to take up a story that would face the wrath of the Censor Board. The movie, which obtained U/A certificate, in spite of facing various troubles with the censor formalities, has managed to release with just one dialogue muted in it. 

With an unusual, never-before-heard subject, Maaran threw light on the religious anarchy prevailing in the society. How organized religions can manipulate the fate of people and the extent to which they degenerate shamelessly have been depicted in an engaging manner. The film also tries to make a statement on who the real anti Indians are in our society. Moreover, it is quite spine-chilling to believe that the sequences in the film are based on a real incident.

The hilarious, but thought-provoking dialogues and racy first half stand out in the film in which Aadukalam Naren, Radha Ravi, Charles Vinod, Jeyaraj and Muthuraman have come up with realistic and gripping performances. The no-holds-barred portrayal of religious leaders taking law in their hands and inciting violence deserves praise.

However, the latter half of the film falters due to excessive dialogue-oriented sequences, repetition of gaana songs and strictly okayish making. A religious riot which occurs at a crucial part of the film appears staged because of which the impact it was supposed to leave gets affected.

The long aerial shots which appear towards the beginning of the film was a treat to watch. The background score, however, could have been more effective. Had the latter half and making been more gripping, the movie would have been a wholesome entertainer.  

Verdict: Though the political satire is engaging only in parts, the filmmaker deserves praise for handling hard-hitting plot.