Merku Thodarchi Malai

Merku Thodarchi Malai (The Western Ghats)
Poster
Directed by	Lenin Bharathi
Written by	Raasi Thangadurai (Dialogues)
Screenplay by	Lenin Bharathi
Produced by	Vijay Sethupathi
Starring	Antony Gayathri Krishnaa Abu Valayankulam
Cinematography	Theni Eswar
Edited by	Kasi Viswanathan
Music by	Ilaiyaraaja
Production companies	Vijay Sethupathi Productions Dream Tree Productions
Distributed by	VT Cinemas
Release dates	2018 (NY Indian Film Festival) 24 August 2018 (India)
Running time	118 minutes
Country	India
Language	Tamil

Merku Thodarchi Malai (English: Western Ghats) is a 2018 Indian Tamil language drama film. It was directed by Lenin Bharathi and produced by Vijay Sethupathi, with cinematographer Theni Eswar and composer Ilaiyaraaja. This is said to be Ilaiyaraaja's 1001th film signed by him in 2015.

The film revolves around the life and times of a group of landless workers living along the foothills of the Western Ghats in India. It depicts how the introduction of commercialization creates conflict in the simple lives of the villagers.

Plot

Daily wage laborer Rengasamy makes a living carrying cardamom sacks from the mountains to the foothills of the Western Ghats in the interior of Tamil Nadu. Chacko, a communist from Kerala, unionizes these workers to prevent the estate owner from exploiting them. As a result, there are frequent clashes between the landlord and the union members.

Rengasamy wants to buy a piece of land from a local, but fails due to objections from the seller's family. He marries his cousin Eshwari, who is a worker on the estate, and joins her union. His second attempt to buy land ends in unexpected tragedy and he loses most of his savings. He later acquires land with a loan and begins farming to pay back the debt.

Meanwhile, in the communist party office, Chacko has a heated debate with a senior comrade about industrialization and the workers' conditions. Another comrade sends Chacko to deliver a message, and while he is away the estate owner closes the estate to make the workers and union members suffer. When Chako returns, the estate owner mocks him, saying that he had plotted with the senior comrade for this purpose.

Angered, Chacko finds the workers who are preparing to leave. He gathers a few of them, including Rengasamy, to take up weapons and confront the estate owner. The mob finds the estate owner with the senior comrade, kill both of them, and are jailed for several years. When Rengasamy returns home, the fertilizer vendor forecloses on his land for outstanding debts. Rengasamy later becomes a security guard for a windmill constructed on the land he once owned.

Cast

• Antony as Rangasamy alias Rangu
• Gayathri Krishnaa as Eshwari
• Abu Valayankulam as Chako
• Anthony Vaathiyar as Kangaani
• Sornam as Bakkiyam
• Aarubala as Ravi
• 'Late' M.S. Lai (a) Sudalai
• Uoothu Rasa
• Thevaram Sornam
• Kodangipatti Mokkathayi
• Pallavarayan Patti Pandi
• Vanaraj
• Master Smith
• Theni Eswar

Production

Lenin Bharathi, who previously wrote the screenplay for Aadhalal Kadhal Seiveer, made his directorial debut with this film. The film was outlined to Vijay Sethupathi about a year before production, gaining his interest in the project. The shooting for the film began in January or February 2016.

The production budget of the film was ₹ 2.3 crore (23 million rupees).

Soundtrack

• "Kekkatha Vathiyam" - Ilaiyaraaja, Ramya NSK - Yugabharathi
• "Andarathil Thonguthamma" - Haricharan - Ilaiyaraaja

Release

The satellite rights of the film were sold to Kalaignar TV.

Reception

Critical response

The Times of India gave the film three-and-a-half out of five stars and wrote that "The film ends with a bang ... even as it subtly delivers its message - how development also leads to the destruction of a way of life and a community".

Awards and nominations

• The film was screened during the 21st International Film Festival of Kerala.
• The film won Best Cinematography at the Bioscope Global Film Festival, Punjab.
• The film has been nominated for 'Best Screenplay' Category in 17th New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF2017).
• The film was screened at the Singapore South Asian International Film Festival and Chicago South Asian Film Festival.
• The film was invited to the 6th edition of Toulouse Indian Film Festival in France to complete for both the Jury and Audience Prizes.

Date of ceremony	Award	Category	Recipient(s)	Result	Ref.
5 January 2019	Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards	Best Film	Vijay Sethupathi	Won
		Best Debut Director	Lenin Bharathi	Won
		Best Production	Vijay Sethupathi Productions	Won
25–28 April 2019	Norway Tamil Film Festival Awards	Best Film	Vijay Sethupathi	Nominated
		Best Director	Lenin Bharathi	Won
		Best Production	Vijay Sethupathi	Nominated
		Best Cinematography	Theni Easwar	Won
27 February 2019	BOFTA Galatta Debut Awards	Best Debut Actor - Male - Critics Choice	Antony	Won
		Most Impactful Film By a Debutant	Lenin Bharathi	Won
16 August 2019	8th South Indian International Movie Awards	Best Debut Director	Lenin Bharathi	Nominated
		Best Debut Actor	Anthony	Nominated

External links

• Merku Thodarchi Malai at IMDb