A Potpourri of Vestiges Feature
There is no denying that when it
comes to entertainment it is the web that’s the home to some of the most
happening experiments in terms of content and its packaging. One of the key
aspects of the content on the web is that it is far more personalized than what
we generally associate with both cinema and television. If we talked purely in
terms of demographics then the content on the web is primarily targeted towards
the youth. A lot of new VOD services catering to the Indian youth have sprung
up in the recent times. While all of these offer a wide range of content most
of them are lacking in terms of regional content. It is here that ZEE5, a VOD
service run by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited, scores heavily over the
others thanks to its multi-lingual content comprising as many as 12 languages. It
is really heartening to see how Zee is breaking its traditional approach and targeting
the youth by coming up with Original shows on ZEE5.
Launched in February 2018, ZEE5,
with the brand identity of ‘Apni Bhasha Mein Feel Hai’, has already become home
to some really cool regional content that beats the competition hands down. One really cool amazing web series that
deserves a special mention is America Mappillai. The 8-part web series is directed by Praveen Padmanabhan and
stars the likes of Leela Samson, Raja Krishnamoorthy, Gokul Anand, Arjun
Chidambaram, Namita Krishnamoorthy, Sruthi Hariharan, Delhi Ganesh and
Rakesh Ram. The series, which offers a rather playful take on the ‘America
Mallipai’ stereotype depicted in contemporary films and television serials, revolves
around a young NRI named Ganesh who suffers from commitment phobia. When his
father tries to pressurize him to get married he comes up with a master plan with
the help of his gay friend Karthik even as he himself struggles to come to
terms with his own sexuality.
The fact that episodes are
roughly 10 minutes in duration makes them easy to watch and one never really
feel stuck as often is the case with binge watching. In fact, even if one
chooses to watch all the eight episodes in one go it will take just over an
hour. The screenplay, written by Raja Ramamurthy, does well to address
sensitive subjects like homophobia while offering interesting perspective on
the institution of marriage. What makes American Mappillai unique in comparison
to an American series like Master of None is how the makers have consciously
tried hard to subvert the stereotypes which make the series a worthy addition to
the promising canvas of Tamil web series.
Interestingly, each episode of ZEE5 Original America Mappillai is named after a colour. But it just doesn’t end there, for the
colour references work quite well at the sub textual level as well. The series also endeavors to break the binaries
and end up asking some pertinent questions that speak to out times. If we look at the recent films in
Tamil cinema a lot of the times a subject as complex as gay identity ends up getting
a frivolous treatment that fails to represent the problems faced by the gay community
in the right perspective. In the absence of the correct perspective the subject
gets reduced to farcical levels. It is here that the creative team of America Mappillai needs to be congratulated.
It is worth mentioning that one important theme typically associated
with a Hindu marriage is clearly absent here. Usually, the family of the bride
and the groom are very careful about caste during match making. But the
question of caste clearly doesn’t arise in case of a gay couple. By choosing to
overlook the notions of caste the makers seem to have made a powerful statement
about the omnipresent homophobia prevalent in our society. And they achieve all this without ever compromising
on the entertainment front.
One of the strongest points about
America Mappillai is its colorful characters. Right from the onset we are
hooked to the characters and want to know more about them. This can be
attributed to the fact that the characters are very much believable. Yes, there
are some creative liberties that are taken but only to enhance the character
arcs and add depth to the overall characterization. Only the web can allow
scope for such improvisations and neither cinema nor television seems equipped at
this point in time to accommodate such stories.
The chemistry between different characters
is quite solid and adds conviction to the relationship dilemmas that the series
tries to explore. The acting performances in America Mappillai are really
impressive all around. Credit goes to director Praveen Padmanabhan for eliciting just
the right kind of performances from his team of actors. Here, Leela Samson deserves
a special mention. According to the makers, it was Samson’s character Vasantha
that was the most complex to tackle. In fact, it went through a series of
changes before they finally got it right. And, fortunately for them, Samson
plays it to a tee, without ever missing a note.
If you are looking for something
refreshing then America Mappillai is just for you. So, what are you waiting
for? All you need to do in order to watch America Mappillai is to download the
ZEE5 app.
America Mappillai - ZEE5 Originals - Trailer (YouTube)
America Mappillai - ZEE5 Originals - Trailer (YouTube)
Readers, please feel free to share your opinion by leaving your comments. As always your valuable thoughts are highly appreciated!
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