Thulladha Manamum Thullum

Ezhil's 1999 Tamil film tells the story of a young man who makes his living singing on stage. He holds himself responsible for a girl who loses her sight after an accident and agrees to sell a kidney to pay for her operation. The axis is that the sacrifice is kept secret. The girl does not know, and the narrative proceeds through when the knowledge will come out; the melodrama form is used plainly. Vijay and Simran lead, a pairing repeated often in the Tamil cinema of the period. The music carries the film and its songs are still known. The narrative is long and its emotional emphasis open. Who it's for: those who like Tamil romantic drama of the nineties. Who it's not for: viewers expecting restraint; the film keeps its sacrifice constantly in the foreground.