Saw Kannathil Muthaittal (A peck on the cheek) this evening. Its a Tamil film by Manirathnam about a 9-yr old girl whose biological parents were snatched away from her by the ensuing civil war in srilanka. She is brought up by an Indian couple in Madras. When she is told about this fact, she is adamant to meet her biological mother. Her step-parents try to fulfill her wish amidst the war-torn areas and bloody shootouts.
Very moving and overwhelming at times. Did Make me cry. To be honest, there is a sense of relief when I cry for it tells me that I can feel someone's pain. But something Amudha (the girl in the film) said made me realize that its a different thing to feel the pain than to live it. When she is finally able to meet her biological mother after a series of narrow escapes from bombings and strike zones, she begs her to come to Madras. When she tries to convince her "There is no war, no army in Madras", I tried to imagine how much hatred she might grow up with towards her own country's soldiers. Its that same Army, the same soldiers and their same martyrdom which all grew up not just respecting but worshipping. But for Amudha, it might not be the same. Her hatred towards her soldiers might be an inseparable part of her pain.
So, may be I will never be able to feel her pain the way she does. I don't know if its for good or bad but it bothers me. In the end I am just left with the question "Does no one have an answer to this Political violence ? " again & again.
