Comedy can be a really tough genre to master. While most filmmakers rush for the cash grab with hurried scripts, some put in a whole lot of no brainers that cannot get even the most laymen to laugh. Moreover, cringe dialogue deliveries, under prepared screenplays, confusion and a whole lot of chaos are wrongly associated with the genre.
For a lot of years, there have been a collection of unpopular notions that have defined the genre of comedy. Yet sometimes, some serious director has always been able to depict a flurry of unserious sequences in the form of cinema. Though hard to come by, these movies become new standards for redefining the genre, creating masterpieces to be used as references for future films.
Anbe Sivam has been nothing short of a work of art in this regard. Often dubbed as a part of the must watch Indian film fraternity, it is hard to believe that the film has been co-written by superstar Kamal Haasan, in collaboration with Madhan who provided the dialogues.
Adding to the narrative of the road movie, Anbe Sivam observes Kamal Haasan and R. Madhavan in leading roles, with Kiran Rathod, Nassar, Santhana Bharathi, Seema and Uma Riyaz Khan playing supporting characters. It is considered as a classic for Indian cinema in general and Tamil cinema in particular. The movie has garnered quite a bit of acclaim over the years. In 2003, Anbe Sivam was screened as part of the Indian Panorama section of the International Film Festival of India. It also received a Special Jury Award and nominations in the Best Film and Best Actor categories at the 51st Filmfare Awards South. To no surprise, Madhavan was awarded Best Actor at the 2003 Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.
A plethora of subjects: themes explored in Anbe Sivam
The power of Friendship: Age is just a number, you must have heard the same statement repeated very often and sometimes it really doesn’t make any sense. But friendship’s power to bridge divides and foster unity is one of the central themes in the film.
The Journey to Self-Discovery: The personal transformations observed in both the principal characters is nothing but exemplary. As both Anbarasu and Nallasivam confront their own beliefs and biases, they rediscover themselves and their relations with other people.
What can be considered as Religion and Spirituality ?: Anbe Sivam delves into the true nature of religion and spirituality, questioning the validity of perfectly organized religion meant to appease the masses while emphasizing the importance of individual faith and belief systems.
A commentary on Society and Altruism: Caste discrimination and poverty are looked upon with a kinder eye in the movie. Kamal Hassan’s altruistic views and adherence to human values shine through in the film.
For its observations on Humanitarianism, a beautiful scene from the film records the following exchange of dialogues between the leading characters:
He says –“These are times when your belief in the existence of God gets shaken”.
He looks at Nallasivam (Kamal Haasan), sitting beside him and then re-assures himself, “No, I am not like you. I believe in God”.
Nalla replies “I believe in God too”.
Pointing his fingers at a stunned Arasu, Nalla adds — “That heart of yours which shed tears for a complete stranger — That is God!” (From “God is Humanity” Ft. Kamal Hassan’s Anbe Sivam by Ifthikar Basha)
The multi faceted nature of Anbe Sivam offers to its viewers “wit beyond words measure”, a grand idiom just meant to convey the invaluable life lessons passed on through cinema. Quick wit can soon prove to be dangerous, but the film surely does not have to worry about these charges!
