I felt that Perusu, available on Netflix, was a prime example of overdoing the intensity of a joke. I understand that a situation can seem extremely funny, but can you base an entire film on it? Or rather, is it advisable to do so? That said, I think the premise was unique and had a lot of potential, but it lacked solid subplots that could further accentuate its impact.
Most of the time, unless it's physical comedy, the essence of a comedy film is lost when it's dubbed into another language. When a joke is invented in one language, it becomes a bit difficult to use humor and achieve a similar impact when the dialogue is translated into another. So I confess that Perusu probably didn't amuse me because I didn't know Tamil, and reading the subtitles didn't help. But beyond the language barrier, I felt that, as an audience, I expected more from the film.
Director: Ilango Ramanathan
Writers: Balaji Jayaraman, Ilango Ramanathan
Stars: Chandini Tamilarasan, Niharika NM, Redin Kingsley
I thought that, given time, the film could focus on father-son relationships or give us a deeper insight into family dynamics and dysfunction. But none of that happened. I only felt hopeful for a few seconds when Sami and Durai, the two main characters, started having a serious conversation about the kind of relationship they shared with their late father, but then, once again, the focus returned to chaos. Also, I must say that I'm not averse to adult comedy and have enjoyed films like Hunterrr and Delhi Belly. Perusu had the potential to be much better, but you should watch it for yourself and then form your own opinion.
It was a normal day for Sami, and he was probably about to go to work when he saw that his father had passed away while watching TV. Sami was about to tell everyone about it when he noticed something so strange he didn't know what to do. His father's underwear couldn't hide his erection, and Sami couldn't understand how it was possible. The man had stopped breathing, but somehow his penis still demonstrated his virility and what some would perceive as masculinity. Sami called his younger brother, Durai, who was equally shaken after witnessing the spectacle. Sami's mother, his aunt, and the wives of both brothers also came to the scene, but no one had a clue what to do.
The family believed that if others saw what happened at the funeral, they would lose their honor and be mocked behind their backs. So they tried to hide Halasyam's death, although it was quite difficult, as Kamala, their neighbor, kept snooping around the house to find out what the family was up to. The brothers took their father to the hospital, but they couldn't explain to the doctor what exactly had happened to him. They tried taking him to a veterinarian, but that didn't work there either. Finally, Durai decided to call a shaman, but that experiment didn't help either. Finally, Durai and Sami's uncle, along with many others, came to their house after a friend of Durai's publicly announced Halasyam's death, unaware that the family was keeping it a secret. Finally, Sami and Durai tied their father's corpse to a chair and forced him to sit at a table so no one would notice the lump. They concocted a story: it was their father's last wish, so they decided he should sit down and not lie down.
Sami and Durai were very tired by the end of the day, inventing all kinds of false stories to save their reputations, and somehow managed to hide the real problem. At night, the two brothers sat down for a drink together when they realized they had lost their father. Durai told Sami that he used to drink with his father and that they would have deep conversations. Sami was a little surprised, having no idea Durai and his father shared that relationship. At the time, Sami had a misunderstanding with his father, after which their relationship deteriorated.
We are never told in the film what exactly happened between Sami and his father, but it was serious enough to complicate their relationship. Sami was a bit controlling and often disapproved of his father's actions. But now, after the old man's death, Sami felt a pang in his heart and just wanted to go back in time and fix things. He regretted not being able to express his feelings to his father, but he was glad that Durai was always there for him. This conversation was probably the only time we were able to understand the dynamics of the family relationship, and I loved how the two brothers connected and understood each other better after that.
During Perusu's finale, Sami decided to keep his father in a mortuary freezer, as family and friends had begun to wonder why he had been forced to sit when, according to custom, he should have been lying down. To complicate matters further, Halasyam's lover, Vanitha, arrived on the scene. At first, no one understood why she was addressing the old man as her dear and why she was crying as if she had lost her lover. Obviously, her presence made Halasyam's wife uncomfortable, and before Sami and Durai could control the situation, the entire family started fighting.
That fight turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as the freezer's glass shattered, and Vanitha accidentally hit her lover's penis, which deflated. The problem was solved, and the family was able to cremate Halasyam and perform all the rituals. At the beginning of the film, we saw Halasyam and his friends telling off a group of guys who were loitering and harassing the women bathing in the nearby pond. Actually, it was Halasyam and his friends who were secretly watching them, which is why one of the young men who was beaten up by Halasyam was so angry with him. Halasyam, just before his last breath, had taken a vitality pill, which is why he had that bulge. So, basically, Halasyam was a lecherous person with a secret side. In short, I loved the performances in the film, although, as I said before, I felt it lacked strong subplots, so it felt a bit over the top. But you should watch it and find out for yourself, whether you like it or not.
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