House Owner Review
Star Cast : Kishore, Sri Ranjani, Lovelyn Chandrasekhar, Pasanga Kishore
Director : Lakshmy Ramakrishnan
Lakshmy Ramakrishnan’s House Owner is a meticulously written, performed and executed film centred on the emotional journey of its characters. Rarely do we see a film which follows textbook screenplay techniques, and House Owner is one such earnest effort. It is an honest exploration of human personalities and is a must watch for ardent movie buffs and aspiring filmmakers.
Vasu (Kishore) and Radha (Sri Ranjani) are in their late 50’s. Vasu is suffering from Alzheimer's and he often forgets the existence of his own wife whom he loves a lot. The entire film is set in the backdrop of 2015 Chennai floods and narrates a heartwarming story of this couple and their struggle during the natural calamity. Lakshmy Ramakrishnan has intricately woven the script in such a way that the film goes back and forth to the early life of the couple and their current phase.
The film largely depends on the two brilliant performers Kishore and Sri Ranjani. Though the initial set of scenes are monotonous due to the repetitive dialogues of Kishore, slowly we get attracted to the unconditional love of Radha (Sri Ranjani) who takes care of her grown-up baby, House Owner(pet name) aka Vasu(Kishore).
It’s easy to jump to a flashback scene but how you rewind to the past matters a lot, that’s where Lakshmi’s simon-pure writing lifts the film. Each and every transition between the current episode and the flashback has a poignant connect.
For example, just when Kishore sings the popular Hindi song in the present,Lakshmi takes us back to the day where both Vasu and Radha met for the first time. When his father insists to sing, Vasu croons the same song. So actually a song acts as the bridge between the past and present.
On seeing the cauliflower in the kitchen, Kishore recollects the moment when he introduces chicken fry as chili cauliflower to his wife. Then, a rose becomes the connecting point between the flashback and current episode, it also tells how an open-minded liberal Vasu who asks the granny to live her life on her own terms and conditions is now trying to control his wife all the time and even yells at her.
The brave soldier who fearlessly fought in the border is now scared when the light goes off. The same man who once cutely begged his wife to not move from the bed kicks her down now.
On the other side, just think of Radha who left her family for a man who doesn't even identify her now! Time and fate are the villains here, Radha knows it well and that’s why she pours unconditional love on Vasu despite all the heartbreaks. Maybe if Vasu is hale and hearty, he would have found out Radha just like how he consoled her when she was crying inside a room when they were about to shift to a new place from their ancestral home.
If Kishore and Sri Ranjani are the symbols of pure love, both ‘Pasanga’ Kishore and Lovelyn Chandrasekhar are perfect as the adolescent lovers. The film basically revolves around the performance of these four actors and all of them have done a brilliant job. In this day of slapstick senseless comedies and thrillers, Lakshmy delivers a film that’s both witty and wise, and he’s aided by a terrific cast that doesn’t miss a beat.
Despite made at a limited budget, House Owner looks grand on the screen.The way Lakshmy has shot the Chennai flood is brilliant and looks very realistic. Ghibran is another hero of the film, his songs and background score has accelerated the degree of poignancy to another level.
Overall, if you are a connoisseur of good films, House Owner is certainly the kind of film you would love to watch. It’s a sweet, simple story of life in a city, a bittersweet tale of human frailties, a small film with a very big heart. Go for it!
