Raskutty makes Super Deluxe mind-blowing
It is the perfect combination of ideas and storytelling that makes Super Deluxe a path-breaking narrative. It is a film that deserves more than one watch to understand the depth of its compelling narrative and characterization.
Super Deluxe is a blend of everything, there is ambition, sexuality, romance, political commentary, porn, black comedy, some WTF moment, and most importantly, there is Raskutty!
Raskutty is love!
When the entire family was taken aback by Manickam’s gender transformation, Raskutty embraced his father (who is now a woman) with all his heart. When Raskutty’s friends tease him for his father being transgender, he replies with sheer innocence and confidence-“That’s just my dad’s style!” It is moments like these that make us fall in love with this cute fellow. Unlike the rest of his family, Raskutty never feels embarrassed about his father’s sexuality. He takes great pride in his father’s identity.
Manickam (Raskutty’s father), now Shilpa, is mocked and humiliated for her gender identity. She is denied the right to her gender identity and feels extremely helpless. And that’s why she decides to leave forever for the sake of her son. Raskutty leaves us mindblown when he confronts his father about his leaving. He says to his father- ” It doesn’t matter to me whether you are a man or a woman. All that matters to me is you staying here with me forever. “
Sometimes to accept people for who they are, we need to look through the eyes of this 7-year-old. Unlike others, Raskutty does not judge, be like Raskutty! Ashwanth Ashokkumar, the boy who played Raskutty, will someday grow up to become a great actor.
The remaining cast
Speaking of the actors in Super Deluxe, the casting of the film is a delight. Everyone is at their career-best. As Shilpa, Vijay Sethupathy makes us feel the pain and humiliation a person like her would have to go through. There is no argument on who else could play Shilpa so convincingly. It is his element in the entire film that makes us gasp for breath.
A scene where a heartless and horny cop tries to molest Shilpa is just too hard to watch. Is it a reality for the transgender community in our country? We never know. Bhagavathy Perumal brings out the dirty cop so realistically that we desperately want to kill him.
Samantha and Fahadh are amazing as a couple with a troubled marriage and who are at the task of disposing of a dead body without anyone’s knowledge. They share terrific chemistry, and their bittersweet romance wins our hearts. To see Samantha come out of her usual sense of films and perform Vaembu with perfection shows how much she has transformed as an actor.
Ramya Krishnan, Myskinn, and all the newcomer kids shine in the film with their stellar performances. Myskinn, who plays Arputham, is made to question his blind belief in God while his wife Leela (played by Ramya Krishnan) is trying desperately to save her son, who just realizes that his mother is a former porn star.
The segment with the kids trying to get a new TV is literally beyond the galaxy.
The film takes us through four parallel stories that find a connection between them at the end. The four stories are unique and fresh. This is what makes this film stand out in the usually-cliched Tamil film industry. These are the kind of experiments we need in Indian cinema.
Not all experiments work, but Tyagaraja Kumaran’s brilliant film has all the ingredients for a successful experiment. The film took the road less traveled and yet turned out to be thought-provoking and entertaining.
The film is nothing less than genius. The director, through his narrative, questions the concepts of morality and how humans create and exploit their boundaries. In the end, the film leaves you wondering and test your belief in God and humanity.
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