24/05/2025

LYFE SATURDAY | MAY 24, 2025

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Emotional bonds o Actor Soori shines in sentimental family drama

D IRECTED by Prasanth Pandiyaraj, Maaman is a film that leans heavily on family emotions and the strength of its cast to drive an otherwise conventional narrative. It may not reinvent the wheel in terms of storytelling, but what it does offer is a deeply emotional and endearing experience, anchored by heartfelt performances and genuine moments of connection. Plot The story centres around Inba, played by Soori, a simple, affectionate man whose life revolves around his young nephew Laddu. Inba’s world is turned upside down when he marries Reka (Aishwarya Lekshmi), a kind-hearted doctor. What begins as a happy union quickly becomes complicated when Laddu, feeling threatened and displaced by the new presence in his uncle’s life, begins to rebel. The conflict is not driven by villains or high drama – but by the quiet pain of shifting dynamics in close relationships, a child’s possessiveness, an uncle’s guilt and a wife’s growing discomfort. Ű BY THASHINE SELVAKUMARAN

Plot-wise, Maaman does not offer anything significant. In fact, the narrative is fairly predictable, with themes we have seen countless of times in Tamil cinema – especially family, sacrifice, misunderstandings and reconciliation. But what sets the film apart is how earnestly the cast delivers it. The emotional weight and sincerity of the performances turn a routine script into something moving. Cast and characters Soori, in particular, shines with a career-defining performance. Once known purely for his comedic roles, he has steadily carved a new path as a capable dramatic actor and Maaman proves just how far he has come. His portrayal of Inba is layered, vulnerable and brimming with love. There is a quiet dignity in the way he carries his character’s emotional

burden, and he effortlessly holds the film together. Adding to the film’s strength is the young boy who plays Laddu. A true natural on screen, the child actor brings an impressive mix of innocence and cheekiness. His chemistry with Soori is beautiful to watch, especially in tender and at times heartbreaking moments that speak to the unspoken love between a child and the adult who raises him. Aishwarya, while underutilised in some parts, delivers a solid performance as Reka. She brings grace and empathy to her role, portraying a woman caught between understanding and frustration. Veteran actor Rajkiran adds further emotional heft, and the supporting cast, including Swasika and Bala Saravanan, all contribute meaningfully. Some scenes, particularly in the

0 DIRECTOR: Prasanth Pandiyaraj 0 CAST: Soori, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Raj Kiran E-VALUE 7 ACTING 8 PLOT 6

Maaman is a sentimental family drama that tugs at heartstrings. – ALL PICS FROM IMDB

audiences familiar with the dynamics of close-knit families. Maaman may not be perfect, but it is a film with its heart in the right place and it offers a touching and worthwhile cinematic experience. Maaman is now playing in cinemas.

second half, are deeply emotional and tug at the heartstrings. The film does not rely on heavy-handed melodrama but instead, it uses small, quiet moments such as an apology, a silent look, a tearful goodbye to evoke real feeling. These scenes feel honest and relatable, especially for

The film talks about a loving uncle and his relationship with his sister’s son.

Adidas-Puma family feud to be turned into TV series THE bitter brotherly feud that sparked the creation of sports shoe brands Adidas and Puma in the same small German town in the 1940s is to be turned into a television series with the help of family archives, its producers have announced.

New Frankenstein will be no horror flick, Del Toro says

Film producer No Fat Ego is backing the project. – AFPPIC

TRIPLE Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro said his new version of Frankenstein will not be a horror film, but will instead pack a high-voltage emotional punch. The Mexican director of Hellboy and The Shape of Water said the new movie would not be a creature feature, but one with real heart. “I am not making a horror movie, never. For me, it is an incredibly emotional film, as personal as everything else I have done. It is about being a father, being a son. “I believe emotion is the new punk,” he told an event at the Cannes film festival. Del Toro added that “people do not take risks like we do” and that there was no shame in “being extremely emotional”. The Netflix drama starring Saltburn heartthrob Jacob Elordi is to be released in December. Del Toro was speaking during a conversation with the French composer Alexandre Desplat at the festival. They have worked together on several occasions, including

Hollywood-based film producer No Fat Ego is backing the project, which has the blessing of the family behind the Adidas empire founded by Adolf “Adi” Dassler. It will delve into one of the most fascinating fraternal blow-ups in corporate history, which pitted Adi against his brother Rudolf ”Rudi” who went on to create rival Puma. The two men jointly ran a family owned footwear company before falling out during World War II, with their post-conflict animus splitting their town of Herzogenaurach to this day. Scriptwriter Mark Williams, behind the hit Netflix series Ozark , has been hired to lead the project and is currently going through Dassler family home videos and memorabilia to work on the story. “Everybody knows the brands, but the story behind them is something

“succession-type drama between the family” set over several generations, Williams explained, comparing it with the earlier hit HBO series. No Fat Ego head Niels Juul, who has produced Martin Scorsese’s most recent movies, said he was originally drawn to the story after learning about Adidas’s collaboration with legendary black American runner Jesse Owens. Partly thanks to its innovative spiked shoes, Owens became one of the stars of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, which Hitler had hoped would showcase white German supremacy. No Fat Ego intends to develop the series with full editorial independence before offering it to streaming platforms. – AFP

we do not really fully know,” said Williams at the Cannes film festival. One of the most sensitive areas, particularly for the reputations of the multi-billion-dollar footwear companies today, will be how the brothers are portrayed during the war period. Both became members of the Nazi party in the 1930s, as was customary for the business elite at the time. Rudi went to fight, however, and was arrested by allied forces on his return to a defeated Germany. “Adi stayed home and tried to keep the company alive,”Williams added. Their factory was seized as part of the war effort and converted into a munitions plant. The series promises to be a

Del Toro says the new movie would not be a creature feature, but one with real heart. – AFPPIC The Shape of Water in 2017, for which they won Oscars – Del Toro for directing and Desplat for the soundtrack. – AFP