Writer and Director: Nikesh RK
Cast: GV Prakash Kumar, Mamitha Baiju, Venkitesh.vp, Shalu Rahim, Karunas, Adhithya Baskar, Kalloori Vinoth, Subramaniya Siva
Available in: Theatres
Duration: 150 minutes
In a fleeting moment in the second half of Rebel, in what could be easily dismissed as a simple reaction shot, professor Udhayakumar (Karunas) smiles with relief and hope. And it’s the first time you see him genuinely happy. The film is set in the 1980s and he is seemingly the only Tamil professor in the government college of Chittur, Palakkad, where linguistic oppression takes different forms. He is the only such Tamil professor not because he is well educated and right for that position but also because he is subservient. So when he witnesses Tamil youngsters successfully fight for their rights in an election campaign, he realises that there is probably a chance to lead a better life. His inner transformation is one of the highlights in Rebel, which is otherwise loud and mostly predictable.
It’s predictable because when a character appears on screen, we instantly understand why they are introduced. When someone wants to go to the washroom alone, we realise what’s about to happen. When another character apologises, we already know what the other person is going to say. It’s because we have seen it in several other films where a revolutionary hero rises to save the day. Of course, films can have similar motifs but when they are too apparent, there is not enough space to emotionally connect with a character. We don’t see them as a real person experiencing different moments but as someone whose story is built to drive the film forward.
