Audience Member
The movie is a period drama; it's set in 1930's rural backdrop. The movie tells the story of 'Scheduled Caste/Backward Class' people in India. The language, acting and some dummy jokes could be well jiggled at. This movie will be more appealing to tamil speaking people, who understand their culture, tradition and diversity of people. There are few scenes, which could be well avoided or told in a very light hearted manner, like the case of missionaries coming to the tea estate. The movie is bold, beautiful, daring and is a welcome step for more movies to come based on adaptation of, region and global-appealing novels.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/27/23
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Audience Member
A downright depressing movie reaching no consensus in the end.The movie could've ended on the brighter note of the Indian independence and the betterment in the state of the estate workers but instead chooses to revel in darkness leaving the audience feeling more empty in the end.The movie has all the elements to make it a great work of art except that it is not portrayed aptly. I'd prefer Avan Ivan over Paradesi anyday.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
01/26/23
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Audience Member
A brilliant film yet again from Bala & team. He takes us on a journey of hardship through the eyes of tea plantation slave workers in pre-independence India. As always, the characters are great and fleshed out, often making us, the audience, feel part of the suffering. All the actors & extras are great. Camerawork was fantastic with its sepia tones. G.V.P's music was a massive letdown, Isaignani's touch was sorely missing. The only minus points would be the rather wooden, 2 dimensional characterization of the Britishers and the unnecessary proselytizing song towards the end. The film ends rather abruptly, but it does so to show the never-ending lives of these workers. Based on the 1969 novel Red Tea, this is in my opinion Bala's best work since Sethu.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
02/17/23
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Audience Member
A true story well told by Bala,amazing cinematography,a must watch film this year
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/29/23
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Audience Member
Stunning portrayal of exploitation ,still relevant in today's time.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
02/06/23
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Audience Member
Bala's B-Films released a reality teaser of the much awaited Paradesi starring Atharva, Dhansika and Vedhika in the lead roles, which has created a furor on social networking sites. The 40 second teaser gives an impression that director Bala is shouting and whipping his actors to perform properly or it could well be him demonstrating how the scene needs to enacted. It looks pretty violent and disturbing.
Paradesi (English: Nomad) is an upcoming film directed by Bala starring Adharvaa, Dhansika and Vedhika in the lead role. Music scored by G. V. Prakash Kumar. The film is based on real life incidents that took place before independence, in the 1930s and 1940s.
The making of Paradesi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=E6YgCLmd6pQ&feature=endscreen
The controversial teaser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxHqWGPq0jI
The trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV4oEP4QUY8
(My review in Times of India)
An important film. However violent and distasteful the teaser might seem, it heralds what Hollywood might call "a major motion picture". I have seen several great Indian movies (and dozens of excellent Hindi and Tamil potboilers) over the past few months and years. But perhaps the greatest of these is Bala's Paradesi. Thank goodness for the English subtitles! From the opening remarks by the director, to the first, exquisite and fluid tracking shot exploring the impoverished but almost idyllic village, with its minutely storyboarded, virtually "choreographed", inhabitants going about their daily business; to their agonising trek to the tea gardens of hell, Paradesi is gripping. And I've never seen a more effective and frightening intermission intro than that desperate, dying hand - presaging the horrors that are to come. Come they do. Violent, cruel, yes. But with the scent of authenticity.
The movie is painted in a subdued tint, sympathetically tuned to the story, with background music and song perfectly colouring the atmosphere that Bala creates, but it's not only his film. The principal actors, Adharva, Vedhika, and Dhansika, could not be improved on; surely Mumbai's bright lights will beckon all three. Bala has not failed to inspire his supporting cast to sterling efforts, and the text of his screenplay, with Nanjil Nadan, is tight and economical. His treatment of British sahibs is more scathing than in any Indian movie I've yet to see; his only concession to masala is a viciously choreographed satire on British Christian missionaries which almost out-bollies Bollywood in its tragic exuberance. Not a happy film, but probably, nay, definitely, a necessary reminder of days not to be forgotten.
And if the "teaser" has attracted attention, it will have been justified if it draws in the world-wide audience that Paradesi deserves. DG.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/13/23
Full Review
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