Chithha opens with a disclaimer that says: “Unfortunately based on real-life incidents.” The movie then goes on to foreshadow everything that will eventually go wrong. What starts off as a heartwarming tale between Sundari (a brilliant Sahasra Sree) and her affectionate uncle Eswaran (played by Siddharth) soon turns bitter after the former is abducted. But this doesn’t come as a surprise. Subtle but noticeable clues keep the audience awaiting the mishap. The director, SU Arun Kumar, slowly ups the ante, taking his time to let tragedy befall Eswaran and his widowed sister-in-law (played by Anjali Nair). And it works perfectly.
Eswaran works at the Palani town municipal corporation in Tamil Nadu. Every day, he drops and picks up Sundari at school. When he doesn’t show up one day (after being wrongfully accused of sexual assault), the eight-year-old decides to find her own way home. Unsurprisingly (to the viewers), she is abducted by a man who lures her with distractions and a promise to unite her with her uncle. The rest of the film follows Eswaran’s hunt for Sundari.
The moments of tenderness between Eswaran and his niece Sundari are a pleasure to watch. They call each other ‘chithha’ (short for ‘chithhappa’, one’s father’s younger brother) and ‘settai’ (mischievous). Eswaran is extremely affectionate, loving, and protective, but not in a cloying manner. He is the type of uncle who would question your school principal when summoned to complain about your antics. He would stand between you and your fuming mother and even take some blows on your behalf so her hands don’t reach you. So when Sundari goes missing, Eswaran’s frantic search feels personal, and you find yourself rooting for his success even when the odds seem stacked against him.
Nimisha Sajayan as Sakthi is simply stunning. Sakthi and Eswaran effortlessly go from being at each other’s throats over a misunderstanding from the past to falling in love all over again. The romance between the couple takes shape in longing gazes, lingering fingers and quiet escapades which provide several moments of tenderness in what is otherwise a grim tale. Sakthi’s role is not limited to being the love interest alone. She is fierce and stands up for her fellow corporation worker when he is asked to clean a toilet. In Eswaran’s search for Sundari and his quest for justice, Sakthi plays an important role. She poses important ethical questions, while nudging him to act in his niece’s best interests and not just on his murderous impulses.
Chithha is tightly written, and no scene feels redundant. By not giving away too much, the movie ensures that the audience remains on edge till the very end. Because of this, the twists are not sharp or unexpected, but rather slowly settle over the audience like a stormcloud. Vishal Chandrashekar’s music is the perfect accompaniment to complement the highs and lows of the movie.
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Portraying child sexual abuse on screen can be tricky. The filmmaker has to decide how much of the abuse to reveal, and with what kind of visuals, to ensure that the portrayal is sensitive and not distressing to viewers. Movies like Etharkkum Thunindhavan are infamous for exploiting issues like the Pollachi sexual assault case, portraying the violence in a disturbing way only to valorise the hero for ‘saving’ the survivors.
Even before that, for a long time in Tamil cinema, rape and sexual assault have remained under the purview of the male gaze — the hero avenging the rape remains the focus of the plot, with the survivor often sidelined. Notions like shame, honour, and reputation were associated with the survivor, who was often actively discouraged from reporting the sexual violence. Like a breath of fresh air, Chithha shatters these regressive notions. The film deserves praise for portraying child sexual abuse sensitively.
No triggering, disturbing visuals of the assaulted children are shown. Even the details of sexual abuse are revealed only in the context of a police investigation. There are no accompanying visuals of the child’s mother dramatically collapsing, with sentimental music blaring in the background. A no-nonsense police officer even berates a man for hesitating to report his niece’s sexual abuse, fearing that the girl’s reputation would be ruined. She says people who think like him are no less harmful than the people who sexually abuse children. Such depictions are important, serving as proof that movies on child sexual abuse can be made without gory, blood-smeared, and charred visuals of the victims.
However, Chithha is not entirely devoid of flaws. The very last scene almost defeats the point that the movie was striving to make all along. Apart from that, some screen time could have been devoted to showing how the survivors were healing from the trauma, instead of showing Eswaran make the tragedy about himself and his vengeance. Despite these minor flaws, Chithha is a necessary watch and a masterclass on how movies on child sexual assault can be sensitive and engaging without constantly triggering the audience.
Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the series/film. TNM Editorial is independent of any business relationship the organisation may have with producers or any other members of its cast or crew.