Contributed by Sai Ram Nedunuri
We all know that Super Star Rajini starrer Kaala which is directed by PA Ranjith, got released recently and is creating waves already. Here are some possible inferences from some scenes in the movie, which I deduced as far as my knowledge is concerned.
Note: As we know that Rajini's character (Protagonist) name in the film is Kaala and Nana Paatekar's character (Antagonist) name in the film is Hari Dada, from here onwards in this post those characters will be referred with their character names.
**Major spoilers ahead**
1. First Power cut scene
Just before the scene showing Kaala meeting his old love Zarina (Huma Qureshi), Kaala and Samuthira Khani's character will be seen talking in some place in Dharavi area. In that scene, there will be suddenly a power cut and despite of that, the conversation between those two will continue uninterruptedly. There will not even be slightest change in there expression when the power gets cut. (Generally we atleast see around or change our facial expression involuntarily when suddenly power gets cutoff)
Inference: Director would have thought to convey that the power cuts are very common in the area like Dhaaravi and the people are used to it. Hence the unchanged expression and continuity in their conversation, conveys that Kaala and Samuthira Khani's character are also used for these power cuts.
2. Street dog which accompanies Kaala
There is a street dog which accompanies Kaala in most of the scenes in the movie and Kaala is seen to take care of that street dog.
Inference: Generally most of the people see a street dog on a bit low note compared to the pets (which belong to certain breed). Here, by showing that Kaala takes care of a street dog, the director might have tried to convey that the Kaala does not show bias on the basis of where the dog lives and to which breed it belongs. This shows that he treats all people equally and he doesnot show partiality on certain people. This is in sharp contrast of Hari Dada (NanaPatekar) in whose house, a pet dog can be seen in a scene which looks to be of a certain costly breed. This potrays that Hari Dada treats people basing on class and that he gives importance to rich and high class.
3. Analogies by Hari Dada with mythologies.
In the scene where Kaala and Hari Dada meet in Hari Dada's house, we can see Hari Dada drawing anology of his own actions to Mahabharata. Hari Dada says something to Kaala similar to, "I am killing persons like you to save dharma as told by SriKrishna to Arjuna." In another scene, when Hari Dada's granddaughter asks who is Kaala, he says that he is "Raavan".
Inference: From these dialougues, we can see that the Hari Dada self proclaims himself as a noble person and whoever tries to oppose him, he quickly starts interpreting them as demons in mythology and starts feeling that he has every right to kill the so-called demons. This shows that he thinks whatever done by him is right and who opposes him are always wrong and fails to even introspect in an unbiased way The director might have tried to potray the character of Hari Dada as a person who always thinks that he is right and starts finding reasons to endorse that point in every way possible.
4. Scene of Hari Dada sharping his sword.
When Kaala comes to meet Hari Dada in his home, Hari Dada is seen sharping his sword and telling her granddaughter that "weapons become useless if they are not used."
Inference: Just before this scene, there will be a sequence where Kaala's family members get killed by the Hari Dada's plan. This above dialogue said by Hari Dada to his granddaughter conveys that he has started sharping his ideas (weapons) to make Kaala weak and to kill Kaala. The planning to kill him in which Kaala's family members get killed can be understood as part of those ideas. Sharping an old sword also conveys that his criminal moves and ideas were kept aside for so long time (since he might not have faced situations to use them) and now again he is sharping his ideas as there came a highly powerful person as a competitor in the form of Kaala.
5. Contrast in behavior of Kaala and Hari Dada when they are offered water in each others house.
When Hari Dada comes to Kaala's home, Hari Dada refuses to have water. But when Kaala goes to Hari Dada's home, Kaala takes the water when they offer.
Inference: Hari Dada's character of refusing the water offered to him shows his bias towards the people whom he considers as low class. When Kaala visits Hari Dada's home, Kaala could have refused to drink water for the reason that Hari Dada didnt take water at his home. But accepting the water, conveys that Kaala's character don't indulge in such type of revenge acts and he treats even the enemy's family in a nice way by accepting what they offer. It also tells that he treats the people of all the so-called classes equally and he does not avoid anything just because it came from the family he has differences with.
6. Name of RajiniKanth's character
RajiniKanth's name in the movie are Kaala, Karikaalan. 1. One of the meaning of Kaala refers to "God of Death (Yama)". 2. In another scene, we can see one of the family members of Kaala saying that his name came from "Kaala Bhairava". 3. Where as Karikaalan is the name of a chola king from the ancient history.
Inference: Generally Yama who is called "God of Death" is the one who controls death of people after calculating how much good and bad people have done. This is according to Hindu Mythology. Hence, people who does good deeds are always said to be treated well by Yama. By this name the director might have tried to potray Kaala as a person who punishes the persons who does wrong and treats well the persons with good deeds (for example his fellow neighbours in Dhaaraavi). Also, in one scene we can see that one of the Kaala's family members refer his name to "Kaala Bhairava" who is a form of Lord Shiva. According to Hindu mythology Kaala Bhairava is said to be guarding Shakthi Peethaas (Temples of Goddess Sathi). Hence by referring to this name, director might have conveyed that Kaala is also a guardian of his people and the land which he lives in i.e Dhaaraavi. Also we can see a deity symbol in front of Kaala's home which more or less symbolises God Kaala Bhairava's picture. Karikaalan who was the chola king was said to have built a grand Anicut of Cauveri. Hence naming the character after his name is for conveying that the Kaala character also does good for the people around him.
7. The climax fight where Hari Dada's goons go to Dhaaraavi to kill Kaala.
We can see that the final episode of goons killing Kaala's people and fighting with Kaala has been mixed with the scenes where the Hari Dada participate in Ram Pooja and the Poojaari narrates the final battle between Ram and Ravana from Ramayana.
Inference: This can be a most sensitive topic for comparing the Ram Ravan battle with the Kaala's fight with goons comparing Kaala with Raavan where Kaala is the protagonist of the film where as Raavan is actually an antagonist in Ramayan. So is protagonist being compared with antagonist from Mythology ?
A big NOOO i feel ..!!
The whole episode of this comaparison needs to be understood from the Hari Dada's point of view. If we observe, it is him who starts comparing Kaala with Raavan. It is him, who starts comparing Kaala with demons and proclaims himself as obeying Krishna in Bhagavadgita. It is him who says, "Born to rule" referring to Rama, after Poojari completes the narration of the story of "Rama killing Raavan" episode. So it means, it is his perspective of the mythology with which the final episode has been narrated with, which is obviously flawed version of perspective of Hari Dada. Hence, it is not necessarily the director's intention to show our protagonist Kaala as a resemblence of antagonist of mythology character Raavan. As said earlier, this gets confirmed again that the family of kaala never compare him with Raavan or other demon and instead compares him with Kaala Bhairava. Comparison of Kaala with Raavan is only the flawed perspective of the Hari Dada. Another point is, when the poojari starts narrating the Ramayan's episode of Ram raavan battle, at the same time Hari Dada orders his goons to bring the head of Kaala. Then there will be a back ground score with words "Raavan's end has come" And the next scene goes to Kaala's place and goons start surrounding Dhaaraavi. With this sentence, we can understand that the actual comparison of Raavan is with Hari Dada. "Raavan's end has come" applies to Hari Dada as Raavan because once he took the decision of getting the head of Kaala, then itself his end has started because the people will eventually kill him once he hurts Kaala. Hence here, the actual antagonist in Mythology who is Raavana can be understood as correctly being compared with the movie's antagonist who is Hari Dada. Also in next scenes, though Kaala gets killed, all the villagers say that Kaala hasn't died. Even Hari Dada sees him (as an illusion) when he is getting killed. Hence it is a way of conveying that Kaala's life hasn't ended and he lives on ... This fact is also not in sync with BGM lyric "Raavan's end has come". So, this point can be seen as another proof that actually Hari Dada has been compared to Raavana in those BGM sentences.
8. Colors shown in the climax of the film
We can see that in the climax of the film, all the people of Dhaaraavi are shown spilling various colors and Hari Dada gets drenched in all these colors and gets stuck in between all the people before getting killed by the people. The spilling of colors start by the black color first (when a small kid spills black color at Hari Dada's hand when he takes mud into his hand in the stone laying ceremony of townships in Dharavi). Spilling of black color is because in the entire film Kaala is resembled with black color and also black has been potrayed as a color of proletariat and hence black color has been spilled first and this is obvious. But why colors other than black are shown ?
Inference: We can observe that in the entire film, Hari Dada gets obsessed with white color and we can even observe the disgusting look in the face of Hari Dada when he first sees Kaala at Kaala's residency. He also says that his eyes are burning seeing the black color. This means except white (which is being compared here to rich and high class), he sees other colors (which is here analogous to so-called different sects of the society) as low and cheap. But in the society there will be different sects of people basing on their customs, religion and the work they do. These people are analogous to different - different colors. So Hari Dada who only tries to embrace white in his life, finally as part of destiny, gets mixed with crowd containing various people in the end and hence that might have been conveyed by the scene that various colors other than white are spilled over Hari Dada finally. Also this spilling of colors can be understood to the proof of Kaala's words when he goes to Hari Dada's home which are, "Come see my place, there will be rainbows showing up with black color". Hence in the end all the colors were shown at Kaala's place which more or less shows formation of rainbow. Finally we can understand that, though the mix of colors (analogous to the mix of various people) are celebrated, since Hari Dada cannot tolerate being mixed up with other colors and cannot tolerate to the rainbows at Dhaaraavi, he got suffocated among those people and finally got killed.
P.S. The above inferences are solely based on my observation and may not be 100% true. Also, apart from these I feel there are much more scenes in the movie which infer some or other information from the director's point of view.
