New Tamil anthology has stories of love, hope and resilience

Nina C George speaks to the five directors of 'Putham Pudu Kaalai Vidiyaadhaa', a collection of films shot during the pandemic

Putham Pudhu Kaalai’, an anthology of five stories set during the Covid-19 pandemic, had touched a raw chord in the viewers when it was released on Amazon Prime Video. Two years later, a new anthology, ‘Putham Pudhu Kaalai Vidiyaadhaa’, is back with five heartwarming stories about hope, love and humanity.

Directed by Balaji Mohan, Halitha Shameem, Madhumita, Richard Anthony and Surya Krishnan, the stories were written and shot during the pandemic. It released on Prime Prime Video on January 14.

The five directors spoke to Showtime about their films.

Balaji Mohan, director of ‘Mugakavasa Mutham’

The film wants to show how people drew hope and kept a positive spirit even during the toughest times.

“My story focuses on frontline workers -- two police constables. How they manned the streets, where they ate and how they stayed healthy and braved tough situations are depicted in it,” Balaji tells Showtime.

Halitha Shameem, ‘Loners’

The story looks at how two lonely people yearn to have a meaningful conversation, says Halitha Shameem. It shows how the pandemic triggered a feeling of loneliness among many. “How two strangers meet online and find solace in each other forms the heart of the story. Their conversations instill confidence in each other and sow a seed of hope, love and longing,” says Halitha. Actor Arjun Das plays a guy who works from home and Lijo Mol plays a girl who has just suffered a breakup.

Madhumita, ‘Mouname Paarvayaai’

Nadiya Moidu and Joju George play a couple in this episode. It looks at the perils of faulty communication. “The importance of good communication cannot be emphasized enough during this pandemic. What we should say or should not say or how much to say has now become relevant,” says Madhumitha. “One is never too sure of the best way to communicate one’s thoughts, feelings and emotions,” she adds.

Richard Anthony, ‘Nizhal Tharum Idham’

The director looks at how people have been dealing with the many ups and downs during the pandemic. “We have our own ways of dealing with pain, anxiety and fear.

Here, I look at a girl, played by Aishwarya Lekshmi, who has effectively brought out how she faces tough situations and emerges strong in the face of adversity,” says Richard. He says it was a good rapport between him and the actor that helped them make an effective film.

Surya Krishna, ‘The Mask’

Through the characters, director Surya wishes to communicate that not all hope is lost during the pandemic. “There are situations when the pandemic has made us stronger and put us in situations and challenged us to emerge tougher than before. It’s not all gloomy, we present a picture of hope during this dark time,” says Surya.

The title, ‘The Mask’ is a metaphor that denotes that we are all wearing different masks in different situations and how not everything needs to be grim behind the mask.

Good stories are appreciated

Aparna Purohit, head of India originals, Amazon Prime Video India, says the response to the first part, 'PPK', inspired a sequel. “The audiences have become far more discerning and are now exposed to content from across the world. Differences and barriers of language no longer exist. We’ve seen time and again how good stories connect and resonate with the audience,” she told Showtime.