Paava Kadhaigal: An Anthology Film That Delves Deep Into The Bloody Side Of Caste, Class & Bigotry

Paava Kadhaigal (2020), the title of which loosely translates to ‘Sin Stories’ is a four-part Netflix Tamil series directed by the finest Tamil filmmakers Sudha Kongara, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Vetrimaaran and Vignesh Shivan, and produced by Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP films.

The anthology tries to unravel the hypocrisy of the Indian society as wars are waged and lives are lost for the preservation of the social order. The episodes take us through the journeys of characters who are trying to break the status quo through their endogamous and non-heteronormative unions, which are not received well by their own loved ones. In each story, we see how the society and its people react to it, often times committing grave sins that are irreversible in nature.

The heartbreaking ‘Thangam,’ which is probably one of the simplest yet the purest love stories ever told in the world, opens the window to the emotions and struggles of those whose love does not manage to out-do their identity.

‘Love Panna Uttaranum’ depicts the intolerance that a community holds against people who wish to come together despite their differences. The story also makes a subtle attempt to normalise same-sex love.

While ‘Vaanmagal’ deals with survival as a rape victim, ‘Orr Iravuis’, about an estranged pregnant daughter who is invited back to her father house for a baby shower, makes way for a nuanced conversation about a rather complicated, even tabooed subject.

Each of these stories, despite being full of warmth and learning, also bring one to the realisation of the extent bigotry can stretch to out of vendetta.

A rather brutally honest portrayal of the society we inhabit, the unlikely Tamil series makes us question why women have still not ceased functioning as the site of honour for a society that probably only cares about its watertight norms. Even in doing that, however, it does not fail to remind us that it’s only with courage that we love and it’s only with love that we overcome.

You can watch the anthology on Netflix.

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