{"id":204391,"date":"2019-08-26T12:43:40","date_gmt":"2019-08-26T07:13:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=204391"},"modified":"2019-08-30T22:19:43","modified_gmt":"2019-08-30T16:49:43","slug":"kaaka-muttai-the-crows-egg-the-poor-under-globalization-neoliberalism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/kaaka-muttai-the-crows-egg-the-poor-under-globalization-neoliberalism\/","title":{"rendered":"Kaaka Muttai (The Crow\u2019s Egg): The Poor Under Globalization & Neoliberalism? \u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Laksiri Fernando<\/a>\u00a0–<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Dr. Laksiri Fernando<\/p><\/div>\n

Kaaka Muttai (The Crow\u2019s Egg) is an excellent Tamil-language film recently shown on SBS TV (Australia), as part of World Movies, with English subtitles that depicts some of the predicaments of the poor, particularly the growing up children, under globalization and neoliberalism in a satirical manner. Written, directed and filmed by N. Manikanadan as a debut in Chennai in 2015 it has gained several international accolades for its story, message, sensitivity and artistic qualities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The story with the background of slum dwellings in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, revolves around two boys who become obsessed with tasting a piece pizza. Pizza here is the symbol of globalization. The two are brothers who live with their mother and grandmother, the father being in police custody for some unknown reason. They all love each other very much.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is praiseworthy that Manikanadan in fact has chosen two slum kids to act in his film, J. Vignesh and V. Ramesh, as the two brothers. The mother\u2019s role is played by Aishwarya Rajesh, a well known actress.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While the mother struggles to find money to get the father released on bail, the two kids get influenced by pizza advertisements in the area and on TV. Both are ingenious kids who behave reasonably well influenced by their mother\u2019s ethical orientation. She has a principle not to hit her kids and humor is her disciplinary tactic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How did they get TVs, while being and living in a dirty slum? Undoubtedly, neoliberalism has a \u2018trickledown\u2019 effect! Or is it a lingering \u2018welfare-measure\u2019 coming from M. G. Ramachandran\u2019s era? They in fact have two TVs! Not only the mother, but also the grandmother gets a free TV during the election time being ration-card holders. While watching TV commercials on pizza, the two kids salivate in the presence of the grandmother.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Granny tries to appease the greed or the desire of the two kids by trying to imitate a pizza by using dosa as the batter-base, and topping it with tomato slices, capsicum and onions. She tries her very best, but the boys are obviously not satisfied. Only their pet dog eats it. The two kids cannot understand why their mother or grandmother cannot supply what they want, whether pizza, toys or eggs. This is the predicament of the poor kids all over the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the names of the two kids? No one knows the real names, the elder being called \u2018Periya Kaaka Muttai\u2019 (Big Crow\u2019s Egg) and the other, \u2018Chinna Kaaka Muttai\u2019 (Little Crow\u2019s Egg). The names are given because they are well known for collecting crows\u2019 eggs and drinking them for extra strength and vitality. They are school dropouts given their abject poverty. Otherwise it is said that Chennai schools supply eggs to poor school kids at lunch time. They are ingenious in collecting crows\u2019 eggs from nests.\"\"<\/a> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Opening a Pizza Spot near their slums is a big event. Perhaps that was the only empty land available for the newly rising businessman (under neo-liberalism, I would say), to erect the new building for that purpose. This is what the kids mother later questions from the authorities, asking \u201cWhy did you allow opening a pizza spot near our slums, tormenting our children?\u201d All the slum kids go to see the event, from a distance of course, inaugurated by a popular film star Simbhu.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Two Eggs\u2019 appetite increases. They get a leaflet and call 3888 3888 for pizza delivery, thinking it might be within their means. They do earn some money by collecting and selling dropped coals from goods-trains to a collection shop. (They live near a railway line). But the price is Rs. 300! The receptionist asks for their address! Do they have one? They are confused. They ask the granny and she is more confused. \u201cWe are near Mariamman Temple,\u201d is her answer. They fear to ask the mother because then she knows the two are up to some mischief.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Having sympathized with the boys\u2019 predicament, their friend-mentor, a railway lineman, shows where the railway department keeps some coal in store. His name is \u2018Fruit Juice.\u2019 They take coal chunks little by little and ask their mentor: \u201cAre we stealing?\u201d \u201cNo, you are just taking,\u201d is the answer. For that advice, their mentor-lineman loses his job. All these episodes are depicted in extremely humorous manner. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After earning enough money, they go to the Pizza Spot. They are chased away by the security, staring at their clothes. They are now puzzled about their dress. For the second attempt, they find some good clothes, without stealing, but \u2018doing business\u2019 with two rich kids in Mylapore. This is part of the central city of Chennai. In contrast to pizza, the two rich kids were after pani puri, their father forbids for hygienic reasons. They exchange pani puri to new cloths.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The \u2018Two Eggs\u2019\u00a0 <\/span>make a second attempt in good clothes to buy pizza. Alas! Having recognize them as slum kids, the Manager assaults the \u2018Big Egg\u2019 and he falls. This is videoed by some other kids for fun, but about to go viral under positive developments of globalization and technology transfer. The two poor kids have further disappointment by losing their grandmother when they come home. After the funeral, they runaway from home being scared of thugs that the businessman has sent. The pizza businessman makes all efforts to thwart the news and the video spreading, but several TV channels jump on the opportunity. \u2018It is a human rights issue,\u2019 his business advisor declares.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The film reveals the despicable connections between the businessman\/men, the local politicians, the area thugs and the police in uncertain terms. These are very common in many South Asian countries, similar to the film\u2019s surroundings, characters and incidents. The poor are their virtual instruments of their games.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Having failed to stop the news, and the video, the Businessman brings the two kids through the police to the Pizza Spot. This is peace-making and reconciliation. The arrangements are similar to the opening ceremony where the movie star Simbhu participated. The two kids, accompanied by the mother are extremely puzzled. A TV journalist asks the businessman \u201cIs this a business gimmick?\u201d The businessman says \u201cNo, I apologize for the incident. I don\u2019t make a distinction between the rich and the poor.\u201d These are typical of neoliberal pronouncements. The reality is the difference.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Businessman offers pizza to the two kids and in fact feeds them. Their appetite is really gone. Faces are woeful. Periya Muttai asks Chinna Muttai: \u201cDo you like it?\u201d Yuck is the answer. \u201cGranny\u2019s dosa-pizza was much better,\u201d he adds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

(One may compare \u2018Kaaka Muttai\u2019 with \u2018Slumdog Millionaire.\u2019 However, the KM is more realistic and meaningful, than the SM in my opinion. It is down to earth to the South Asian conditions and contradictions of globalization.) \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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