Kuiko Movie Review: This rural drama attempts to be full of emotions, but lacks an anchor

"Home is where the heart is..." We see this phrase being tossed around in abundance everywhere, yet what constitutes a true home remains subjective. For youngsters residing in hostels, home essentially means returning to their families. To those from dysfunctional backgrounds, it is a person offering a safe space. For others, home can simply be a standard definition of the feeling of comfort and joy that one embraces at any moment. In director Arul Chezhian’s Kuiko, the concept of home is contained in a freezer box. Perplexed? Allow me to explain…

Director: T Arul Chezhian

Cast: Yogi Babu, Vidharth, Durga, Ilavarasu, Muthukumar and Vinodhini

The story of Kuiko, short for Kudiyirundha Kovil, starts with Vidharth (Thyagarajan) getting fired from his teaching job. He later wishes to enjoy an IPL match in Chennai. When he goes to collect money from a family friend Panbazhagan (Muthukumar) for this, he is requested to drop off a freezer box at Yogi Babu’s (Malaiyappan) house since his mother has passed away. How the box changes the life of Thyagarajan, Malaiyappan and several characters in the village forms the rest of the story.

Malaiyappan, who was a goat rearer in his village, is now a well-off camel rearer in Saudi Arabia. He comes to his hometown to provide a graceful send-off to his mother and regrets not being for her at her final moments. Thyagarajan, who is stuck in the same village, comes off as a person who is too kind to say no. The camera lazily takes its own sweet time following these characters, moving around where they want to and settling inside the funeral house. By the time the central conflict arises, it is already several minutes past intermission.

The director attempts to weave several ideas into the story including passing mentions about the state of temples in the village, the age-old 'kela theru mela theru' clashes and how life is all about balancing the ‘yin and yang’. However, all these elements feel like a deliberate attempt to add weight to the story.

The film also portrays a narrative involving loan sharks and a person’s relentless pursuit to recover his loaned money. Similar to Maaveeran, Kuiko touches on the theme of migrant workers finding jobs in the state but fails to generate any impact either within us or to the storyline.

For a film that positions itself as a story centered on Kudiyirundha Kovil, the freezer box, which is the heart of the story, gets a mere half an hour or so of screen space. Disappointingly, it fails to serve as a significant catalyst in the narrative. The writing lacks focus. It is a detailed description of everyday activities, which isn’t inherently negative, but when it offers nothing to the audience, it becomes dull and monotonous.  

It is commendable to observe that numerous narratives fearlessly delve into the world of funeral homes, portraying the cultural celebration of death akin to homecoming and how we are not afraid of wailing and expressing agony regardless of age. But how will these small aspects contribute to a larger, meaningful picture if they remain as mere fragments unable to help anyone collecting debris at the end of the day?

Arul Chezhian's story is simple and unfortunately remains that way throughout, which again, is not a bad aspect. There are several rural-based stories that have remained unforgettable over the years because of one concrete story that shakes the core within us. Kuiko moves its focus away from the central track and disperses it onto other parallel tracks that swallow the central element. As the credits roll, you are left confused with no emotion or clarity, scratching your head as to what the director is trying to convey through his story.

If there's something to take back home, I would remember the delightful Tamil rendition of Tum Paas Aaye song made for Malaiyappan and Muthumaari’s (Durga) love track. Otherwise, Kuiko remains gibberish like the title of the story and despite explaining it, the film does not deliver the meaning or its purpose.