Kaaka Muttai

Kaaka Muttai (Tamil: காக்கா முட்டை; The Crow's Egg) is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language film written, directed and filmed by M. Manikandan. The film was jointly produced by Dhanush and Vetrimaaran, and features predominantly newcomers in the lead roles. The film, which has music composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar, had its world premiere on September 5, 2014 at the 39th Toronto International Film Festival. It went on to win two National Film Awards at the 2015 ceremony.

Plot

In a tiny concrete-and-tin Chennai home live two young brothers with their mother and grandmother. The boys constantly beg their mother and grandmother for toys they can't afford, and even for a television. They don't yet understand that the two women can't give them everything they want. When their mother does find a way to bring an old television home, it's the opening of a portal. The boys see a pizza commercial whose steaming, slow-motion images make the unfamiliar food look like manna from heaven. And from that point on, they dream of nothing but getting their first taste of pizza.

Cast

·         Ramesh Thilaganathan

·         J. Vignesh

·         Iyshwarya Rajesh

·         Babu Antony

·         Silambarasan in a guest appearance

·         Dhanush in a guest appearance

Production

The first look of the project was announced to the media on 26 January 2014, coinciding with Republic Day, with Dhanush and Vetrimaaran announcing that they would be making a children's film to be directed by Manikandan, a former wedding photographer, who had earlier directed the short film,Wind (2010), with music by G. V. Prakash Kumar.Filming for the project began at the end of May 2013, with the maker suggesting that the film would be complete in one schedule. Silambarasan accepted to make a cameo appearance in the film.He joined the team in September 2013 to film scenes alongside Babu Antony who plays a landlord.Two newcomers, Ramesh Thilaganathan and Vignesh, had been selected to play the lead roles along with Iyshwarya Rajesh.In August 2014, it was reported that the film had been completed four months before.

Release and reception

The film was selected to be screened at the 39th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and had its world premiere on September 5, 2014,where it received a standing ovation.It became the first film by a debut Tamil director to have its world premiere at Toronto since the festival's inception in 1976.

The film was furthermore screened at the Rome Film Festival, 2014,the Dubai International Film Festival, 2014,the Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival, the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA), 2015,and at the Gold Coast Film Festival, 2015.

A Hollywood Reporter reviewer called the film an allegory for the vast class differences in India, where some people profit off a system leaving little room for advancement for the those below.The satellite rights of the film were sold to STAR Vijay.