Movie: Kutti

Director: Janaki Vishwanathan
Cast: Shwetha, Ramesh Arvind, Kausalya, Vivek, M.N.Rajam, Nasser, Eashwari Rao.

It is like a breath of fresh air - without the mindless violence, sex and cheap comedy. 'Kutti', the work of a debutant director, is a sensitively crafted film, with naturally flowing dialogues, smooth narration, sensitive treatment and some natural performances from the lead actors. It depicts the plight of a ten-year-old girl from a village who works as a domestic help in a city household. It is about deprived childhood and child-exploitation. From Shwetha, who plays the central role, it is another splendid performance for which she might well win her second national award, as the best child artiste.

Pampered silly by her father, a potter (Nasser), who tries to fulfill his daughter - Kannamma's every whim, though he has problem keeping his home fires burning, Kannamma lives a carefree existence far removed from the harsh realities of life. The death of her father brings a change in the fortunes of the family, her mother Senthamarai (Eashwari Rao) trying her best to make two ends meet. On the persuasion of a neighbour, Senthamarai sends Kannamma to work as a domestic help in the household of a couple, who are employed. Kannamma too is happy, for she would be getting 'good clothes and rice to eat'. The couple Ranganathan and Rohini (Ramesh Arvind - Kausalya), are kind hearted and look after her well. Though she has to reckon with their son, a brat who always snaps at her. The arrival of Ranganathan's mother on the scene (M.N.Rajam) bodes ill for the girl. Called by everyone as 'Kutti', Kannamma's name gets lost somewhere on the way. The mother irked by the decent treatment meted out to a domestic help, does her bit to harass the girl. 

Kannamma's only solace is the sympathy extended by the shopkeeper down the lane (Vivek). Matters turn worse when Ranganathan berates his mother for harassing the girl. And when the couple leaves on a four-day trip out of town, Kannamma, mentally and physically scarred, and knowing for sure that the old woman would take it out on her, runs away from the house. But the man - a 'Paanwallah' near the house whose help she takes to reach her village, turns out to be the wrong man. The final scene has the innocent girl being put on a train bound for Mumbai, with a couple of pimps for company.

'Kutti' touches a chord in one's heart, and does make one feel guilty about the callousness with which domestic helps are treated.