A cult film by Selvaraghavan: Aayirathil Oruvan

Ten years ago Selvaraghavan came up with a film that had nothing in common with the films he had directed up until then. It was a mix of historic fiction and fantasy, with elements like prophecy, "chosen one", deliverance, revenge and black magic. Aayirathil Oruvan starring Karthi, Andrea Jeremiah, Reema Sen and Parthiban received mixed reviews upon its arrival but the film has found an intense following over the last decade. It's nuances are studied with care, subtexts of Eelam and Sri Lankan civil war all too obvious now, along with the most entertaining, confounding and fantastical latter progressions in a Tamil film in recent times. To talk about Aayirathil Oruvan, Aditya is joined by Ashoka with special guests - film critic Sudhir Srinivasan, Entertainment Editor, Cinema Express (The New Indian Express) and Nadika, who returns to The Other Banana once again after the Super Deluxe episode. Here is Arul Mani's article on Selvaraghavan that's discussed in the episode.