Leap, Leaf
STORY:
Ilai (Swathy Narayanan) is a class 10 student. She hails from a village which hates women empowerment to the core. But her father wants her study and Ilai too is interested a lot.
On the other hand, everyone else, including her own mother, oppose her getting educated. While the jamindar’s daughter fumes in jealousy, Ilai’s maternal uncle lusts around her.
Facing all these odds, Ilai comes close to writing the public exam. But various hurdles are before her. Is she able to cross them successfully and complete her schooling?
ANALYSIS:
Directed by Bineesh Raj, Ilai is a movie with a message. While the intentions are noble, the way the story has been narrated takes us to the 1980s. In other words, it is like watching a drama in Doordarshan.
But the director should be lauded for his efforts to highlight a crucial message. Certain scenes are touching and hard-hitting.
Swathy Narayanan, the little girl, performs well. There are Sujit, King Mohan, Sreedevi, Anil, Sivakumar Kurukkal and Biju Raj in the cast and everyone has a role to play.
The film runs for just two hours and one minute and that itself is a big relief. If you believe that cinema is a medium to convey messages to the society, you can feast on this Ilai.
Rating: 2.25 out of 5
