When I rented S.Balachander's Andha Naal, I planned to review it as part of my 'whodunnit' theme for July. But the movie impressed me so much that I elevated it to 'movie of the month' status. Borrowing the narrative style from Akira Kurosawa's well-known classic Rashomon, the movie consists of different versions of how a crime could have happened, as narrated by different people. A clever screenplay, fast pace due to sticking to the story with no diversions in the form of song sequences, exquisite cinematography and surprising twists and turns make Andha Naal one of the must-see movies in Tamil cinema.

The day after the Japanese bombs Madras in 1941, radio engineer Rajan(Sivaji) is killed by a single gunshot and his neighbor Chinnayya reports the incident to the police. Apart from his distraught wife Usha(Pandaribai), his brother Pattabhi and Pattabhi's wife Hema were the others living in the house at that time. A dancer Ambujam enters the picture later. But as the police and CID Sivanandhan(Jaavar Seetharaman) investigate the case, they find out that each person involved in the case has his own suspect and a version of how the murder happened.

With its stark photography full of lights and shadows, innovative camera angles and crime subject complete with twists and turns, Andha Naal is one of the few examples of film noir in Tamil cinema. From its opening scene, where we see Sivaji being shot, the film moves at breakneck speed, with no speedbumps in the form of song and dance. In fact, not a single scene in the movie is unnecessary and every sequence contributes something to propel the story forward. As each suspect weaves his own version of what he thinks happened in the early hours of the day, we see different pictures being painted, with the participants' characters taking on different hues in each story depending on who the storyteller is.

The screenplay has been constructed flawlessly with each character pointing at another suspect and all the versions have us hooked. It is also interesting the way the story comes full circle as it starts with the neighbor casting suspicion on Sivaji's brother and ends with the neighbor himself being the suspect. All the stories sound plausible and our suspicion shifts from one character to another with each new story. Different elements like the packed bag, the money etc. are accounted for in each version and when the real killer is finally revealed, it comes as a real surprise. The reason behind it also provides perfect closure.

Weaved into these different stories is the CID's own investigation into the crime based on the evidence collected at the scene. Though quite straightforward, the way he goes about analyzing what happened is interesting and his MO for revealing the killer is clever. The confusion of the CID and the police inspector as each suspect points to someone new offers the movie's few lighter moments. While some of the evidence is explained, the absence of fingerprints on the gun appears to be a big loose end. It is never explained and in the real sequence of events revealed in the climax, the killer does not do anything to clean the fingerprints on the gun.

The cinematography really catches the eye in the movie. The black and white heightens the atmosphere and the director has utilized lights and shadows to the maximum extent. The silhoutte of Sivaji as he talks with the dancer in the park and the shadows on his face when he talks to Pandaribai are some scenes where the camera uses lights to enhance the shot. The inventive camera angles are another noticeable aspect as the camera captures the faces of the actors through a variety of odd spaces. The shot where the rotating chair comes to a stop at the point where the actor is seen between its armrest and seat is one such striking shot. There is another scene where the CID meets a shopkeeper who renders lines from a drama acting as a king. The overhead light being positioned like a crown on his head as he recites the lines is a very clever touch from the director.

Sivaji is required to play both good and bad guy depending on the version of the story and he does so flawlessly. His disregard for any kind of image is apparent in his role here as his character smokes and has an affair with a dancer. The neighbor makes us laugh with his nervous actions and dialog delivery in front of the police. Pandaribai is quiet as the dutiful wife while the actress playing Hema does a great job as a brave and forthright woman. Jaavar Seetharaman, also responsible for the screenplay, displays the right kind of seriousness for the role of the CID.