burqa movie review in tamil

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Burqa review: Sincere, mature debate on religion, repression and humanity

Burqa review: the writing is beautifully complemented by the lead performances of kalaiarasan and mirnaa..

Burqa, from writer-director Sarjun KM, is one of the most refreshing films to have come out of Tamil cinema in recent times. It’s refreshing because the film, given the issues it touches upon, leaves a strong impact without ever feeling like much effort has been put into making this an important discourse. It is this quality that makes Burqa, which has opted for a direct-OTT release via Aha, standout and likable. Everything about the film, including its writing and staging of scenes, feels organic and seamless.

Set against the backdrop of a Hindu-Muslim communal riot, the story is centered on Najma, a young Muslim widow who is observing Iddat - the period of solitude of 4 months – following the death of her husband, Anwar (Suriya). Surya (Kalaiarasan), who takes part in the riots for money, gets severely injured and arrives at the doorstep of Najma, seeking refuge. Reluctant to give shelter to him initially, Najma eventually decides to let Suriya in her house and even attends to his stab wound, thanks to her brief experience of working as a nurse. Over the course of the next 24 hours, the two strangers get to know each other while indulging in a mature debate over religion, repression and humanity.

Unlike most Tamil films, Burqa plays out like a conversational drama and it works beautifully in the film’s favour. Even though the film discusses issues like religion, faith and cultural practices among others, it never feels it’s trying hard to leave an impact. There’s a beautiful scene where Najma tries to explain why she observes Iddat, despite being completely against the idea. She blames her religion for making it a tradition which has been passed on across generations. Surya, who listens to her open up about her life, stops and corrects her with a thought-provoking line – ‘It is the people who are to be blamed, but not the religion’. Who knows better about people and society than the son of a sex worker? A few scenes later, as Suriya talks about being raised in a brothel by his mother, we understand how he knows so much about people and how judgemental the society can get.

The best aspect about Burqa, its writing in particular, is that it never looks down upon any religion. It merely questions certain practices that are blindly embraced by people who are most of the time feeling helpless in such situations. The writing is beautifully complemented by the lead performances of Kalaiarasan and Mirnaa, who pretty much take most of the screen time except for a few fleeting shots of the supporting cast. Both Kalaiarasan and Mirnaa deliver their best in roles that are unlike anything they’ve played before. Apart from the acting, it’s the music by Sivatmikha that really enables the film to resonate strongly, even in the silences, between dialogues at some crucial junctures.

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Burqa Movie Review: A sincere take on repression and humanity

Rating: ( 3 / 5).

Hundreds and thousands of years ago, early men instituted religion to bring order and make their community conform. Tied up to the idea of faith, the institutions demanded a certain behaviour from their followers. But what if a religious norm, ritual or tradition, stands only as a deterrent for someone and yet they knowingly accept it all due to years of conditioning? In that case, who do we blame? Is it religion, or indoctrination? This question darts a crucial point of reflection in Burqa , the recent Aha release, which is powered by compelling performances by Mirnaa as Najma and Kalaiyarasan as Suriya. 

Director: Sarjun KM

Cast: Kalaiyarasan, Mirnaa

The film opens with some picturesque frames of a tranquil antique courtyard house. We get a glimpse of 21-year-old Najma's rather mundane routine. The only source of "light" seeps through the doors, windows and the terrace grills from dawn to dusk. Everything remains still until an unexpected visitor knocks at the door for help, which puts Najma in a position to choose humanity over religion. Following the demise of her newly-wed husband, Najma is (unwillingly) observing Iddah, primarily intended to remove doubt as to the paternity of a child if born. And her encounter with Suriya is the first time in the last one and half months of confinement that something has happened beyond her daily routine. The rest of the story unravels as a series of conversations between them that drives Najma to confront her fear and conditioning. Najma addresses her desire to make choices and yet realises that it is not easy to break out of the shackles. Sarjun creates an impressive setting to discuss sensitive topics sincerely and also entwines a beautiful chemistry between them that oscillates between platonic and romantic spectrums.

One of the many interesting aspects of this heavily conversational film is that even though it unfolds at a single location with primarily only two characters, it does not feel suffocating. The play with light, shadow, set properties and artistic frames aesthetically enhance this slow-paced plot. Take, for instance, how in a time of doubt and confusion, a murky shadow of light falls on the character, and when the doubts clear, a bright beam of light enters their space. Such refined visual language adds intricate layers to the story.

Early in the film, Suriya asks Najma why she is in a Pardah even though she is inside her house. She says it is because no men should see her and vice versa during Iddah. Even when her face is uncovered, a curtain or a door stands as a metaphor for a Pardah as they debate the logic and rationality of such practices. While on the other hand, the Pardah itself is an allegory that is also about Najma shielding her true self and desire. 

Burqa also addresses a pertinent concern of how society, over years, has not just conditioned how someone (especially women) should behave, but also how they should feel at various periods of their life. In a Pagglait -esque scenario, Najma contends with her inability to mourn when she knew her husband only for a week. When she discloses that she is unhappy with making efforts to please others, it is a poignant moment of self-awareness and realisation. These scenes are aided by R Sivatmika's background scores and songs that dribble like a serene stream flowing into a turbulent river

From saying religion has an answer for everything to bursting out against religion for making decisions for her, Najma goes through a rollercoaster of thoughts and emotions. And Suriya's argument that the problem is not with the institutions but with the people who interpreted it, and their unwillingness to evolve is the crux of the story. Meanwhile, as Najma draws similarities between her destiny and Suriya's lived-in experiences, the latter counters her through his hard-hitting questions, which paves way for introspection. Fascinatingly, it's not just one way. When she questions his ideology and asks why he took part in a communal riot-- it subtly throws light on the reality of how with cultivated differences, humans are entangled in creating unrest and are embroiled in a toxic fabric that disrupts harmony. 

As such conversations delve deeper, the light that seeps into Najma's house widens and Suriya's realisation of her humanitarian deed towards him, at a life-threatening moment, draws an effective similarity to Anbe Sivam that places humanity above all. However, some moments that segue from one related topic to the other seem a bit staged and lack coherence. While the predominant storyline centres around being true to oneself and not having the necessity to prove to others, the scene where Najma and Suriya explain to their respective friends questioning their fidelity, seems contradictory to the core belief espoused in the film. Although a few dialogues and scenes felt all over the place and rushed, the intention of the film masks the flaws, albeit sparingly. 

Burqa is a film that not just creates room for a discussion on progressiveness and liberation, but also reflects on the hard-hitting reality of how it is not easy to change or rather accept change. In fact, films like Burqa, The Great Indian Kitchen , and Pagglait explore the truth of how internalised regressive beliefs that oppress and subjugate women are, unfortunately, pervaded across religion, caste, creed and whatnots. In Burqa , we see how education alone is not enough for attaining liberation, but the ability to unlearn and learn is essential. It isn't that only a big revolutionary change can provide much-needed solace. Even a small gesture of opening up to someone who would listen, and embracing one's own feelings is the first step towards acceptance, healing, nurturing the thought of breaking out, and subsequently, liberation for a caged bird-like Najma. Perhaps, as Maya Angelou said, 'Now I know why a caged bird sings...'

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Burqa Movie Review (2023)

• 07 Apr 2023

Sarjun KM's 'Burqa', on aha, is a solid, deliberately theatrical (and gorgeously shot) debate on an Islamic practice

Burqa Movie Cast & Crew

Sarjun KM's Burqa is set in Chennai, and it opens on the eve of a riot in December. The date is not mentioned, but perhaps it's December 6, marking yet another anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992. Or maybe it's some other issue that's become a flash point. Whatever the case, the thing to note is that there are events that continue to inflame people. A curfew has been imposed. The violence outside is the perfect backdrop for a story that questions the "emotional violence" perpetrated in the name of religion, like the Islamic custom of iddah or iddat. Wikipedia defines it as the period after the death of a husband or after a divorce, during which a woman is confined to home and may not marry another man. One of its main purposes is to ensure that if a child is born to the woman, it's that of the divorced/dead prior husband.

So to mirror the conflict on the streets, we have a quiet conflict raging inside our protagonist,Najma. The film opens with a quote from the American writer Angie Weiland-Crosby: "The wind breathes lonely, longing to be seen. Sometimes, the soul has days like these." Najma'soul is that wind. She is young and housebound and lonely, emotionally and possibly sexually. Like an answer to her prayers, a wounded man named Soorya lands up at her doorstep, seeking protection. Their names are complementary: Najma means "star", Soorya refers to the sun. They are day and night in terms of personality, and yet, there are commonalities. And this one-hour-twenty-minute film is essentially a debate between these two characters: man and woman, Hindu and Muslim, mercenary street-fighter and meek housewife, someone who spits on traditions and someone who upholds them (even if she's often confused about their validity).

Talky issue-films are rare. I can recall Robert Redford's Lions for Lambs, which was a series of vignettes that added up to a grand indictment of American foreign policy, the apathy of the citizenry, the sad fact that civilisations do not sustain themselves through non-violence anymore, the culpability of the media, why Iraq isn’t like Vietnam, and so on. Now, that film had many characters talking. Burqa is more like Before Sunrise, which has only two people in conversation – except that this conversation takes the form of a debate, the kind we might have with a friend during an evening we are feeling a tad existential. Cinematographer Balamurugan does something marvellous. His flamboyant work is a complete contrast to the theatrical nature of Burqa. The characters are filled with dark nights of the soul. The screen, meanwhile, is filled with gorgeous colour and light.

Kalaiyarasan plays Soorya. Mirnaa plays Najma. Their performances are solid without being spectacular. But the lack of fireworks in the acting department may be a blessing in disguise, because they clear the space for the real explosions: the ideas. Najma is a nurse. She heals the wounds on Soorya's body – but can she heal the wounds that a patriarchal society inflicts on its most vulnerable (i.e. women, both Muslim and Hindu). In a way, Soorya saves Najma – at least for the duration of a day – as much as she saves him. Through tiny bits of drama, we get a sense of how society invades our most private spaces, our homes. Najma's former husband was quite liberal. He speaks to her about a holiday, just the two of them – where she can wear the T-shirts she likes. But the second they hear footsteps behind them, they draw apart and pretend to do something else. The things they have said to each other, the closeness they have expressed outside their bedroom – this is "just not the done thing" in a conservative household.

Why is Soorya so angry on Najma's behalf? Because he knows, to an extent, what she is going through – because his mother, too, was suppressed by society for a reason. Society decided the fate of these two women. I did not care for the "opening up" of a few scenes that take place outside this house, like the one with Najma's father. It takes away from the claustrophobic atmosphere. The gradual understanding between the leads does a lot more, like in the echo scenes where they turn chairs in different directions so that Soorya does not see Najma's face. And the dialogues keep making us think about the things we do. Do we need to tell small lies in order to keep the people around us happy? Can one person change due to another? There are no easy answers and Sarjun is not after a neat closure to Najma's problems. He wants a debate, and – if you are in the mood for one, his chamber play-like film sparks it.

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Baradwaj Rangan

National Award-winning film critic Baradwaj Rangan, former deputy editor of The Hindu and senior editor of Film Companion, has carved a niche for himself over the years as a powerful voice in cinema, especially the Tamil film industry, with his reviews of films. While he was pursuing his chemical engineering degree, he was fascinated with the writing and analysis of world cinema by American critics. Baradwaj completed his Master’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations through scholarship. His first review was for the Hindi film Dum, published on January 30, 2003, in the Madras Plus supplement of The Economic Times. He then started critiquing Tamil films in 2014 and did a review on the film Subramaniapuram, while also debuting as a writer in the unreleased rom-com Kadhal 2 Kalyanam. Furthermore, Baradwaj has authored two books - Conversations with Mani Ratnam, 2012, and A Journey Through Indian Cinema, 2014. In 2017, he joined Film Companion South and continued to show his prowess in critiquing for the next five years garnering a wide viewership and a fan following of his own before announcing to be a part of Galatta Media in March 2022.

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Burqa Movie REVIEW: Kalaiyarasan And Mirnaa Starrer Tamil Film Lifts The Veil On Religious Hypocrisy But Fails To Convince

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'Burqa' Trailer: Kalaiyarasan and Mirnaa starrer 'Burqa' Official Trailer

'Burqa' Trailer: Watch the Official Trailer from Tamil web movie 'Burqa' starring Kalaiyarasan, Mirnaa, Suriyanarayanan and GM Kumar. 'Burqa' web movie is directed by Sarjun KM and produced by E Mohan. To know more about the 'Burqa' trailer watch the video. Check out the latest Tamil trailers, new web movie trailers, trending Tamil web movie trailers, Kalaiyarasan movies, Mirnaa movies, Suriyanarayanan movies, and GM Kumar videos at ETimes - Times of India Entertainment.

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Home » News » Burqa OTT release date: When and where to watch Kalaiyarasan, Mirnaa's hard-hitting film online »

Burqa OTT release date: When and where to watch Kalaiyarasan, Mirnaa's hard-hitting film online

Sarjun KM has directed the film which has been screened at a few film festivals

A poster of Burqa

• Thinkal Menon

Last Updated: 07.27 PM, Apr 01, 2023

Director Sarjun KM, who made the popular short film Lakshmi in 2017, went on to make a few projects in Tamil. After three back-to-back OTT releases, he is now back with another outing which also is skipping theatrical release. Titled Burqa, it stars Kalaiyarasan and Mirnaa in lead roles.

ALSO READ: Sengalam Release Date: When and Where to watch Kalaiyarasan and Vani Bhojan's political drama  

Madras Productions and SKLS Galaxy Mall Productions have jointly bankrolled the movie which was nominated in New York Indian Film Festival 2022, 30th Chichester International Film Festival 2022 and RIFFA (Regina International Film Festival) Official Selection 2022.       

G Balamurugan and R Sivatmikha have handled cinematography and music composition respectively for Burqa which has lyrics penned by Yugabharathi. Anusuya Vasudevan has written the screenplay for the project which has editing by B Pravin Baaskar and art direction by Madhan.

Sarjun's previous projects, The Road That Never Ends (Addham), Blood Money and Thunindha Pinn (Navarasa), had direct OTT releases on aha, Zee5 and Netflix respectively. 

Burqa will drop on aha Tamil on April 7. The digital platform announced the news sometime ago, leaving the audience surprised. Jiiva unveiled the first look poster of the movie. The makers are expected to come up with promo videos and other surprises in the coming days.

ALSO READ: Exclusive! Sarjun: When you try something unconventional, you are more susceptible to failure  

Kalaiyarasan's last outing was Silambarasan-starrer Pathu Thala which hit the screens a couple of days ago. The much-delayed rom-com Titanic Kadhalum Kavundhu Pogum is his next release. Mirnaa, on the other hand, has Rajinikanth's Jailer in her kitty. Burqa is her second OTT release in Tamil after Anandham which dropped on Zee5 last year.                 

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‘Star’ Review: Kavin, Elan’s coming-of-age film falls short of excellence

Director elan’s much-awaited film, ‘star’, starring kavin, lal and aaditi phankar, is a coming-of-age movie about a youngster who aspires to become an actor. the struggles and the curveballs that life throws at him are what ‘star’ is all about. read our review..

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• Director Elan and actor Kavin's 'Star' released in theatres on May 10
• The coming-of-age film is about a youngster who aspires to become an actor
• The film, despite having potential to be an excellent film, has some shortcomings

Release Date: 10 May, 2024

2024 has been particularly dull for Tamil cinema. Except for one of two, none of the movies that hit theatres managed to create an impact. However, Kavin’s ‘Star’ was one such film, which piqued everyone’s curiosity, thanks to Yuvan Shankar Raja’s killer music and the brilliantly cut trailer. Will director Elan manage to impress the audience again after his debut film, ‘Pyaar Prema Kadhal’? Let’s find out!

Kalai (Kavin) loves cinema and the influence comes from his supportive father (Lal), who is a photographer. From selling tickets to Thalaivar Rajinikanth’s films to taking photos with cut-outs of him, Vijay and Ajith, Kalai does everything that a cinephile and an aspiring actor would do. He also goes to an engineering college to know that cinema is his true love, much like many youngsters.

He starts working towards it with great support from his family (except his mother), friends and girlfriend. When he gets an inch closer to achieving his dream, life throws a curveball at him. This destroys his confidence and takes him away from the cinema. How he re-discovers his zeal and runs towards his dream forms the story.

The coming-of-age film by director Elan chronicles Kalai’s life from 1989 to 2015 and beyond that. Elan’s story is so relatable as we would have all come across that one friend who hails from a middle-class background but wants to make it big in cinema. And it’s still so fascinating as cinema is one of the prime modes of entertainment. It is because of these factors that ‘Star’ generated positive buzz months before its release.

However, ‘Star’ remains superficial despite having so much potential. The struggles that Kalai goes through don’t linger. The screenplay feels rushed, and it jumps from one emotional scene to another without giving the audience time to process it. That said, certain moments in ‘Star’ do grab your attention. Be it Kalai and his father’s camaraderie or his banter with his mother (Geetha Kailasam), the emotions are conveyed beautifully. The portions where Kalai goes to an acting school in Mumbai add much-needed gravitas to his struggle.

The main grouse with ‘Star’ is that the story meanders to a different tangent in the second half, which gives in to many clichés. While the first half stays true to the genre and Kavin’s dream, the second half lags because of this tonal shift. While it's justified that it is also Kalai’s struggle, it subverts the feeling it created in the first half.

After a while, the struggles become superficial. We get to see the Kalai’s problems in familial life and mental health, but not how the cinema industry functions, especially when a newcomer is trying to break in without solid backing.

The makers of ‘Star’ promised three surprises in the film. And all the three surprises become our favourite moments in the film. They become proper theatrical comments, which would evoke apllause and screams.

Kavin’s performance as Kalai works well for ‘Star’. It is mostly effective and also shows he has improved as a performer. It is Lal, who plays Pandian, who has our hearts with his act. Preity Mukundhan, who played Meera Malarkodi, has a great screen presence and her chemistry with Kavin is laudable.

Aaditi Pohankar does the classic ‘loosu ponnu’ (read: bubbly naïve girl) role with much conviction. She also scores in some of the emotional sequences.

Composer Yuvan Shankar Raja is the backbone of ‘Star’. His songs and background music elevate the film in many places. While they work as a standalone album, sometimes, his music forces us to feel the emotion. Cinematographer Ezhil Arasu’s frames took us back to the 90s and 2000s. Editing by Pradeep E Ragav complimented the vision of the filmmaker.

‘Star’ could have been a great coming-of-age film about an aspiring actor. However, it ended up as a showreel more than a emotional and inspiring documentation of his life.