A powerful take on virgin birth

Oru Pakka Kathai

Director: Balaji Tharaneetharan

Cast: Kalidas Jayaram, Megha Akash

Rating: 3/5

Streaming on Zee5

Director Balaji Tharaneetharan loves weaving stories around peculiar medical conditions. He debuted with the laugh-riot Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom (2012) that had the protagonist (Vijay Sethupathi) suffering from retrograde amnesia. In his third venture Oru Pakka Kathai (OPK), he deals with parthenogenesis or what’s popularly called virgin birth.

Usually, films that come out after a lengthy struggle for release has the danger of appearing outdated. OPK went on floors in 2014 and six years later, the film hasn’t lost its relevance. OPK is a deft and consistently amusing take on virgin birth and its effects on a conservative society. The life of an unmarried couple Saravanan (Kalidas Jayaram) and Megha Akash (Meera) is jolted by the news of the latter’s pregnancy.

For a couple that strictly followed ‘sex-after-marriage’ pact, this becomes a shocking development. What follows is a funny, endearing, and realistic portrayal of the middle-class’ apprehensions on love marriage and pre-marital sex. Once the scientific angle kicks in, the film accommodates social commentary on the deep-seated presence of superstition in our community.

OPK has lovable characters who are gentle and sensitive. The dark comedy works well here.

The couple goes through testing phases but at every step, the director keeps ample room for humour. Balaji is a serious filmmaker and it is evident in how he treats clichéd ideas. For instance, a television debate on virgin birth produces sensible arguments. The final act is a let-down though. Once the film loses its intriguing factor, OPK tends to lag. For a film that had interesting twists, it should have ended with a bang and not predictably. That’s the only quibble in this simple drama that leaves you thinking.