Karaikudi to Chennai: shift from a rural space to city.

By Lasya Priya

Migration from rural to an urban space establishes dislocation in cultural beliefs and day to day practices. For a group of women hailing from Karaikudi, a rural area in Tamil Nadu migrating to start a new life in Chennai can be very difficult. Kandukondain Kandukondain is a Tamil film inspired by a novel named Pride and prejudice directed by Rajiv Menon in the year 2000.

Migration stories of men are well known. Even in films such as Swayamkrushi and Dalapathi emphasize on stories of difficulties faced by men who travel to city. There are limited number of articles or works that portray migration of women.

In Kandukondain Kandukondain a group of women from a family along with a caretaker from their village, lost the males in their house relocate to Chennai in search of a new life. Not until they start living there do, they understand the contrast between city life and rural lifestyle. Due to the financial burden the elder daughter Sowmya becomes an employee as a telephone operator from being a school principal, second daughter Meenakshi awaits a reply from her partner and the youngest daughter Kamala manages to continue with her education.

The film as mentioned above is an adaptation of novel, director Rajiv Menon has managed to express the feature of movement from rural to urban and the difficulties associated with it. One of the scenes from the film which can be associated with experience of many individuals who move for better life is Sowmya’s mother and the caretaker working at a restaurant in the locality.

Elaborating on the family, there exists a difference of opinions and preferences in terms of beliefs, employment, talent, etc. Sowmya agrees to be an employee at an underqualified job with respect to her educational qualifications whereas Meenakshi being an exceptional performer prioritizes her romantic life over career until provoked. The youngest daughter is seen to be inclined towards academics and often behaves like an intelligent person in the family.

Although Rajiv Menon did not prefer showing labour work or other related jobs being undertaken by these women, and with each character being different from one another he portrays gradual increase in standards of lifestyle of this group of women in a crowded and busy city like Chennai.