We’ve had an overdose of horror films in Kollywood in recent times. Meow , directed by Chinnas Palanisami, is hopefully one of the last we’re subjected to. Directors of horror films have always banked on felines to accentuate the fear factor. Instead of playing second fiddle to a ghost, the cat itself is what’s possessed in Meow . Selfie is a cute and fluffy Persian cat around which the film revolves. She isn’t evil and is also quite protective of her master, even saving her from a thief out to steal her gold chain.
So why does Selfie suddenly start killing youngsters in the apartment complex in which her master resides? Gautham (Raja) and his three buddies are brats and have a Masters in Bad Activities. Their favourite pastime is to get drunk and ‘correct' a ‘figure’. The behaviour of the quartet irks the other families living in the complex, especially Sughana, a model, and they often lock horns. Strangely Raja’s friends are killed by Selfie one after another, and only Raja is left. What is the reason for the cat’s revenge and whether Raja survives the cat-attack form the rest of the story.
What starts as an interesting plot, transforms into a cat-o-strophe towards the end. The arrival of the exorcist from Uganda, whom Sughana refers to as ‘international figure’ (definitely not a scantily clad Caucasian woman, mind you) mars the otherwise tolerable narrative. The manner in which the exorcist goes about tracking the aavi in the apartment complex is enough to get you out of the theatre. Those scenes are unintentionally comical though.
Comedy track by Daniel as WhatsApp Mani manages a laugh or two, especially the episode involving laminated ATM cards. The dialogues, crass and crude, can make you cringe.
What is novel about the film? Probably the possessed Persian cat, and the international pei ottra mandhravaadhi , instead of the usual one from Kerala. The aav i that Kollywood traditionally captures in a sombu is caught in a hi-tech suitcase in Meow . Those of you who withstood the last 30 minutes, may you come across an empty ATM loaded with cash or at least get change for Rs. 2000.
