Harshini S V
Plays out like an emotional drama, where you know the truth much before the characters do and you deeply empathize. You fear for them and grieve along with them.
You know only as much as they do, except for a sequence much later in the film. For instance, in the film’s most tense sequences, you get a long stretch defining everyone’s changing life around Setta.
Arun Kumar keeps us in the shadows and we realise that this emotion hits differently. That’s when Chiththa becomes a thriller — where you are scared, not for them, but with them.
You might go to the theatres to enjoy the moments of a Chithha and his niece, but what equally moves you is the relationship he shares with his widowed sister-in-law (Anjali Nair). The same is true with Chithha and Sakthi.
If you are wondering whether the film is as disturbing and triggering as a film about sexual abuse usually is, narratively, yes. But Arun Kumar and cinematographer Balaji Subramaniam ensure there is nothing voyeuristic about the visuals.