七海七山 Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai

Set on a moving train on a rain-soaked night, a chance encounter between a 32-year-old everyman and an 8,000-year-old immortal – and a rat!– triggers a series of events that will intertwine their destinies. Amidst moral dilemmas and unexpected compassion, the ordinary man grapples with survival while the immortal – played with no small amount of relish by the charismatic Nivin Pauly – seeks to heal centuries-old wounds. Tamil filmmaker Ram’s fifth feature is a cinematic mediation on Tamil philosophy, whilst simultaneously offering an exploration of love, pain, suffering, compassion and redemption – what might surprise anyone familiar with Ram’s previous work is how markedly different, in tone, style and scale Seven Seas Seven Hills is.

A filmmaker known for his gritty portrayals of contemporary life, often engaging with hard-hitting themes that critique modern society, Ram has shifted gear here, widening his canvas but also moving into a more fable-like style of storytelling, employing characters as ciphers in order to explore the human condition. Revelling in the genre expectations – both the fight and dance scenes are a sight to behold – this action conversation piece in motion becomes an irresistible mix of high melodrama, comedy, song and grand spectacle.