Gouravam (கௌரவம்)

'GOURAVAM'

'This story may have occurred anywhere."

'It may have occurred in your home town."

'It may have occurred in your friend's home town."

'A place in Tamil Nadu'

Of all the proposals so far, yours is the best.

I'm sure, it will come through.

Thank you, sir.

So, Arjun. Engineers like you leave to America.

Don't you have such an idea?

Sir, one of my friends went to the US with two suitcases.

Scared of when he'd lose his job

he still hasn't opened one of those.

Nowadays, they are coming here to sell groceries.

Then why do we need to go there?

That's true.

Not just that, Facebook, email.. They are fine for friendship

but not for family.

In America, one can't drink the coffee his mother makes.

One can't play with his sister's kids.

Moreover, I have a lot to do here.

I have just started my own company. I need to develop it.

I have to provide jobs for a lot of people.

Long way to go, sir. - Well said, Arjun! Well said!

Okay, sir. Shall I take your leave? - Come!

When's the flight? - At 2:00 p.m., sir.

Call me when you land in Chennai.

The approval will come from the head office in the meantime, okay?

Okay, sir. Thank you. - No problem. Let's go.

Okay, Arjun. See you. - Thank you, sir.

What happened? Why is this new car scratched?

Few school going children scratched it at the parking yesterday.

The labourers have not been given their wages..

What's going on? - A strike in the factory, sir.

You've gathered here..

The management who is cheating the labourers, should understand..

Damn!

Hello? - Mom!

What, dear? Did you leave?

My flight got cancelled, Mom. The next flight's only at 7 p.m.

Oh, dear! What will you do until then?

I'll reach the airport in two hours.

I don't know what to do.

I have made fish curry for you. Come home for dinner.

Don't eat whatever the beautiful air hostess serves.

Mom, I'm coming by Air India.

Your classmates might be the airhostesses!

I'll eat at home. - Okay!

Okay? Bye. - Bye!

Please stop.

Reverse the car.

Yes.

Man, our classmate Shanmugam..

Yes, him.

Which village is he from?

Do you remember?

That's a village with an initial, right?

Yes, T. Vennur.

I'm near that village right now.

My flight's cancelled. The next one is at 7 p.m.

I'll do one thing. I'll go into this village

and find out where Shanmugam is and what he is up to.

We have no contact with him since college.

He didn't attend last year's alumni meet either.

I'll call you once I see him, okay?

Go into the village.

Stop the car. Let's ask this boy.

Boy. A man named Shanmugam, studied engineering in Chennai.

Do you know his house..

Hello, boy?

No.

Did you say something, boy?

Sir..

When's the election, sir?

Election? It just got over!

Then aren't you from the Election Commission? - No!

Okay.. Give me money for a drink.

Drink? - What else can we do, sir?

For people like me, elections bring the season of money collections.

I get to eat piping hot biryani for three months!

One cannot see that much biryani even in Pakistan.

In the evenings, drinks and mineral water.

I have gotten used to it. I'm trembling, sir.

Sir.. Give me some money. - No.

I was looking for Shanmugam in this village.

Shanmugam? Go and see him soon!

Because I will definitely kill him.

Oh no, he's a very good boy!

Boy? He's my father!

He called me a wastrel and threw me out of the house.

Oh, I'm looking for another Shanmugam. - Sir..

Sir, it's all right..

What is this? - Sir, no election, no biryani..

Sir.. - Hey! leave me. - Sir, money..

Wait..

I'll give you money, here.. - Sir..

You are a very good man!

Thank you sir.. I have money to drink!

They might even kill MLAs for a new election!

The beginning is awesome, sir!

Such heartburn! We could have won easily.

If you throw them a spin ball in the end, won't they hit it?

As if they didn't hit a fast ball?

Two sixes, two fours.

All that is set up. They've got money.

One hits, while the other deliberately drops the catch.

It's all about the money!

Yes, you'll talk as if you gave them the money yourself.

Hey, when there are fools like you, they will remain the same.

Greetings, sir. - Yes?

Is Shanmugam here?

He studied engineering in Chennai.

Who are you? - I am his classmate.

I came here for some work. Could you point me to his house?

Shanmugam is not here.

Really? Where is he then?

We don't know. He is not here. You can leave.

This is a village surrounded by graveyards on all four sides.

People who are not from the village shouldn't stay here for so long.

Please leave.

Leave, man. - Leave..

Sir, follow me.

Follow him. - What happened, sir?

I don't understand. I know only the villages depicted by Bharathiraja.

This one is very different. Okay, go ahead.

What is this? I asked you for Shanmugam's house!

One gets angry

and the other talks about graveyards.

Shanmugam is not in this village, sir.

Then where is he?

No one knows, sir. Not even his father.

Shanmugam used to work in a factory here.

Oh? - Yes.

Suddenly, he eloped with a girl.

What are you saying, sir? Shanmugam did that?

Yes, sir.

Shanmugam is my uncle's son.

Do you know our caste, sir?

Here, it is all about caste.

Right from tea shops to houses, we are separated.

Even in this day and age?

Yes, sir. That's the problem.

Shanmugam eloped with a village elder's daughter.

What do you mean by an elder? - Mr. Pasupathy, sir.

He's the father of Shanmugam's lover.

How many days have passed since this happened?

Six months ago.

Shanmugam's father?

He's still here.

He's barely alive.

He suffered a lot to educate him, you know?

He was the only engineer from this village.

He just wrote a letter and left.

Can I meet his father?

Why do you have to come there?

No, I want to meet him, please.

Come, sir.

This is our colony. Our people.

What happened, Selvi? - Maasi..

Did you see my boy anywhere?

He'll be sitting around here somewhere. Go.

He hasn't eaten anything all day.

He'll come, don't worry.

Greetings. - You come, sir.

Shanmugam was born, grew up, and studied here.

Uncle..

What's the matter, Maasi?

Uncle, he's Shanmugam's classmate.

He came by to meet him.

Sir..

Did you tell him?

Yes, I told him.

Where is he?

Do any one of you know?

He's educated, can he do this?

He lost his village

and I lost my son.

Why do all this?

Until this day

he hasn't communicated even to know if I am dead or alive.

Suddenly, that day

he said he had a night shift at the factory.

He said, he'd be back only in the morning.

But a letter came in the morning.

I didn't know what to do.

When we found out who the girl he left with was

our innards shivered.

Seven years ago

there was a caste riot here.

My son shouldn't cause another riot

so, I went with that letter to the police station.

That inspector

kicked me with his booted leg.

It was Mr. Pasupathy

who saved me. I fell at his feet.

I asked him what I had to do.

He said, 'I have forgotten my daughter.'

'You should forget your son'.

But I can't.

When his mother died