Madras Cafe Description
Hello Friends, I am very happy that Indian Cricket Team begun ICC World T20 World Cup with a fabulous win against our arch rival Pakistan. Hope this continues through out the tournament and we repeat 2007.
Alas, my friends I'm sorry that I could not write yesterday. I just could not resist watching India vs. Pakistan high voltage match. Today, I watched Madras Cafe and enjoyed it a lot.
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Meeting between Malaya and Vikram |
Madras Cafe is story behind how the Tamils revolutionary organization LTF which is in real LTTE assassinated our ex-prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. But instead of using real names I'll use the fake ones as used in the film. John Abraham and Nargis Fakhri are the main lead actors in the movie. John Abraham is playing the role of Vikram who is an army officer and he is appointed in Jaffna in Sri Lanka to successfully hold council elections in Sri Lanka. Nargis Fakhri is a journalist and she goes to Sri Lanka and interviews Anna who is the head of LTF and wants to do revolution to create new Tamil elm within Sri Lanka.
The movie begins with the explanation of India's role in Sri Lankan civil war between Tamils and Sinhalees. Indian government sends peace force in Sri Lanka to hold Council Elections peacefully and bring there peace. Peace force is battalion of army that is controlling the uprising of LTF in Sri Lanka. LTF does not negotiate with India and considers peace force as their enemy. The prime minister who is assassinated is in power at this period of time and he orders to hold elections in Sri Lanka within six months and else he'd to resign.
The film is narrated as Vikram's confession in a church about the failure of his mission to save prime minister even after so much of desperate efforts that he made. He is shown narrating his story to the bishop.
When Vikram is first posted to Jaffna by high command New Delhi, he has to work under Balakrishnan; mostly called Bala in the movie. Now, it is essential to explain the political scenario of Jaffna to clearly understand the story and the movements and motive of Vikram. Shri strongly opposes LTF and has formed a party to resist it. So, Vikram wants to weaken LTF by supporting Shri and thus end Civil war and hold the elections. When Vikram goes to Shri and asks him to stand against Anna i.e LTF, Shri asks for arms to fight Anna. Vikram agrees to that and when he goes to collect arms at the coast, Anna's men come there and take away the arms which were actually brought for his rival. Vikram had kept this deal very secret but even so LTF came to know about it. It was clear that there was a traitor within them. This did not happen for first time but this happened every time Indian forces tried to strike on to LTF. Nargis Fakhri constantly supports Vikram with her findings and she is very helpful to him. She only tells him that Indian forces had a leak with in them and LTF know of their every move even before they execute it. She also tells that LTF head commander Rajakrishnan had met foreign individuals at Madras Cafe, London just four days before the Arms deal day. Vikram suspects that Foreign countries of West are sponsoring this guerrilla warfare and it is true enough. I could not understand its reason but they said that India was a very fast growing market and they'd make great profits by acquiring the control of Sri Lankan coastline. During this arms deal one of the important Indian officers is killed and Vikram is heavily scolded by Bala. Bala wants to send Vikram off this mission as he is only the traitor with in Indian peace forces. He orders LTF to kidnap Vikram. When Indian high commission comes to know of this they immediately ask Bala to find to rescue Vikram from the clutches of LTF which Bala does and Vikram is rescued.
Vikram is injured severely and Bala tells him to leave the case. But Vikram is determined and he wants to work and bring peace and humanity in Sri lanka. Now, Indian Peace Force or rather Vikram tries another plan to weaken LTF.
Vikram decides to split LTF into two parts by taking Malaya on his side. Malaya is right hand of Anna. He has large revolutionaries under his control and he could stand as leader. Vikram decides not to listen to Bala and handle everything on his own. He goes to forest to meet Malaya. He asks him to betray Anna and stand against him. He also assures him support from India and promises him to be the next leader in Jaffna. Malaya agrees with Vikram and also goes to meet Indian high commission officer in Colombo at Indian Embassy. This made Malaya's support final and in return Malaya gave Indians the location of Anna. Indian troops attacked on Anna and eventually it was found that Anna was dead. This news were spread all over the world and Indian government thought that its mission was accomplished and therefore Indian Peace forces were called back from Sri Lanka. But actually Anna was alive. Malaya declared himself as the new leader of LTF and took control but Anna struck back and Anna and Shri were put death. Anna's LTF became even more ferocious and powerful than before.
This plot is enough to attract the readers to watch Madras Cafe which I'm sure you'll do. The main part of the story is still left to be described. But I'll not do that. The grand conspiracy to assassinate Ex-prime minister is presented very well in the film. Madras Cafe is actually a place in London in the film where Rajakrishnan, an agent of LTF meets foreign representatives to finance their guerrilla war. Rajkrishnan had met foreign individuals four days before the Arms deal day. I could not understand what interest western countries had in Srilankan Civil war. But they were going to get control of the coast line of Sri Lanka and thus gain control over South East Asia. Bala is exposed and he commits suicide. Vikram looses his wife Ruby. LTF first time ever in history uses Human bomb and plastic bomb.Vikram and his team knows about the assassination's time and place but still it is unable to save prime minister. Perhaps, Prime minister took it lightly.
The director has given good emotional touch at the end. John Abraham recites famous poem of Rabindranath Tagore "Where the mind is without fear." The movie ends with stats that Srilankan civil war ended in 2009 after brutal repression of LTF by Srilankan army. Millions of Tamils lost their life and millions are homeless. This is one of the best films I've ever watched. I liked its dialogue very much that one men's revolutionary is another men's terrorist.
You all ought to watch it.
That's it.