Deepavali Bonus (2024)

“Deepavali Bonus” is a Tamil drama film directed by debutant director J. Jeyabal. The film, which was produced by Deepak Kumar Tala under Sri Ankali Parameswari Productions, stars Vikranth and Riythvika in the main roles. The movie is about a lower-middle-class family facing financial hardship and the forthcoming hope of a festival bonus during the pre-Deepavali period. Also their family is counting on the bonus that “Ravi” ( Vikranth), an employee of courier service is going to get and “Geeta”( Riythvika) who is a maid and gets low salaries. The reason that they put up with all this, is because their son is the happiest living soul in the world. Family business is examined brutally in this movie, what a little and then small expectations can mean to your average family struggling to make ends meet: especially around bonuses on "festival wee". But Ravi's dreams come to an abrupt end when the monsoon rains cause school to close and the added chaos inspired by unforeseeable circumstances drive bedrock to breaking. From the strong visual narrative of a family fight, controlled by Director Jeyabal: his setup keeps the couple in simple daily life and keeps the struggle for smiles amid poverty at the forefront. The subtle performances by Vikranth and Riythvika bring authenticity to the characters, and the audience can relate to the struggle. The contribution of the short length of the film and the impactful music in developing the emotional mood too stands valid, and the realistic depiction of the family's minute joys in the midst of their problems makes the story deeper. However, “Deepavali Bonus” lacks a uniform film style, and its graphical presentation was less stimulating. A poorly constructed plot twist ruins the impact of the story. Besides these drawbacks, the narration of a poor family's aspiration and the uncertainty of fate by the film is relatable and evocative.