Did anyone ask you? Tell me!
You fed it to them one after the other.
How would I know? It was part of their plan.
You fool! You knew that they have plan, don't you?
Why didn't you keep your mouth shut, you doofus!
But I spoke for you.
I will break your jaw if you blame me; did I ask you to speak for me?
-You asked me to mark the date. -Shut your mouth.
Finger on your lips!
I'll break the finger if you move it.
It is your responsibility to solve this issue. Talk to the village men.
The village is divided into two and I don't like it.
You are the person who divided us, you fool.
Who the hell do you think you are?
How dare you say you'll chop our women's legs?
You spoke ill of our kids and expect us to be quiet?
I did not speak for myself, whatever I did was for the village.
He is not wrong.
They are saying no to marriage today, they will ask for temple entry tomorrow.
Soon they will bring men from the outside.
Mark my words, this will happen.
Real men won't let that happen. Else you can wear a saree, like women.
Wear one.
Were you born with a shirt and dhothi? Were you not born naked?
These are things we picked up as we grew.
Roam around naked if you like or put on something.
Keep your sarcasm to yourself.
Tomorrow, our women will go out and other men will come here.
They will mix with us and contaminate our caste.
That should not happen. We must stick to our customs and traditions.
None of you understood a zilch, right?
You continue.
You are bound to the temple rules.
You must not rule the temple.
Enter if you like or get out.
How dare you school us, you fool?
We have every right to voice our opinion.
Look at them fighting!
I am not bothered about them fighting.
But they are fighting without our provocation.
That's what bothering me.
"AYALI"
When I saw young girls my age wearing half saree,
my eyes would be glued on them.
I have felt angry; I have cried.
But after a point...
I saw them get married, have kids and wane away.
And I said to myself that our deity has blessed me with this life.
Probably this is why deity conveyed all that through me.
It was not deity's words.
It was yours.
A deity is not someone who is confined between four walls.
Deity resides inside me as well as you.
But these men fabricated many fables around her and isolated her from us.
This is not just a temple.
This is our conscience.
After a certain age, our women don't even care to notice it.
No one is checking if we come here or not.
But our innate fear for this village is making us to stop.
We keep ourselves out.
We must ignore those men and step in.
If that happens, nothing can stop us.
-Thank you, madam. -Okay.
Isn't he from the education department? What is he doing here?
He has brought good news to your village. Prepare for a celebration.
Whatever! See you, madam.
T. Tamilselvi (District First)
I have been telling for many years now,
to turn this school into a marriage hall.
No one listened to me then. Good that they realised it now.
What is the police van doing here?
Who might that be?
Is that an ambulance!
Are they not here for marriage?
Sir, they are the math and science teachers of our school.
Greetings, sir.
Was it him?
-Did she score centum in his subject? -Yes.
Congrats. All thanks to you, she has come district first.
That student will cherish this for life.
This society needs more noble teachers like you.
Many such students are in need. They must succeed in their life.
You can do it! You are the best teacher!
-Thanks, sir. -Please come.
Mr.Science, lost in thoughts?
Sit.
To our guests, the Honourable Puddukottai Collector...
...and the District education officers, we extend a warm welcome.
Our HM is truly a bold woman.
She invited the officers and organized this event through her sole efforts.
She's really great.
Mr. Science, you seem to have shifted sides.
Watch out.
A girl...
...securing district first is highly appreciative.
Unlike before, women are achieving in every department today.
So far, what defined the traits of a good woman?
She must cook, get married and have kids.
It was during such times, that Tamilnadu got it's first woman doctor.
Her name was Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy and she was from your district.
Aren't you proud of that fact?
Tamilselvi here reminds me of Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy.
The first woman doctor of Tamilnadu hailed from Pudukkottai district.
And the first woman doctor of this Veerapannai village may be Tamilselvi.
Are you ready to become a doctor?
Not only Tamilselvi, every student in this school can achieve it.
My hearty wishes for the success of everyone present here. Thank you all.
Won't it be nice to say a few words about our village on the stage?
We have traditions dating back several thousand years.
Shall we talk?
No? Alright, let's be spectators.
For the first time, four boys from here have passed the 10th grade public exams.
I call them to the stage.
Dhandapani, Naganathan,
Namasivayam and Saravanan.
Come to the stage.
Sir, did you see that?
Until now, not even a single boy had passed 10th grade in this school.
But one girl made it to 10th grade and four boys have passed the exams.
All credits goes to her. Don't you agree?
We did not do anything.
Look at our women; they are dancing and cheering.
I will deal them later.
Congratulations!
Tamil...Tamilselvi.
You are on the stage, use this opportunity.
A stage is not just a place to give speeches; it is a place to lead others.
You do not have to be loud; just be honest.
Go speak. Everyone will hear you.
Go on.
When none of our girls studied in the 10th grade,
my parents gave me the opportunity. I wish to thank them.
If not for my HM, I would not have come district first. She is my driving force.
I wish to thank my HM.
But my only worry is...
I have come district first but...
I cannot continue my studies.
Because there is no higher secondary school in my village.
I request you to build a higher secondary school and a college.
That will help us study further.
Will you study?
We will...
Will you people study?
We will!
The have corrupted our child's mind.
Talk to our child before they cheat her.
No matter what others say...
...do what you think is right for you.
-That's all, teacher. -That's all?
Everyone is present. Talk about the village.
Let's not do it.
Look over there.
All our women have come to the school.
Only if a girl attains puberty, gets married, or gives birth to a child,
I have seen my village women so happy.
For the first time, they are seeing a girl winning an award for her studies.
I have never seen them so happy.
I have hope. My village will definitely change for the better.
This school is yours for the day. You can do whatever you want.
Do everything your heart desires.
Write down all your dreams and desires.
Do you think that our women will enter the temple, if we say our deity said so?
They are cowards. We cannot trust them.
Every girl will have a unfulfilled desire.
We should instigate that.
Desire is more powerful than fear.
(T.Tamilselvi M.B.B.S)
It reads SAC, doesn't it?
It know, it reads M.B.B.S.
Eat, dear.
Eat this and I will buy you whatever you want.
I don't want anything for myself, dad. Give education to my sister.
She wants to study and become an IAS officer.
Who taught him such things?
Are you going to the temple? Can't you go to the school?
Do you think that they will let me go to school?
You asked their permission to enter the temple. It'll happen tomorrow.
The same way, ask their permission to go to school.
Nothing will come easy to us.
That is a wrong thing to do, son.
We have our own customs, traditions and culture.
We must not compromise our pride for anyone.
My brave heart! Come on, eat now.
Why are you feeding filth to the kid?
You prick! I am feeding him food.
It was stinking when I heard you speak. That is why I checked.
Educate your child and she will make you proud.
Wash your mouth; it stinks.
Groundnut is on the decline. Palm oil has taken over the market.
Tell me.
We heard that you are planning to extend our school to higher secondary.
-Don't do it. -Are you serious?
Grab it while the government provides; it will not provide often.
The only village that requests their MLA to deny all growth schemes, is yours.
You know things better.
When the plan to build a school was proposed for our village,
my dad gave a vast piece of land and built the school for our kids.
We do care for the people.
But we must also protect our practices and traditions in this fast paced world.
Thanks to kind hearted people like you.
We are still able to hold on to our practices and traditions
Please help us safeguard it. That is all we ask from you.
What should I do now?
We already have a school up to 10th grade.
Build us a marriage hall.
That is the need of the hour.
Aren't you the math teacher in that school?
Good grief!
I am sure that you will build it immediately.
The teacher has spoken; I'll get it done.
-Thank you. -See you.
This is the first time that you have been useful as a teacher.
What is happening? The world is leaping forward, and they want a marriage hall?
They are not asking us to build a marriage hall.
They are telling us not to build the school.
How is that you can understand it?
I will teach you everything.
And you take my place.
Okay.
Get out of here.
The cloud looks dark. Pull the cover.
This tastes bland like sand. You call this food?
I get to work at 4 am every morning, and you rest at home the whole day.
Can't you make a good meal?
Do you think that you are the only person working in this house?
To send you off at 4 am,
I must wake up at 3 am, make you tea,
cook your meal, send the kid to school, take care of the livestock,
wash the clothes, cook the night meal...
...and wash your food plates. I sleep after midnight every day.
Let's negotiate a pay for my work. Are you ready?
He talks like some duke.
Our women won't obey our words.
They say "the deity said so" all the time.
We can't be quiet anymore.
The deity is just a symbol.
We are the ultimate authority here.
Restoring something to its original state is no easy matter.
We can cross any limit to keep it within our limits.
And it's not wrong.
-Do you understand? -Yes.
What is it, Tamil?
Are you trying hard to reform the village?
Are you happy about it?
Didn't you see?
Our women came to the school.
They wrote down their heart's desires all over the school.
The women of our village can desire for anything.
But who will let us realize it?
No one can stop us now.
For the first time, there has been a change in our village.
All our girls wish to study.
No one can stop that from happening.
You are living in a fantasy.
Take a good look at me.
This is the reality.
I am the reality.
This is the fate of our village women.
No other girl will face such difficulties again.
No minor girl will get married.
-Who told you? -Our deity.
All these atrocities are committed in her name.
The same deity has granted us permission to enter the temple.
Who can stop it now?
We just have to enter the temple.
The day we step into the temple, they will throw the deity out of it.
You are still a kid.
Do you think they will let it go easily?
Even if Ayali appears before them,
they will call her a woman and enslave her.
Sister! Are you all going to the temple tomorrow?
Yes we are.
Will my mom and sister go?
Everyone will! Ayali has granted us permission.
Will you take me with you?
Tell me.
Did I do something wrong?
I also wish to see the deity.
Doesn't the deity like boys?
Ask her to let me in.
She will let everyone in.
The deity loves everyone.
Including you.
-You too can see the deity. -Okay.
You still don't believe it?
Our village has changed.
My God! The temple is destroyed. Come on people.
What happened?
Tell me.
Someone tell me.
What has happened? Is Ayali angry on us?
What are you looking at?
They are the reason for this catastrophe.
Deity's wrath has devastated our village.
We must not spare them.
Their punishment should be a lesson to anyone who tries to enter the temple.
Enough talking! Hack them to pieces.
Are you people happy now?
Are you content with your records and trophies now?
These wretched witches!
You all took part in their mockery and have ruined everything.
Look what has happened.
Do you see the wrath of our deity now?
My father warned you about it in the gathering.
Are your livestock dead? Are your farms on fire?
Who are the men who questioned him on that day? Speak up now.
Damn broads!
You blindly followed them and meddled with our practices.
And have destroyed everything now.
This has set us 500 years back. What are you going to do now?
Go on!
Go beg on the streets and start from the scratch.
I am a fool! Where will you people go?
This is the only place we have.
Did we preserve them all these years for you to ruin it?
No one should set foot inside.
I'll kill you.
What do you people say?
Go away!
We have lost.
Stop!
Is this Ayali's doing?
Tell me! Is this Ayali's doing?
See for yourself.
The whole village is on fire.
Everyone is panicking. Can't you see?
This is the history that has been taught to us for ages.
Ayali's wrath will destroy the entire village.
That is not history.
That is a myth.
The myth you men fabricated around Ayali for your convenience.
Be quiet, Tamil...
Will the deity get angry if we women set foot in the temple?
A true deity will never discriminate between people who enter her temple.
If that deity is responsible for all our miseries,
we don't need such a deity!
I know it in my heart. Ayali did no do this.
Someone else have done it.
You still don't understand?
Shall I be more clear?
Tamil...
It has been two years since I attained puberty.
Oh God!
Why did you do it?
I went into the temple even after attaining puberty.
Where was Ayali's wrath at that time?
Answer me!
Where was your Ayali's wrath?
If you still don't believe me... I will go into the temple again.
I will stay inside it.
Let's see what the deity does.
-You! -Oh God!
You betrayed the love and affection I had for you.
I must kill you first. Die! Die!
It is all your fault.
You two have made a fool out of me.
Die! I trusted you with all my heart.
You stabbed be in the back.
Die! What have you done?
What have you done?
I will kill you.
-Please spare her. -Die! Die!
-You've insulted me in front of everyone. -Stop! Stop it!
Enough! Stop it!
Let me go.
Come, come over here.
We must make them understand.
Come now.
It's okay, come.
Stop your clamouring.
Punishment is not the solution.
The intention of a punishment is not to inflict pain.
It is to make them understand.
They believe that our culture and traditions are wrong.
The modern creators have corrupted their mind.
We cannot blame them.
It is our duty to educate our children.
True.
I will make Tamil understand.
Fix a date for the marriage.
Do the ritual a day before marriage, as she has attained puberty two years ago.
What do you say?
Do you agree?
-Do you people agree to it? -Yes, we do.
Fine, now disperse.