The opening scene of Manusangada sets the tone for the film. It begins with Nelson Mandela’s quote: “To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.” Kolappan (a poker-faced Rajeev Anand) is woken up to the news of his father’s death. He doesn’t immediately react. Instead, he goes to the toilet and breaks down. This sequence, in particular, prepares us for the drama that is about to unfold. Kolappan, who works in Chennai, rushes to his village to carry out the last rites. The premise may remind you of the Kannada film Thithi, but the proceedings are far more serious here. The countable number of people at the funeral gives a fair idea of how closely-knit the community is. Even before the final procession, Kolappan is barred from using the common pathway by the upper caste neighbourhood. And this is a recurrent phenomenon in his village, where Dalits are constantly denied their fundamental rights.

The path is the only available route to the burial ground. Belonging to the lower caste, Kolappan decides to revolt against his oppressors. The story takes a major shift to highlight several pertinent issues, thereby becoming yet another case of issue-based cinema. With the help of a local leader, Kolappan decides to file a writ petition at the Madras High Court, even if it means waiting three days to bury the body. Every time Kolappan comes close to winning the case, he’s reminded of his place in society. The narration, even though leisurely-paced, merely presents the harsh reality faced by the community and doesn’t scream for sympathy. In one of the touching scenes, a character says, “We’re denied our rights even in death.” That said, a script with so much potential has been ruined by lacklustre filmmaking, which is evident throughout. That’s primarily because Amshan Kumar is a documentary filmmaker. For instance, the camera swirls in and out without any control. The director goes for unnecessary close-ups that neither capture emotion nor serve any purpose. Given the budget constraints, a police station is set inside a living room. Some of the scenes jump here and there without proper edits. The focus seems to be more on addressing the issue than etching out well-defined characters. And these aren’t minor problems that can be brushed aside. However, the film makes a hard-hitting statement about a grave social injustice (picture the climax scene of Fandry). Especially the closing shot that will come back to haunt you for a while.