The metaphor of sound and its related processes — hearing, communicating, listening, comprehending and accepting — all of them together constitute the central metaphor of the narrative. The absence of these processes, the act of being able to hear each other, presents to the viewer the story of Vijay and his family. His father lives with a disability, thereby leaving the onus of fending for the family on his wife and the eldest son.
Vijay's younger brother, Varun, has withdrawn into his own little world, away from the many tribulations that his mother and sibling deal with on a daily basis. Vijay too leads a double life his family has no idea about. The narrative weaves all these elements together seamlessly, offering a poignant story of a broken household where each character inhabits their own realm. The performances further bolster this reality, as does the writing.
Vijay's vulnerabilities, hopes, and dreams, as well as his mother's quiet suffering, alongside his father's rage at an existence that has confined him to a life of immobility, are all shared in a skilled manner. The film loosens a little towards the conclusion, especially after presenting a potentially powerful climax, but that's a wrinkle that can be overlooked in favor of everything else the plot offers.
