Mr. Zoo Keeper is a Tamil-language film that blends humour, entertainment and emotions to deliver a strong message about the commercial threats to the forests and natural landscape of India. The film is written and directed by J. Suresh and stars Pugazh and Shirin Kanchawala in lead roles. Before making his debut with this film, Pugazh has been famous for many years in the entertainment industry as a well-loved comedian. The debutant’s epic comic timing really shines in the movie, however, some things could have been better in Mr. Zoo Keeper. Here’s everything that works and doesn’t for the film.
The unique premise of Mr. Zoo Keeper
In Mr. Zoo Keeper, the viewers are introduced to the character of ‘Chinna Thambi’ who resides with his wife, ‘Subramani’ (played by Shirin Kanchwala) in a small village nestled in the lush greenery of the Nilgiris. ‘Chinna Thambi’ finds a tiger cub and mistakes it for a kitten, and brings it home to his wife. However, after realising his mistake, the couple try to leave the cub in the forest, in its real home. But they soon realise the dangers of the jungle and decide to raise the tiger cub.
This premise forms the foundation of the film, offering a unique perspective on the relationship between humans and animals within the natural world. The story also highlights how commercialisation and rapid urbanisation are threatening forests and driving animals away from their homes. Mr. Zoo Keeper is not subtle at all while depicting the importance of environmental conservation and also the perils of human-wildlife conflicts.
Mr. Zoo Keeper‘s writing misses the mark
Pugazh’s character, ‘Chinna Thambi’, is shown to have all the symptoms of being intellectually disabled. However, his condition is never explored or even labelled as neurodivergent in the film. Instead, he is called ‘naive’ or ‘different’. Worse, sometimes ‘Chinna Thambi’s mental condition has also been used as a subject for jokes. However, the protagonist’s characterisation becomes even more problematic when ‘Chinna Thambi’s wife falls into danger and he suddenly transforms into a ‘normal man’. This conversion wrongly depicts that disabilities can vanish in emotional situations.
This was one of the examples of the subpar writing of the film. There are many instances when the characters behave inconsistently with their arcs. This adversely affects the overall execution of the film. The narrative also drags as out of nowhere, long and preachy monologues are delivered on wildlife conservation, almost spoon-feeding the audience on the issue. The editing and cinematography could have been much better as well, since many scenes come across as choppy and scattered.
Mr. Zoo Keeper is a family entertainer
Though the film is tone-deaf in its handling of intellectual disability, Mr. Zoo Keeper is still a worthwhile watch for the whole family. Especially for children to teach them about wildlife conservation through entertainment. The preachy message and slow narrative will work well with the young audience and keep them hooked. Meanwhile, the older viewers can enjoy Pugazh’s comedy.
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