Merku Thodarchi Malai highlights the struggles of landless workers in the Western Ghats. On Monday Masala

Director Lenin Bharathi's Merku Thodarchi Malai, produced by Vijay Sethupathi, is an arresting tale of a man and his land. The film completes three years of release on August 24.

Every year, Tamil cinema witnesses a film that is raw, intense, and highlights the struggle of the landless labourers and their quest to own land. This is indeed a staple in Kollywood. While some directors resort to pen the screenplay with glorifying moments, very few filmmakers show the reality as it is. Most of the time, such movies are branded as 'art' films. In this week's Monday Masala, let us take a look at director Lenin Bharathi's Merku Thodarchi Malai, which was released across India on August 24, 2018. The film won accolades at the New York Indian Film Festival. Without a star-studded cast, Merku Thodarchi Malai managed to convey the struggles of daily-wage labourers in the foothills of the Western Ghats.