Kavin wrote about his brother borrowing money and never returning it. In his version, he was patient; his brother was a liar. In his brother’s version, Kavin was controlling and harsh. Priya wrote about a group project where her teammate took credit. In her version, she was exploited; in her teammate’s, she was uncommunicative.
The results transformed the class. Kavin reconciled with his brother after realizing his brother had been hiding a financial crisis. Priya apologized to her teammate, discovering her teammate had been overworked and anxious. More importantly, they stopped escalating small disputes into lifelong grudges. virumaandi tamil movie
He then gave them a real-world exercise. For one month, whenever a conflict arose, they had to pause and write down: “What would the other person say happened here?” before responding. Kavin wrote about his brother borrowing money and
That night, the students watched the film’s famous narrative—how Virumaandi and Kothaala tell their versions of the same bloody feud. One student, Kavin, was certain Virumaandi was a righteous fighter. Another, Priya, insisted he was a violent criminal. Priya wrote about a group project where her
The next day, the professor didn’t ask for legal arguments. Instead, he handed each student a blank notebook. “Write the story of the last major fight you had with a friend or family member,” he said. “But here’s the rule: first, write it from your perspective. Then, from theirs.”
The useful story from Virumaandi isn’t about who won the fight. It’s this: Before you choose a side, listen to the story you haven’t heard. Because until you understand why your enemy believes they are right, you will remain a prisoner of your own limited perspective—just like Virumaandi, alone in his cell, convinced of a truth that only half the world can see.