“Ela Veezha Poonchira” a Malayalam film starring Soubin Shahir and Sudhi Koppa in key roles and written by Nidhish G and Shaaji Maraad is directed skillfully by Shahi Kabir.
We are shown a remote police wireless outpost atop a hill. The location that has been beautifully created, the police outpost, and the surrounding areas add a strange element of mystery and melancholy.
You know right from the outset that there is going to be something unsettling that’s going to take place. It is a feeling of dread that one is not able to shake.
We are shown the lives of people/cops handling this remote location. The distant location far away from the crowds and busy nature of the nearest town. The solitude of the forest and the hills, the wind and the rains, and the lightning that strikes at its own free will, they all add a touch of mystery to the tale.
A case of the body parts of a woman found in different places of the nearby city and then one of the cops on duty discovering a hand that the dogs have dug out is when the story gathers pace. What follows next is an interesting mind-game that has been brought out with great skill and care by the two primary actors on screen. Sudhi has been making appearances in movies in roles big and small for over a decade now. Soubin has carved out a niche for himself with similar offbeat roles and this is one more feather to his cap.
Who is the mysterious lady who has been killed? How did a hand of a dead body turn up so far away in the hills? What secrets are the two men hiding from each other? Is a man’s masculinity defined by his ability to hold an erection and satisfy his woman? Can passion justify infidelity? Can infidelity justify crime? Is suicide the answer to an unwanted pregnancy? What is the definition of honour? Why can’t one accept one’s shortcomings? A lot of questions remain. The movie is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
This is not everyone’s cup of tea. Watch at your discretion.
Abhinav Sunder Nayak and Vimal Gopalakrishnan have written a simple yet complex story that examines the nature of the human mind and shows what it takes to succeed in the cut-throat world where we exist. When this movie released, I was in Kerala and the theatres were mostly packed with a young crowd for most of the shows. Starring Vineeth Sreenivasan, Suraj Venjiramoodu and a bunch of other actors, the movie produced at a fraction of the cost of usual Mollywood potboilers, the movie has made a tidy sum for its producers. Now it is streaming on Disney Plus Hotstar.
Typically, we have always been taught to be good, do good, and have good thoughts to succeed in life. This is what our parents, teachers, and Moral Science lessons in schools teach us. But as one grows, transitioning from a child to a teen, an adult, and an employed or business entrepreneur, one realizes that being good is not sufficient, it does not always bring the bread and butter to the table.
We are always taught to compete, to excel, and do better than one’s immediate neighbour. At school, college, in the playground, or at work, we are expected to do better and ace all targets to succeed. In doing so, sometimes, we tend to hurt ourselves and others.
“Mukundan Unni Associates” presents us a protagonist who has no qualms about playing dirty. Yet, he is not like our Shakespearean tragic hero like Macbeth or Hamlet. He is an extremely believable person who decides to succeed at all costs, manipulates people with great intelligence, and kills with effective planning. He does not even blink twice when he decides to poison a driver’s bottle of soft-drink.
Critics have compared the thematic structure of the movie with “Nightcrawler”. I won’t go into such an analysis as it defeats the purpose. Both movies feature men who can go to any length to fulfill their ambitions. In Vineeth Sreenivasan, we find a thinking man, a hero and a villain rolled in one, a lawyer who games the system. A medical system that thrives on fooling the poor patient in close partnership with the insurance teams and the lawyers. It makes one think a lot. Are we really safe? All the insurance premiums that we pay regularly, will they help us in our time of need? Time and again in real life, we have observed how the rich, powerful, and super-intelligent, get away with crimes! In the movie too Mukundan Unni overcomes all odds to succeed.
Special mention for the animation and the monologues in the movie that drive the narrative forward. Worth your time. Do watch.
Before you proceed any further, if you have not seen the movie, and intend to watch it when you are free; please stop reading this blog post.
*******
I saw “Jallikattu” at Ambattur Mini Raki. A small screen theater with perhaps a 100 other audience-members, predominantly Malayalis living in and around Ambattur and Avadi. Mostly a young crowd and a couple or so middle-aged folk. At the end of the movie; the general feeling was – “Endhu padam aada idhu??” (What movie is this man?” followed by some cuss words. Lijo Jose Pellisserry (LJP) has slowly built a unique fan-following that caters to the masses in Kerala, the elite Delhi/Mumbai club, and also a foreign audience. With each movie of his; he has brought something different to the table and the movies have given decent returns to the producers (I hope so)!
The movie was screened at the International Film Festival of Kerala earlier this year; and I was quite envious about the people who saw it at the festival.
Let us see the trailer of “Churuli” that is streaming on SonyLIV.
What do you make of the trailer?
Is it a cop-movie?
Is it the hunt for an elusive criminal?
Is it a story of people dwelling in a forest-village?
The movie shows us the journey of two cops traveling incognito into a forest village nestled somewhere in the ghats adjoining the borders of Karnataka and Kerala. Shajivan and Anthony are the names of these cops; played by Vinay Fort and Chemban Jose Vinod, respectively; CJV is the superior and Vinay plays the junior cop. Early into the movie we are made to understand that CJV is still unmarried but a man of the world with an affinity to all vices; whereas Vinay is a married man with no vices. They are headed to the mountain village to catch a man named Joy. They have not seen him nor do they have a photo; we are also not aware of the crimes committed by Joy. The duo disguise themselves as laborers who have come to dig pits in a rubber plantation owned by one man named Thankan.
The bus drops the duo at a point where there is a small eatery. The two eat and then head to a jeep that takes them through the treacherous and winding mountain paths. They reach a point where there is a rickety bridge fashioned out of bamboo and wooden logs. Everyone gets down and the driver skillfully negotiates the bridge and all of a sudden the people who were so forth silent and smiling start hurling expletives and abuses at the new duo. What did the crossing of the bridge do to the people? Is it our first hint of something strange in the mountains and the woods? Or is it just a frustrated driver tired of his daily struggle ferrying lowly laborers up and down the mountains for a living?
We reach the destination – the mountain village and like moths drawn to a light – everyone heads to a local bar-cum restaurant run by Vavachan played by Idukki Jaffer. Everyone drinks the plain white liquid that Vavachan claims is distilled with a bit of ammonia and people start singing and abusing as the alcohol flows freely. As Thankan is away from the village, Shajivan and Anthony are advised to stay at the bar till Thankan returns.
It is from here that the story picks up pace and we are introduced to a motley bunch of characters inhabiting the village. The bar-owner and his wife. The local drunkard whose day starts and ends at the bar. A local loner whose presence puts everyone into silence and ironically does not speak much in the movie and is suspected to have murdered two of his wives. A landlord / rich man from the Karnataka side of the mountains who drops by occasionally for a drink in Vavachan’s bar. A local hunter who poaches wild game, which is cooked and served in Vavachan’s bar; these are the primary people whom we meet.
Just a day has passed, but Shajivan feels that he has spent a long time here. Anthony asks him to be patient and says that they have to catch Joy. Shajivan believes that he is seeing some strange beings with glowing eyes and lights in the darkness. Is it a dream, a nightmare, or an illusion? A series of incidents occur – a church-ceremony for Vavachan’s granddaughter; wherein the bar is converted into a makeshift church complete with loudspeakers and an altar as the priest from the church dressed in white comes and performs the ceremony. There is a grand feast and all the locals are invited. Shajivan and Anthony try to identify Joy among the invitees but have no luck.
Then there is a temple-festival/fair in the neighboring Karnataka side of the mountains and our duo go there along with the other villagers. Shajivan and the rich landlord have a slap-fest as part of the games and we are left wondering – what exactly is happening. Another montage of shots show us the dead body of the landlord lying near a stream in the darkness. Anthony is injured and hurts his back badly as a hunt in the forest goes wrong.
Anthony is taken to a woman-healer/witch of sorts deeper and higher in the hills. This is a strange character among a bunch of other strange characters. As part of the healing process, we are made to understand that the lady seduces Anthony and the next morning he is healed. There is also a complaint that Shajivan has physically abused the lady’s nephew! We are never made to understand if this is real or a fabricated lie to extract money!
As the duo return, we see Joju George playing Thankan returning to the mountain village and starts the proceedings leading to the climax. Thankan says that he does not know who the duo are and wonders how the two learnt about him? As the villagers start getting agitated, there is a sense of intense distrust, and the villagers are almost on their edge, planning to kill the two strangers who have come into their midst.
Shajivan suddenly takes out his service gun and fires it. This immediately changes the equation as the villagers realize that the duo are cops. There is a sudden shift in the power-equation and Thankan is all soft and humble whereas the other villagers headed by Vavachan wait and plan their moves. Thankan says that Joy is his brother-in-law and he is at home. The cops ask Thankan to lead them to his house. As they make their way up the treacherous slopes, the villagers follow the trio via short-cut. The long trek ends and the cops finally find Joy. To their utter shock and dismay he is paralyzed and lying on a bed. What happens next? Do they manage to take Joy back to the police station? Or do they just curse their luck and leave? Or do the villagers gang up and kill the pair of cops?
Once again LJP breaks free of conventions and makes a movie that is drastically different from his earlier ventures. Once again the women are kind of presented in the shadows but still one character stands out and plays a key role in the narrative – Geethi Sangeetha as the healer/witch. What exactly is happening in the village? What is the significance of the animated tale at the beginning of the movie with the brahmin and the ant-eater? Where does reality end and the nightmares begin? Is the entire story a dream? One can keep asking questions and wonder about explanations and what the director and story writer thought! Till they actually explain what they originally thought; we will never know. Enjoy the movie and share your thoughts in the “Comments” section.
Goodbye, stay safe, wear masks; and hope you are vaccinated!
For a brief window at the beginning of 2021 theatres were open in India. There was a belief that we are slowly beating Covid-19 and then everything came crashing down as the second wave hit us with a ferocity that the administration was totally unprepared to handle. Vaccine availability has improved in cities but most of the rural population and tier-2 and tier-3 cities still face vaccine availability issues. The madness to run the elections in key states; the blind belief that the ruling juggernaut would steamroll the opposition. The senseless campaigning with no care for rules or safety precautions they all contributed to the crisis. We are now slowly headed for the festive season across states – Onam, Navarathri, Kali and Durga Puja, Deepavali, these are all going to start soon. Are we ready to handle another wave? People seem to be just letting their guard down again and the third wave is sure to hit us hard again. I just hope there are no more cries and pleas for oxygen and hospital beds again on Twitter. I can never forget the anguish and pain of those looking for one slender hope of a bed or a cylinder of oxygen. I sincerely pray and hope that the administration – central and state are better prepared this time around.
OK after a long introductory paragraph that seems to rightfully criticize the powers – let us move on to the core topic. The half-yearly entertainment report card. Please note that I do not have a HotStar Disney Premium account, so I have not seen the English movies / shows released on the service.
Favourite of the Year
A three-way tie between “Sandeep aur Pinky Faraar”, “Operation Java”, and “Nayattu”.
Have closely followed Dibakar Bannerjee’s career since his first movie and have never been disappointed by his craft. The movie streaming on Amazon Prime is a homage to the movies of Vijay Anand where you never know where the next twist is coming from! A lady on the run with several secrets and a dismissed cop are forced to join hands as they seek to escape from corrupt cops and powerful bankers. Arjun Kapoor is always mocked; somehow I have always had a soft corner for him. A knockout performance by Arjun and Parineeti Chopra with an excellent screenplay and strong supporting actors.
In “Operation Java” we see a series of episodes involving the cyber cell of Kerala Police as they solve cases with the help of technology and two contract employees – engineering graduates. The movie conveys an important message at the end about the status of temporary and contract workers who do not get the respect or benefits that they deserve. Streaming on Zee5 now.
In “Nayattu” we have a powerful tale of how even the protectors of the law of the land, the police – are caught in a dangerous game of hide and seek with the politicians and the influential as a group of cops including a young lady cop are in a race against another set of cops who are pursuing them. Joju George delivers a convincing performance as a cop with a conscience and the movie makes you think and reflect about the sad state of affairs in our land.
Second Favourite
A tie between “Joji” and “Karnan”
In “Joji” – Dileesh Pothan takes the “Macbeth” template and crafts a mysterious tale of masculine egos, fear, greed, and sibling jealousy as a domineering patriarch is killed and the extended family grapples with guilt and pain. Streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
In “Karnan” there is a twist in the characters in “The Mahabharatha” and the director crafts a fictional tale based on two different incidents of violence in Tamil Nadu. With symbolism galore, the director seeks to present the cops as instigators of violence who torment the oppressed members of a village. More than Dhanush, it is cinematographer/cameraman Natarajan (Natty) who gives a memorable performance as the villainous cop Kannabiran.
Ranked Third
“Sarpattai Parambarai” – Pa. Ranjith does not make movies but political statements. Here his views on the Emergency era politics are veiled under the guise of a boxing saga as we see the rivalry between the warring clans of Sarpataai and Idiyappa. Tremendous physical transformation by the actors and it is the secondary characters like Vembuli, Dancing Rose, and Beedi Thatha who take home the honours. Plus, a big, big salute to Pasupathi for the convincing turn as Rangan Vadhyar the coach.
Honorary Mentions
“Thaen” and “Vaazhl” streaming on Sony LIV. Both movies have fascinating sound tracks and beautiful cinematography. The first story is a hard-hitting tale of tribals deprived of basic rights and the demon named “Aadhar” coupled with the lax and corrupt attitude of government servants. It also brings to light the morally ambiguous behaviour of NGOs.
In “Vaazhl” that’s backed by actor Siva Karthikeyan we are presented a magical escapist series of episodes that are loosely strung together and hopes to motivate young folks to travel, explore, and find meaning in life. The cinematography draws you into a magical world and has some beautiful moments featuring a young child. At times, you feel the behaviour of the leading lady – the child’s mother cringe-worthy or lacking logic. At a level, it can also be considered as a plea for women to come out of abusive relationships. A tighter screenplay and better direction would have elevated the movie. The young model TJ Bhanu speaks excellent Tamizh and is a good find.
“Silence” and “Dial 100” streaming on Zee5. Manoj Bajpayee is the common factor in both movies. In the first movie he is a cop investigating the murder of a young lady whose body is found by some young men on a trek. The secrets unravel one after the other and the denouement and investigation is satisfactory.
In the second movie he works in the Emergency Control Room of Mumbai Police and is pulled into a strange case that has a personal connection. “Dial 100” starts off slow but definitely has you hooked and ends leaving you thinking about the price that one has to pay for one’s actions. Neena Gupta has an impactful role again and it is really good to see her getting roles like these that showcase her abilities.
Disappointments
Jagamae Thandhiram, Toofan, The Tomorrow War, Without Remorse, Irul, Malik, and Cold Case.
Frequent readers of my blog will know about my troubled childhood and teenage years. I have written how my father’s addiction to alcohol ruined his life and put my mother and me in a precarious state for many years. The situation changed only once I got a full-time job and was able to support my mother.
In “Vellam” Jayasurya gives a career-defining role as an alcoholic. The movie directed by Prajesh Sen is the second collaboration between the actor and director after “Captain”. The movie is based on the life of a real individual in Kerala. A successful businessman who overcame his alcohol addiction and became a highly respected businessman – Murali Kunnumpurath.
In “Vellam” we see the lengths to which an alcoholic will go to fulfill his / her craving for alcohol. The movie starts with people attempting to retrieve someone from a well and this has to be one of the strangest introductions / entry-shots for a hero in Indian cinema.
The story unravels bit by bit as we are introduced to Murali, his family, and his friends. The village and its people where most folks know each other. The struggles of Murali’s wife played brilliantly by Samyuktha Menon. There are scenes where Murali sells his daughter’s study-table to fund his alcohol. There is another scene where he tries to find remnants of some alcohol in a discarded bottle. His portrayal was a harsh reminder of my own father’s battle with alcohol addiction. In spite of my best efforts to rehabilitate him and cure him of his unending craving for alcohol; I could not help him.
Lying, stealing, borrowing money from others with sob-stories; at a point in time it became unbearable. The pension from the Indian Navy and the subsidized alcohol from the defence canteen made him lose his identity as a father and a husband. He chose alcohol over his family running away from rehab. I hope wherever he is; he is happy.
Going back to the movie, we see how Murali is admitted to a de-addiction center run by Siddique and his wife. There is a particular scene where Murali ends up consuming surgical spirit to satisfy his craving for alcohol. He is helpless. At that juncture, we realize he is in a dark place in body, mind, and soul. Despite his efforts to reform, he seems to sink further into darkness.
What happens to Murali in the movie? Is he able to redeem himself? What happens to his wife and daughter? Does the movie mirror the success of the real-life businessman? Or does it take a darker turn? Watch the movie for answers.
Highly recommended and a must-watch to understand how alcohol destroys families and how redemption is possible. Special mention for the songs and music by Bijibal.
This self-imposed sabbatical and vacation has freed up a lot of time. The Corona scare is keeping us locked inside and travel outside is restricted to buying provisions, essentials, and medicines if needed. On top of this the main road in the vicinity is under construction with a fresh layer of concrete being applied to the rundown road. The dust and grime do not make it pleasant to travel outside. The weather is still somewhat bearable and the intense heat spell is yet to start. My nephew is a huge wrestling fan and an automobile enthusiast. So he tunes into wrestling programs and browses automobile reviews on the large screen TV. This Fire Stick is a remarkable invention and literally brings the world to your finger-tips and casts it on the big screen. Even with about 5 to 10 MBPS speed the device and the TV work fine here. So in the afternoons after lunch, my nephew streams content on his phone or laptop or watches some Japanese animated series which he loves – Dragonball – I believe. This is the time when I watch movies on Prime or Netflix or Zee5.
A couple of days ago I watched two movies back to back. Vaanam Kotattum and Ayappanum Koshiyum. Please understand this is not a review. This is just a post on how the absence of a father/father-figure or the presence of an extremely opinionated and angry father/father-figure can impact the psyche of a young boy. As frequent readers of my blog and my few friends know, it took me a long time to understand my father and spend ample time with him and that too ended in an extremely bitter separation. In a country like India, for a woman to raise her children in the absence of her husband is a big challenge. Prying neighbours, society, so-called friends are more often than not a terrible pain in the rear.
In Vaanam Kotattum, Sarath Kumar is jailed for hacking two men to death. Those men had attacked his elder brother. The elder brother survives, the two men that SK hacks die. Radhika shifts to Chennai from Theni and struggles to rear her young boy and girl. The boy inherits his father’s anger and violence and is also street smart. As a song plays with the mandatory child to adult progression happens on screen; there’s one sequence that’s striking. The young boy, now a teen in high school, threatens to immolate himself if his mother does not give Rs 50. His mother gives in – does it set a tone for us to understand that he will go to any length to attain what he wants? There are multiple scenarios wherein we are shown a glimpse of the character’s propensity for violence. When a banana trader refuses to make a full settlement and cheats his uncle, Selva follows the trader, punches his nose and gets the money due to his uncle. This incident later forms the basis for his business idea of starting a banana trading shop in Koyambedu fruits and vegetables market. An earlier incident when he works as a cab-driver and saves Madonna Sebastian and her lover from drowning show his softer side. He refuses to accept any money for saving their lives from Madonna’s father. Later as he becomes a known banana trader he stands guarantee in the bank for a Rs 2 crores loan as Madonna’s father goes into hiding to evade loan sharks. Once Sarath Kumar is released from jail and he joins the family several changes occur. He is instrumental in securing a load of bananas from Bengaluru at short notice when the original supplier backtracks. The rain – a recurring motif pours as Selva and his sister drive around the city looking for their father. The movie quickens pace in the last quarter as one of the sons of the slain men aim to strike back and avenge the death of his father and uncle by killing SK. Nandha plays a double role here. Yet again the absence of a father turns one kid into a meek and submissive man while the other kid turns into a psychologically disturbed adult who craves vengeance all through his life. The movie works well despite Mani Ratnam’s contributions to the story the debutante director manages to weave a convincing tale and show his directorial caliber.
The second movie was Ayappanum Koshiyum. Prithviraj has grown in stature since the early days of Nandanam. We saw what he was capable of in Padmakumar’s Vargam. Mumbai Police was an incredible turning point and he has not looked back. Venturing into production and focusing on strong stories and working across genres he commands respect as well as a strong BO opening. Biju Menon – what do I write about him. Years ago in a television serial, I recollect that played on DD Malayalam, he played Chandu a character involved in the theft of an idol from a temple. If anyone recollects the name of the serial do mention it in the comments. Biju Menon has always been a dependable actor, no ego or frills and fancies, be it action, comedy, or drama, he will go about his task with ease. Ordinary revived his and Kunchako Boban’s careers.
In AK – Prithvi is Koshiy – a retired havildar with a strong political connection through his father and heir to a fortune of sorts. We have Ranjith playing Koshiy’s father – in snatches we learn Koshiy flunked the pre-degree exam and joined the army to avoid shame and ridicule. All through his childhood his father has pestered him questioning his abilities. Koshiy definitely has an alcohol problem. He is married and has two little daughters. Are they happily married? We assume things are OK like any family. His mother is bed-ridden. Ranjith was a political influencer in the past, now he is past his glory days. Koshiy is arrested for possession of alcohol in a protected area in Attapadi by Ayappan the police officer. Ayappan is a police officer who follows the law book and portrayed as a man with a golden heart. As the movie progresses we learn many interesting facts. He marries an Adivasi woman who is accused of being a Maoist sympathizer and gives her a stable life and is blessed with a young child. The movie is a clash of fragile masculine egos that sees how low will one person go to provoke another person and fight it out rather than having a heart-to-heart discussion. Koshi shoots a video of Ayappan opening a sealed bottle of alcohol which he serves to him based on repeated requests. The poor constable girl Jessie also becomes an unintended victim as the video is shared on TV channels and Ayappan loses his job. After this it is a game of one up-man ship as both the leads seek to destroy the lives of each other.
We learn another interesting facet about Ayappan’s life that is tied back to the opening sequence where a young man in traditional dance attire kills another individual. Ayappan an orphan had come from Tamil Nadu as an assassin for hire. He is saved by a local teacher who helps reform the young man and helps him join the police force. The uniform imparts dignity to his life and Ayappan becomes an honest cop and man. This is how the presence of a father-figure helps young men find their own true purpose in life.
Koshiy’s father arranges goons to bash up Ayappan and Koshiy is not aware of this. Koshiy also tries to resolve the issues but in the interim Ayappan visits Koshiy’s house and Koshiy’s father overreacts as does Koshiy’s wife who faints. The story builds up to a pulsating adrenaline-driven no-holds-barred fight. The two men bash each other up and are eventually separated by the cops in plain clothes. There’s a sequence where finally Koshiy challenges his father and confronts him with a heart to heart talk. Finally Koshiy’s father is sentenced to prison for planning to murder Ayappan. How things resolve? Who wins the fight between Mr. A and Mr. K.? You have to watch the movie to find the answers.
The whole purpose of this long blog post was the importance of an emotional chord and support that is needed for young children to grow up into responsible and loving adults. Are you a parent? How much time do you spend with your young ones? Do you treat your spouse with respect and dignity? How many people are leading a life of discord disguised as a life of convenience for the sake of the children, society, and status facades? Children learn by observing what their immediate family members do and say. No family or relationship is perfect. We do not live in Utopia. But it is important for parents to realize how they impact the emotional and psychological growth of their children by their words and deeds. Stop thrusting your unfulfilled dreams on your children. Spread love not hate.
Paithrukam – I am not sure of an exact one-word English substitute for the word; I guess ‘paternal affection/duty’ would come close to the title’s meaning. With a brilliant screenplay by Kaloor Dennis, from a story by George Vettam and excellent direction by Jayaraj. The story is set in a family of Kerala Brahmin priests headed by Devadathan Chemmathiripadu played by Narendra Prasad. He is a renowned Vedic scholar and after conducting the Somayagam he is conferred the title of Somayyaji. He has two sons – Somadathan played by Suresh Gopi who is in Delhi to become a journalist and Chithrabhanu played by Jayaram who assists his father in various rituals.
The basic premise of the story is the purported conflict between religion/rituals and scientific thinking. The movie examines the importance of rituals in life and how there is a higher power, which cannot be questioned.
Somadathan return to the village as an atheist and political activist he goes about speaking against the rituals and traditions and the existence of God and marries Gayathri his lover. They take up residence in an old dilapidated house and destroy the idols of the ‘Sarpa Devangal’ (Snake Gods) while cleaning the house.
Chithrabhanu is in love with a girl from a neighbouring village and expresses his wishes to his mother who speaks to Somayyaji. Then comes the shocker when his father says that a tragic flaw in his horoscope indicates that Chithrabhanu may die by the time he is 27 years old. Broken-hearted he commits suicide. Somadathan who loves his brother a lot is enraged and accuses his father of driving his younger brother to death.
In the interim Gayathri suffers miscarriages and loses the child in the womb itself. She is also haunted by dreams of snakes and speaks to her mother-in-law. This result sin a sarpadosha puja being done to which Somadathan reacts angrily. Gayathri moves to the main house and in the loving care of her mother-in-law safely gives birth to a boy. Somadathan again states that his son will grow up like him and should not be brought up as per Vedic traditions.
As the village suffers from drought the elders decide to conduct an Athirathram to please Lord Indra and ensure bountiful rains and a good harvest. Somadathan again ridicules his father who is in charge of the ceremony and asks him if the ceremony fails will he leave the pursuit of the Vedas. His father accepts this and says if the ceremony is successful would Somadathan accept the presence of God and the Vedas!
In a fascinating climax as the ceremony goes along across twelve days; there is no sign of rain and the atheists continue to protest. Lo and behold on the final day the rains pour. Somadathan is dumbfounded and he accepts defeat. Somayaji lost in the intesnsity of his prayers, meditates and sacrifices his life. The movie ends showing Somadathan as the new priest and continuing the Vedic traditions for which his father gave up his life.
The movie had fantastic songs composed by SP Venkitesh and written by Kaithaparam.
Pingami – ‘Follower’
A revenge saga with a difference; wherein the hero attempts to rescue an injured stranger and discovers a diary that reveals his own secret history. A fascinating premise right! Directed by Sathyan Anthikad with a story by Reghunath Paleri and with a powerful starcast – Thilakan, Jagathy Sreekumar, Innocent, Janardhanan, Sukumaran, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Kanaka, Puneet Issarr and others. The movie is an investigative thriller with quite a few twists and generous comic sequences.
Mohanlal plays Captain Vijay Menon on military-leave; on reaching his ancestral village he stumbles upon an accident victim Kuamran played by Thilakan and takes him to the hospital – where he dies. He discovers Kumaran’s diary and as he read it he discovers the truth about his own identity and realises that his parents were killed by the same group of people who killed Kumaran.
The movie brilliantly depicts how Vijay tracks down each of the perpetrators of the crime and extracts revenge. There are some brilliant scenes where he emerges out of a swimming pool and strikes fear into the hearts of the villains. In another sequence Innocent playing a corrupt lawyer is kidnapped and made to wear exploding briefs and made to confess!
The final showdown in an isolated guesthouse in the hills is well-done with some good fight sequences. The movie ends with a bomb-blast and revenge is extracted!
A romantic angle between Sridevi played by Kanaka – Kumaran’s daughter is another highlight!
Jagathy as Kutti Hassan – Vijay’s friend is a laugh-riot. His combination scenes with Innocent and the exploding briefs evoke laughter!
Perhaps not a great movie – but still figures in this list because of the interesting premise of the tale. I would love to see this movie remade with a new bunch of stars and Lalettan playing Thilakan’s role!
Wishlist – 1 – ‘Panchagni’ – Am ashamed to call myself a Lalettan fan as I have not seen this gem yet :(!
Wishlist – 2 – ‘Pavithram’ very close to my heart and I feel I will break into tears if I write a detailed post about the movie. So I leave you with a song that I treasure and cherish!
It is Vishu today – Happy Vishu to all my readers 🙂 – the festival ushers in the new year!
It is the letter ‘O’ today and though many of you dear readers would have thought this would be a post dedicated to the historical classic – ‘Oru Vadakan Veeragatha’ – I have picked something else.
1986 was a fascinating year for Mohanlal as he essayed a whole variety of roles and practically won the hearts of all Malayalees with his movies. The movie that we examine today is a fascinating tale of love lost, found and lost again! A gem of a movie called ‘Onnu Muthal Poojyam Varai’– when translated it means ‘From One to Zero’.
The movie is about Aleena (Asha Jayaram) a young widow living in a lovely little cottage with her sweet little four-year old daughter Deepamol (Geetu Mohandas). Aleena pines for love and yearns for the love of her husband played by Prathap Pothan who is dead and was a musician. We have a lovely song which shows him conducting a music piece.
Aleena works as a painter and things go along as mother and daughter find comfort in each other. There is a telephone with which Deepamol dials random numbers and speaks to people. One such day she dials a number and speaks to her Telephone Uncle with whom she instantly connects and discovers a paternal bond. For a major part of the movie we do not see Mohanlal at all and just hear his voice as he speaks to Deepamol and Aleena.
The powerful bond between all three characters grows just through the telephone, which becomes an integral part of the movie. Finally after much persuasion, Telephone Uncle promises to visit Deepamol on her birthday and both mother and daughter wait eagerly for the ‘stranger’ to visit them.
I will not reveal the climax – it will be gross injustice to reveal what happens when Telephone Uncle finally meets Aleena and Deepamol. Please watch this movie; available on YouTube; stream and watch it!
The movie won the debutante director Raghunath Paleri an award, Geethu Mohandas won the best child artiste (female) award and Shaji Karun won an award for cinematography. Shaji would go on to become a successful ‘art-film’ director in his own right. The movie had lovely songs tuned by Mohan Sithara and written by ONV Kurup.
End the post with a beautiful song from the movie:
AK Lohithadas was Malayalam cinema’s most gifted screenwriter. For more than two decades he gave us marvellous stories and scripts. Some of Malayalam cinema’s biggest blockbusters have the screenwriting credentials of Lohithadas to support them. Kireedam, His Highness Abdullah, Amaram to name a few. He also directed some movies and discovered a gem called Meera Jasmine and gave her a career-defining role in Kasthuriman.
Here I shall write briefly about one of his screenwriting successes – ‘Thooval Kottaram’ – ‘Palace of Feathers’. There is a special connection as the movie features my ancestral village Thiruvilvamala prominently in the movie. The movie starts Jayaram, Sukanya, Manju Warrier, Dileep, Oduvil Unni Krishnan and others.
Jayaram plays the role of Mohanachandran a struggling lawyer who is an accomplished chenda player and participates in various temple festivals. He dons various roles to make ends meet and support his extended family. He is engaged to be married to Sujatha played with grace by Sukanya the daughter of Oduvil Unnikrishnan in the movie.
How the lives of all these people change when Devaprabha played by Manju Warrier and her grandfather descendants of royal lineage arrive in the village is beautifully narrated. Sujatha feels jealous of Devaprabha. Devaprabha is recovering from the death of her brother which has affected her mental stability. She improves and gradually becomes happier in the company of Mohanachandran.
The movie has beautiful songs and examines the importance of companionship, friendship, love and brotherly affection from various aspects. Directed by Sathyan Anthikad the movie was a blockbuster.
LAL SALAAM
This was again a casting coup of sorts pitting some of the best actors and actresses of Malayalam cinema together. Mohanlal, Murali, Geetha, Urvashi, Jagadhi, Madhu, Nedumudi Venu and others. A semi-fictionalised account of the growth of the Communist Marxist Party in Kerala. The movie is a tale of three comrades – Stephen (Mohanlal), Antony (Murali) and Sethulakshmi (Geetha). Antony and Sethulakshmi love each other and Stephen is in love with the daughter of the local zamindar – Annamma.
The movie covers two distinct stages in the lives of its principal characters – one – when the CPM is a banned outfit and they are hunted across the state and are forced into hiding. They are eventually captured and arrested and sentenced to a prison term. Two – Their return as party-loyalists who eventually get a role in the new government that is elected.How the shift in power affects their lives – the harsh realities of power, politics and the true sentiments of people is wonderfully brought out.
Directed by Venu Nagavalli with a story by Cherian Kalpakavadi – the movie was a massive hit! A great watch for its political truths and excellent portrayal by the principal cast of the movie.
OK hold on to your socks not the Mario Puzo gem brought to life by Marlon Brando – that’s another cup of green tea for another pleasant day!
Today we look at on of the best Malayalam comedies that was remade to great success in multiple Indian languages. The movie is ‘Godfather’ written and directed by the magic-duo of Siddique-Lal. Look at the sheer acting power of the cast below:
N. N. Pillai – Anjooran
Mukesh – Ramabhadran
Kanaka – Malu
Jagadish – Mayin Kutty
Innocent – Swaminathan
Thilakan – Balaraman
Philomina – Achamma
Siddique – Veerabhadran
K. P. A. C. Lalitha – Kochammini
Bheeman Raghu – Premachandran
The movie is basically the tale of two rich families, one led by an old man Anjooran with his four sons! The other family is led by the iron-lady Achamma. How the youngest scions of each family fall in love and unite the families is told in a hilarious manner with some stand-out performances. The movie also features a hit melody – Pookalam vannu Pookalam!
Ramabhadran his friend Mayin Kutty and Malu are all part of the same college campus; Ramabhadran insults Malu at every given opportunity and his family is also responsible for thwarting a marriage proposal that had come her way. Achamma hatches a plot where she instructs Malu to make Ramabhadran fall in love with her and then destroy the unity of Ramabhadran and his brothers.
Inevitably as it happens the charade turns real and Malu and Ramabhadran are deeply madly in love!
Ramabhadran has to convince his brothers and father to accept his love for Malu. Then a truth is discovered that Swaminathan played by Innocent is actually married to Kochammini dance-teacher and has children all living far away in another village. He leads a dual-identity. As Ramabhadran threatens to tell the truth some real mad-cap comedy plays on-screen. The sequences are seen to believed! Anjooran confronts Swaminathan – Swaminathan says that he is not Swaminathan – Anjooran says slap me to prove that! In utter confusion Swaminathan slaps another brother and says – I am not Swami but you are old enough to be my father – so how can I slap you!
He rushes home before his father and brothers can reach! In utter disbelief they look at Swami getting ready for an oil-bath at home! The expressions on the faces of everyone make the audience laugh and root for Swami! Then Kochammini comes with her children and threatens to commit suicide unless she is not recognised and accepted by the family! Finally the problem is resolved!
On a parallel track Achamma arranges for Malu to be married to someone else. How the marriage plans are thwarted by the motley group led by Ramabhadran, Mayin Kutty and the other brothers is hilariously portrayed! Finally after epic confusion involving the groom being replaced and the catch-n-catch game with the mangalsutra/thali (ceremonial wedding necklace) – chaos is resolved and Ramabhadran and Malu are pronounced man and wife!
Things end on a happy note as Anjooran relaxes his ‘no-woman in my home policy’ and everything ends on a positive and fun-filled note!
Jagadish’s brilliant comic-timing and idiotic antics deserve special praise as well! There’s a sequence where the dogs at Malu’s home bark and indicate his hiding place. He calmly says he is Malu’s friend and asks for study-notes! The dead-pan expression is simply superb! His race to get a taxi for everyone to leave Swaminathan’s house is another hit scene!
The movie was remade as Hulchul in Hindi with Paresh Rawal in Innocent’s role and Akshay Khanna and Kareena Kapoor in the lead! The movie was a hit! The movie was a success in Kannada and Telugu as well. Surprisingly the movie has not been remade in Tamil yet!
Do not miss this comic gem! I can watch this one and In Harihar Nagar another gem from Siddique-Lal a million times and still not get bored!
The movie is the tale of a simple rice trader played by Mammootty who is quite rich; but lacks sophisitcation or a great education. A chance encounter of his with that of Punyalan St. Francis of Assisi and how his life changes is what is depicted in the story.
OK this is a small trick but then I did not want to take a sub-par movie and frame a review for it just for the sake of the Blogging Challenge. Plus I don’t know how frequent my writing will be post Feb-17 – so any bit of spare time with access to the internet will result in something being written and published for the Blogging Challenge.
The movie in question is actually a sweet little gem titled ‘Pranchiyettan and the Saint’ starring Mammooty.
The movie is the tale of a simple rice trader played by Mammootty who is quite rich; but lacks sophisitcation or a great education. A chance encounter of his with that of Punyalan St. Francis of Assisi and how his life changes is what is depicted in the story.
Co-starring Jagadhi Sreekumar, Priya Mani, Tini Tom, Khushboo and others; this is a feel-good movie that reiterates the simple logic that ‘sincerity of purpose and a noble heart’ willhelp things get done. It is not one’s wealth, education or titles and awards that matter; but the desire and willingness to help others that counts.
Jagadhi is hired as a tutor to help coach a boy in clearing his Board Exams. The sequences involving Jagadhi and the boy are hilarious!
Innocent who plays Vasu Menon has some of the best lines in the movie and his interactions with Mammootty and the quest for praise and awards is really well done. There is a humourous take on an Oscar-winner shamelessly satirising Resul Pookutty’s achievements.
The movie was scripted, produced and directed by Ranjit and released in 2010. The movie was a phenomenal success and was a clean and hilarious look at modern society and the idiosyncrasies of its people!
Teerthadanam 