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Neythukaran,
the state award winning film is a befitting tribute
to EMS, the legendary leader of a momentous era who
made monumental contributions to the transformation
of Kerala from an obnoxious past when cast ridden
feudal system prevailed to the equitable society that
it is today. Wielding the megaphone for the first
time, Priyanandanan, a school drop out hailing from
Thrissur has carved a niche for himself as a promising
filmmaker with the deft handling of the subject. Hats
off to the debutante for stepping out of the trodden
track. The film's technical blemishes seem minor,
even negligible considering the significance of the
theme it examines or the superior quality of the screenplay,
which carries the stamp of an unusually inquisitive
and imaginative mind. |
The
film has so far been at private shows. Thanks to the social
milieu in Kerala that has always been conducive to creative
pursuits, people in large numbers, very enthusiastic or
openly skeptical flocked to watch this film and expressed
their views mostly laudatory and some lukewarm. The parallel
screening is a welcome initiative as it shows the emergence
of a new film culture in the crisis ridden social scenario.
The dialogues rendered in the original regional dialect
of Kannur has added to the film's perfection since a substantial
portion of the plot revolves around the weavers whose marginal
existence in the Kerala society especially in Northern Kerala
becomes a vehicle for the film's examination of the political
movements and some of their inherent contradictions.
The plot unfolds as the entire state bids a tearful adieu
to its beloved leader. The story is told in a series of
flash backs interwoven meticulously into the narrative.
Set against the backdrop of a middle class family, the film
features Appa Mesthri (Murali) as the protagonist. Ageing
Communist, Appa Mesthri had worked closely together with
EMS who was the champion of the cause of working class and
downtrodden sections of the society. The film depicts the
heart to heart relationship that the revolutionary leader
had established with ordinary people, peasants, farmers,
and weavers when the Communist leaders in the state went
into hiding following the ban imposed by British Government
in the early 40's. Priyanandanan could conjure up on celluloid
the persona of Appa Mesthri and the pulsating period in
the history of the state with a fair degree of flair and
conviction. Geeta (Sona Nair) seem to have established an
emotional rapport with her father in law. Appa Mesthri the
ailing communist tug at her heart strings while he undergoes
a traumatic phase when the news of EMS' death is heard.
He suffers from a sense of deprivation after the death of
EMS. However, his son Joshi (Vijayaraghavan) and his kids
fail to understand him. The plot thickens as Appamesthri
broods over his past and confronts the morbid present with
restraint. The director handles the push and pull between
the past and present quite deftly driving it to a soul-stirring
climax. The agony of Appa mesthri is bound to last in the
minds of the discerning audience.
There is in fact redundancy of dramatic situations that
keep the audience spell bound at times, but one is tempted
to think that less would have been better. The infinitely
nuanced performance by Murali reiterates the fact that he
is an unparalleled actor. Sona Nair has rendered a splendid
performance as Geetha.The visuals of the serpentine queues
in front of the liquor shops on the day before hartal called
by Left parties is a critical appraisal of some of the issues
that are predominant in the social life of our state which
has detached itself from the lessons of history and political
movements.
The film was shot on an almost stringent budget. The overall
costs including the prints came to about 18 lakhs. A film
without frills, it is not saddled with intellectual baggage.
It just tells a human story ripped off from life. In the
wake of rave reviews, Priyanandanan looks forward to floating
his next venture, which is the cinematic adaptation of Sabdangal
by Vaikkom Muhammad Basheer. In short, he does not want
to rest on the laurels.
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