These days, quite uncharacteristically, I find myself watching older Malayalam movies over and over again, and I had to admit that my sensibilities when it comes to entertainment, at least the kind that moves me, seems to have shifted more towards the cultural context of my childhood, especially when it comes to admiring the fictional 'heroes' and 'heroines' of cinema. This, of course, says volumes about my preferences than an artistic or technical analysis of the wonderful craft of film making. With that rather insolent disclaimer, let me also add that I have been, for most of my life, an avid viewer and appreciator of movies and shows from multiple industries and cultures, with varying levels of indulgence and pursuit in numbers in each - Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Hollywood, British, Hongkong, Japanese and Korean. But why write about this now?
It just occurred to me that while movies are almost a culture by itself in India, I don't remember having a discussion with any one I know, about the characters in these elegant and tastefully etched out stories from a literary point of view - in terms of the whys and the hows.
Also, at least among my peers, I don't remember any one (at the time) focusing on some of these movies as great 'romances', in fact, by virtue of our youthful views or superficial temperament I do not know, we saw only the humor, depth and magnificence of the characters and the sheer impressiveness of the eloquent dialogues and colorful plot structure. Now, seeing these movies through a different color of shades, I find the romantic relationships in some of these movies emotionally resonate with me as well. My tremendous admiration for the subtly handled acting performances and visionary direction of these films are, without a doubt, an influencing factor too.
The movie, in particular, I have in mind is Ranjith's Aaraam Thampuraan (1997) starring Mohanlal and Manju Warrier, masterfully directed by Shaji Kailas. The movie, of course, was a huge success and took its rightfully earned and well deserved place in the pantheon of great works in the industry, and in the hearts of the Malayali movie fans. No small feat considering the masterpieces that came before and after.
Another reason I want to analyse this movie as an ethereal romance between two memorable characters is that there are almost no real 'romantic' scenes between them on camera, with one powerful and delicately captured exception which served as an overt declaration of commitment.
What follows is a free, condensed and personal interpretation of the aspects of the characters and their intertwining lives with regards to their love story and not to be taken as any kind of an educated or authoritative opinion on the complete story or the movie.
Unnimaya's armor which shields her from her depressing reality manifests itself intentionally as a sharp tongue, blunt straightforwardness and overwhelming confidence which is often perceived as unfounded arrogance (അഹങ്കാരത്തിനു കൈയ്യും കാലും വയ്ക്കുക എന്നിട്ടു പെണ്ണെന്നു പേരും ). However, in her private moments, she reveals her fears and helplessness before her fate. It is to be noted that even in the face of losing her home and identity, she displays her righteous self respect by referring to herself not as a tenant of the ancestral home but it's mistress (കോലോത്തേ തമ്പുരാട്ടിയാടോ മാഷേ).
Her mask firsts briefly slips unnoticed by everyone except for Jagannathan when he first reveals himself as the new owner of the home and she perceives the true Jagannathan for a second. However, like him her defenses go up immediately and she reverts back to her normal, angry self. Her love is reserved only for the one man who has always been there for her and loved her unconditionally - the man she calls her father and quite cleverly, the other Thampuran in the kovilakam.
Her hatred and contempt for Jagannathan is genuine until the moment she sees the great artist in him during the classic monologue before the song Harimuraleeravam (മധുമൊഴി രാധേ നിന്നേ തേടി...). The depth and strength of Unnimaya's devotion to the arts, which she held on to for a livelihood and as her only true identity is revealed here when she tears up and bows before him and at the end of the song, touches his feet and quickly runs away unable to show her vulnerable and now respectful self before him.
In a story that heavily paints a picture of forgotten traditions and cultural and hereditary pedigree, Unnimaya's immense love and respect for the arts that transcends her defenses and ego brings one word to mind - കുലീനത. One has to wonder if Ranjith is trying to say something about the unanswered question of Unnimaya's parentage (ഏതു തരക്കാരി ആയിരുന്നു തള്ള എന്നു നിന്റെ പ്രകൃതം കൊണ്ടു അറിയാല്ലോ).
Unnimaya's jealousy rears its head when Nayanthara shows up and it is then that Unnimaya herself might have realized that the nature of her feelings for Jagannathan had grown beyond just awe and respect, in to something more possessive. For the first time, we see subtle hints of her questioning her worth which comes out as vehement spite at Nayanthara's worldliness and daring which had made her an equal in Jagannathan's eyes. Gave her freedom to call him affectionate nicknames when Unnimaya herself still only dared call him Thampuran (കാശിന്റെ ഹുങ്കാ കൊഴഞ്ഞാട്ടക്കാരിക്ക്).
When she overhears Jagannathan decline Nayanthara's proposal and declares his overwhelming affection and overpowering love for her, her initial reaction is one of shock as she faces the prospect that for once in her life she could be happy and how blessed she was, she stands still with her fists clenched at her sides and tears streaming down her face. As she then, once again runs away, her joy and happiness is portrayed beautifully through the song 'paadi' written simply but eloquently describing her emotions.
The only scene of any kind of intimacy between Unnimaya and Jagannathan is after he tells her stepmother that he will never leave her or betray her, emotionally or physically, in two simple words. It is again of paramount importance that this happens only after the stepmother tells Unnimaya that she always thought of her as a daughter and that for all intents and purposes she was her mother. This resolution of the major crisis of identity being resolved in Unnimaya's life is sub-textually significant for Jagannathan to commit overtly before her mother and serves almost as an engagement of sorts between the now overt lovers. The tearful, short hug between the two is the only time they actually touch each other in the entire movie apart from the time Unnimaya touches Jagannathan's feet in respect. Elegant symbolism. (ഞാൻ കൈവിടില്ല).
The news that sixteen years later another Mohanlal - Manju Warrier- Ranjith project is in the works is happy tidings to any Mallu movie fan. So as I'm wrapping up, let me just say "Welcome back Manju Chechi! Bring it on.."
It just occurred to me that while movies are almost a culture by itself in India, I don't remember having a discussion with any one I know, about the characters in these elegant and tastefully etched out stories from a literary point of view - in terms of the whys and the hows.
Also, at least among my peers, I don't remember any one (at the time) focusing on some of these movies as great 'romances', in fact, by virtue of our youthful views or superficial temperament I do not know, we saw only the humor, depth and magnificence of the characters and the sheer impressiveness of the eloquent dialogues and colorful plot structure. Now, seeing these movies through a different color of shades, I find the romantic relationships in some of these movies emotionally resonate with me as well. My tremendous admiration for the subtly handled acting performances and visionary direction of these films are, without a doubt, an influencing factor too.
The movie, in particular, I have in mind is Ranjith's Aaraam Thampuraan (1997) starring Mohanlal and Manju Warrier, masterfully directed by Shaji Kailas. The movie, of course, was a huge success and took its rightfully earned and well deserved place in the pantheon of great works in the industry, and in the hearts of the Malayali movie fans. No small feat considering the masterpieces that came before and after.
Another reason I want to analyse this movie as an ethereal romance between two memorable characters is that there are almost no real 'romantic' scenes between them on camera, with one powerful and delicately captured exception which served as an overt declaration of commitment.
What follows is a free, condensed and personal interpretation of the aspects of the characters and their intertwining lives with regards to their love story and not to be taken as any kind of an educated or authoritative opinion on the complete story or the movie.
Jagannathan
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The transformation of Jagannathan in to that of the Aaram Thamburan, is in no small part due to Unnimaya. In the beginning we see a man who declares that he wants to own nothing and be attached to nothing - live life as a nomadic monk who revels in its pleasures without developing a craving or yearning for them. The vices and general disregard for societal regulations he displays seems to hide a fundamental, deep rooted fear of losing love manifesting itself as a "own nothing, lose nothing" philosophy and the tendency to put on masks in life, even to those closest to him, combined with an act of delusional self assurance (എല്ലാം അറിയുന്നവൻ ഞാൻ). We see this psychological defense faltering in many instances in Unnimaya's presence.
The first time this happens is when he first sees her in the temple, and as she walks towards him he struggles and then succeeds in turning his initial slack jawed expression back to his normal, defensive self. One has to wonder how much of the taunting dialogue that followed revealed his actual perception of her (കാവിലേ ഭഗവതി നേരിട്ടു പ്രത്യക്ഷപ്പെട്ടതാണോ). This moment of fleeting indecisiveness on the part of Jagannathan in the beginning takes prominence when you consider how much, throughout the rest of the movie you are made privy to his colorful and exciting history and resulting strength and decisiveness of character (കളി കുറേ കണ്ടവനാ ഞാൻ ).
It is after this scene, that Jagannathan's intentional and unintentional armors go up and he tests and needles Unnimaya in many ways until the scene where she displays her softer, vulnerable side by crying about not knowing but loving her mother and again we see Jagannathan's mask slipping for a second as he decides to stop and take stock of his feelings for her (ഗോവിന്ദൻകുട്ടീ, കുട്ടി കരയണൂ).
It is however, when a third character shows up in the mix in the form of an old friend who arrives with serious romantic intentions as Nayanthara Devan (Priya Raman) that Jagannathan is forced to confront his emotions for real, in subtle ways at first and then overtly. The notable scene is where for the first time you see the revealing, awkward smile of comprehension that appears on his face when Unnimaya shows her anger and jealousy at the abrupt end of the impromptu thiruvathira performance (ദേ ഉണ്ണിമായ വിചാരിച്ചാ നടക്കുംടോ).
Finally, when put on the spot with Nayanthara's rather practical and endearing marriage proposal, Jagannathan reveals his true feelings and his intentions regarding Unnimaya and in a way, it's the first true words his character utters in the entire movie ( I'm madly in love, Nayan). It's interesting when you think that Nayanthara is not just a convenient catalyst in the story but also a clever component in painting the depth and nature of the Jagannathan - Unnimaya story as in every other sense she is perfect for him because of their close friendship, mutual respect, common world views, love for family (for the father- parellel to Jagannathan's own theme) , knowledge of and on various relevant matters and most importantly her willingness to compromise her individual sensibilities for the sake of a committed relationship (ജഗൻറെ ഇഷ്ടങ്ങളെ ഇഷ്ടപ്പെടാൻ എനിക്കു കഴിയും).
Unnimaya
First of all hats off to Manju Warrier for her indelible performance. It's hard to believe she was just 19 when she elicited the necessary depth of emotion and sub-textual understanding of the character.
Unnimaya's transformation is sudden and more evident than Jagannathan's but is paralleled in many ways in terms of themes and events. The sheer elegance of Unnimaya's character is to be applauded - kudos to Ranjith.
Unnimaya's armor which shields her from her depressing reality manifests itself intentionally as a sharp tongue, blunt straightforwardness and overwhelming confidence which is often perceived as unfounded arrogance (അഹങ്കാരത്തിനു കൈയ്യും കാലും വയ്ക്കുക എന്നിട്ടു പെണ്ണെന്നു പേരും ). However, in her private moments, she reveals her fears and helplessness before her fate. It is to be noted that even in the face of losing her home and identity, she displays her righteous self respect by referring to herself not as a tenant of the ancestral home but it's mistress (കോലോത്തേ തമ്പുരാട്ടിയാടോ മാഷേ).
Her mask firsts briefly slips unnoticed by everyone except for Jagannathan when he first reveals himself as the new owner of the home and she perceives the true Jagannathan for a second. However, like him her defenses go up immediately and she reverts back to her normal, angry self. Her love is reserved only for the one man who has always been there for her and loved her unconditionally - the man she calls her father and quite cleverly, the other Thampuran in the kovilakam.
Her hatred and contempt for Jagannathan is genuine until the moment she sees the great artist in him during the classic monologue before the song Harimuraleeravam (മധുമൊഴി രാധേ നിന്നേ തേടി...). The depth and strength of Unnimaya's devotion to the arts, which she held on to for a livelihood and as her only true identity is revealed here when she tears up and bows before him and at the end of the song, touches his feet and quickly runs away unable to show her vulnerable and now respectful self before him.
In a story that heavily paints a picture of forgotten traditions and cultural and hereditary pedigree, Unnimaya's immense love and respect for the arts that transcends her defenses and ego brings one word to mind - കുലീനത. One has to wonder if Ranjith is trying to say something about the unanswered question of Unnimaya's parentage (ഏതു തരക്കാരി ആയിരുന്നു തള്ള എന്നു നിന്റെ പ്രകൃതം കൊണ്ടു അറിയാല്ലോ).
Unnimaya's jealousy rears its head when Nayanthara shows up and it is then that Unnimaya herself might have realized that the nature of her feelings for Jagannathan had grown beyond just awe and respect, in to something more possessive. For the first time, we see subtle hints of her questioning her worth which comes out as vehement spite at Nayanthara's worldliness and daring which had made her an equal in Jagannathan's eyes. Gave her freedom to call him affectionate nicknames when Unnimaya herself still only dared call him Thampuran (കാശിന്റെ ഹുങ്കാ കൊഴഞ്ഞാട്ടക്കാരിക്ക്).
When she overhears Jagannathan decline Nayanthara's proposal and declares his overwhelming affection and overpowering love for her, her initial reaction is one of shock as she faces the prospect that for once in her life she could be happy and how blessed she was, she stands still with her fists clenched at her sides and tears streaming down her face. As she then, once again runs away, her joy and happiness is portrayed beautifully through the song 'paadi' written simply but eloquently describing her emotions.
The Only Scene
The only scene of any kind of intimacy between Unnimaya and Jagannathan is after he tells her stepmother that he will never leave her or betray her, emotionally or physically, in two simple words. It is again of paramount importance that this happens only after the stepmother tells Unnimaya that she always thought of her as a daughter and that for all intents and purposes she was her mother. This resolution of the major crisis of identity being resolved in Unnimaya's life is sub-textually significant for Jagannathan to commit overtly before her mother and serves almost as an engagement of sorts between the now overt lovers. The tearful, short hug between the two is the only time they actually touch each other in the entire movie apart from the time Unnimaya touches Jagannathan's feet in respect. Elegant symbolism. (ഞാൻ കൈവിടില്ല).
The news that sixteen years later another Mohanlal - Manju Warrier- Ranjith project is in the works is happy tidings to any Mallu movie fan. So as I'm wrapping up, let me just say "Welcome back Manju Chechi! Bring it on.."
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