Tuesday, April 11, 2006

they stay on in your mind

I watched 3 movies in the last 2 days. All were Malayalam movies. One is my favorite movie, Thoovanathumbikal, for the umpteenth time and then Kathaavasheshan and Akale for the first time. No matter how many times I watch Thoovanathumbikal (Butterflies of the spraying rain); I keep going back to and analyze the characters again and again.

As I said in my earlier post, there are some characters which stay on in your mind for a long time. One such person here is Clara portrayed by Sumalatha. Another beautiful character created by P Padmarajan, with lots of mysteries, beauty and love.

Why Clara left Jayakrishnan (Mohanlal) will be a question asked by every person who has seen that movie? Why Pappetten made her to go away from all the promises that Jayakrishnan offered and that too after breaking the small small vows that he kept? Why she still came back to JK? Didn’t she love Jayakrishnan? What is it that makes the Mother Nature to shower rain whenever Jayakrishnan thinks or meets Clara except for the second time? Was that rain symbolizing the love that she had for him? And when she met him for the second time, there was no rain. Jayakrishnan himself says to her- “Njanathalla alochikunnathu, Ippravashyam naammal kandappol Mazha Peyyunundaayirunnilla”. At the same instance he checks her purse and finds a few visiting cards and asks the details of those people. Then she asks. “Thadi Contractore, Enthina ente mon aavashyamillatha kaaryangale kurichu aalochikkunnathu.” How beautiful. Didn’t Jayakrishnan had a thought that she is leaving him for the final time. She says that later, “Radha Mannarathodiyilekku varunnathu vareye nammal thammil kanalundavulooo.” And when she meets him for the final time she had become the wife of Money Joseph.
How many unanswered questions?

Same is the case with Jayakrishnan. He liked or loved Radha(Parvathi) once. She neglected him. Then he came across Clara, whom he met as Thadi Contractor or Motehr Superior. He makes love to her, only to know that she was a virgin till that time. He is guilty, for he has kept all of his purity for the girl whom he will marry. Now as Radha is over, he offers to marry her. But she left him, without any reason. Then Radha comes back to him, and later again Clara. At that point of time, he loves both of them and still he is honest to them, even though Radha doesn’t understand him at times. Can a person be ever like that ever? Can a person have contact with 2 persons at the same time and yet be honest to both of them? And Jayakrishnan himself doesn’t know why he goes back to her as he tells to Radha – “Enikkariyilla, Enthukonda eeyoru kuttiyude kaaryathil maathram njan enthe ingane perumarunathu”. And Radha too is bold and decided that she will marry him only – “Njan ennenkilum, Eppozhenkilum oru Vivaaha Registeril oppidanamennu enikku thonniyal.. athu Jayettante oppinte aduthe aakulloo.” Why she is waiting for a man who has another woman also in her mind?
Still lot of unanswered questions.

Perhaps as Abhi and I discussed, this is why we keep going back to watch his movies. To try and find out any a tip,catch the dialogues and analyze it again. Perhaps if Padmarajan was alive, he would have answered all these.

Any day any time I am ready to watch it again.

In Kathaavaseshan too I came across a character like these. Gopinathan Menon (Dileep), who hangs himself for no reason. Until we realize it at the end of the movie. A reason that will just shake you, and stay in your mind. Can a person do a suicide for that reason? Class from T V Chandran.

These are characters that never die from a viewers mind. And created by geniuses.

9 comments:

pophabhi said...

Wonderfully written, Dhanu!! You know what, if I had not read it from yours, I would have written about that beautiful Sunday with Thoovanathumbikal and Kadhavasheshan, in my blog. You reached there first :).

How true that these characters just shake us up, and makes us have sleepless nights thinking over them. And thats the victory of great artists like TV Chandran and Pappettan!

Anonymous said...

ya, we always get back to those movies which got etched in our minds. we start reading between the lines, rethink, revive the nostalgia..

thumbikal = dragonflies :)

i liked kathavasheshan very much. taken very well.

Suji said...

Yes both great movies. Have watched Thoovanathoombikal umpteen times. And I love the song "Onnam Ragam". :)

Kathaveseshan was brilliant too. Movie that makes you think.

Lekshmi said...

Whenever I watch the movie, Thoovanathumbikal, I feel like 'Manassilevideyo oru vingal avasheshippichu poyi'. I think, I shud see the movie 'Kathaavasheshan'. I think, we malayalees have lost the Artistic Bharatan touch and poetic Padmaraajan touch for ever.

Lekshmi said...

Whenever I watch the movie, Thoovanathumbikal, I feel like 'Manassilevideyo oru vingal avasheshippichu poyi'. I think, I shud see the movie 'Kathaavasheshan'. I think, we malayalees have lost the Artistic Bharatan touch and poetic Padmaraajan touch for ever.

Dhanush | ധനുഷ് said...

Was at Home for Vishu after and adventuristic journey. Thanks to Popabhi and Kich for helping me attain that.
@popabhi-Sorry Dude. Lets decide upon what we write from next weekend ;-)
@rock-sea - That translation was in Pappettan's site. So no arguments;. And I have got a copy of Udakkapola this time. So will be blogging more about my findings from that
@suji- I sang that song in Class 2 and was second :-). Got a mug as prize
@lekshmi- Indeed we have lost it. Hope someone will come up(like Blessy) to give us that again

yetanother.softwarejunk said...

Nice entry. Felt like I saw 'thoovanathumbikal' again.

Dhanush | ധനുഷ് said...

@joju - I can watch it with you again ;)
@alexis - Thanks

Feather said...

I too love [i]Thoovanathumbikal[/i] a lot. The film is a classic. I can watch it again and again. Each time I see that film, the experience is new. Pappettan is the man who I admire most in my life. The each unanswered question in the film makes me feel that Pappettan has left so much for our imagination and films can never offer a single solution like science.

Pappetta, we miss you a lot...