Sunday, December 26, 2010

'Paaleri Maanikyam'

I had the opportunity to see this Malayalam movie yesterday and must say that I enjoyed it thoroughly. The movie had won many awards this year and Mammootty, the superstar of the Malayalam film world, was pitted against Amitabh Bachchan for the award for the best actor for his performance in this movie.

But what fascinated me was that the story covered a wide canvas, timewise - from 1957 to the present day - and it has been beautifully scripted and crafted! The traditional method of registering a case prevalent in Kerala then, the high expectations amongst the people from the first communist government coming to power, the communists using the same chinks in the system to their advantage(the communists justifying such actions brings about a cruel anticlimax and people, soon become disillusioned with them and their ways) and the cruel exploitation of the lower castes are very well etched and hold the viewer's attention till the very end.

Mammootty essays three roles - as the father and two half sons - with immaculate ease and conviction. However, I must admit that I liked the father with a roving eye, where he doesn't spare any good looking woman in the area(his power, as a rich muslim landlord and pelf are used rather shamelessly to buy the governmental organs to submission), the most and a particular scene where he kills a man by stamping repeatedly on his chest brings out the cruelty of that character with all its ferocity! Shweta Menon(the model) lends credence to her role as a submissive lady to the cruel landlord but strangely, has a weakness for him! She's the head of the 'Paleri' household as her son is mentally challenged and 'Manikyam', her comely daughter-in-law!

Manikyam is brutally raped and murdered on a cold morning of '57 and the movie unravels the mystery of the bizarre murder. A good Malayalam film after quite a while!!

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