Nizhalkkuthu

The year is 1940 and the flame of independence has slowly started burning. It is at this moment Adoor Gopalakrishnan trains his lens on Kaliyappan (Oduvil Unnikrishnan), the hangman of Travancore. Racked by the guilt of hanging an innocent man he tries to dull his conscience with arrack. Adoor has excelled yet again, opening a stark but realistic window into the life of one of the lost characters of India's past.

Nedumudi Venu has a bit role as a jailer in the film but that was ample time for him to show his class. Oduvil was ethereal in this role for which he rightly won the State award. But It is with great joy and sadness that I watch his acting these days. Sadness because it is very clear that his passing has a left a vacancy that cannot be filled.

Prema swaroopanam sneha sadheerthyante
Kalkan ente kanneer pranamam

Rating: * * *