Naalu Pennungal

Four shorts centered on women from the lower castes in rural Kerala that highlight their sorry plight. Each character fills a “traditional” role forced upon woman like that of house wife, prostitute and spinster. Sadly, little has changed today with what has been portrayed in film. Kerala is still rife with hypocrisy and double standards in all strata of society. But as a package the film does not meet the usual high standards of Adoor Gopalakrishna.

Rating: * *

Kodiyettam

Sankarankutty (Gopi) is a simpleton who takes great joy in the simple pleasures of life. He loves a home cooked meal, some toddy to wash it down with and then loaf around the temple festivals listening to the panjavadyam played there. But with this nature also comes a shirking of all responsibilities that a grown man is supposed to carry. Abandoning all relationships that seek to tie him down, he wanders the countryside until he starts working as a cleaner in a truck service. Thanks to the bus driver he starts to see things in a different light. Immersing himself in this role, the film also gave its lead his nick name which he was unable to shake to the day he passed on. The second venture from Adoor Gopalakrishnan, unfolds at a idyllic pace. In spite of its commercial success, it is in many ways just a precursor of the wonderful films to come from the maestro.

Rating: * *

Elipathayam

The scene is rural Kerala in the late 70s where only a handful of Nair families continued to live off the land bequeth to them over generations. Unni (Karamana Janardanan) is the head patriarch of once such family. A lion within his den and a sheep outside; he is completely dependent on his younger sisters Rajamma (Sharada) and Sridevi (Jalaja). As society around him changes and rats run amok in his tharavadu , Unni tries to hold to his old ways and views. A film that shows the twilight of a society with sparseness that is characteristic of Adoor.

This is a flick that sent shivers down the spines of most Malayalees during the 80s because it was an "art" film by Adoor. It was supposed to cause death by boredom. I remember watching it my teens and secretly enjoying it. The decades in between have not taken the sheen away from this movie. A brilliant film with some mind blowing acting.

Rating: * * *

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: * * *