‘Pazhassi Raja’: MT's Pulp Prince!

By P.Muraleedharan

Pazhassi Raja’s exemplary courage and leadership skills in fighting the might of East India Company from the hills of Wayanad have been a source of pride for every Keralite. Naturally, it was very exciting to hear that a biopic on the legendary ruler, who waged a “war of independence” against the East India Company 50 years before Sepoy Mutiny in 1857, was being made by the inimitable trio, comprising MT Vasudevan Nair, Hariharan and Mammootty. Oscar winner Resul Pookkutty joining late in the day to capture the sounds of the period movie added to the thrill.

But, what we get to see onscreen is a pathetic translation of history into cinema. Artistic licence notwithstanding, the film has history turned into a soap opera. The script penned by MT Vasudevan Nair is horrible and at times, revolting, to say the least. He has managed to make Pazhassi Raja, the Lion of Kerala, who had inflicted more casualties on the British Empire than some of the biggest armies in India then, into a sentimental idiot walking into the English guns trained on him in a bid to save his people (or, himself)! And the “heroic” last battle he wages before falling to a hail of bullets from assistant collector Thomas Baber’s army is worth some hearty laughs!

In ‘Vadakkan Veera Gadha’, an alternate interpretation of the “traitor Chandu” ballad, there were a number of memorable dialogues at least. In ‘Pazhassi Raja’, we are deprived of even that consolation. May be, MT was not able to identify himself with the hero, as the valiant prince was not brooding over a jilted love affair! Pazhassi’s last years, after having been cut off from his army of Nairs, wandering about in the jungles accompanied by his family members and attendants, finds little mention in the film. But, we are not talking about a film on history, but an entertainer that tries to mint money by masquerading as history!

Pazhassi Raja, played by Mammootty, looks majestic, but lacks the energy and charisma that would have motivated and unified peoples as different from each other as tribals, Nairs and Moplas into an army capable of taking on the mighty war machine led by Lord Wellesley. And pray, from where did the horses descend into the thick evergreen forests and hills of Wayanad? The scene (in slow-motion, of course!) in which Pazhassi’s mount crosses the river to reach his master is one of the funniest in the movie.

Sarath Kumar in the role of Edachena Kunkan and Manoj K Jayan as Thalackal Chandu do justice to the roles they play; at places, they steal the show from Mammootty’s confused character. Kunkan has been made to look like a character drawn straight from the epics, especially in the way in which he takes his own life. When the Hollywood films such as ‘Troy’ and ‘Alexander’ make epic characters such as Achilles and Alexander look every inch human, our “history film”, intended to take Pazhassi’s glorious history to the world, makes people who lived just 200 years ago look unreal and comic.

Though horses are aplenty in the jungles and hills of Wayanad, Kurichya girls are hard to find in the movie. Englishmen seem to be infected by malaria or some kind of typhoid typical of Wayanad; for, most of them are raving and ranting all the time! Poor fellows!

The only thing we remember once we get out of the theatre after an ordeal lasting more than three hours is the Resul Pookkutty effect. He brings the guerilla war in the jungles as close to the viewer as possible. Ramanath Shetty’s cameramanship captures the forests in all their pristine glory.

There is nothing much to say about Hariharan’s contribution as director of the film. It seems, as in ‘Veeragadha’, he has confined himself to the circle drawn by the writer. Who knows, whether he has it in him to go beyond that? (No sarcasm intended!)

The film has been reviewed with kid gloves by most critics and some of them have waxed eloquently over MT and some other over Mammootty’s royal looks. The debate seems to be on who looked better, Prince Pazhassi or Mammooty.

Post-script: The film has been granted tax exemption by the Government of Kerala. If a commercial potboiler film can be given tax exemption, why not extend the same to pulp fiction (derogatively referred to as “painkili” in Malayalam)?

Bundelkhand, Casterbridge and wife-selling

P. Muraleedharan

"It is our ardent desire that not even a single citizen of India should ever go hungry."

Dr Manmohan Singh

Prime Minister of India

August 15, 2009

It was in the late Eighties that I read 'The Mayor of Casterbridge', written by that master storyteller Thomas Hardy. The Wessex novel shocked me to no end and I shed copious tears over the tragic fate of Michael Henchard, who in a bout of inebriated insanity, auctioned off his wife and daughter to lead a life of repentance later.

Though the novel, set in the Nineteenth century England, touched a raw nerve in my heart, I was consoled by the fact that Hardy was hard-pressed to write a gripping emotional drama with enough twists and turns in every episode to keep the reader hooked and that the incidents in the book were products of Hardy's brilliant imagination.

But, some reports that came out early this month punctured that false sense of security and well being I had had. They said in elaborate detail about farmers in drought-stricken Bundelkhand selling off their wives for small amounts. Just think of the gravity of the crisis the farmers are in! Men who consider selling off even their cattle as a crime! They were not selling their wives because they were drunk; the desperate farmers upto their necks deep in debt, did the horrible crime knowingly. Because, they had no other option left!

Raja Bundelar, president of the Bundelkhand Mukti Morcha, said: “This has been going on for years in the drought-affected and neglected region. Debt-ridden poor people are forced to mortgage their wives or daughters to private moneylenders. If a man is not been able to repay his debt, then he has to give the mortgaged woman to a moneylender.” Beautiful women fetch more money from the money lenders. Once the buyers are "bored" of the women, they sell them again at lower prices, say reports.

Some of the farmers know that they are selling their wives to prostitution rackets, says Ranjana Kumari, director of the Centre for Social Research in New Delhi. But, "they do it out of absolute desperation. They have absolutely no other alternative before them".

Yes, it is happening in India, the wannabe superpower of the new millenium! Bundelkahnd, a vast arid region that spans the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, has been experiencing drought for the consecutive fifth year and the rainfall in the region has been on a downward spiral. More than half of the population of the area has migrated to the cities in search of work; more than 500 farmer suicides have already occurred in the area. Even the much lauded NREGA was not able to make a tangible difference in the lives of the poor in the area.

Everybody with a little common sense would have known it was coming. It was not yesterday that Bundelkhand was hit by drought. What did our democratically elected rulers do? They sat on the files, twiddled their thumbs and watched the crisis growing into gigantic proportions. In between, they spent their energy on scoring political brownie points against one another. Some of them spewed venom on chief minister Mayawati for spending crores of rupees on statues and neglecting human lives and Mayawati retorted saying that it was a crisis made by her predecessors.

Recently, Rahul Gandhi visited Bundelkhand and later met the PM demanding relief measures and a Bundelkhand Authority for the development of the region. Petty politics or otherwise, the Prime Minister's Office came half way to meet Rahul Gandhi's demands. It has approved a special development plan worth Rs 30,000 crore for Bundelkhand, though no decision on Authority has been taken yet. One sincerely hopes that this time around, things will be different: no man would have to face the ignominy of selling his wife or daughter away to escape rural Shylocks!

Hardy had subtitled his work as 'The Life and Death of a Man of Character'. What would he have written if he was alive today? I am doubtful whether he could even attempt to type a line!

When Kamal and Mohanlal lock horns!

Review of 'Unnai Pol Oruvan'

By P. Muraleedharan

I have been really cross with Kamal Haasan since seeing his prosthetic disaster in 'Dasavatharam'. An artiste of the calibre of Kamal does not need the crutches of make up gimmickry to impress his audience and make new converts, for sure. The film showed his lack of respect for his own talents ( A local wit said, the film shows Kamal's deep self knowledge that he needs some kind of extra props to ensure the success of his films!) and, for his audience.

But, now 'Ulaga Nayagan' has made amends for his follies with 'Unnai Pol Oruvan'. The Chakri Toleti film is a slicker version of its Hindi original 'A Wednesday'. Kamal has shown the courage to rope in Mohanlal, an actor capable of giving him tough competition, in a high voltage role which naturally would call for comparisons with Kamal's performance. The film has turned out to be a winner on all counts: The much anticipated "battle" between the top actors are just unforgettable, to say the least. And both actors have come out with brighter reputations.

Kamal's role of a common man armed with a laptop and bomb-making knowledge gleaned from Internet is quite subdued and convincing. It is only towards the climax that he breaks into an impassioned speech. But, it is Mohanlal who walks away with all the applause. As the super cool cop, he lives onscreen and shows a good actor don't need to raise the decibel levels or resort to mimicry to communicate. Veteran actress Lakshmi gives an energetic performance as the beleaugured chief secretary of the state who unwilllingly entrusts the police commissioner (Mohanlal) the responsibility of dealing with the crisis. The easiness with which the commissioner handles pressure from all sides--his bosses, the terrorist, the pestering media, handling his officers--is a treat to watch. He conveys a sense of calm alertness and commitment in the face of a grave challenge, but that strain of uneasiness is there underneath all the same.

For Ganesh Venkataraman, who gives a powerful performance as a cop, this film may turn out to be the big break he has been waiting for. Anuja Iyer turns in a cool performance as a TV reporter.

It is heartening to see that director Chakri has not resorted to preachiness when dealing with such a sensitive theme. There are no songs in the movie and the background score by Kamal's daughter Shruthi Haasan in no way hampers the flow of events in the movie. The visuals, canned by Manoj using RED technology (for the first time in India), are just awesome.

The film has its failings, of course. The basic premise of the film would need some real support to stand on its own legs. Is it possible to root out terrorism by dispensing summary justice? Not at all is the answer, if we examine some of the recent anti-terror operations. (Just look at Guantanamo Bay and see what happened there.)

The film will be remembered for the towering performances of Kamal and Mohanlal for long.

Reloaded Sagar looks great, but...

Review by P.Muraleedharan

'Sagar -Alias Jackie-Reloaded' has been one of the most hyped and eagerly awaited films in recent times. Nobody can dispute that. But, the Mohanlal film directed by Amal Neerad, touted to be one of the most stylish films ever made in Malayalam, falls flat on its face.

It is not a movie, but an apparition of one; not a single character, including that of Mohanlal, has its feet on the ground. That is quite a feat to achieve, for sure! Hats off to you, Amal!

 

The film is a sequel to 'Irupatham Noottandu', directed by K.Madhu and scripted by S.N.Swamy, way back in 1987. Its hero, Sagar, was an earthy fellow with a human heart, who succumbed to the force of circumstances and became a smuggler. Twenty years later, he is a big don operating from Dubai, who deals in 'biscuit' and construction'.

 

Amal Neerad has tried to improve upon his debut directorial venture, 'Big B', in terms of style. But, without a beating heart (a credible plot and intent), the style looks like new clothes on a corpse. The situations look contrived and characters unconvincing. Towards the climax, there is a scene where the hero slits the throat of a baddie. Its effect was...Yawn! Nobody knows whether the 'effect' is exactly what the director wanted!

 

And Mohanlal, the gifted actor known for his effortless emoting, tries his best to look a wooden don. He is seen with a leather jacket on even in the sultry, humid climate of Kerala. One thing is clear: It is time Mohanlal chose his roles carefully. If he fails to realise what suits him best, he is in for trouble.

 

The story goes like this: One day he gets a call from Indu (Shobhana), the daughter of Kerala CM (Nedumudi Venu), requesting his services to save her husband Manu (Manoj K.Jayan) from a gang of kidnappers.

 

Sagar obliges her promptly. He lands in Goa with a band of goons (Sorry, since they are with the hero, we have to call them 'bodyguards!) and rescues Manu from the clutches of Rozario brothers, led by Michael (Sampath). Sagar has an ongoing rivary with another Dubai based don, Naina (Suman). The enemies of Sagar join hands to finish him off, but being the smart cookie that he is (It cannot be otherwise!), he is able to outthink and outlast them.

 

In between, he meets Aarathy Menon (Bhavana), a TV reporter out to expose Jackie, the Don and there is time enough for a duet. (Of course, the viewers boo it!).

 

The surprising thing about the movie is that it is almost a play, with two or three major sets. One of the sets is the chief minister's residence, where most of the dialogues take place.  The irritable Hari (Ganesh), the brother of Indu and an enemy of Sagar, has performed well. All others in the cast, including Nedumudi, Sobhana and Jagathy, have nothing much to perform. The superstar's son, Pranav make a passing appearance in the movie, towards the end.

 

Cinematography by the director himself is excellent, so is the fast-paced editing. But, the music by Gopi Sundar is loud and disappointing.

Source: www.filmysouth.com

Jade, you won't fade away!

By P.Muraleedharan

A few weeks. At the most, a couple of months. That is all what is left in the cancer-ravaged life of Jade Goody. 

The reality show star, all of 27 years, has always refused to take the hard knocks of life lying down; she would rather exit from the 'show' at her own terms. She has already bade good bye to her dear ones; she has made arrangements for her funeral to be held at the churchyard of St John the Baptist in Buckhurst Hill, Essex. She has also chosen the music and hymns to be played on the funeral day. 

Jade Goody even had the temerity to challenge Death in its face--she has given the nod to film her dying moments! 

Well, the London girl who shot to fame with the reality show as a 'Big Brother-3' contestant in 2002, should have found nothing odd about her decision to turn her own ouster from this world into a reality show. She said in an interview, ""I've lived in front of the cameras. And maybe I'll die in front of them. And I know some people don't like what I'm doing but at this point I really don't care what other people think. Now, it's about what I want."

The world has never has been kind to Jade, who fought back with all she was worth. Her father, a habitual law breaker, left her mother Jackiey Budden when Jade was only two years. As her mother got grievously injured in a motor cycle accident, little Jade could not attend school regularly as she needed to help her mother at home. At 'Big Brother-3', though her seeming lack of common knowledge was ridiculed, she finished fourth. 

Following this, she became a regular on celeb circuit, made money by releasing fitness videos, opened beauty clinics and wrote her autobiography. She even launched her own fragrance.

It was in 2007 that we, in India, took notice of the British TV star. She had reportedly made racial comments at Shilpa Shetty while on the 'Big Brother' house. Post the controversy, Shilpa won the show and Jade was kicked out. But, that didn't hurt the Britisher as seemed to relish even the negative publicity.

She was invited to the Indian version of 'Big Brother', titled 'Big Boss'. It was in India, while appearing for 'Big Boss' that she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She justifies her decision to 'sell' her cancer story saying that she did it for the future of her two children by TV presenter Jeff Brazier. A few weeks back, she married Jack Tweed, a 21-year-old TV star. All her relationships were stormy and had the tabloids smacking their lips in anticipation.

Bleeding from the wounds of life and looking at Death in the eye (Jade Goody has already lost one of her eyes as the cancer is galloping on), Jade is not a whit bitter and weepy; she is not complaining at all. Not many, including much older, maturer people, would have managed to do that.

While biding good bye, Goody told her sons that she would go to heaven and that she would always be looking over them as a star. 

May be, it is a much used metaphor to describe herself. But, the truth is that her unparalelled courage and dignity in facing death will remain a shining example for generations to come. 

Bravo Jade! We are with you!

Source: India Syndicate

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