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
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)?
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