Who is the greatest living author in Malayalam?

By John Cheeran

Who is the greatest living author in Malayalam? That tag would easily be applied to M T Vasudevan Nair, known as MT, who celebrates his 80th birthday today (July 15).

For beginners, MT has written short stories, novels, screenplays and edited the prestigious literary weekly Mathrubhumi. MT is also an acclaimed film director (six movies) and won the best national feature film award for his first movie, Nirmalyam, in 1973.

The weekend witnessed a deluge of encomiums to the writer, free from critical assessment of his works and that is not unusual. In Kerala, bitching among writers is conducted a little subtly, away from print and sound bites.

MT has written 87 short stories (that’s one count) and the last one (Kazhcha—Sight) was in 1998. He has written nine novels but all that was ages ago. Still there will be few who would not have read MT classics like Manju, Nalukettu and Iruttinte Aathmavu.

Lyricism was MT’s hallmark. But MT’s concerns were limited. He bemoaned a way of life, mostly depicting crumbling Nair joint families and trying on the mantle of the outsider in such circumstances. MT also encouraged the Malayali’s penchant for nostalgia and the beedi smoking author carefully cultivated his aura.

Unlike many of his generation, MT’s struggles have been few and patchy. MT never lived or worked outside of Kerala unlike some of the modern greats of Malayalam literature such as O V Vijayan and Vaikkom Muhammed Bashir. While Bashir pulled off all sorts of tricks while pitching tent at various parts of India, Delhi shaped Vijayan’s writing. Both have written powerful novels that addressed concerns beyond the parochial and maudlin.

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Why Rima Kallingal hates an overdose of testosterone

By John Cheeran/ The Times of India Crest Edition

Rima Kallingal says she is proud to be seen as the brave new female face of Malayalam cinema. “I do feel proud about it. I am happy that I had the guts to make a choice, when it came to doing films such as ‘22 Female Kottayam’,” she says.

Kallingal, however, is cautious about being typecast. “I don’t want to get stereotyped with the bold and beautiful tag. I’m looking for diverse roles and balance while doing more films.” She is aware that she could be seen as a role model and that her unconventional characters could change something in society. “But I’m an artiste still. I have to challenge myself,” she insists.

It is tough being the brave, new heroine, she admits. “After doing ‘22 Female Kottayam’ in 2012, I had to wait for another four months before I could get another role. Nobody else could see any other facet of femininity in me for a long time,” confesses Kallingal. But she is generous enough to point to other strong heroines in the past. She cites P Padmarajan’s Desadanakilikal Karayarilla, where actress Shaari played a lesbian character.

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Pulijanmam; a tiger's life for Priyanandanan

By John Cheeran
As Kerala’s so called successful film directors are involved in a fratricidal fight comes the news of director Priyanandanan’s Pulijanmam, based on a play by N Prabhakaran, winning the 54th national (Indian) award for the best film for the year of 2006.
Priyanandanan and I belong to the same district, Thrissur, in Kerala. But unfortunately not being at home and always on the lookout for my next job, I never had an opportunity to have a chat with the guy or watch his two critically acclaimed feature films so far – Neithukaran (Weaver) and Pulijanmam (A tiger’s fate).
Like me, many must be regretting their failure to watch Kaari Gurukkal and Prakashan in roles that are a rare blend of myth and reality.
Murali won the national award for best actor for his role in Neithukaran, and the movie fetched many awards including the state award for best debut director, runner-up best actor (female) and three international awards for best director, best film and best actor.
The fact that Pulijanmam did not win any awards at the 2006 Kerala State Film awards but went on to receive national recognition might be really heartening for Priyanandanan. And this has happened on a number of occasions within the Malayalam film industry.
The national jury, led by Buddhadeb Dasgupta, deserves some praise for having the nous to appreciate Pulijanmam.
I’m so much happy for Priyanandanan, whose travails are evocatively reported by my friend PI Rajeev in the Indian Express on June 11. (http://www.indianexpress.com/story/321767.html).In Thrissur, the other day, Priyanandanan has talked about the humiliations he underwent while directing the movie, and later for getting theatres to show Pulijanmam.
I, however, have one question for Priyanandanan.
As a director, how does he feel about, the jury’s decision to give the best film award for Pulijanmam and best director’s award for someone else, in this case, to Madhu Bandarkar?
For one thing I’m certain. The award will force many of us to watch this director’s efforts in the future.
And with M.G. Sasi and Priyanandanan winning accolades, pushing stalwarts such as Adoor Gopalakrishnan and K.P. Kumaran into far corners, Malayalam films might be on the cusp of a new awakening.

M.G. Sasi's Adayalangal: Hunger, Anger and Despair

By John Cheeran
I was among the crowd at Sridhar theatre in Ernakulam that watched M.G. Sasi's Adayalangal, the film chosen by Jahnu Barua-led jury as the best feature film in the Kerala State film awards.
M. G. Sasi has won the Kerala State award for best director, Adayalangal is the best film and the movie's cameraman Radhakrishnan is the best cinematographer.
The verdicat has shocked many, inlcuding directors Adoor Gopalakrishnan (Nalu Pennungal), Shyamaprasad (Ore Kadal), K.P. Kumaran (Akasha Gopuram) and P T Kunhumohammad (Paradesi who all had movies eyeing the award for the best feature film.
I began to watch Sasi's Adayalangal with dread. I even doubted whether it will be a documentary on Nanthanar (Ramakrishnan), the short story writer from Perinthalmanna, who committed suicide after a life of military angst. That I left the screening of Adayalangal without thinking that I wasted my three hours should have been enough to cheer up its director Sasi and the movie crew. How many recent Malayalam movies could produce similar feelings in the ticket-payer?
Adayalangal may not be a great film.
I still don't know whether Adayalangal deserved to be the best film. But havng seen Paradesi and Nalu Pennungal, I'm not surprised that Adayalangal won critical acclaim. All awards are subjective; their merits are relative most of the time. I haven't seen Akasha Gopuram and Ore Kadal, the other two serious contenders for the film awards.
In Adayalangal Sasi tackles a pretty ordinary struggle during the 60s when most of the Malayali families found it tough to keep hunger at bay. That hunger and helplesnness were acute in upper class households bereft of a breadwinner. And such situations have been portrayed in Malayalam letters and movies many times over.
Here a personal struggle, Nanthanar's, gets unswerving attention from the dierctor. Sasi has shown that he has the craft and calibre to tell a story that sticks to the viewer's bone long after the last reel is packed in.
And the real strength of Adayalangal lies in the realistic cinematography thanks to the twitching hands of Radhakrishnan.
The disappointment, though, was that Adayalangal tackled only the awakening of Nanthanar. (Though it has been pointed out that story is not on Nanthanar, but only on a story by Nanthanar. But I don't know how you can winnow the fact from Nanthanar's fiction). As Ramakrishnan (Nanthanar) himself realized at the cost of his life, the awakenings hardly matter in the whirligig of fortunes.

Bharath Gopi: Abhinayathinte Kodiyirangi

By John Cheeran
Abhinayathinte kodiyirangi.
When I think about Bharath Gopi (V. Gopinathan Nair) that scene from Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Kodiyettam sticks out.
Gopi and KPAC Lalitha walks down the road on a monsoon-drenched day with puddles all around. A car goes through splashing dirt onto Gopi’s shirt and mundu.
Had I been in Sankaran Kutty’s (Gopi’s character) shoes, I would have cursed the driver of the car, and if possible, would have broken the glass pane at the back of the car.
But we have Gopi exclaiming in wonder “What a speed.”
Those frames capture Gopi’s quintessence as an actor.
Gopi’s hallmark was that he donned ordinary roles without heroism but gave them an extraordinary touch of realism.
In other words, Gopi was closer to you and me in flesh and bone. We are ordinary men and women, mere straws in the wind. Gopi too was one among us, but he showed us that despite his lean frame, and balding scalp, he could be accepted as the symbol of manhood.
Gopi was fortunate, and fortune favours the brave, to have got such roles as he done in Yavanika, Rachana, Ormakayi and Swayamvaram.
And what a polished performance he has given as the Shakespeare Krishnapilla in Bharathan’s Kattathe Kilikoodu.
It has to be noted that Gopi enjoyed success as an actor, director, producer and writer.
Not many know that he had authored the book “Abhinyam – Anubhavam” which won the award for the best book by the Central Government.
Gopi directed four films Njattadi, Yamanam, Utsavapittennu and Ente Hridyathinte Udama.
Gopi was born in 1937 in Chirayankizhu. He was awarded Padma Shri in 1991. Gopi was noted for his involvement in theatre group “Arangu” along with Kavalam Narayanapaniker before he entered the world of films.
Twenty years ago Gopi had suffered hemorrhage and that had curtailed his movements and involvement in films. Still he had won his many skirmishes to come back to act and react.
Gopi was renowned for his tough approach to life in general and it was not altogether surprising that he had drifted apart from Adoor Gopalakrishnan, the director who gave him opportunities during his formative years in movies.
Throughout the day, I was waiting for Adoor's tributes to this iconic actor.
But unfortunately such grace was missing.

Ibsen, K P Kumaran and Akashagopuram

By John Cheeran
If you decide to read one book this year, let it be Henrik Ibsen’s Master Builder. I read this brilliant, psychological thriller of a play recently.
The Norwegian playwright Ibsen wrote Master Builder in his twilight. The play deals with the battles the Master has to fight with different demons in his mind.
The Master’s stubborn approach to issues --- for example he is not ready to pave the way for the young generation – forms the core of the play. This reluctance to accept young talent one can see in today’s Indian cricket, where seniors had ganged up against the young Turks. Well, not just in cricket. But the refusal to give way to the young is so prevalent in all spheres of our life.
I suggest the Board of Control for Indian Cricket, instead of running after cheap shrinks such as Sandy Gordon and thinking hats, give copies of Ibsen’s Master Builder to all its chosen players at the international level.
Ibsen also comes into my mind for reasons other than cricket.
K.P. Kumaran is directing a movie called “Akasha Gopuram” which is based by Ibsen’s Master Builder. K.P. Kumaran is one of the finest Indian filmmaker but remains largely unsung by the usual claptrap of movie critics.
I’m sure Kumaran is capable of handling the subtleties and complexities of handling a subject such as the Master Builder.
I have only watched Kumaran’s Neram Pularumbol (At the time of the dawn, which starred Mammooty, Mohanlal) and Rugmini.
And who can forget Neram Pularumbol, for it brought out the biting beauty of Ramya Krishnan. That was Ramya’s debut movie. She never appeared more beautiful in another movie though she revealed more of herself. But Kumaran had that rare ability that helped Ramya to reveal her heart in Neram Pularumbol.
Kumaran himself in a recent interview pointed out that his best movie was Athithi (Guest) made in 1974. A political film with gravitas, Athithi did not had to compete with G Aravindan’s Utharayanam for the award sweepstakes. But Athithi is still talked about and never parts away from our consciousness.May be ‘Akashagopuram’, which stars Mohanlal will manage to please critics and commoner. I hope Kumaran’s commitment to serious filmmaking will find its deserving recognition through Akashagopuram.
After all a Master Builder deserves his deserts!