Pazhassi Raja, the Lion of Kerala

By and large, the history books have bypassed Kerala Simham (Lion) Veera (Brave) Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja, the ruler of Kottayam in North Kerala towards the end of the 18c CE and beginning of 19c. This valiant warrior prince took up arms against the taxation policy of the British East India Company. The war between the two, which began in 1790s, lasted till 1805.

A Malayalam movie based on him was released on October 16 and that has made history. It is crafted by MT Vasudevan Nair and Hariharan with Mammootty in the lead role and is produced by Gokulam Gopalan. With a budget of Rs.27 crores, it is the costliest film ever made in Malayalam.

I have not seen the cinema, but heard Hariharan claim on the TV that full justice has been done to historical details. One can be reasonably certain that with careful handling by this expert team, the movie would be good.

I hope this picture which is made in five languages would spread awareness about the legendary fight by Pazhassi Raja against the mighty Company (which, by then, had assumed the role of a government) among the people of India. The hero’s greatest strength was that he was able command absolute loyalty of his upper caste subjects and the hill tribes at the same time. The manner in which they stood by him in life and in death was something remarkable.

It was Thomas Harvey Babar, a young Company officer who was sub collector of Tellicherry who led the final assault against Pazhassi Raja in 1805. And he came to admire his adversary. He is reported to have said about the raja ‘great man and a great warrior’.

Nick Balmer, the great great grandnephew of Thomas Henry Babar maintains a blog, Malabar Days, which gives some authentic accounts about Pazhassi Raja. The link is Thomas Baber's account of the death of the Pazhassi Rajah, from the study reports by Nick Balmer It is interesting reading.

While talking about the newly released Pazhassi Raja movie, let us not forget the earlier one. In the 1960s, there was a cinema by the same name with Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair in the lead role.

What made that version famous were the songs, written by Vayalar and rendered by Yesudass. Guess who was the Music Director? A R Rahman.’s father, R. K. Shekhar.

Do you remember “Chotta muthal chudala vare…” It is one of the best patriotic songs in Malayalam cinema.

There is also a novel about Pazhassi Raja – Kerala Simham by Sardar KM Panikker.

Related post:

Malayalam Cinema: Going, going, gone?

Star wars in Kerala

There are only two mega stars in the tottering Malayalam cinema industry – Mammootty and Mohanlal. (See Malayalam Cinema: Going, going, gone?) They were superstars till a few years back but were elevated to the higher rank. I can’t answer the question ‘by whom’.

It was not like a Lt. General becoming General or a Secretary becoming Chief Secretary. A few of the next in line heroes (some of them are good) were stagnating and required a new label to enhance their market value and someone had a bright idea. Mammootty and Mohanlal were tagged megastars and the others became superstars.

Not that the change made any difference to performance of the actors. Perhaps their rates went up. Histrionic talent wise Malayalam cinema is well stocked. It is just that some of the actors got stereotyped. Anyway, there is room at the top and near the top for all of them. That is, provided the industry survives.

Mammootty and Mohanlal are great artistes by any standards, anywhere, anytime. Who is better among the two is a meaningless question according to me. (Malayalam cinema: Random thoughts)

Any rivalry between them should be on a healthy level. I have not met either of them. I am sure they are decent people who would not involve in petty squabbles. But the same cannot be said of all their fans. Many of their followers are organized into ‘clubs’.

The conflict between the fans of the mega stars came into the open with the release of the star-studded production ‘Twenty Twenty’ promoted by the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). Almost all top actors including Mammootty and Mohanlal are in the cast.

The protest was sparked off by the posters of that film. Mohanlal supporters felt that Mammootty was given more prominence in the publicity material. It is said that the producers brokered an understanding with the agitating fan clubs to enable smooth release of the movie.

But the embers flared again when the Mammootty film ‘Love in Singapore’ opened recently. The star’s head was cut off from the posters, and flexi boards advertising the cinema were destroyed. Replacements also met with the same fate. The opposite camp retaliated in kind when Mohanlal’s ‘Red Chilli’ was released.

I believe that the posters cost Rs.133 each, and flexi boards Rs.60000 each. One can imagine the extent of this meaningless destruction. The poor producers, many of whom are already deeply in the red, have to bear the additional and unplanned expense.

The simple logic the fans should understand is that even the best actor has a stage only if producers are around to risk the money to make movies. That some film makers producing low quality pictures should close shop is another matter.

[This is inspired by a report in the Malayala Manorama Chennai edition of 18^th February.]

Malayalam Cinema: Going, going, gone?

What is Malayali about Malayalam cinema except the language? Hardly anything. Almost gone are the days of stories with soul in them, themes that deal with people of the land, their lives, the situations they face, their dialogues and music. In the process, Malayalam cinema has lost its identity.

What we have today is a concoction of fighting where the hero vanquishing a group of baddies with incredible ease, bomb blasts, AK 47 firing away, taking law into own hands, spiting the police, theatrical dialogues, dances that are choreographed almost identically. I am told that the thugs who fly off the hero’s fist are paid by the number of turns they take in the air before biting dust.

Is this the formula that the audience wants? Not if the figures are to be believed. Out of the sixty odd Malayalam movies released in 2008, only about five were commercially successful. There were movies which ran for only three days. Why do the producers persist with the beaten (!) path?

It seems that an emerging trend is for some of the actors to come up with story lines where they are depicted as larger than life heroes. The thread is then developed into a script. Who now cares whether the producer loses money or not. There will be always another one who is ready to sell his ancestral house or beg or borrow to produce a movie.

Where is the scope for good stories, enchanting music and soul stirring lyrics in this scenario? In the rush for knocking together a movie, creativity and histrionic talents have no place. Pulling the trigger does not require great acting capabilities. And, there are enough English action movies to borrow from.

Songs are sometimes finalized in a few minutes. The director explains the situation to the music director and the lyricist. An instant tune is hummed and the poet fills in the words. Presto, the song is ready. There is no chance for the music director and the song writer to apply heart and soul. It is almost like a factory production line.

Amazingly, in the crumbling Malayalam celluloid world, two figures stand tall – Mammootty and Mohanlal. There is still no one to challenge them. Among the heroine, in my opinion, the pride of place goes to Meera Jasmine and Gopika.

Do you agree with me on the current state of Malayalam cinema?

Also see

Malayalam cinema: Random thoughts

Life without computer

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Let us spare a minute to pray for the victims of the latest horror episode in Mumbai – the dead, the injured and the hostages, and their families. There is nothing communal about those who are suffering, those beyond suffering – all human beings like you and me.

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‘No work on the computer’ was the medical advice after a plaster cast was put on my left foot which had a fracture. That was earlier this month. The leg, I was told, had to be kept up all the time.

I was quite upset about this. Felt that the doctors were making unnecessary fuss. But they had a point. At the age of 75 one has to be careful about such things.

The first impact of the restriction was that I realized I could still write with hand after depending on computers for about ten years. I acquired a writing board which can be kept on the armrest of my easy chair. I could keep my feet up and write. My daughter keys in my handwritten manuscripts.

In that manner I could keep my blog going, concentrating on posts that did not require research. But emails pose a problem. Don’t know how long it would take me to catch up with the backlog. Hope that no one would be offended by the delayed response from me.

One good thing that came out of my enforced computer holiday was that I could get on with my reading. Currently I am on to Empires of the Indus – The Story of a River by Alice Albinia. It had earned Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Award for work in progress.

This fascinating book combines history with the experiences and observations of the British born author’s travels along the Indus River. Considerable amount of research has gone into the beautifully written work. It is good reading as well as a reference book.

The next one lined up is India’s Unending Journey by MarkTully who had a long stint in India with the BBC. He is a world famous radio personality. You might have read his earlier work, No Full Stops in India.

I was also able to watch some good movies, mostly Malayalam. It is amazing how the two actors, Mammootty and Mohanlal, continue to dominate the Malayalam cinema, something that they have been doing for quarter of a century. At one time Prem Nazeer was known as the evergreen hero. Now it is the turn of these two versatile artists.

But the best thing that has come out of the enforced rest is that I spent more time with my family, particularly my little granddaughter. She tells me about her school, friends, ideas and so on. That is great.

The plaster cast on my foot was taken off yesterday and a bandaged applied in its place. Two more weeks of rest. But I am starting selective use of the computer. In fact this post is done all by myself.

Also see: How I write Blog posts

Tamil Cinema: Sathyaraj on the march

I seem to have got on to a cinema mode. What prompted this post is a piece by Arun Kaimal in the (Chennai) Metro Manorama of yesterday about Sathyaraj, one of the leading Tamil actors, handling the roles of father and son in a new picture. It has an interesting name ‘Nine Rupee Note’. This is being made by Thankar Bachan based on his own short story with the same title.

We have seen both Mammootty and Mohanlal doing such dual roles in Malayalam. The one that comes to mind readily is Mohanlal’s ‘Ravana Prabhu’ the sequel to ‘Devasuram’. But it seems that acting as elderly characters is nothing new to Sathyaraj.

I first saw him in a Tamil movie called ‘Kadalora Kavithakal’ may be twenty years back. He impressed me with his performance in that one. Subsequently I have seen some of his other pictures but can’t recall the names.

If I remember right, the girl who acted as ‘teacheramma’, the heroine in ‘Kadalora Kavithakal’, was Rekha from Kerala. I think her first Malayalam picture was ‘Ramji Rao Speaking’. A competent artiste. I haven’t seen her in cinema for sometime.

From Arun’s article I learned that Sathyaraj, 54, son of Dr. Subbiah, is from an affluent family of Coimbatore. When the family objected to him joining the film industry, he just ran away to Chennai. And once he was involved in the movies, it was a procession of success after success. The one who ran away from wealth making good – theme for a cinema?

Playing heroine in ‘Nine Rupee Note’ is Archana. Remember this darkish actress? Didn’t she play the lead role in ‘Veedu’? I think it was for her performance in this picture that she won the National Best Actress Award. Very good actress. She als acted in Shaji N. Karun’s internationally acclaimed Malayalam movie ‘Piravi’ with Premji. Hope I am not mixing up in assuming that it is the same Archana Arun Kaimal has mentioned.

Anyway, I am looking forward to seeing ‘Nine Rupee Note’.

Ends.

Also see:

Malayalam cinema: Random thoughts

A Malayalam cinema and its lyrics.

Malayalam cinema: Random thoughts

The mention of Dasaratham by Maddy of Maddy's Ramblings in his comment on my post Reproductive tourism & other matters triggered a chain of thoughts on Malayalam cinema in my mind. Dasaratham was a good picture in which Sibi Malayil competently dealt with the daring theme of surrogate mothers. Initially I mixed it up with Devasuram a movie that I liked very much. In my opinion, it was IV Sasi’s finest directorial venture.

But apart from that, what made Devasuram such success? For one, the screenplay by Ranjit. I believe he modeled Mangalasserry Neelakantan on a real life character. Then of course, Mohanlal’s towering performance. Revathi living the part of Bhanumathi with characteristic ease. Innocent in a totally different role – versatile, I must say. The net result was a box office hit.

I am amazed by artistes like Revathi and Suhasini. Their strength is not glamour but great histrionic talent. The fluidity of the face, smile that spreads sunshine, eyes that reflect expressions of life, body movements that are so natural – all these and more put them on a different pedestal. A comparison could be Sharada of the previous generation. Also Smita Patil, Shabna Azmi, Jaya Bachan.

I am not really in touch with the current movies. Two good actresses, Manju Warrier and Samyukta Varma, I believe, are out of action now. Then there is Kavya Madhavan who grew up with the movies. Also a pack of talented young girls of glamour. But the outstanding one, I think, is Meera Jasmine.

Let me deal briefly on the sensitive and difficult to answer question – who is a better actor, Mammootty or Mohanlal. Both have great stage presence and done many superb roles effortlessly. If my memory serves me right, Mohanlal once said words to the effect that Mammootty wanted to be an actor and tried hard to be one, but he (Mohanlal) happened to become an actor by chance. Mammootty seems to have more professionalism. I wonder if either of them could have emulated the performance of PJ Antony in Nirmalyam. Not that such comparison has any meaning.

Normally I don’t read film reviews. For serious viewing I select movies based on three factors – director, script writer and the lead actors. In that order. This criterion has not let me down so far. I have come across some Malayalam movies that are very good.

Ends.

Also see: A Malayalam cinema and its lyrics.

A Malayalam cinema and its lyrics.

Yesterday I saw a Malayalam movie, a rather dated one, on TV. It impressed me. Before going into the other aspects of that cinema, I would like to talk about the lyrics in it.

The movie has only one song. The lyrics by Rameshan Nair, particularly the second line which contains only three words, reiterated my conviction that Malayalam songs are so descriptive with the minimum use of words. One can almost visualize the scenes without the help of a camera.

A literal translation of the words in question into English would read ‘inner courtyard besmeared with moonlight’. Doesn’t sound all that poetic. One can improve it by changing it to ‘moon-washed (or moon-bathed) inner courtyard’. Still not good enough. In Malayalam, the lyrics are ‘chandrika mezhukiya manimuttam’. And that is poetry.

What do these words bring to mind? It could mean different things to different people. Here is one scenario. A quite moonlit night. An old nalukettu tucked away in some remote village. The manimuttam (inner courtyard) with its tulasithara (a basil vase). Someone sits on the mezhukiya (cow dung coated) floor, staring at the moon-washed white sands of the courtyard, thinking of – what? It could be so many things; imagination has no limits.

The song also reminded me of one from yester years. Unfortunately I can remember only the first line now: Nalukettin thirumutta thilaveyi lettunilkum Krishna thulasi poove… Does anyone know the rest of it?

Coming to the movie – it is by the one man movie machine (a borrowed usage), Balchandra Menon. I never used to take his creations seriously till I saw ‘Achuettante veedu’ yesterday.

The story is basically simple, a tale that we see in many families and places. The characters are fantastic though. They are not unusual; we often find them in real life. But how minutely Balachandra Menon observed them and transferred them so realistically on to the celluloid is truly amazing. He has woven the story tightly and smoothly without even one obtrusive knot. The deft manner in which Menon handles the suicide attempt is excellent. The dialogues are crisp, to the point, and carry the story forward.

The artistes merely live their parts. I wonder whether the movie would have had the same quality if there was one character more, or one less. The only comment about casting is that Sukumaran was overqualified for the role; it didn’t offer any challenge to the great histrionic talent the actor had.

The subtly symbolic end where the heroine walks to her new job against the backdrop of a serpentine political jatha in front of the Government Secretariat is a master stroke. Life goes on in spite of snakes and ladders.

Achuvinte veedu is not a great movie. But it is a good one. If you haven’t seen it yet, get hold of a print.

Ends.

Also see:

Malayalam cinema: Random thoughts

Malayalam songs: Lyrics