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Conclusion:

Meanwhile, the head of the household is furious that the trial was extending indefinitely all because Unni Maya refused to break her stubborn silence. The jury was having a gala time feasting, singing, the coffers were getting emptied- The head of the house goes to see Unni Maya in the barn and orders her to blurt out the name of the culprit- he even stoops to physical abuse, but the maid servant manages to stop him-

We also see that the senior wives are more predisposed to kindness and pity for Unni Maya, and the eccentric wife even arranges to send food and water to Mohini under cover.
The jury suspects Kunjunni  to be the culprit and taunt him, but he remains undaunted.  Kunjunni however, guesses that Madhavan was the person responsible and questions the latter. Madhavan is enraged and throws back the accusation at Kunjunni . Unable to tolerate the jury enjoying themselves behind the farce of conducting “Smaartha Vichaarana” , Kunjunni orders the trial to be brought to an end-

Kunjunni also tries speaking to her brother, but he too disowns her…

By now, Unni Maya has also come to a decision- she emerges from behind the door- she refuses to be addressed through a middle person, and demands the jury to shoot their queries! Upon being questioned about the identity of her paramour- she says that there were too many to be named , and they were welcome to make their judgement. The jury has no option but to declare the case closed, and Unni Maya is excommunicated- she is driven from the house in ignominy, and yet Unni Maya remained serene and dry eyed. The elders are unable to meet her accusatory and denigrating gaze- which turns to gentle graitude and shared suffering as she sees the younger Senior wife shed tears for her.  Again Mohin's acting with only her eyes is exemplary! The maid servants and the eccentric wife shed copious tears…

Upon emerging from the back door of the “Illom”- into the outside world, she is accosted by a horde of leering men from the lower castes who make lewd comments and ask her to go with one of them…Unni Maya is slightly flustered, but a maid servant comes to her rescue, drives away the men, and requests Unni Maya to come to her humble dwelling.

Kunjunnij arranges for Unni Maya’s accommodation, gets a her a job and Mohini starts life anew with dignity…

Madhavan’s conscience gives him no peace and finally he confesses his guilt to his mother and sister and they ask him to bring Unni Maya home as wife. Madhavan, accompanied by his sister hastens to meet Unni Maya. Kunjunni is delighted that Madhavan had finally become man enough to own up and accept Unni Maya. Manoj informs Unni Maya…She comes to the door- she declares “ My child has no  father, tomorrow if he were to ask who his father was- I would take the names of Arjuna, Nala or Bheema”- and she goes back to resume her job and life..
Madhavan looks on shamefacedly…

Postscript:

I was very enthusiastic about recounting this story , and sharing it with you all, but now that I have finished with it I am dissatisfied with the way it has evolved- the magic that I perceived is sadly missing- and when I talked to my cousin yesterday, I realized that I had missed out on some significant details- sharp dialogues- the signature of M.T, but when I tried to insert them in between my narration, somehow it lost its impact- and so I let them be…I regret that I was unable to bring out the brilliance, the poetry of the celluloid creation that was… not that I imagined I would be able to do justice to M.T’s creation , yet…

My only prayer is that neither M.T nor Hariharan ever lay their gaze upon this audacity of mine…

Link:

http://maddy06.blogspot.com/2009/07/kuriyedathu-thathriyude-smartavicharam.html

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Back to the present:

Upon hearing about the trial at the “Illom”- Madhavan is panic stricken. He cannot imagine the aftermath if Unni Maya were to succumb to the mental torture of the jury and divulge his name! Madhavan is terrorised, and fear haunts his soul- he is unable to concentrate in his art- he resorts to alcohol- Under the influence of alcohol, he makes a fool of himself on stage again and again, and soon, the audience do not want him to perform.

One day, as Madhavan sits utterly dejected, he meets another senior artiste- Thekkumthala Govindan played by the veteran actor Prem kumar- who used to be a much sought after actor during his hey day- but today, his plight was pathetic- Today he was ostracised, shunned and he was never invited to perform. The senior actor wandered aimlessly often fully drunk- like a lost soul-

(Here, the allusion is to a real life incident of yore- There was one aristocratic lady by the name Kuriyedath Thathri- and she was driven to prostitution as an act of rage and revenge against her husband who neglected her and the society at large- She wooed all the men in Society from all strata- and finally when she was brought under trial, she threatened to reveal the names of her “clients’- and she did expose about 64 “gentlemen” of society who were subsequently excommunicated- finally when Thathri was about to reveal the 65th name, it is said that the King himself ordered the trial to be brought to a close- it is suspected that the next name to be divulged would have been that of the King himself!!)

Now, this senior Kathakali artiste was supposed to be one of those excommunicated, subsequent to the infamous trial- He was banned from giving public performances- he was shunned- and it had driven him to liquor addiction- He was in dire straits, and now he spent his days wandering the roads- begging for roles and money to drink- One day, a rich man offers this senior artiste a role in a Kathakali performance and the actor is overjoyed! He dons the costume- the artiste in him emerges out of his human persona and merges into the ethereal larger than life role he is about to perform- He gives out a shriek of delight in keeping with the Rajassic character that he has donned- and the viewer’s hair stands on end! Suddenly the rich man comes to him, looks him over, gives a cruel smile and says that he could not permit the artiste to go on stage- The transformation is amazing- from the crescendo of ethereal dignity and splendour- the actor crouches and stoops to shock, dissapointment and the depths of misery and pathos….this scene is brilliant- the picturisation, acting- everything is mesmerizing- the sobbing actor looks pathetic in his larger than life costume- and the viewer is rendered speechless! ( This role was performed to perfection by the late Premkumar the son of another veteran actor- late Premji- )

Madhavan is a mute witness to the entire series of events, and he sees his future reflected in the other senior artiste’s predicament!

Madhavan makes a fateful decision- he decides to meet Unni Maya! In the cover of darkness, he tiptoes to where Unni Maya is held captive- he peeps through the window covertly- Unni Maya comes to the window eagerly- Her eyes light up on seeing him- she speaks for the first time since her ordeal- She tells him that she knew he would come to rescue her, that he would take her away from this hell and make her his- Madhavan looks at her wretchedly- He tells her that he had not come to take her, that he could not- he pleads, begs her not to take his name during the trial- that his life and career would be destroyed if she took his name. Once again- the acting is exemplary. Unni Maya’s eyes do all the emoting- first the delight in her eyes melts into disbelief, and evolves into sheer contempt for the person imploring before her…( I understand that Mohini was considered for the National award that year for this role but lost it to Dimple Kapadia in Rudaali ). Unni Maya assures Madhavan disdainfully that she would not take his name and bid him go his way…the dialogue is brilliant and sharp! 
Madhavan recoils in shameful misery…

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Flashback contd…

Days pass by, the young widow is not permitted to participate in festivities or watch her favourite Kathakali performances even when they take place in the Tharawaad itself- Unni Maya accepts everything with a quiet resignation. She runs into Madhavan- the young Kathakali artiste once in way- within the temple precincts- or perhaps on her way to the temple tank…they exchange a few words- Madhavan is besotted- he dreams of her…Unni Maya too is not untouched but she does not indulge in dreams- she knows dreams were not in her Destiny…

One day, Unni Maya receives tidings that her brother’s wife had delivered a son after a long anxious wait- Unni Maya is eager to see her nephew and after securing permission hastens homeward- however, her brother is aloof- she is not permitted to participate in the ceremonies- because she being a widow was considered an ill omen- and at this moment when she is spurned by her own brother, the gravity of her fate dawns upon her…The meaning of widowhood is revealed to her…only her aged father is pained , but he was helpless as always. She silently goes back to her marital home- she realizes that now she had no other recourse- she was doomed to an obscure existence in the dark interiors of her late husband’s “illom”.

Time passes…even in the darkest of nooks of the huge household- it is festival time- and Kathakali performances are being held in the household- Unni Maya and the other widows are however not allowed to sit among the audience but they can watch from the windows of their rooms facing the inner courtyard…The rest of the household are rivetted to the perormance- Madhavan is also performing brilliantly- each night a different mythological story is enacted, and each night after delivering a brilliant performance, Madhavan stealthily enters Unni Maya’s chamber in full costume regalia- one day he is Arjuna, another day Bheema, each night a Mythological hero visits Unni Maya in ethereal splendour- the colours on Madhavan’s face leave their mark upon Unni Maya…! Nobody notices another story unfolding behind the scenes…

Days pass- festival is over- the festoons come down, the cymbals and gong are silenced- the artistes depart- the household falls back into monotony- but something has changed…forever!
Unni Maya is pregnant- the secret is out- but how, who- the question remained unanswered- The household is scandalized, Unni Maya is banished to the barn- the “Jury” is summoned- Unni Maya withdraws into Silence-

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The Movie:

The movie begins with a “gang” of sinister looking Namputhiris who are the “jury members”- moving towards the barn of a reputed Namputhiri Tharawaad. Some of them are almost chuckling in anticipation and glee because they foresee a few months of entertainment and feasts- besides being entitled to voyeuristic glimpses into a miserable woman’s private life! The convict- Unni Maya - waits in terror inside- she knows not what horrors she is to be subjected to in the coming days, and yet there is a serenity , a dignity , maturity beyond her young years on her countenance.

Unnimaaya is to be grilled with questions regarding her transgression, she has to remain hidden behind the door, murmur her replies and a maid servant would repeat her answers to the jury. The senior most jury member (played to less than perfection by the actor Thilakan, with his excuse of the Valluvanadan dialect), asks her questions with contempt and disgust oozing from every nerve and muscle…the other members too, are eager to get a chance in the questioning- but Unnimaya maintains a stoical , stubborn silence. After a vain attempt to get her to answer, the jury withdraws a trifle disappointed, but then their spirits are still high because a sumptuous feast awaits them at the main house , and they know that if Unni Maya continues to remain silent , the trial was likely to last for a long time…

The jury has left, Unni Maya cowers to a corner of the shed, the maid servant is sympathetic and feels sorry for the young girl- but Unni Maya remains tearless- her past flashes before her eyes, and we are taken to a house agog with festivities…

Flashback :

Wedding festivities are in full swing in a reputed “Illom”-there is mirth and gaiety everywhere- but one can also hear suppressed chuckles, sniggers amidst the brouhaha- because the bride is a young girl barely out of her teens, and the brideroom was a senile old man old enough to be her grandfather. But nobody cares…Unni Maya, fully covered in a mundu, holding a palmyra umbrella, her winsome eyes lined with kohl is led to the marriage dias. She breaks into a child like smile when she sees children running amok to retrieve coconut pieces flung on the ground…there is music- the ladies of the house-“illom” are playing the “kaikottikkali” – a folk art- the song is also lilting-Unni Maya watches the proceedings with innocent curiosity.



It is night and Unni Maya is waiting in the nuptial chamber…she does not know what to expect, but she is nervous. Her doddering husband totters in unsteadily, looks at her from top to toe, admonishes her for something and then promptly goes to bed and falls asleep. Unni Maya and we, the viewers are relieved…Unni Maya takes a mat and lies down on the floor.
Suddenly, there is a commotion downstairs- the old man’s sleep is disturbed, he is enraged and he rushes downstairs- one of the senior wives was creating a ruckus- she was slightly off her mental balance, and the preceding events had taken its toll on the unfortunate woman- the old man takes her by the hair and thrashes her on the wall- she falls away crying- the oldest wife looks away unmoved, mumbling in anger and disgust- Unni Maya watches alarmed and confused…

Days flow one into the other un eventfully- Unni Maya blends into her surroundings and circumstances- she meets the son of the eldest wife- her step son who is older than her- Kunjunni- played to perfection by Manoj K Jayan. He is a non conformist, social activist and is determined to eradicate senseless traditions, bring about a radical change in society- he works for womens education, emancipation- and hence a thorn and eye sore to the conformists- Kunjunni  requests Unni Maya to not retreat into her cloistered life- he knows she is well read, and promises to get her papers and books to read- he keeps her updated with the happenings in society, and urges her to keep herself aware about the changes in society - Unni Maya is curious and amused. She is happy to be able to read …The narrow minded elders in the family view his actions with derision and suspicion…

Unni Maya remains cheerful inspite of her circumstances. One day, she is summoned to her own home and she leaves for her home escorted by a lady servant. On her way she runs into a young, upcoming Kathakali artiste-Madhavan- (Vineeth)-, who has also heard about her knowledge of the Art, besides, her father was a famous Kathakali actor himself- they get talking along the entire distance- and the young man is enamoured by Unni Maya’s beauty, intelligence.

During her stay at her home, Unni Maya is suddenly summoned back because her aged husband had taken ill. She rushes back to her marital home, but the old man had already expired. Unni Maya is too dazed to realize the implications of the situation- the neighbours and servants are sympathetic to her plight realizing that she was now doomed to a life of wretchedness. There is this scene where the wives of the old man are made to sit in the inner courtyard- they discard the various adornments of marriage- the “thali” or the mangal suthra- bangles…one by one the wailing wives remove their ornaments, Unni Maya too removes her “thali” serenely, stoically tearless, but there was not a dry eye among those who watched- there is the potential hazard of filming such a scene melodramatically, but M.T handled it so sensitively, subtly, aesthetically as only M.T can- the poignance reverberated in silent dignity…

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Prologue:

After posting “Theerthaadanam”, I had been toying with the idea of writing about another celluloid creaion by M.T- directed by Harikumar.- “Parinayam” (may be loosely translated as “Wedding/marriage”…but somehow the vernacular word has more depth which cannot be effectively brought out in the translation.)…but it seemed a daunting task and I kept postponing it. The storyline was gripping and the visualization brilliant- it was an expeience to watch the movie unfold.( I remember that day at the theater, we met another famous Malayalam writer- C.Radhakrishnan)… Besides, the story needed a kind of prologue/introduction to the milieu- a peep into the traditions and time period in which the story was set and I was not sure how to go about it.

Serendipitiously, two days ago, my uncle gave me the English translation of another Malayalam novel- “Agnisakshi” by Lalithambika Antharjanam. The story is different but set in the same milieu. I had already seen the movie version of this story but had not read the novel (Rajat Kapoor- of Making of the Mahatma- , Shobhana, Praveena,Srividya). Once I finished reading this book, once again I was inspired to write about the movie “Parinayam”. It has been a long time since I saw the movie and it is possible that my memory fails me at times, however I hope I don’t distort the actual storyline…also, I am not confident that I will be able to do justice to the actual work…still would like to try- If there are any discrepancies from facts, please excuse me, and feel free to correct me…

Background:

Many, many years ago- during the pre- independence era, the social structure of Kerala was steeped in orthodox traditions and superstitions which were not exactly very beneficial to society in general, and women in particular. In today’s context, these beliefs may sound incredulous, but that was how it was those days.

Since this story is about the community of Namputhiris- Brahmins- let me stick to the traditions followed by them . In a Namputhiri family, usually only the eldest son got married to a girl from the same community, the rest of the brothers took wives from other communities but did not necessarily bring them to the family home- “Tharawaad”. The old gentlemen of the house were permitted to marry many times, and often very young girls from poor families were given in marriage to doddering old men who had one foot in the grave- to skip the dowry issue. The womenfolk were expected to live cloistered lives- within the dark interiors of the huge Tharawaad- and were referred to as “Antharjanam”- meaning people of the inner rooms- The men often had concubines belonging to different castes, and ironically the offsprings were not permitted to touch their immaculate fathers! As for the harem of wives, there would often be rivalry, “ragging” of junior wives by the senior wives , but the importance often veered towards the most favoured wife. Most of them accepted their destiny as they did not know of any other way of life, but once in a way, there would be a renegade among either gender, and would create chaos in the community- there would be men who felt that it was unfair to subjugate and deprive the women of basic human rights, and would rebel, and there would be the rare woman who had the courage to oppose and fight the existing traditions and break away…

The senile gentleman would often kick the bucket sooner than later leaving a harem of wives of all ages doomed to a life of darkness and obscurity…the life was harsh, inhuman- Parinayam is the story of one such widow- Unnimaya Antharjanam- played by actress Mohini.   She is just a girl barely out of her teens, and the gravity of her predicament is yet to sink in…she had been a wife only in name and did not grieve for her dead husband who was old enough to be her grandfather. She was still discovering the wonders of Nature around her, she had been educated in Sanskrit and the Fine Arts by her father and she loved Mythology, Kathakali, Poetry, Literature, Music.

Now during those days, it often came to pass that once in a way, a woman deprived of every sort of happiness in life may be lured by wily men who took advantage of their situation stealthily, and when the trespass came to light, a scandal followed, but inevitably it was only the woman who had to pay for her “crime”, while the transgressor often escaped scot free. The male members of the family then invite other eminent members of the community to conduct a “trial” called “Smaartha Vichaarana” – The “fallen woman” is banished to the barn, made to starve, she is addressed as “saadhanam”, meaning “object”- The grilling is callous, ruthless, obscene- the convict is tortured emotionally, mentally and at times even physically and it is perfectly justified. The host family is expected to provide every facility and luxury to the “jury members” who will stay at the “tharawaad” for as long as it takes the trial to be over. The jury members extort maximum advantage of the situation- every meal is to be a feast, and they have great fun and entertainment at the expense of the host…it is said that many a family went bankrupt due to such “smaartha vichaarana”. The trial may extend for as long as the jury members deign it to…and finally when the “convict” is proved guilty, she is excommunicated from the community- “Bhrasht kalpikkuka”- funeral rites are performed and she is thrown out into the society- and outside the House- are waiting, men folk of lower communities leering, waiting to swoop upon her like predators!

Theerthadanam- The Pilgrimage

I do not know if you have heard of The Malayalam writer- M.T.Vasudevan Nair- (BBG had mentioned abt him in his last blog) – well, he is a very famous writer in Mallu land- has also got plenty of awards- titles- including the Padmashri- for his stories, novels, screenplays (both National and state level)etc…His stories mostly revolve around the matriarchal system of the aristocratic Nair families- the old joint family where the maternal uncle is the decision maker- the numerous aunts and uncles and cousins- the grandmother- sibling rivalry- partiality- all these are depicted beautifully- and those familiar with the mileu can relate to every instance- the dialogue is in the typical dialect spoken in the land of M.T’s place of birth.

He was born into an agricultural, aristocratic family. His stories are mostly based on his personal experiences and the characters he grew around with.

Recently I saw the movie adaptation of his short story- “Theerthadanam” on T.V- Actually I did not find it as brilliant as some of his other works- but then M.T is M.T and there is always a certain aesthetic echelon that is maintained…I had read this story before and feel that full justice has not been accomplished in the adaptation. I am unable to pin point the flaws…and this is not a review….

There is this retired school teacher- Karunakaran…who is leading a reclusive life with his wife…kind of aloof- into his own world of unresolved thoughts and memories. Most of the time he spends reliving the past especially those which revolved around one of his students from years ago. This girl- Vinodini drops in a letter, card once in a while- and always signs as respectfully Vinodini…that she was much more than just another student is shown in intermittent flashes into the past…Both the sir and the student had a special soft corner for each other, but left it unsaid…

When the movie begins, we find the aged teacher reading the latest last from his student, in which she has “carelessly” mentioned that she would be visiting the Mukambika temple when she was coming on a few days leave in the next few days.

The master who is not exactly bubbling with health tells his wife he would like to visit the Mukambika temple in the following days. The wife is worried about his ill health and suggests he take with him the young boy in the neighbourhood- also a relative. The master agrees half heartedly. The master and the boy take leave of his wife and proceed to Mukambika. Here, we see that the master is of a melancholic dispositon, and his relationship with his wife of many years is a bit hollow- in the sense that while they care for eachother, there is really no “soul mate”- thinking alike kind of relationship – just a very functional, mutually beneficial kind of sharing. The master languishes in his own world- as if stuck to the past, while the wife is a practical, down to earth person. It is not mentioned if their early years where different…she reminds him to take his medicines regularly as he leaves…He is in a hurry to reach the station..

The master arrives at the temple- he prays at the sanctum sanctorium, he is doing his perambulations around the temple- while his eyes are searching for someone in the crowd. The boy dutifully reminds the master to take his medicine-and is only too happy to stay back in the hotel room and eat …

The Sauparnika lake – the surroundings are all beautifully picturised - but I am afraid I did not notice the song that was running in the background…The temple precincts, the crowds- distracted me…and I too was eagerly looking out for somebody…almost as eager as the master himself.

On the second day, the master emerges from the temple tank after his bath, he is climbing up the steps…and suddenly he stops- the woman who just passed by…he slowly turns back and she was also just pausing to have a second look- They look at eachother’s eyes…first recognizing the other- both had changed almost beyond recognition- time had caused irreparable ravages on their countenace- first there is disbelief, then there is a unique joy, and finally the shock after having assessed the changes that time had wrought upon the other’s face…we have already seen how different they looked in the flashback clips. Life had been obviously harsh to them and perhaps harsher for Vinodini.

Vinodini says that while she had mentioned that she would be visiting Mukambika, she was hoping that the master would perhaps make a trip too at the same time…she asks him to wait so that they could pray at the temple together. After offering prayers they have breakfast at a nearby hotel. They catch up with incidents of the past- The master notices that Vinu is very finance conscious- that her attire is very simple, her slippers were worn out…it haunts him- he remembers she used to belong to a rather well off family. Vinu expresses her wish to visit Kudajadri- a nearby sacred place which is uphill and difficult to reach- the hotel manager informs them that jeep service was available, but for Vinu, the rates were exorbitant. The master offers that he could make arrangements to go there and she could join him. Vinu is hesitant at first but agrees later.

Again in between we are taken into the past through the master’s and Vinu’s memories-friends of the master and Vinu used to tease them about their obvious affection for eachother…but they do not ever express it to eachother themselves. We get to know how the master gets transferred to another school in another place, how Vinu’s father does not approve of the polite, affectionate letters from the master and finally the master stops writing to his student. Vinu however sends a few lines , a New year card once in a while which the master treasures and keeps reading time and again.

The next day, the master persuades his young companion to stay back at Mukambika, and leaves for Kudajadri with Vinu. During the trip uphill, Vinu talks to the master about her difficulties, she was a teacher working in Chennai, how it was very difficult for her to make ends meet- she had to send money home to her ailing mother. She also says that she would be entitled to a better pay if she could do a course equivalent to B.A but is unable to do so because of financial constraints.

The master asked her why she never got married…she said that there was some “dosham”- flaw in her horoscope and so a suitable alliance never materialized and eventually her father fell ill and died, and the years passed unnoticed in the sheer effort of living a daily life. The master talks about his wife “Ammutty” , children who were living elsewhere. Vinu informs him that she had always updated herself with his news. The master remains silent. They reach Kutajadri by dusk, avail lodgings at a small home in the place- run by a priest and his family and provided shelter and food to pilgrims. The driver guides them along the hilly trek, and thus the two pilgrims make the pilgrimage of their life together for a brief snatch of time-

The master offers prayers in his name and Vinodini’s and she is amazed that he still remembered her birth star. The priest conducts a puja and offers prayers to the deity on their behalf. The hosts have naturally assumed that the two were a couple and the two don’t deny it either. Later at dinner time, the hosts relate the story of their hardships and Vinu tells the master afterwards that her hardships paled in comparison.

After dinner, the two pilgrims sit by the lake nearby ..for some time they share a companionable silence and eventually the master asked Vinu why she had rejected his proposal for her hand in marriage many years ago. Vinu is taken by surprise and she says she never knew he had ever proposed! Then the master explains that a mutual friend had talked to her father many years ago on his behalf seeking Vinu’s hand in marriage. Vinu’s father had rejected the proposal outright and the master had naturally assumed that Vinu knew about it. A shattered Vinu reveals that she never knew about it and she utters vehemently- the only moment when the otherwise softspoken Vinu explodes involuntarily in suppressed fury- “Dushtan”- meaning- “the cruel one” incriminating her dead father. It was now the turn of the master to be shocked…it had never occurred to him that she had no inkling about his proposal. After this startling disclosure, followed a stunned, wistful, forlorn silence…Vinu is unable to suppress her sobs and the master has no words of comfort to offer.

The host soon comes to call them inside to retire for the night. They realize that they have been offered a single room. At first, the two pilgrims are awkward , but eventually they accept the situation, and settle down to sleep on the single mat maintaining a polite distance between them.

Vinu enquires of the master, that wasn’t the puja done in their name- The “Dampathy” ( done as a couple)puja..the master just laughed at the irony…and Vinu says- perhaps it was destiny that they were meant to make this pilgrimage as a couple- may be that was all they were destined to have in this life…she breaks into sobs and the master remains silent. Suddenly the master develops chest pains, and Vinu tries to get help from the hosts but the latter were busy with some rituals. She comes back to the side of the master writhing in agony…she sends up a silent prayer to the deity, and the master in his pain calls out the name of his wife_ “Ammutty”! Vinu starts and we see mute resignation on her face. She gives the master water, and gradually the master recovers. The master looks up at the distraught face of Vinu and there is an apologetic air about him. He goes back to sleep, while Vinu leans against the wall and spends the rest of the night in a sitting posture. That single moment when the master called out his wife’s name while in the throes of agony was a revelation to both of them…

The next morning, the two piligrims return to their respective homes, but before leaving the master asks Vinu if he could help her to secure her B.A degree, that he was willing to sponsor her course fees, but Vinu declines…they go their ways…it was a pilgrimage for the two of them not just in the religious sense- they had to make this pilgrimage to bring a closure to the blanks in their past…to come to terms with the “if only’s” and the “had beens”…

The master was played by the South Indian actor Jayaram and Vinu was played by actress,director, social activist, Suhasini- (also manirathnam’s wife). Jayaram was quite good-effectively underplaying the pathos- however his make up was jarring…Suhasini was tolerable- I usually do not enjoy watching her mannerisms, the way she moves her hands, her crinkly smile, and a tendency to be carefully “natural” …however her voice over did not suit her…my opinion only…

I enjoyed the unspoken silences in the movie…M.T. has this way of making silences speak…he has written another novel _ Randaamoozham_ – meaning the second turn alluding to Bheema’s turn in his marital life with Draupadi, in this novel, M.T. admits to have taken creative liberty to elaborate on certain blanks in the Mahabharatha epic…certain incomplete insinuations- loud silences…and he has achieved that beautifully..the entrie story unfurls from the pov of Bheema…and is very interesting and intriguing..