Pix Courtesy : Remigiusz Szczerbak

A second chance at life and love – the hope of reconciling after a quarrel, or the unexpected blossoming of a new romance, the optimism of the human psyche is eternal. There are many such songs in Malayalam cinema. Predictably, my beloved ones are those sung by Dr KJ Yesudas. If he crooned them in my ear, I would melt into a puddle, and forgive him anything.

1. Thelinju Premayamuna Veendum from Manaswini (1968)

Lyrics : P Bhaskaran
Music :MS Baburaj
Sung by : KJ Yesudas

Getting back together with your lover after a lover’s tiff often takes the relationship to a different level of  enjoyment. Yesudas’s unmatched rendering conveys the clarity of a blue sky after rain, a clear stream after tumultuous floods, and the happy, contented cooing of reconciled lovebirds. Who other than Baburaj to delve into the soul of the words and come up with this classic.

2. Priye Pookkukille from Vidhi (1968)

Lyrics : Vayalar
Music : Laxmikant – Pyarelal
Sung by : KJ Yesudas

This unparalleled melody in Yesudas’s wistful voice  pleads for his lover’s forgiveness and expresses hopes that once withered flowers would blossom again. Obviously, the heart melts.

3. Poojaapushpame from  Velutha Kathreena (1968)

Lyrics : Sreekumaran Thampi
Music : G Devarajan
Sung by : KJ Yesudas

Correct me if I am wrong, but from memory the movie Velutha Kathreena told the story of the trials and tribulations the lower caste Kathreena had to face in society. This song is picturised on Prem Nazir and Sheela, and is about a priest picking up a fallen flower to offer at a new temple. Hope of a new beginning, a  flower-filled spring beckons.

4. Paalaazhimadhanam Kazhinju from Urangaatha Sundari (1969)

Lyrics : Sreekumaran Thampi
Music : G Devarajan
Sung by : KJ Yesudas

Having never seen the movie Urangaatha Sundari, I have to confess I have no idea of the song situation. However this song brings to my mind the rising full moon, bringing with it the soothing elixir of love. When  Madanan rises from the dead, a smile caresses the red lips of the Earth. Only Vayalar can make such imagery dance in front of your eyes.

5. Inakkam Pinakkam  from Thettu (1971)

Lyrics : Vayalar
Music : G Devarajan
Sung by : KJ Yesudas

Finishing up philosophically,  quarrels and reconciliations are the essence of human life. Hope and disappointment are the building blocks of love, flowers bloom and fade, dreams take on lives and die, but their fragrance and sweetness lives on for ever.

Please do write in with yours.

Dear Constant Reader,

This is specifically for all those who have read through the two expansive posts on the classic Kottaram Vilkanundu (1972) by the Gopalkrishnan-Nilambur Hyderali team, and everyone who is reading this by virtue of being here on this blog.

It so happens that all the images that were part of the two articles which were deemed to be screen grabs from the VHS copy of Kottaram Vilkaanundu is in fact taken from the Hemant Kumar Classic, Bees Saal Baad (1962).

If not for an  innocuous mention by Anu about the “Claw”, I wouldn’t have pulled out my  DVD copy of Bees Saal Baad (1962), and gone through it. I did it 10 times. And she is spot on.

Go through the first five minutes and you know what I’m talking about.

I am hereby pulling down both the posts, as it being out there in published form, would be a sustained case of deception, which I feel is  criminally wrong. When I began actively encouraging anyone who had the willingness to share information on old Malayalam films here, it was essentially building relationships built on implicit trust. And once you take that goodwill and rub its nose in the ground, it becomes all the more painful.

Once again, my personal apologies, and thank you for being here,

Cinematters.

On the journey of life, we pass through several roads – darkness and light, winding roads and straight, over land and sea. A lifetime, searching for that elusive something, perhaps even the final destination.

1. Kaadaarumaaasam Naadaaru Maasam from Ezhu Raathrikal (1968).

This song is about the misery of lives in poverty, and hope for a better future. It is from the landmark Malayalam movie “Ezhu Raathrikal” directed by the legendary Ramu Kariat. The song was sung on screen by JC Kuttikkat, later famous as Movie Director Jesey (ജേസി). I have always wondered how the non-Malayali Salil Chowdhary was able to tune this song, and all the other songs from this movie, for that matter, so beautifully. Along with Vayalar‘s lyrics and KJ Yesudas‘s voice, how can it not turn out to be a classic?

2. Kaattariyilla Kadalariyilla  from Jail (1966).

Neither the wind, nor the ocean understands the torturous pain of the unending search of the waves for the shore. The pain reflected clearly by AM Raja‘s voice, singing Vayalar‘s lyrics, set to tune by G Devarajan.

3. Munnil Mookamaam Chakravaalam from Jail (1966).

Another moving song from the same movie, even this raised desolation to a new miserable level.The silent horizon stretches before the traveller, while leaving behind the vast empty blackness, will someone eventually come to release me from this jail cell of Time? Just one of the hundreds of priceless diamonds formed by the creative trio of KJ Yesudas, Vayalar and Devarajan.

4. Ee Kadalum Maru Kadalum from Kadalpalam (1969).

SP Balasubramaniam‘s first Malayalam song.Vayalar‘s philosophical lyrics and Devarajan‘s intuitive music with SPB’s sweet rendering makes this an exquisite composition. Over the seven seas, even despite the man-made differences of religion.

5. Jeevithamennoru Thookkupaalam from Nirakudam (1977).

KJ Yesudas brings to life the anguish in Bichu Thirumala‘s lyrics, set to music by the talented duo, brothers Jaya-Vijaya. It is difficult to imagine this as a lullaby, yet it is, albeit a sad one, sung on screen by superstar Kamalhasan. ” Life is a bridge (a suspension bridge), and we are all travellers, crossing it in our own way, trying to get over to the other side.“

The search for the True Man continues.

According to a report in Malayala Manorama, the Ragamalika – JAYAN Award for the year 2012, instituted by the Jayan Samskarika Vedi in memory of the late Jayan, actor, who passed away on 16 November 1980 has been awarded to Poojapura Ravi, one of Malayalam cinema’s most senior actors around today.With Poovachal Khader in 2010, GK Pillai in 2011 ( these are only ones I am aware of and have requested Mr Sreekumaran Thampi to share the complete list if possible, since the Award’s inception – and he has, the same has been updated  ), it is heartening to see those, whose prolific output from their early years have contributed in their own way to the ‘commercial successes’ of popular films in Malayalam being honored in their active years in the industry.

Jayan and Poojapura Ravi in Nayattu ( 1980 )

According to the press release, the Ragamalika – Jayan Award which carries a memento, citation and an award amount of Rs 10,000, would be presented to him on 16-11.2012 at the Commemorative Meeting at Gandhi Park, East Fort, Thiruvananthapuram, by Sreekumaran Thampi, the chief patron of the Jayan Samskarika Vedi. This year, the Commemorative meet is a 3 – day celebration, starting from 14 November 2012. There would a Jayan movies retrospective on 14th and 15th November, screened at the Park itself, followed by the award felicitation on the final day.

{ The complete list of Awardees, thanks to Sreekumaran Thampi, the founder-patron of the Jayan Samskarika Vedi }

Poojappura Ravi’s movie debut was in an unreleased production called Chottanikkara Bhagavathy, but it was his next movie, Hariharan’s Ammini Ammavan (1976) that set him on the path as a talented actor for the Malayalam screen. It couldn’t have happened any other way for this theatre veteran from Kalanilayam, being a part of the prestigious theatre group for 13 years before stepping into movies. Looking back, it must have been a pleasant coincidence to have been a part of those movies in his early years with Jayan in the lead, and almost all of them ended being popular blockbusters of the time.

Though slotted and branded as a comedian ( and that too of the over-the-top loud variety ), through the years, he has been fortunate enough to display his innate talent in a handful of movies, even within the cliched framework ( read roles ) that were offered to him -  (remember Venalil Oru Mazha ? )

 Poojakkorunginilkkum from  Venalil Oru Mazha (1979)

Active in the business of acting since the 60′s, from theatre to the big screen and then on to popular sitcoms on TV and then again back to the big screen, Poojapura Ravi has been a prolific actor to say the least, keeping himself dedicated and active in his chosen profession since the past 5 ( ? ) decades, and the number of films that he has been a part of has not been chronicled, as far as I know.

The News Report from Malayala Manorama.

Here is wishing him many more productive years in entertainment, on the big screen and the small screen.

If you were around in the 80′s, actively following the trends and exploring the new evolving genres in Malayalam film music, it would have been really, really difficult to have missed the shiny disco balls in our films, specially involving Jayan, Rahman and Ravindran ( the actor ).If these three sound alien to you, and you are pushing 40, request you to please crawl out of that rock you have been holed up in. As with all other new (!) genres that somehow desperately tried to cash in on the popularity of its popularity worldwide, there were a few memorable compositions that came out of this Frankenstein experiment of Disco’s syncopated beats to our classically-rooted sangathis in that tightly packed decade. But most of them were outright ghastly, at least for me. And I believe it all started with the inexplicable popularity of the disco-beat that peaked with Tony Manero dancing to the  Bee Gees’ hip-busters. John Travolta could groove, by God, he could. And bringing up the rear were those BoneyM and Abba cassette tapes that accompanied almost every Gulf expatriate’s journey back home to Kerala, accompanying his beloved 2-in-1′s !

You should be dancing | OST from Saturday Night Fever (1977)

The problem was, there were hardly anyone in this sliver of peninsular India who could dance, atleast onscreen. In an age ruled by LPs, Audio Cassette Tapes and VHS tapes, it still took a bit for the “trend” to seep in, but luckily, someone closer home was doing it for us desis. Nazia Hassan and her album Disco Deewane, produced by Biddu, was nothing like anyone of us ever heard in our lives. It was impossible to ask the lower part of your hips and the pair of legs joined to it to stay still once the music started. It was infectious.

Nazia and Zoheb with a rare live performance of Disco Deewane.

And now that the general population were gently eased in to this genre, and seemed almost taken by it, our movie mandarins never lost a minute to  give our peaceful pallavis and progressions, a thumping bass beat. They had the talent, they could possibly churn out compositions based on the new beat, that was all fine, but there arose the main problem -  it was meant for dancing ! Actresses were a natural when it came to boogie, but we never had a  male actor who could dance, and even if there was some one around who could shake a leg good-naturedly, it was Jayan. And to him went the early compositions, till a lanky laddie became the darling of every girl fighting peer-pressure, teenage angst, zits and ill-fitting bellbottoms  – Rahman who debuted in Koodevide  (1983). Till then, we had Jayan.

So what was it that mesmerised the average Malayali’s lackadaisical pair of two left-feet? From what I have learned through my weary ears  is this – the disco rhythm, generously borrowing from Funk, Soul and drivin’ R &B, with soaring synthesiser notes, the Wah-Wah guitar pedals,  laid down all the four notes with a thumping bass note, known commonly as the the “Four-On-the-Floor”. The standard Rock rhythm for a basic  bar – the 4/4  beat ( broadly) goes Boom-Tak- Boom-Tak  with the 2nd and 4th note on the snare drum, but with Disco, you dedicated your Bass note to the 2nd and 4th too, so it went Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom, with the snare already on its pace – quite groovy when you actually experience it. Not surprisingly, all the current electronic dance music follow this pattern. The bottom line is simple – you had to dance. And it was really flexible and organic. You could still add a bit of everything else, and it would come out sounding better. So, in a decade that had us rolling our eyes in weariness by the end of it, here are some of the memorable compositions, for me, from Malayalam films, that when fell on the wayside when it came to actual dancing onscreen, did a fabulous job on the actual track and vice-versa.

Inee theeram thedum from Prabhu (1979 )

This is the the earliest one that stays in my memory, with a distinct disco flavor, featuring Seema and Jayan. Composed by Shankar – Jaikishen Ganesh ( thanks Sajith ), it has a surprisingly strong melodic structure that kinds of work in the composition’s favour as a groovy number. Maybe it took SJ to really push our indigenous bunch in that direction of churning out more in the reigning popular taste.I guess this was one of the few movies where we got to see Seema’s solo act on the dance floor, and Jayan, with all his good-naturedness can’t keep time to save his life. Seema, the ex-choreographer looks quite at ease moving to the music and performing as a club dancer should, but check out from 2 : 56 as Jayan gets on the floor. Jayan looks like a hapless, struggling  pet-owner trying to rein in his pet straining against the leash ! Dancing seem to be the farthest in his mind as he good naturedly two-steps around Seema . See, THIS  is what I was speaking about. Masochism looked for a  place to crawl up and die anytime the club music came on in Malayalam movies ( not quite often now, from what I see.)

Ullasapoothirikal from Meen (1980).

It is the guitar intro that literally freezes you in your tracks. I personally consider this the best guitar intro/riff ever in Malayalam film music.Though Meen (1980) was quintessential Jayan, this club classic owes its charm, in part to Jose and Ambika too, who was the best that could ever be found to convincingly enact and portray the entire vibe onscreen. The original plan was to shoot the song at Yercaud as a usual run-around-trees-and-get-soaked-in-the-rain routine, but thankfully they had to drop the plan in the last minute and move it indoors, according to Jayanan Vincent, the movie’s DOC. How bland it would have been, if it had been the former, I wonder.What also amazes me more than the composition, is the amazing dexterity of G Devarajan in his compositions. Wah-wahing guitars and bossa nova infusion is the something that you would almost never expect from the Maestro, but when he does it, he does it brilliantly. Even though the charanams struggle hard to keep up with the tight rhythm ( I always imagine them packed in a tin ), the way it comes  out sounds as if KJ Yesudas does more scat-singing than normal playback. It almost seems like the charanam is in a tearing hurry to get somewhere Also have you ever noticed that Jose’s guitar is NOT connected to any power source and he, like almost all our male actors, CANNOT play a single chord from the song, onscreen ?

Aarambham madhu paathrangil from Aarambham (1980)

This is here for a reason and it has more to do with the choreography and picturisation than the actual composition. This has been the best among the lot of the frantic and senseless gyrations that the choreographers put poor Ravindran through, in songs cloned a hundred times over. The guy was given a head band, spandex leggings and asked to go there and look “dancey” is what I feel everytime I see him in one of these.This song is also an prelude to another memoir that I felt I should put down on our fabulous Cadbury Songs ( the onscreen ‘Cabaret’ ), also called Caavarey Saangs by unaesthetic and tasteless peoples KJ Joy‘s composition almost till the half of it proceeds at a very laid-back part-waltzy, part-bossa-nova pace till it reaches 2 :22 when all hell breaks loose as the synthesisers open up along with the horns. More, coming soon !

Welcome Ladies ( ! ) from Kolilakkam (1981)

I am not quite sure the song title is appropriate as all the female vocal track seem to be doing through out the track is to do a hideous impersonation of a telephone sex-chat caller. At best, cringeworthy ! To me, it just resembles one of those instrumental dance interludes that we were familiar from countless other movies, but done with more juice.There is always a mismatch when it comes to the actual rhythm of the song and the dance -forms/styles employed to convey the vibe. I mean, ball-room waltz in a club where the singer croons in a tone that would have your Bible-lovin’ grandma scrub your mouth, ears and eyes with soap if she ever came to know you were in it, watching her ? The rhythm goes purely break-beat at places, and  there is one more delightful aspect to it as Jayan actually gets on down and dirty, at times even taking out his “You should be dancing” moves – check out 1 :02 !

Theyyattam Dhamanikalil from Thrishna (1981).

Aw, c’mon, don’t pretend as if you don’t like this song, of course you do Though I do wonder where Raj Kumar is, these days. This was one of the signature compositions of Shyam, with its heavy laden rhythm layers and a pronounced guitar leading the proceedings. But if you notice, the bass notes are pounding away in the background, regardless of whether its a set of rain-soaked dancers onscreen Also, mercifully, Shyam doesn’t restrict the booming rhythm to just the pallavi and takes the ‘ expected refuge’ with Indian percussion and violin overlays in the charanams, he stands his ground and let it pound away for the entire song. Then again, he wouldn’t need to, the man was a master of the West’s kind of music too.

Swargavaathil from Iniyenkilum (1983)

One of those IV Sasi assembly line products, that T Damodaran seem to recycle with happy abandon, since  Ee Naadu (1982) demolished the box-office, and this was no better. The setting here is the young bunch in Hong Kong for performing  a music concert and they go for a night-out in the city. Its Shyam again, and the opening guitar with wah-wahs are at work on overdrive through the composition.There is also a Japanese song sampler welded in between to enhance the ‘flavor’ maybe, but it doesn’t seem to bring in any, according to me.But the entire composition is peppy and then there is Ravindran and Mohanlal two-stepping in a rare occurance What more do I need ?

Oru madhurakinavin from Kanamarayathu ( 1984 )

Probably our most recalled disco standard in Malayalam filmsongs. 1984 was the blessed year of disco as far as Malayalm films were concerned. It was the year that gave our twiddling producers their redemption – at last, here was a lad who could really dance, though he went a wee bit overboard at times. From Kaaanamarayathu, in 1984, it was the Era of the Disco Boy, till it petered out by the end of the decade. One had a morbid fear of losing one’s moorings , getting overdosed on the Rahman-Rohini-disco movies that seem to pop up every month.But Shyam had nailed it with Madhurakkinaavin. It was the bassline that ruled supreme along with those drum-solos, which I think were a first for Malayalam playback films, looking at the duration of those interludes. I consider this, along with Konchum nin Imbam from Thaalavattam (1986) and Puzhayorathil from Adharvam (1989) as the percussive trinity in Malayalam film playback, but then again, its me. But there is always a fundamental aspect that never loses its prominence, be it any composition of Shyam – a strong melodic structure. And it must be the very reason that the song stays afresh even today, and so “in” that they even made a remixed version out of it in 2011, but I’ll pass. I still love the original. Someday when I meet him personally, would really love to ask Shyam  if he could recall who pounded the skins on that recording session for this song. Wouldn’t be great to go over and meet him, then and personally thank him for that awesome solos.

The Disco Interlude from Kaliyil Alpam Kaaryam (1984)

Rahman again, but remember that bit about going overboard a teeny, weeny bit ?  This is one of those. There is also the ghost of “You should be dancing ” in the group-moves on the floor if you notice . Music is by Ravindran who also does the lead solo male vocal in the track. The movie also has something which I found very interesting, a live concert recording of  Osibisa ploughing through their Keep on Trying track, which the young Rahman is shown attending. And that too in a Sathyan Anthikkad movie ! Were there any movies where they showed live concert footage of  Western artists ? Do write in.

The Boogie starts at 1:28.

Nishayude chirakil from Thammil Thammil (1985)

Rahman again, and this time, his producers have left no gilt costume shops unexplored and there is an added bonus ! We do have Ravindran joining in with the weirdest set of steps ever to be found on a makeshift dancefloor. Oh, the abuse they put him through Somewhere in the middle, even good friend Rahman join in, and you start testing your sanity. And the costumes, God, the costumes. I think it was a continuation of the “I am a Disco Dancer” and “Star” legacies from up North. I have always thought Rahman looked like our version of Kumar Gaurav in Star (1982) 

Our Disco Starts at 4 : 25.

Disco from Ee thanalil Ithiri Neram (1985)

As if to dispel  the faintest doubt from our minds, they go ahead and compose a song which just spells it outright, even though I usually look for a place to hide, listening to the Gandharvan spelling out D-I-S-C-O. It was also our own tribue to Ottawan’s monster hit D.I.S.C.O way back in 1979. If you remember, even Bappi Lahiri borrowed it for his Disco Dancer in  1982. There was no reason why we shouldn’t do it. I really hope the video of this surfaces up sometime Not that it was much different from Rahman’s other disco adventures, but just for the record.  This was Shyam again who laid out the track, and am sure he would have chuckled trying to find out the romantic connotations that linked “സ്വര്‍ണത്താമര കിളിയെ” and “തങ്കതാഴികകുടമേ ”

Oru Malarthoppile from Love story ( 1986 ).

Two reasons why this still stays memorable. The first was, obviously, the composition, again by Shyam. The wah-wah guitars and the synthesiser bass lines flitted on and off the main rhythm structure, but the final effect was pure groove. The second reason is the actor in that movie Shafiq. Another case of starburst, I suppose. Would reall love to know where he is now. Was he sidelined as he was found to be a threat to other young ‘heartthrobs of those times, wish I knew. The song is packed with energy and he brings it out I would say, in a way more natural and effective than Rahman.

Konchum nin imbabm from Thaalavattam (1986).

For the life of me, I cannot recall watching this song oncreen in Thalavattam (1986), but still have the looped audio file on infinite play in my Notebook. I have NEVER come across a song that makes you say “Hell, Yeah !” yet retains the essential flavor of Malayalam ever. This, for me, is THE ONE. Right from the liquid drum-solo intro and the brass section that screamingly joins, this is one song that lifts my spirit, every time I feel worn out. Raghu Kumar will have my lifelong respect for composing a track that you can proudly play out to anyone regardless of language, and see them go tapping their feet by the 4th bar. This is my all time favorite. It is, for me, the perfect driving song in Malayalam The simple harmony soaring vocals, and the  guitar that joins the sonic conversation at 2 : 45 – sheer bliss. But its the driving drums that makes it memorable. I can go and on.

Please do write in with your favorites.

Iruttinte Athmavu ( The Soul of Darkness ) has to be probably the first mainstream Malayalam film which highlighted the travails of the unsound mind on the silver screen through its main protagonist, Velayudhan, brought to life by Prem Nazir. At a time when candyfloss romances and insanely skewed and delightful CID capers were ruling the marquee, P Bhaskaran’s attempt in bringing this  “social malaise’’ was a daring effort, similar to what he attempted with Ramu Kariat in Neelakkuyil (1954), bringing untouchability to the fore. I say social malaise from a broad perspective, as, even in this age of advanced medicine, our basic mindset of an unsound mind is still a “life, doomed”, to be lived in chains. The fact that it is an ailment just like any other and is treatable like any, seems to have been lost on us generations, who have been socially conditioned to look the other way when it comes to addressing the issue. This becomes all the more “manipulative”, when the victim happens to be the pivot in an extended social circle, intertwined with relationships and distribution of wealth. This was the first collaboration between MT Vasudevan Nair and P Bhaskaran, and they would come together for the last time in Vithukal (1971). Based on his own short story, MT Vasudevan Nair crafted a screen narrative that was revolutionary for the times, in its emotional density and cultural richness, all the while ensuring that the requirements to adapt the narrative onscreen were minimal, thereby bringing down the cost to a huge extent. The brilliant cinematography was by EN Balakrishnan, lyrics by the director himself, set to music by MS Baburaj. All the four compositions were rendered by S Janaki, each a gem. Coming back to  MT Vasudevan Nair, one couldn’t help but notice that he has stuck to this “minimalism” all through his career especially when he did the direction along with the screenplay. MT Vasudevan Nair seems to have  elevated “minimal film making” to a fine art, if you ask me.

Prem Nazir speaks on playing Velayudhan onscreen.

The first 20 minutes of MT’s screenplay of Iruttinte Athmaavu is a brilliant example of establishing the main cast in a rich tapestry of light, darkness and shadows, building the fabric of the movie layer by layer that you can actually feel as the narrative flows onward. The close-knit montages of child-like scrawls that adorn the walls of  a cavernous room “lost” in the overwhelming structure of the tharavadu, ( there are absolutely no bearings of Velayudhan’s dwelling place with respect to the entire house), is the personal domain of Velayudhan and his life. His mental faculties have not seem to have  caught up with his blooming youth, preferring to stay back with his childhood, but his physical aspersions and social bearings are in agreement with his physical growth.The only son of Paru amma ( P Santha Kumari), who never has had a day of physical wellness her entire life, added to the shame of having a ‘liability’ as her offspring, she stays along with her elder brother ( PJ Antony as Gopalan Nair) who is the perceived head of the rambling house, her aging father ( MS Namboothiri ), her niece ( Sarada as Ammu ) and a domestic help. They also have another sibling, Meenakshi Amma who is in Singapore with her family. Achyuthan Nair ( Sankaradi ), the local medicine man who has taken upon himself to ‘heal’ Velayudhan is also, according to him, his arch enemy as he relies more on the rod as the remedy for his mental inadequacy.

Iruttinte Athmavu- Velayudhan is getting out of hand

Velayudhan’s daily acts of harmless mischief are a chief source of concern for everyone except Ammu kutty who defends him and cares for him with a ferocity that is uncommon. It could be also that, in the traditional scheme of social dynamics, she is betrothed to him, by birth ( murappennu ).The affairs of the tharavadu is in dire straits with hardly any source of income, as their traditional land holdings are mired in civil disputes that have been dragging across years. The minimal income is just enough to barely pay its legal fees.The homestead runs courtesy of Gopalan Nair’s brother-in-law’s generosity from Singapore, who, within this time of has very cleverly got the house and the land along with it in his name, in the guise of ‘helping’ out Gopalan Nair win his civil suits. Gopalan Nair receives a letter from his brother-in-law informing him of his decision to return to India for good, along with his family. This comes as a shocker, as he knows that with the arrival of this urban family, the entire dynamics of their reasonably peaceful existence as a family will be a thing of the past, and above all, the truth is not lost on him that their position as ‘tenants in their own family house’ has never been this evident, ever.

Iruttinte Athmavu – A new upheaval in the family

The Singapore family arrives, and Ammu kutty in her innate generosity envelops the family into her unconditional caring, treating each one of them as her own. [ The VCD that I have display some confusing cut-paste scenes at this point wherein  events after their arrival somehow pops in BEFORE them  ! ]  Madhavan Nair’s ( Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair ) family consists of his wife Meenakshi ( Philomena), elder son Rajan ( TS Muthaiah ), daughter Prema ( Usha Kumari) and her baby brother Unni (Baby Rajni) – most of  the brood display classic symptoms of disdain and vanity to those who do not match up to them in material wealth, which includes almost all in their village and more specifically, everyone at home now. It is more pronounced towards Velayudhan, who represents the lowermost rung in their system of social hierarchy that revolves around respect and recognition, borne out of material wealth. With the pronounced wealth and the vanity to make it conspicuous at every given instance also gives Madhavan Nair his own entourage, who mainly feed off him, led by the dance teacher Guru Kunjichathu ( Adoor Bhasi in an epic wasted role ). The tharavadu now is clearly polarised, with the insanely rich ordering the less fortunate around, and in between all these, Gopalan Nair is desperately clutching at the last straws ( in the form of possible monetary help, one last time ) from Madhavan Nair to restore a major part of the land under litigation, now under the hammer. But Madhavan Nair is non-committal. And into this season of bitterness comes another torment in the form of Rajan ( TS Muthaiah ) who is besotted and smitten by the beautiful Ammu kutty, and is besides himself whenever their paths cross in the rambling house. There is no higher purpose in his attraction, other than to coerce her into bed with the power he yields as her ‘provider’s son.’

Iruttinte Athmavu – Singapore Hormones meet Kerala’s cultured restraint

But his bloated, arrogant yet lily-livered ego gets a powerful kick where it hurts most with Ammu kutty, who summarily tells him to stay off her. The rejection on the face by her is unacceptable for him and he waits for a chance to strike. And that comes in the form of Velayudhan’s inquisitive heart who happen to wander into the ‘Singapore side’ of the house and is amazed by the opulence and comfort. Every object there fascinates him. Its like a magical world has opened before him. Inadvertently, he is in Prema’s room, and as he sinks into her plush bed, marvelling at the comfort of it and dozing off, she walks in. All hell breaks loose. Velayudhan gets thrashed, but is rescued of more pain, inside and outside, by his mother, who pleads his case with Madhavan Nair. The Medicine-man also appears, pushing his agenda, trying to convince Madhavan Nair of allowing him to carry on his “special ” treatment to cure Velayudhan. The timing seems perfect. Achyuthan Nair, now completely in charge of Velayudhan, starts off the proceedings with a traditional ritual of exorcism whose end is marked by the terrible lashings on the “possessed” to take leave of the body. Velayudhan’s anger towards Achyuthan Nair is now approaching dangerous levels.

Iruttinte Athmavu – Velayudhan undergoes another exorcism

Soon, a very prospective groom’s family visits the Padinjareppatu tharavadu to formalise the plan and preparations for Prema’s wedding. Gopalan Nair is strongly advised to have Velayudhan locked up and not to have him anywhere around the formal ceremony.Velayudhan sweet-talks little Unni into unlocking his room and he walks straight into the formal ceremony, gazing intently at the prospective groom with unmistakable happiness and joy, enjoying every bit of the sight of the handsome man. The family, caught in a ‘seemingly’ embarassing situation admonishes him out, where he finds the new motor car which becomes his next object of fond  obsession. Needless to say, he escapes thrashing by a hair’s breadth. [ Thought : This scene seems to have another version in a production that approached the Unsound Mind from another perspective - in Thaniyavarthanam ]

Iruttinte Athmavu – Embarrassment at the hands of Velayudhan

Knowing that the best way to limit Velayudhan would be to curtail his freedom of movement, Achyuthan Nair takes care to see that he is mostly locked up in the room, to which Velayudhan reacts by drawing a bird-cage on his wall, an act which is so simple and at the same time touching.Parukutty Amma, frail and a physical wreck, is by now almost teetering at the brink, heart-broken with the with the latest dressing-down and humiliation that Velayudhan had at the hands of Madhavan Nair.Even she too had lost her self-control and thrashed him, repenting immediately and collapsing on him. It is at this time that Prema gets a new tutor at home, to help her through her “Senior Cambridge” exams- the dashing Chandran ( Balaji ), who, within no time gets involved a wee bit more than the prescribed syllabi, with his student. Parukutty Amma’s condition worsens day by day, and one night, the inevitable happens.

The entire sequence of her passing away, surrounded by her loved ones, Velayudhan struggling to understand the event unfolding in front of him, desperately pleading to make him understand in his own terms, but is admonished. I truly believe, this has to be one of the most poignant scenes ever written for film in Malayalam cinema.

With Parukutty Amma’s passing, Velayudhan’s last line of defense, that cared and protected him against the more materialistic and  merciless ‘normal’ world  is gone, and Padinjareppatu tharavadu with its dark interiors and shadows take on a more sinister meaning for the now-motherless child.Restless with his long periods in confinement, Velayudhan pleads with Ammu to leave him out for a bit to get some fresh air one evening, to which she obliges. It is also the very same evening that Achyuthan Nair brings in the bad news. The match-making that Madhavan Nair looked forward to would never materialise as the groom’s family had  expressed their reservations to marrying from a family with an in-house lunatic. An incensed and enraged Madhavan Nair, starts  ranting, blaming it all on Velayudhan who, to him,  has become the curse of the family. Still smarting from the drubbing, he orders Velayudhan to be chained and restrained.For Velayudhan, the humiliation is now complete.

Iruttinte Athmavu – Velayudhan is slowly coming apart

Adding injury to insult, Velayudhan is chained to a tree next to the wood-shed, out in the courtyard, OUTSIDE the house that he has lived in all these years, and its beginning to take its toll on him, both physically and mentally. He is slowly coming apart at the seams, held together by threads of sanity, straining against the struggling beast inside. Now that his only obstacle has been chained away, Rajan makes his move, out at the wood-shed, and as Ammukutty struggles to escape, the commotion rouses the household, and Meenakshi is the first to arrive.Quickly assessing the situation, she starts vehemently defending her son, heaping insults on Ammu which proves to be Gopalan Nair’s tipping point, who arrives on the scene. In the dressing down that ensues which also sees Madhavan Nair categorically asking him to leave the house as its now his property, the hapless father and daughter packs their meager belongings and take leave of his father, infirm and helpless, now positively cursed to rot, now that his grandchild Ammu is leaving the house.

Iruttinte Athmavu – Velayudhan’s thoughtful, respectful goodbye

Gopalan Nair returns in some days to inform his father, now reduced to taking care of himself, that Ammu’s wedding has been fixed the next day, to a widower who has four children. Velayudhan who is within earshot of the conversation, is furious at the social injustice meted out to Ammukutty and manages to hack away at his chain through the nite, frees himself at the break of dawn, and runs to Ammukkutty’s house. Gatecrashing into the simple wedding ceremony, he upends the traditional offerings in a fit of rage, disturbed by what Fate had in store for the only one who cared about him. An overwrought Ammu kutty, in her bridal finery screams “Bhraanthan” which becomes the final blow that unravels Velayudhan. Resigned to his Fate, he stumbles, crawls, drags himself back to the tharavaadu, into the waiting group of armed locals, led by Madahavan Nair, and tells them, ” I am insane. Please chain me up“, which becomes in itself, a profound study in irony, and one of the finest closing lines ever written for a Malayalam feature film.

Iruttinte Athmavu’s Wikipage speaks about it receiving the The National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues, quoting T. M. Ramachandran (1971). Film world. 7. p. 106. but strangely, the National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues seems to have been instituted only in 1984 according to the latter’s Wikipage ! Any information on this would be welcome.

So where does Iruttinte Athmavu stand in our movie heritage ? P.J.Cherian, in his  Essays on the Cultural Formation of Kerala says it best :

A major landmark in Malayalam cinema was to come in the next year with Iruttinte Atmavu. With a detailed screenplay by M.T. Vasudevan Nair, P. Bhaskaran could make one of the best films of his career and also provide Malayalam cinema with a new direction; that of the low budget film. One could see a lot of the pre-occupations of the scenarist, who carried the touches of human relationships through all of his subsequent films whether as screenplay writer or director. In spite of its large number of studio shots and overall theatricality, the film was so culturally rich that many of the episodes would become archetypes for future Malayalam film makers dealing with family drama. It depicted the story of an imbecile (finely portrayed by the late Prem Nazir) in a joint family with remarkable sensitivity and seriousness of purpose.

The movie did not set the box-office on fire, it was rather a dud, but over the years, the brilliance of its screenplay and characterisation have made cineastes going back to it, and has become more of a cult-classic by now. Bhranthan Velayudhan has become one of the defining roles of Prem Nazir’s prolific career bests.

So, is there a digital copy of the movie available?

Yes, in crappy VCD format, with some confusing editing while transferring on to the digital mode, but yes.You could buy a copy here.

Related : The Songs from Iruttine Athmavu ( 1967 )

Related : Memorable Quotes from Iruttinte Athmavu (1967)

Iruttinte Athmavu – Velayudhan’s beautiful Ammu kutty

Rarely do I come across a movie with all the songs picturised on the lead female protagonist, sung for her by the same playback singer as solo renderings. With Iruttinte Athmavu (1967), it rises a couple of more levels as each one of them, with its perfect picturisation and lyrics, becomes a cherished treasure in its own right. Iruttinte Athmavu (1967) is one such movie. There are four songs in the movie, written by P Bhaskaran, (technically five, with a part of the dance recital sung by Adoor Bhasi which I feel does not even belong to the soul of the movie !) all sung by S Janaki, picturised on Sarada.

Ambadikannanu Mambazham.

Ammu kutty summoning her entire friends from the country side to meet the latest addition to the big Padinjareppatu tharavadu, specifically addressing her dear friend, the squirrel, categorically telling him that unless he plays with Unnikuttan, there wont be anything to nibble for him from her.

Vaakachaarthu Kazhinjoru.

Of the four compositions, two have the distinct and common thread of imageries liberally used that depict Ammukutty’s staunch faith in Krishna, which, strangely is hardly mentioned in the screenplay.While the first ( Ambadikannanu ) refers to the squirrel as the one who filches ripe mangoes for Krishna of Ambadi, this composition is an outright pean to Lord Krishna,seeking his presence, as the ultimate refuge that will heal away all her life’s bitterness and her tears. There is a subtle thread of desperation that seem to echo throughout the song, atleast for me, underlining an urgency for His acts of Faith that would redeem her. As in, when she finishes off with,

ദുരിതത്തില്‍ നീന്തുമെന്നെ സുകൃതത്തിന്‍ തീരം കാട്ടാന്‍
മുരഹര മുകുന്ദാ നീ ഓടി വായോ,

there is absolutely no doubt in her intentions. Beautiful.

Eeranuduthumkondu.

My favorite amongst the four, and one of S Janaki’s most memorable ones that convey pathos.Its all self-deprecation and desolation that vibrates throughout the song, even empathising with the Moon, whom she feels must have grown weary, bearing witness to the meaningless acts that constitute people’s lives, down below on earth. What haunts you is Janakiamma’s voice, laden with sadness, yet smooth as silk.

Irukanneer thullikal.

The last among the songs onscreen, this is how Ammukutty, all of 18 years and with a lifetime of frugal living, tallies the balance sheet of her life. Her wretched existence, helplessness in her love towards Velayudhan that would never reach anywhere, the realisation all along about the fate of her relationship with the only person she loved with so much devotion – the song, if you close your and let it take you along with it will wring your heart in a vice and hand it over to you by the end of it.S Janaki is matchless.

The S Janaki – Baburaj combination, as Susie mentions, remains one of the best collaborations in her career. Read more about this winning combination, and more of their songs here.

Related :  Memorable Quotes from Iruttinte Athmavu (1967)

Related : Classic Picks | P Bhaskaran | Iruttinte Athmavu (1967)

Iruttinte Athmavu- Velayudhan crosses over to the Other Side

MT Vasudevan Nair’s screenplay of Iruttinte Athmavu (1967), though written based on his short story which was published even earlier, sounds as incisive and at some levels, visonary, in the way he has made his characters speak on the issue of the Unsound Mind in our social structure.The Unsound Mind, by default is considered unproductive for the family, and hence, its very existence from the perspective of material wealth is a waste on the existing resources. It is when humanity rides over selfishness and extends the same respect and care that it would for a ‘normal being’ that the Struggling Mind’s incapabilities somehow recede to the background and it starts feeling whole again, as a human being. MT Vasudevan Nair, very cleverly and clearly brings this division, right in the family itself, the haves and the have-nots, and the difference in perspectives as seen through the eyes of arrogance powered by material wealth and that of empathy borne out of a deep understanding of human suffering.

Here are some of my favorite lines from the movie.

Gopalan Nair : പൊട്ടന്‍ ആണേലും തോന്ന്യാസം കാട്ടാന്‍ ബുദ്ധി ഉണ്ടല്ലോ.

Velayudhan : മനുഷന്മാര്‍ക്കു പിരാന്ത്‌ പിടിച്ചാ തല്ലി കൊല്ലുമോ അമ്മുക്കുട്ടി ?

Velayudhan to his Grandpa :തുപ്രങ്ങോട്ടെ നെയ്യപ്പം വേണോ മുത്തശന് ?
Grandpa’s reply : മുത്തശന് ഇനി വേണ്ടതു ഒരു മാവ്.പിന്നെ തെക്ക് വടക്ക് കിടക്കാന്‍ ഇത്തിരി സ്ഥലോം !

Gopalan Nair : പ്രാന്താണെങ്കില്‍ മുറിയില്‍ അടച്ചിടണം.

It is interesting to note how all these never seem out of place in Kerala,in our sensibilities and attitude, four decades later !

Which are the lines that have stayed with you ? Do write in !

Related : The Songs from Iruttine Athmavu ( 1967 )

Related : Classic Picks | P Bhaskaran | Iruttinte Athmavu (1967)

From time immemorial the Universe has always fascinated man.  He wrote, sang and wove dreams about it. He strove to conquer it. { Quoting Captain Kirk from Star Trek “Space: The final frontier…..to boldly go where no man has gone before!“    In Malayalam movies, Vayalar reigns supreme among lyricists who expressed this fascination with poetic brilliance; the others are there, too, but some way behind. Here are some of my favourites.

1.Prabhaathagopura Vaathil Thurannu from Thulaabhaaram (1968 )

Lyrics:Vayalar
Music : Devarajan
I have always been amazed at Vayalar’s ability to convey scientific concepts through lines imbued with an ethereal beauty. In this duet (Yesudas – Janaki) from Thulaabhaaram (1968), he describes the whole of Evolution in so few words, but so effectively.

2.Aakaasham Bhoomiye  from Bhaaryamaar Sookshikkuka (1968 )

Lyrics :Sreekumaran Thampi
Music : Dakshinamoorthy
This song brings back childhood memories of us children sleeping out on our mats, on crispy clear nights, looking at the twinkling stars and the hazy Milky Way, wondering at the immensity and awesomeness of Nature. Swamy’s music conveys to us the unfathomable nature of space and, ultimately, some hope for humankind.

3.Bhramanapadham Vazhi from Uthraada Raathri (1978)

Lyrics : Bichu Thirumala
Music : JayaVijaya

KJ Yesudas has sung this song in a deep baritone, which, I think, brings out the depth of the universe, revolving, rotating, throbbing to an everlasting, unseen, unknown rhythm. This is one of the few philosophical songs which Bichu Thirumala has penned, and Jayavijaya has given it substance through their magic tune.

4.Thanka Thaazhikakkudamalla from Pearl View (1970).

Lyrics : Vayalar
Music : Devarajan
When man landed on the moon, the whole world rejoiced at the achievement of Science and Humanity. But poets all over the world, who had attributed magical qualities to the moon and moonlight and had spun countless dreams around it were deeply disillusioned. This song of Vayalar reflects this disillusionment with unsurpassed lyrical beauty.

5.Pralayapayodhiyil from Mazhakkaaru (1973).

Lyrics : Vayalar
Music : Devarajan
The inherent majesty of this song remained hidden to me until recently, when I read this translation by Variath Madhavan Kutty. (I guess my knowledge in Malayalam was just not good enough) How glad I was that he agreed to translate it. Thank you, Kuttyetta, for revealing the true beauty of those lines to me.

O Time! Resplendent light ray,
Who has slumbered and woken up
In the ocean of The Great Deluge,
Are not nature, God and myself
Your own reflections ?

Above this mud wall
Where aeons of Manu take birth and die,
In a chariot where seasons, dear daughters
Of your dreams, are seated left and right;
You visit solar systems to seed them
With fragrance, how exquisite!
Oh, Time,
No matter how ever many Springs pass,
This fragrance is mine, mine, mine.

On the threshold of this dusk
Where planets change course
Where the face of truth is
Hidden with a golden vessel;
On the path where the universe
Is circumambulating,
Quietly chanting syllables of your name
You come and light up garlands of
Heavenly lamps…how pretty is it, how pretty.

Time,
No matter how many births I take,
This beauty is mine, mine alone,
Mine alone.

Please write in with your own favourites.

Credit : The Hindu

According to news reports in Malayala Manorama and The Hindu, KPAC Lalitha has been selected for the 2012 Thoppil Bhasi Award, as announced by the Thoppil Bhasi Foundation, and the award carries a cash prize of Rs.33,333 and a commemorative plaque. This award would be something very special with regards to KPAC Lalitha personally and professionally, for all those who have been following her performances on stage and onscreen from her KPAC days.

Thoppil Bhasi, the legendary playwright, master of screenplay and film director, was her mentor, and a father figure to her. In fact she says it very clearly in a chapter dedicated to him in her autobiography “Katha Thudarum” that there are four names that she pays obeisance to in her morning prayers, even BEFORE she invokes her favorite gods – her parents, her husband and Thoppil Bhasi. I guess that should give a fair idea of the place the master craftsman’s place in her life.

Kattum Poyi from Vazhve Mayam (1970)

Koottukudumbom (1969), her debut film was the screen adaptation of the same theater production from KPAC, scripted by Thoppil Bhasi, and she played the same character Saraswati, as she played on stage. Directed by KS Sethumadhavan, this and two more that came in quick succession, Vazhve Maayam (1970) and Anubhavangal Paalichakal (1971) were the the ones that cemented her career as a brilliant actress onscreen and not just theatre. All three were penned by Thoppil Bhasi, and just how Lalitha became the renowned KPAC Lalitha under the legendary theater production collective, he had scripted the success story of hers on celluloid too.

Kalyani Kalavani from Anubhavangal Palichakal (1971)

Here is wishing her many more years of memorable performances onscreen.

Courtesy : Nostalgia Magazine

MG Soman had always been that, right from his very first movie Gayatri (1973), written by Malayattoor Ramakrishnan for PN Menon. His irreverence remained only for the characters that he brought alive onscreen, in real life he displayed those exceptional qualities that one would come to expect of an officer of the Indian Airforce – self-confident, assertive yet with a surprising sense of empathy and a taste for simple living. Born 28th October, 1941, the only son of Mannadiparambil Govinda Panicker and Bhavani Amma from Thiruvalla, Soman always had a liking for theatre even from his college days. I remember reading about him writing and staging a play called Mantharikal Garjjikkunnu even before he left to join the Indian Airforce right after his pre-University studies. He was hugely popular in the services for his brilliant one act plays and short skits, in close to a decade he served in the Services, a story that has delightful parallels with the service days of another of our popular onscreen thespians, GK Pillai. Having left Air Force in 1970, back home, he actively plunged into the vibrant theatre culture of the times, associating with amateur and professional productions,chief amongst the former being the Kollam Amateur group, giving his best to every single role that came his way.

His first recognition as a professional actor came in the form of the Best Actor Award for “Crime – 302”, which was soon followed by the Vikraman Nair Trophy for the Best Actor in “Maram”. He had by now become a highly prized and sought-after actor in Kerala’s professional theatre circuit. Chief among them were Jai Sree theatres ( owned and headed by Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair ) and Kerala Arts Theatres ( owned by Kakkanatt Bhaskaran Pillai, lyricist AP Gopalan and Prof MR Rajashekharan ) based out of Kayankulam which had KPAC Sulochana as its star attraction, after she parted ways with KPAC. It was the latter’s second production “Ramarajyam” that proved to be the turning point for MG Soman who had started working with Kerala Arts theatres after two of their main cast disappeared overnight over a standing dispute on an unreasonable raise of pay. During one of its shows at Karthika Thirunal theatre at Thiruvananthapuram, Malayattoor Ramakrishnan and Sridhar Ilayidom, who were in the audience were floored by his performance, and  decided on this young firebrand on stage, who played a trade-union leader as a part of their cast for their new movie project ! And that new project was Gayatri, which went on to win the National Award for the  Best Feature Film in Malayalam for 1973. It was the very same year Nirmalayam was honored with the Best Feature Film Award and PJ Antony got his Bharat recognition. Gayatri also won KJ Yesudas the National Award for best Playback Singer ( Male ). MG Soman played Rajamani, the angsty, rebellious son of Sahsranama Iyer, a puritanical, orthodox Brahmin priest who was all that his son wasn’t.

Thankathalikayil from Gayatri (1973)

Most of the roles that came his way for the next two years were all supporting roles, but everyone of them had the indelible stamp of  this unique onscreen personality who swept you away with a deft mix of voice modulation , body language natural emoting. In almost all the instances, he managed to rise above the “supportive” nature of his role and delivered performances that at times even overshadowed the ones in leading roles. He was quite comfortable in the niche he was in, sailing on with his unflappable self-confidence and dedication, natural qualities that seemed to have been embellished through his tenure as a gentleman officer in the Armed Services. Though he had to endure another 5 years before he was offered a leading role ( KG Rajashekharan‘s Velluvili /1978 ), it was IV Sasi‘s Itha Ivide Vare that was released in 1977 that became his first movie in a leading role. Scripted by P Padmarajan, it was a revenge the kind of which one had rarely seen on the Malayalam screen.

Itha ivide Vare Theme ) from Itha Ivide Vare (1977)

But these early years were quite fulfilling as an actor, with an envious body of work across a range of characters created by the best directors, both populist and alternative, winning the Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actor in 1975 for his roles in Swapnadanam ( KG George’s Debut )  and Chuvanna Sandhyakal ( KS Sethumadhavan ) ! He also bagged the Best Actor Award by the State for his performances in Thanal (Rajeev Nath) and Pallavi ( N Sankaran Nair ) in 1976. I personally feel it  was Itha Ivide Varey that actually propelled him into the big league, making him one of the most prolific actors of his generation for the next two decades.

Poovukalkku punyakaalam from Chuvanna Sandhyakal (1975)

In three decades, till his last film Lelam (197), MG Soman, along with a prolific, steady rate of output that would amaze any professional in the business also ensured that he got to work with the best craftsman in Malayalam cinema, some roles so miniscule that you would wonder how he agreed to, in the first place, and every time surprised us a wee bit more, displaying a facet of his onscreen unknown to us.Over and above his brilliant award-winning performances, my personal favorites include Chattakkari (1974), Guruvayoor Kesavan (1977), Avalude Raavukal (1978), Nakshathrangale Kaaval  (1978), Eetta (1978), Beedi Kunjamma (1982), Mahabali (1983), Poochaykkoru Mookkuthi (1984), Sukhamo Devi (1986), Panchagni (1986), Thalavattom (1986), Manivathoorile Aayiram Sivaraathrikal (1987), Rithubhedom (1987), Vellaanakalude Naadu (1988), No 20 Madras Mail ( 1990 ), Njaan Gandharvan ( 1991),  Advaitham (1992), Pakshe (1994), Hitler ( 1996 ) and  Lelam ( 1997 ), when one looks back at his 360-odd movies.

There is also something else about his roles that make it quite a difficult exercise in finding generalisations in the “same-old” ones that came his way, especially during the final years, each one a repetition of a previous character. But he deftly maneouvred around everyone of them, making each one remarkably different than the one that we remembered of him, realising that it took a different tangent when compared to a similar role that had come around earlier on. It could only be termed ironic or karmic, that his final role onscreen, was in a way, the summary of his life onscreen and off screen, as one of the most enduring and outspoken performers in Malayalam cinema.

Anakattil Eappachan becomes immortal on celluloid – from Lelam (1997)

The Nativity by Gustav Dore

ക്രിസ്തുമസ്സിനോടനുബന്ധിച്ച്‌ ( 2011) ജീവജ്യോതി മാസികയ്ക്ക്‌ വേണ്ടി തയ്യാറാക്കിയ ലേഖനം ഇവിടെ പുനപ്രസിദ്ധീകരിക്കുന്നു.

പുതിയ ജീവിതക്രമങ്ങളില്‍ പുത്തന്‍ മാധ്യമങ്ങള്‍ നല്‍കിയ സാധ്യതകളില്‍ മലയാള സിനിമാ രംഗവും അതിലെ ഗാനശാഖയും എങ്ങനെയാണ് ഭക്തിഗാനങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് ഒരു സമുന്നത സ്ഥാനം നല്‍കിയത്? കാലാകാലങ്ങളായി അനുഷ്ഠാനങ്ങളുടെ കാര്‍ക്കശ്യത്തിലും, ആചാരങ്ങളുടെ കടുത്ത നിയന്ത്രണത്തിലും ചൊല്ലപ്പെട്ടു പോന്നിരുന്ന നാമജപങ്ങള്‍ എവിടം മുതലാണ് ജനകീയകല എന്നു പില്‍ക്കാലത്തു വിശേഷിപ്പിക്കപ്പെട്ട സിനിമയില്‍ ഇടം കണ്ടെത്തിയത്?

ലേഖിക പ്രൈമറി ക്ലാസ്സുകളില്‍ പഠിക്കുന്ന കാലത്ത് സ്കൂളിലെ പ്രമുഖ പ്രാര്‍ഥനാ ഗാനമായിരുന്നു “എങ്ങുമെങ്ങും നിറയും വെളിച്ചമേ” (രചന:ശ്രീകുമാരന്‍ തമ്പി,ചിത്രം:മധുരസ്വപ്നം,1977) .

എങ്ങുമെങ്ങും നിറയും വെളിച്ചമേ -  മധുരസ്വപ്നം (1977)

അതു പോലെതന്നെ “ദൈവമേ കൈതൊഴാം കേള്‍ക്കുമാറാകണം” എന്ന ഗാനം (രചന: പന്തളം കേരളവര്‍മ്മ, ചിത്രത്തില്‍ ഉപയോഗിച്ചത്‌: അമ്മയെ കാണാന്‍ , 1963). സിനിമയെക്കുറിച്ചു വലിയ അറിവൊന്നും അന്നു ഇല്ലാതിരുന്ന കൊണ്ട് പ്രാര്‍ഥനാ ഗാ‍നം ഒരുക്കലും ഒരു സിനിമാഗാനം അയിരുന്നു എന്നു തോന്നിയില്ല. പില്‍ക്കാലത്ത് അവ രണ്ടു സിനിമാഗാനങ്ങള്‍ ആയിരുന്നു എന്നറിഞ്ഞപ്പോല്‍ വളരെ അല്‍ഭുതം തോന്നി. ഭക്തിഗാനങ്ങളെ ജനകീയമാക്കിയതില്‍ സിനിമയ്ക്കുള്ള പങ്കിനെ ക്കുറിച്ചുള്ള ചിന്തകള്‍ അവിടം മുതലാണ് ഉരുത്തിരിഞ്ഞത്.

ദൈവമേ കൈതൊഴാം കേള്‍ക്കുമാറാകണം – അമ്മയെ കാണാന്‍ ( 1963 )

പുതിയ സിനിമകളെ അപേക്ഷിച്ച് പഴയകാല സിനിമകളില്‍ ഭക്തിഗാനങ്ങളുടെ എണ്ണം വളരെ കൂടുതലായിരുന്നു എന്നു നമുക്കു കാണുവാന്‍ കഴിയും. സാധാരണ നാട്ടിന്‍പുറങ്ങള്‍ പാശ്ചാത്തലമാക്കി, അതിലും സാധാരണക്കാരായ ആള്‍ക്കരുടെ ജീവിതകഥകള്‍ കറുപ്പിലും വെള്ളയിലും നമുക്കു കാണിച്ചു തന്ന അറുപതുകളിലെയും എഴുപതുകളിലെയുമൊക്കെ സിനിമകളില്‍ നിന്ന് എത്രയെത്ര ഭക്തിഗാനങ്ങളാണ് നമുക്കു നിത്യ പ്രാര്‍ഥനകളില്‍ പോലും ഉള്‍പ്പെടുത്തത്തക്ക വിധത്തില്‍ ലഭിച്ചത്! രചനാ ശ്രേഷ്ഠതകൊണ്ടും അലൌകികമായ സംഗീത മികവുകൊണ്ടും ഇന്നും ശ്രോതാവിനെ ഭക്തിയുടെ ഉത്തുംഗ ശൃംഗങ്ങളില്‍ എത്തിക്കുന്ന ഏതാനും കൃസ്തീയ ഭക്തിഗാനങ്ങളെയാണ് എല്ലാവരും ക്രിസ്തുമസ് ആഘോഷിക്കുന്ന ഈയവസരത്തില്‍ നോക്കിക്കാണാന്‍ ശ്രമിക്കുന്നത്.

ഒരു പിടി കുളിരും ഒരായിരം മനസ്സുകളില്‍ ഭക്തിയുടെ നിറവുമായി വീണ്ടും ക്രിസ്തുമസ് അണയുകയാണ്. രണ്ടായിരത്തോളമാണ്ടുകള്‍ക്കു മുന്നേ നിന്ദിതരുടേയും പീഡിതരുടേയും കണ്ണുനീരൊപ്പാന്‍ ബെത് ലെഹേമില്‍ പിറന്ന പൊന്നുണ്ണി. എണ്ണമില്ലാത്ത മനസ്സുകള്‍ക്കുവെളിച്ചമായി വഴികാട്ടിയായി മനുഷ്യകുലത്തിന്റെ പാപങ്ങള്‍ സ്വയം ഏറ്റ് കുരിശിലേറിയ മനുഷ്യപുത്രന്‍. കടലും കരയും കടന്ന് ആ പ്രഭാവത്തിന്റെ അലയടികള്‍ ഭാരതത്തിലും ഈ ഭൂമി മലയാളത്തിലും എത്തിച്ചേര്‍ന്നു. വേദപുസ്തകത്തിന്റെ ഏടുകളിലെ ദൈവസ്നേഹം മഥിതമനസ്സുകളുടെ ഇരുണ്ട ഗഹ്വരങ്ങളില്‍ വെളിച്ചമായി.മുള്ളും മുരടൂം കല്ലും കരടും മുറിവേല്‍പ്പിക്കാതെ മനുഷ്യന്‍ ആ വെളിച്ചത്തില്‍ ജീവിതവീഥിയിലൂടെ നടന്നു. തെളിഞ്ഞ മനസിന്റെ തിരിച്ചറിവുകളില്‍ അവന്‍ ആ സ്നേഹം ഏറ്റുപാടി. തനിക്കറിയാവുന്ന ഭാഷകളില്‍, ശൈലികളില്‍ ഒക്കെയും ദൈവപുത്രന്റെ അപദാനങ്ങള്‍ മറ്റുള്ളവരിലേക്കെത്തിക്കാന്‍ അവന്‍ പരിശ്രമിച്ചു. അതിന്റെ മാറ്റൊലികളാണ് ഒരു ജനകീയമാധ്യമമായി വളര്‍ന്നു വന്ന സിനിമയിലും നാം കാണുന്നത് എന്ന് ഞാന്‍ വിചാരിക്കുന്നു.

ഒരു മാധ്യമമെന്ന നിലയില്‍ അതിന്റെ ബൌദ്ധികമായ തലങ്ങള്‍ക്കപ്പുറത്ത് സ്വന്തം ജീവിതങ്ങളുടെ നേര്‍ക്കാഴ്ച്ചയായി സാമാന്യജനങ്ങള്‍ സിനിമയെ കണ്ടു. നായകനിലും നായികയിലും മറ്റു കഥാപാത്രങ്ങളിലും അവര്‍ സ്വന്തം വ്യക്തിത്വങ്ങളുടെ പ്രതിബിംബങ്ങള്‍ ദര്‍ശിച്ചു. വെള്ളിത്തിരയിലെ കഥാപാത്രങ്ങളുടെ കണ്ണുനീരും ചിരിയും ഭക്തിയുമെല്ലാം അവര്‍ തങ്ങളുടെ തന്നെ ജീവിതമുഹൂര്‍ത്തങ്ങളുടെ പുനരാവിഷ്കാരമാക്കി മനസ്സില്‍ കൊണ്ടുനടന്നു. ജീവിതത്തോട് ഏറ്റവും അടുത്തു നില്‍ക്കുന്ന കുടുംബചിത്രങ്ങളില്‍ പ്രണയത്തോടും മറ്റുവികാരങ്ങളോടൂമൊപ്പം ഭക്തിയും സ്ഥാനം പിടിച്ചു, മെഴുകുവിളക്കു കൊളുത്തി മുട്ടുകുത്തി നിറകണ്ണുകളോടെ തിരുസ്വരൂപത്തിനു മുന്നില്‍ പ്രാര്‍ത്ഥിക്കുന്ന നായകനേയും നായികയേയും, രാത്രിപ്രാര്‍ത്ഥനക്കു ഒരുമിച്ചു കൂടുന്ന കുടുംബങ്ങളേയും അഭ്രപാളികളില്‍ കാണുമ്പോള്‍ പ്രേക്ഷകനും അറിയാതെ കുരിശുവരയ്ക്കുന്നു. ഒരു ദീര്‍ഘശ്വാസത്തോടെ ദൈവനാമം വീണ്ടും പാടുന്നു.

ക്രിസ്തീയ ഭക്തിഗാനങ്ങളില്‍ ഏറ്റവും മുന്‍ നിരയില്‍ നിര്‍ത്താവുന്ന ഗാനമാണ് ‘നിത്യവിശുദ്ധയാം കന്യാമറിയമേ’ (നദി-1969) എന്ന ഗാനം. വയലാര്‍ എഴുതി ദേവരാജന്‍ മാസ്റ്ററ് ഈണമിട്ട ഗാനം ചര്‍ച്ച് ഓര്‍ഗന്റെ അത്ഭുതകരമായ സ്വരവിന്യാസങ്ങളുടെ അകമ്പടിയോടെ കന്യാമറിയത്തിന്റെ അപദാനങ്ങള്‍ വാഴ്ത്തിപ്പാടുന്നു. പാശ്ചാത്യ സംഗീതത്തോടു കിടപിടിക്കുന്ന ഈ ഗാനത്തിന്റെ സംഗീതം ദേവരാജന്മാസ്റ്ററുടെ പ്രതിഭ ഒരിക്കല്‍ കൂടി മാറ്റുരച്ചു കാണിക്കുന്നു. യേശുമാതാവിനെ പ്രകീര്‍ത്തിക്കുന്ന അനേകം ഗാനങ്ങളില്‍ യേശുമാതാവേ (നാത്തൂന്‍ -1974), കന്യാമറിയമേ തായേ(ജ്ഞാനസുന്ദരി-1961), കന്യാമറിയമേ പുണ്യ പ്രകാശമെ (അള്‍ത്താര-1964) എന്നിവ മികച്ചവയാണ്. രക്തമുറയുന്ന കൊടും തണുപ്പില്‍ ലോകരക്ഷകന്നു ജന്മം നല്‍കിയ പുണ്യമാതാവിന്റെ സ്മരണ കൃസ്തീയ വിശ്വാസികളല്ലാത്തവര്‍ക്കും പകര്‍ന്നു നല്‍കാന്‍ ഈ ഗാനങ്ങള്‍ സാക്ഷ്യം നില്‍ക്കുന്നു, ലോകമാതാവായ കന്യകാമറിയത്തിന്റെ മഹല്‍ത്യാഗം വാഴ്ത്തുന്ന ‘നന്മനേരും അമ്മ….’ എന്ന ഗാനം 1977 ലെ അപരാധി എന്ന ചിത്രത്തില്‍ നമുക്കു കേള്‍ക്കാം.

നന്മനേരും അമ്മ – ( അപരാധി )

യേശുദേവനെ അമ്മയുടെ മടിയില്‍ മയങ്ങുന്ന, കിഴക്കുനിന്നെത്തിയ രാജാക്കന്മാര്‍ പൊന്നും മൂരും കുന്തിരിക്കവും വെച്ചു വണങ്ങുന്ന ഉണ്ണിയീശോയായും, അഞ്ചപ്പം കൊണ്ട് അയ്യായിരങ്ങളെ സന്തുഷ്ടനാക്കിയ അമാനുഷികനായും, കാല്‍ വരിയില്‍ വിടര്‍ന്ന രക്തപുഷ്പമായും വിവിധ ചിത്രങ്ങളില്‍ നാം കാണുന്നു. ‘യേശുനായകാ (തങ്കക്കുടം-1965) , സത്യനായകാ മുക്തിദായകാ(ജീവിതം ഒരു ഗാനം-1979) എന്നിവ വിശ്വാസിയുടെ മനസ്സില്‍ പുതിയ വെളിച്ചമായി കടന്നു ചെല്ലുന്ന ഗാനങ്ങളാണ്. വെള്ളിനക്ഷത്രങ്ങളും തൂക്കുവിളക്കുകളും പ്രഭ ചൊരിയുന്ന കൃസ്തുമസ് രാവുകളില്‍ ദൈവപുത്രനു വീഥിയൊരുക്കി വരവേല്‍ക്കാന്‍ നമുക്കേറെ ഗാനങ്ങളുണ്ട്. കൃസ്തുമസ്സിന്റെ ആഹ്ലാദാരവം മുഴുവനും മനസ്സില്‍ പകര്‍ന്നു നല്‍കുന്നവയാണ് ‘ശാന്തരാത്രി തിരുരാത്രി’ (തുറമുഖം – 1979), ‘ആരാധനാ നിശാ സംഗീത മേള (നോക്കെത്താദൂരത്ത് കണ്ണുംനട്ട്-1985) എന്നിവ.

രാജാവിന്‍ രാജാവെഴുന്നള്ളുമ്പോള്‍ ഇസ്രായേലിലെ വീഥികള്‍ പോലെ തന്നെ വീഥികള്‍ അലങ്കരിച്ച്, അല്ലിയൊലീവിലകളുമായിറങ്ങുന്ന വിശ്വാസികളുടെ നിലയ്ക്കാത്ത പ്രവാഹം. ബെത് ലെഹേമിന്റെ തിരുമടിത്തട്ടിലെ (സ്നാപകയോഹന്നാന്‍ -1963) എന്ന ഗാനമുണര്‍ത്തുന്ന ആശ്വാസം , ദൈവപുത്രന്‍ വീണ്ടുമെത്തുമ്പോള്‍, പിലാത്തോസില്ലാത്ത, കാല്‍ വരിയിലെ മരക്കുരിശില്ലാത്ത, പീഡനങ്ങളില്ലാത്ത ഒരു ലോകം സ്വപ്നം കാണുന്ന ‘യരുശലേമിലെ സ്വര്‍ഗ്ഗദൂതാ (ചുക്ക്-1973) എന്ന ഗാനം ഇവയെല്ലാം ഹൃദയങ്ങളില്‍ നിന്നും ഹൃദയങ്ങളിലേക്ക് ഭക്തിയും നന്മയും പകര്‍ന്നു നല്‍കുന്നു. സാമാന്യ മനസ്സുകള്‍ക്ക് കടിച്ചാല്‍ പൊട്ടാത്ത തത്വസംഹിതകളേക്കാള്‍ സരളലളിത പദാവലികളാല്‍ തീര്‍ത്ത ഈ ഭക്തിമാലകള്‍ പ്രിയങ്കരമാവുന്നു. അവന്‍ ദൈവത്തെ അറിയുന്നു.

യരുശലേമിലെ സ്വര്‍ഗ്ഗദൂതാ – ചുക്ക് (1973)

ക്രിസ്തീയ ഭക്തിഗാനങ്ങളെക്കിറിച്ചു പരാമര്‍ശിക്കുമ്പോല്‍ ഒരിക്കലും വിട്ടുപോകാനോ മറന്നു പോകാനോ മനസ്സനുവദിക്കാത്ത ഗാനമാണ് ‘സമയമാം രഥത്തില്‍’ (അരനാഴികനേരം-1970). ഇതിന്റെ രചയിതാവായ ഫാദര്‍ നഗേല്‍ (Valbright Nagel) നെക്കുറിച്ചു ഓര്‍ക്കുന്നതും ഇത്തരുണത്തില്‍ എറ്റവും അഭികാമ്യമാണ്. ഒരു മലയാളിയുടെ പ്രാഗല്‍ഭ്യത്തോടെ എത്ര അയത്നലളിതമായാണ് ജര്‍മ്മനിയില്‍ ജനിച്ച്, ഭാരതത്തില്‍ വന്ന്, കേരളം പ്രവര്‍ത്തനമണ്ഡലമാക്കിത്തീര്‍ത്ത ഫാദര്‍ നഗേല്‍ ഈ ഗാനം രചിചിരിക്കുന്നത്! ഇതു യഥാര്‍ഥത്തില്‍ സിനിമയ്ക്കുവേണ്ടി എഴുതിയതല്ലെങ്കിലും 17 ഭാഷകളിലേക്കു മൊഴിമാറ്റംചെയ്യപ്പെട്ട ഈ ഗാനം അരനാഴികനേരം എന്ന സിനിമയിലൂടെ നമ്മളിലെത്തിയില്ലെങ്കില്‍ ഇത്ര ജനപ്രിയമായിത്തീരുമായിരുന്നോ എന്നു ഈ ലേഖികക്കു സംശയമുണ്ട്. കൃസ്തീയ വിശ്വാസികള്‍ക്കുമാത്രമല്ല, മറ്റെല്ലാ മതവിശ്വാസികള്‍ക്കും ജീവിതസാരം പഠിപ്പിച്ചുകൊടുക്കുവാന്‍ ഈ ഗാനം ഉതകുന്നു. “ആകെയല്പ നേരം മാത്രം എന്റെയാത്ര തീരുവാന്‍, ആകെയരനാഴികമാത്രം ഈയുടുപ്പു മാറ്റുവാന്‍ ” എന്ന രണ്ടുവരികളില്‍ എത്രയോ തത്വശാസ്ത്രഗ്രന്ഥങ്ങളിലെ മുഴുവന്‍ സത്തും കലര്‍ന്നു കിടക്കുന്നു.

സമയമാം രഥത്തില്‍ (version)- അരനാഴികനേരം (1970)

ഈ പഠനത്തില്‍ കണ്ടെത്തിയ വളരെ കൌതുകകരമായ ഒരു കാര്യം ‘സമയമാം രഥത്തില്‍’ എന്ന ഗാനമൊഴികെ മറ്റെല്ലാം രചിച്ചത് ഇതര മതക്കാരായ രചയിതാക്കളാണെന്നാണ്. ഭാരതത്തിന്റെ മാത്രം പ്രത്യേകതയായിക്കാണാവുന്നതാണിത്. ഈശ്വരനെ അറിയാന്‍ മതങ്ങളുടെ ആവശ്യമില്ലെങ്കിലും മതങ്ങളുടേയും വിശ്വാസങ്ങളുടേയും ഭാഷയിലൂടെയാണ്‌ മനുഷ്യമനസ്സുകളുടെ ആഴങ്ങളില്‍ ഇറങ്ങിച്ചെന്ന് ഭക്തിയുടെ ഭാവത്തില്‍ ലയിക്കാനാവുന്നതും അതിലൂടെ ഒരു സമൂഹത്തിന്റെ നന്മക്കായുള്ള സ്വാധീനം ചെലുത്താനും ആവുന്നത്‌. ഭാരതം പോലെ ഒരു മതേതരത്വ രാജ്യത്തില്‍ മതങ്ങളുടെ സീമകള്‍ കടന്നു ഇതുണ്ടായില്ലെങ്കിലേ നാം അല്‍ഭുതപ്പെടാനുള്ളൂ. മതങ്ങളുടെ പേരില്‍ ചില സാമൂഹ്യവിരോധികള്‍ ലോകമെമ്പാടും പോരിനും പടവെട്ടിനും തുനിയുമ്പോള്‍ ഈ കൃസ്തുമസ്‌ വേളയില്‍ മതേതരത്വത്തിന്റെ പ്രതിഷ്ഠാനത്തില്‍ ഈ ശാന്തിഗീതങ്ങളിലെ സന്ദേശങ്ങള്‍ ഉള്‍ക്കൊണ്ട്‌ ഒരു നല്ല നാളേക്ക്‌ നാമെല്ലാം ഒത്തൊരുമിച്ച്‌ പ്രയത്നിക്കുകയും കാത്തിരിക്കേണ്ടതുമാണ്‌.

Also Read :Christian Devotionals from Old Malayalam Films

[ Remitha on X'mas and its movies, from her Wonder Years.]

Charlton Heston in Ben-Hur

Thanks to fourteen years in a school run by nuns, Christmas inevitably brings to mind Charlton Heston angrily parting the Red Sea or trying to give water to Jesus struggling with the Cross. (As an aside, I simply loved how they never showed Jesus’ face throughout Ben-Hur, but just gave visual clues. It all seems pretty obvious now, but as a little kid, my puzzle-loving mind was thrilled to make the connection.)

Later, much later, when Doordarshan eventually entered our lives, I was in high school. That’s when Snapaha Yohannaan happened. It was one of the first Christmas movies that Doordarshan screened. If I am not mistaken, this was the first film in Malayalam to be based on the Bible and had a handsome, young, Jose Prakash playing a rather cute, John the Baptist, goatee, brown curly locks and all. Yes, the movie is in black and white, but somehow you could tell that those were brown locks.

Jose Prakash in Snapaka Yohannan (1963)

It was when I watched that movie that I realized that Salome was actually the name of a character in the Bible – she of the infamous ‘Dance of the Seven Veils’. I could never associate that femme fatale with the Salome I knew. The Salome that everyone in our neighbourhood knew. She was a mentally imbalanced woman, unkindly referred to as ‘Kirukki Salome,’ who begged on our streets.

Now, this new Salome I got to know in the movie, as she went through seven costume doffings, to the seven veils, could charm a besotted Thikkurissi hamming it up as King Herod Antipas ready to gift her with ‘anything.’ I mean who wouldn’t, if someone did this slow strip-tease, seven times over? Again, after all the precedents, you’d think that wish granters would pause to think before promising ‘anything’. But no, they never learn do they?

Salome asks for the head of Yohannan on a platter, under the instigation of her scheming mother Herodias, played to perfection by Pankajavalli, one of those women who have raised over the top sneering and villainy into a fine art. Oh, and the movie also has a boyish Prem Nazir playing Salome’s love ineterst.

A quick Google search reveals another tidbit that is of immense personal interest to me. The lyrics of most of the songs were penned by Thirunayinarkurichi Madhavan Nair, music for the movie was composed by Br Lakshmanan and Kamukara lent his voice to Oshana, Daveedin. The trio along with Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair makes up a quartet of fellow Kanyakumari-ites. We simply rock ! (Pun intended.)

Oshana from Snapaka Yohannan (1963)

Over here, Christmas has come to be associated with shopping for gifts more than anything else. But I come from a time and place where Christmas meant the thrill of browsing for that perfect greeting card, waiting for the postman to deliver the day’s new batch of greeting cards, chilly mornings of what passes as winter for us, the luxury of half-yearly exam break, carolers on the streets, an atrocious Santa Claus  (No, I should say Christmas Papa), Nativity cribs, our neighbour’s luscious fruit cake and of course, catching some Biblical movies on TV.

Merry X’mas, everyone.

Ratheesh in Commissioner (1994)

1980-ഇല്‍ ജയന്‍  വിട പറഞ്ഞപ്പോള്‍ ഇനി സിനിമ കാണണോ എന്ന് ആലോചിച്ച ഭൂരിപക്ഷം മലയാളികള്‍ ഒരാളാണ് ഈയുള്ളവന്‍ . അടുത്ത  വര്‍ഷം  ഐ വി ശശി ഒരു വന്‍ ബജറ്റ് ചിത്രം ഇറക്കി – തുഷാരം. കണ്ടവര്‍  കശ്മീരിലെ ഭംഗികളെ പറ്റി പറഞ്ഞ  കൂട്ടത്തില്‍ നായകനെ പറ്റിയും പറഞ്ഞു – ഒരു രതീഷ്‌ . പൂച്ചക്കണ്ണന്‍ . അച്ഛനോട് ഒരു പാട്   കെഞ്ചെണ്ടി വന്നില്ല  കൊണ്ട് പോകാന്‍.

പതിവ് പോലെ ബാലന്‍ കെ നായര്‍ വില്ലന്‍. അട്ടഹാസം, വെടി, പുക  ഒക്കെ തന്നെ. ഒപ്പം സുന്ദരമായ ഗാനങ്ങളും. പക്ഷെ എന്തോ ഒരിഷ്ടം രതീഷിനോട്‌ തോന്നി.. ഇന്നത്തെ പോലെ നെറ്റും ഫോണും ഒന്നും ഇല്ലാത്ത കാലം ! നാനയും ചിത്രഭൂമിയും ഫിലിം മാഗസിനും ഒക്കെ ചവച്ചരച്ചപ്പോള്‍ കിട്ടി -  പേര് രതീഷ്‌, സ്ഥലം കലവൂര്‍, അച്ഛന്‍ പട്ടണക്കാട് പുത്തന്‍പുരയില്‍ രാജഗോപാല്‍, അമ്മ പത്മാവതിയമ്മ  .  ആദ്യം വന്നത് അഹല്യാമോക്ഷം (വേഴാമ്പല്‍) എന്ന ചിത്രം . പിന്നെ സംവിധാനം പഠിക്കാന്‍ നേരെ കെ ജി ജോര്‍ജിന്റെ അടുത്തേക്ക് . പക്ഷെ ക്യാമറക്ക്  പിന്നില്‍ അല്ല, മുന്നില്‍ ആണ് ഈ ചെറുപ്പകാരന്റെ   സ്ഥാനം എന്ന് മനസ്സിലാക്കിയ കെ ജി ജോര്‍ജ്  “ഉള്‍ക്കടലിലെ”   മെഡിക്കല്‍ റെപ്പ്  ഡേവിസ് എന്ന വേഷം നല്‍കി നടനാക്കി .

Ratheesh in Ulkadal

പിന്നെ ഐ വി ശശിക്കൊപ്പം തുഷാരം . ജയന്‍റെ സിംഹാസനം തന്നെ ആയിരുന്നു ഭീമന്‍ രഘുവിനെ പോലെ രതീഷിന്റെയും സ്വപ്നം. തുഷാരം സിനിമയില്‍ പോലിസ് ചേസ്  ചെയ്യുമ്പോള്‍  ബൈക്കില്‍ ജമ്പ് ചെയ്യുന്ന രംഗം ഡ്യൂപ്പ് ഇല്ലാതെ അഭിനയിച്ചു രതീഷ്‌ ശശിയെ ആദ്യം ഞെട്ടിച്ചു.ചുരുക്കത്തില്‍ രതീഷിന്‍റെ ബ്രിഗേഡിയര്‍ രവീന്ദ്രനും  തുഷാരവും വന്‍ ഹിറ്റ്‌ ആയി ! പിന്നെ രതീഷിന്‍റെ നാളുകള്‍ ആയിരുന്നു, ഒരു പരിധി വരെ. അന്ന് മമ്മൂട്ടി സഹനടനും മോഹന്‍ലാല്‍ വില്ലനും ഒക്കെ ആയി തല കാണിച്ചു തുടങ്ങിയ സമയം. ആ വര്‍ഷവും അടുത്ത വര്‍ഷവും ആയി രതീഷിന്‍റെ കാള്‍ ഷീറ്റ് വാങ്ങിയവര്‍ മലയാളത്തിലെ എണ്ണം പറഞ്ഞ സംവിധായകര്‍ ആയിരുന്നു.

ഇഷ്ടമാണ്, പക്ഷെ (1980/ബാലചന്ദ്രമേനോന്‍), ചാമരം (1980/ഭരതന്‍), മുന്നേറ്റം (1981/ശ്രീകുമാരന്‍ തമ്പി), എന്നെ സ്നേഹിക്കു എന്നെ മാത്രം (1981/പി ജി വിശ്വംഭരന്‍ ), വളര്‍ത്തു മൃഗങ്ങള്‍ (1981/ഹരിഹരന്‍ ), കരിമ്പൂച്ച (1981/ലിസ ബേബി) – പ്രശംസനീയമായ, വല്ലാത്തൊരു തുടക്കം, ഒരുപാടു പ്രതീക്ഷകള്‍. രതീഷ്‌ 1981-ഇല്‍ പത്തു പടങ്ങളില്‍ ആയിരുന്നു അഭിനയിച്ചത്  തുടര്‍ന്ന് 1985 ആയപ്പോള്‍ ഇരുപതു പടങ്ങള്‍ ! ജോണ്‍ ജാഫേര്‍  ജനാര്‍ദനന്‍  എന്ന  സിനിമയില്‍  ടൈറ്റില്‍ റോള്‍! ! രതി ചിത്രങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് വീണ്ടും ചിറകു മുളച്ചു തുടങ്ങിയപ്പോള്‍ കെ എസ്  ഗോപാല കൃഷ്ണന്‍റെയും  ക്രോസ് ബെല്‍റ്റ്‌ മണിയുടെയും പ്രിയപെട്ടവന്‍ ആയി രതീഷ്‌.

മുഖ്യ ധാര ചിത്രങ്ങള്‍ക് ഒപ്പം ഉച്ചപടങ്ങളിലും രതീഷ്‌ നായകനായപ്പോള്‍ എന്തിനു എന്നൊരു സംശയം സ്വാഭാവികമായി ഉയര്‍ന്നു വന്നു. അതിന്‍റെ ഉത്തരവും  സിനിമ മാസികകള്‍ തന്നു. “ഞാന്‍ സിനിമയില്‍ അഭിനയിക്കുന്നത് കാശിനു വേണ്ടി ആണ് . എന്‍റെ ജോലി ആണ് സിനിമ” .എന്നു വച്ചാല്‍ എല്ലാരും പറയുന്ന പോലെ കലയെ പരിപോഷിപ്പിക്കാന്‍ അല്ല എന്നു സാരം.

കാശു കുറെ ആയപ്പോള്‍ ഒരു പടം പിടിക്കാന്‍ രതീഷ്‌ തീരുമാനിച്ചു . സത്താറും ഒപ്പം ചേര്‍ന്നു. അങ്ങനെ Jade Films -ന്‍റെ ബാനറില്‍ റിവഞ്ച്  എന്നൊരു പടം ക്രോസ് ബെല്‍റ്റ്‌ മണിയുടെ സംവിധാനത്തില്‍ ഇറങ്ങി . പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് ഒരു പ്രതീക്ഷയും നിര്‍മ്മാതാക്കള്‍ക്കും  ഇല്ലായിരുന്നു എന്നത് കൊണ്ട് അവര്‍ക്ക് വിഷമം തോന്നി കാണില്ല. രതീഷ്‌-സത്താര്‍ സഖ്യം പിന്നയും രണ്ടു ചിത്രങ്ങള്‍ കൂടി എടുത്തു – ബ്ലാക്ക്‌ മെയില്‍ ( 1985), പിടികിട്ടാപ്പുള്ളി (1986) -  കലാപരമായി ഒരു മേന്മയും അവകാശപ്പെടാന്‍ ഇല്ലാത്ത ചിത്രങ്ങള്‍ .പക്ഷെ പിന്നെ രതീഷിന്‍റെ ഗ്രാഫ് താഴോട്ട് ആയിരുന്നു എന്ന് വേണം പറയാന്‍, കുറച്ചു കാലത്തേക്കെങ്കിലും. മോഹന്‍ലാലിനു സുപ്പര്‍താരപരിവേഷം നല്‍കിയ രാജാവിന്‍റെ മകനില്‍ വില്ലനായി വന്നു. (രതീഷ്‌ കത്തി നില്‍ക്കുമ്പോ വില്ലന്‍ ആയിരുന്നു മോഹന്‍ലാല്‍ ! സിനിമ എന്നും പ്രവചനാതീതം തന്നെ )  1988-ല്‍ ആറ് പടത്തില്‍ അഭിനയിച്ച രതീഷ്‌ തൊണ്ണൂറ്റിഒന്നില്‍ ഒരു പടമായി മാറി. വീണ്ടും  സിനിമ നിര്‍മാണം . ജയറാമിനെ നായകനാക്കി കൃഷ്ണകുമാര്‍ സംവിധാനം ചെയ്ത “ചക്കിക്കൊത്ത ചങ്കരന്‍”.( 1989) – നല്ല ഒന്നാംതരം തമാശ ചിത്രം ആയിരുന്നു അത് . അടുത്ത വര്‍ഷം  പാറു കംബൈന്‍സ് വീണ്ടും ഒരു പടം കൂടി എടുത്തു, “അയ്യര്‍ ദി ഗ്രേറ്റ്‌” – മലയാറ്റൂരിന്റെ കഥയ്ക്ക്‌ ചലച്ചിത്ര ഭാഷ്യം നല്‍കിയത് ഭദ്രന്‍. അതോടെ രതീഷ്‌ എന്ന നടന്‍ സിനിമയില്‍ നിന്ന് അകന്നു . ഭാര്യ ഡയാനക്കും  നാല് മക്കള്‍ക്കും ഒപ്പം സിനിമയുടെ വെള്ളി വെളിച്ചത്തില്‍ നിന്ന് അകന്നു കൃഷിയും ബിസിനസ്സും ആയി മറ്റൊരാള്‍ ആയി.  മൂന്നു വര്‍ഷത്തെ വനവാസത്തിനു ശേഷം വീണ്ടും ക്യാമറക്ക് മുന്നിലേക്ക്‌.

Mammootty in Iyer the Great

പക്ഷെ സോളോ നായകന്‍ എന്നത് അപ്രാപ്യം ആണെന്ന് രതീഷിനും അറിയാമായിരുന്നു (രണ്ടാം വരവിലും അവസാനം വരെ വിഗ് വച്ച് തന്നെ അഭിനയിച്ചു). ക്യാബിനെറ്റ് ( 1994 ) പോലുള്ള തല്ലിപൊളി പടത്തില്‍ ബൈജുവിനെ പോലുള്ള നടന്മാരുടെ തല്ലു കൊള്ളുന്ന വില്ലന്‍ ആയി രതീഷ്‌.  പക്ഷെ അവിടെയും അല്‍പം ഭാഗ്യം രതീഷിനെ കാത്തിരുന്നിരുന്നു – ഷാജി കൈലാസിന്റെ കമ്മീഷണര്‍ ( 1994 ) ! സുരേഷ് ഗോപിക്ക് ഒപ്പം നില്‍കുന്ന വില്ലന്‍.  ഒരു പക്ഷെ വില്ലന്‍ നായകന്‍റെ  പേര് പറയുന്നതിനെക്കാള്‍ കൂടുതല്‍ നായകന്‍ വില്ലന്‍റെ പേര് പറഞ്ഞു കണ്ട  മലയാള സിനിമ ഇതായിരിക്കണം. മോഹന്‍ തോമസ് ശരിക്കും തകര്‍ത്തു, എല്ലാ അര്‍ത്ഥത്തിലും. അട്ടഹാസവും ആക്രോശവും ഒന്നും ഇല്ലാതെ ശാന്തനായി ഭീഷണി പെടുത്തുന്ന മോഹന്‍ തോമസ്‌ ഒരു “സംഭവം” ആയി . കേരളം പോലുള്ള ഒരു ഇട്ട വട്ടത്തില്‍ കിടന്നു നിന്നോട് തായം കളിയ്ക്കാന്‍ ഞാനില്ല എന്നു പറയുമ്പോ നായകന് മുകളില്‍ വില്ലന് ഒരു സ്റ്റാര്‍ഡം  പ്രേക്ഷകര്‍ കണ്ടു.

മോഹന്‍ തോമസ് @ 6:50.

 കമ്മീഷണര്‍ ( 1994 ) -ല്‍ മോഹന്‍ തോമസ്‌ പറയുന്നുണ്ട്,  “കേരളം എന്ന ഇട്ടാവട്ടത്ത് കിടന്നു തായം കളിയ്ക്കാന്‍ എനിക്ക് താല്പര്യം ഇല്ല എന്ന്“.  ഒരു പക്ഷെ ഒരു അഭിനേതാവ്‌ അല്ലെങ്കില്‍ നായക കഥാപാത്രം എന്ന  നിലയില്‍ രണ്ടു പതിറ്റാണ്ടിനിടയില്‍ ഉള്ള രതീഷിന്‍റെ മലയാള സിനിമയിലെ ബാക്കിപത്രം കൂടെ ആയിരുന്നു ആ ഡയലോഗ്. കേരളം വിട്ടു ഒരു കളിക്ക് രതീഷിനു അവസരം ലഭിച്ചിരുന്നില്ല. ഇതിനോടകം കേരളത്തില്‍ സ്വകാര്യ ചാനലുകള്‍ പച്ച പിടിച്ചു തുടങ്ങിയിരുന്നു. യന്ത്ര വിഷന്റെ ശ്യാം തുറന്നു വിട്ട കണ്ണീര്‍ സീരിയലുകള്‍ എന്ന ഭൂതം സാവകാശം കേരളം കീഴടക്കി തുടങ്ങി. സിനിമയില്‍ നിന്നും അകന്നവര്‍, സിനിമാക്കാര്‍ മറന്നവര്‍ ഒക്കെ വീണ്ടും വന്നു തുടങ്ങിയപ്പോള്‍ രതീഷിനു മനോഹരമായ ഒരു അവസരം കിട്ടി. കെ കെ രാജീവിന്റെ വേനല്‍മഴ എന്ന സീരിയല്‍. നായിക ശ്രീവിദ്യ. സീരിയല്‍ പറന്നു ഉയര്‍ന്നപ്പോള്‍ രതീഷിനു തിരക്കായി തുടങ്ങി. പക്ഷെ, രംഗബോധം ഇല്ലാത്ത കോമാളിക്ക് അത് പിടിക്കുമോ ?

നാല്പത്തി എട്ടു വയസ്സ് അത്ര വലിയ പ്രായം ഒന്നും അല്ല എന്നു ദൈവത്തിനോട് വാദിക്കാന്‍ നമുക്ക് ആവുമോ? ഇനി മുതല്‍ ഞാന്‍ പ്രവര്‍ത്തിക്കില്ല എന്നു പറഞ്ഞു, ഒരു കൊച്ചു കുട്ടിയുടെ വാശിയോടു രതീഷിന്റെ ഹൃദയം നിശ്ചലമായി  2002 ഡിസംബര്‍ ഇരുപത്തി മൂന്നിന്. ഒരു കയറ്റവും ഇറക്കവും കഴിഞ്ഞു വീണ്ടും ഒരു കയറ്റത്തില്‍ ആയിരുന്നു രതീഷ്‌. പാര്‍വതിയെയും,പദ്മരാജിനെയും, പദ്മയും, പ്രണവിനെയും   അവരുടെ അമ്മയെയും,  രതീഷിനെ സ്നേഹിച്ച എന്നെ പോലെ ചിലരെയും നിരാശപ്പെടുത്തി, വെറുതെ കൈ വീശി, പൂച്ചകണ്ണില്‍  നിറയെ ചിരിയും ആയി രതീഷ്‌ നടന്നകന്നു.

ദൈവത്തിനു സ്നേഹമുള്ളവര്‍ മാത്രം വസിക്കുന്ന ആ അദൃശ്യ ലോകത്തിലേക്ക്‌.

As another Christmas comes knocking on our doors and our lives, here ‘s wishing you all the goodness the Season brings, and hope that it is honored all through the year.

I believe it would also be a good time to remind ourselves that goodness transcends generations. I couldn’t find of any other than this moving (and sadly the first and last ) message from one of the patriarchs of Malayalam cinema, Jose Prakash that was shared last X’mas. I have often read, re-read and again gone back and read this invaluable treatise on love and hope from last year, and everytime, without fail, the words strengthen me a bit more. ( Thank you Rajesh, for bringing it here.)

Hope it does the same to you too.

Merry X’mas.

Courtesy : Metromatinee.com

It seems  strange and sad that  every mention of the glorious film production history of Malayalam hinges around the obvious two – P Subramaniam‘s Merryland and Kunchacko‘s Udaya Studio, while the one that literally forged the path for them, a soul whose daring laid the very foundations of  the Malayalam film industry as we know it – Dr JC Daniel‘s  Travancore National Pictures always seem to be conveniently forgotten. Long before the technical and the artistic lot of the Malayalam industry working out of Coimbatore and Chennai yearned for a similar set of working conditions in the comfort of their homeland, a committed, lanky lad besotted by the potential of this new medium and fuelled by passion had already built a studio right at the heart of erstwhile Trivandrum, at Pattom, right across the Pattom Palace. But the story of Travancore National Pictures is more than that, and the whole credit for archiving that part of history ( or whatever was possible of it ) should go to Chelangatt Gopalakrishnan, the veteran journalist.

For the seventh amongst the eleven  children of Dr NJ Daniel and Njanambal, born  November 28th, 1900, Joseph Chellaiah Daniel,  came into this world, you could say, holding the  the proverbial silver spoon, at Neyyattinkara. The affluent family  shifted to their hometown Agasteeswaram by 1905, into their palatial house that was an architectural landmark of the times. Growing up to be a dashing, handsome lad who stood at  5′ 11”, the captain of his  high school football team, athletic, deeply interested in martial arts  (even publishing a book titled Indian Art of Fencing and Sword Play in 1915, when he was 22 ) and a voracious reader, he was everything a conventional movie producer of our collective perception wasn’t. Initially planning to make an hour long talkie on the indigenous martial art-forms of Kerala of his times, from his perspective, and his initial inquiries on the cost-aspects of film production were to this effect. Vel Picture Studio, Guindy  quoted an astronomical 40,000 rupees for his dream project, and a defiant Daniel set out to check out the ‘prices in Mumbai’. In Mumbai he visited the production studios of the times, one of which even permitted him to hang around  for a full day and night, allowing him to to grasp the fundamentals of the production processes in close range, and the bright and alert mind was quickly, systematically filing away everything he observed for future use.

Recharged, on his return, he sold off his share of the family inheritance ( 108 acres ) at Neyyattinkara for Rs 30,000/- and even managed to bring in a partner for his venture, named Sundaram. Initially enthusiastic, once he came to know of the fervor and passion of young Daniel to realise his project, his focused approach, Sundaram developed cold feet and slinked away. Undeterred, he borrowed some more, and with this capital, traveled to Mumbai and bought the first set of  studio equipment to Kerala. He sold off more land, organised another Rs 40,000/- and this time headed out to Calcutta where he got his cinematography equipment.

On JC Daniel’s Cinematography equipment.

This has been something that has always piqued my curiosity – on the type of movie camera that he would have filmed Malayalam’s first movie. As I am given to understand, the actual technical details of the production are sketchy to say the least. I have asked around a bit, and kept asking myself on the type of cinematography equipment, I could be looking at, presumably in 1926-27, with Rs 40,000 in my kitty and a fairly good understanding of what exactly I want in terms of my cinematography equipment. The popular ones of those times, what I am given to understand, were the Debrie Le Parvo, the Moy ( Moy & Bastie ), the Bell & Howel 2709, the legendary Mitchell Standard and the Eyemo. The Mitchell Standard and the Eyemo were astronomically priced, even for those times for an individual, and maybe the young film maker decided upon the next best option which must have been the Debrie, as the Moy and the B &H weren’t as popular or as available as the others. ( Assumptions, assumptions ! ) I came across this production still from  Kamal’s Celluloid, the biopic on JC Daniel of a movie camera that  seemed to have been inspired by the  Debrie Le Parvo, but glossed over with a lot of imagination and kitsch. I have no idea where the creators of the movie have based their assumptions on this being JC Daniel’s cinematography equipment, but I am sure they must have their reasons ( ! ).

Movie camera replica ( ! ) in Celluloid, biopic of JC Daniel

The Debrie Le Parvo actual.

Credit & Rights : www.samdodge.com

According to CINEMATOGRAPHERS.NL, “The wooden casing was an enclosing shell. The gears, film gate, etc. were mounted on, and contained within a metal chassis. On the front panel was a brass knob to open the front of the camera and a further brass knob to unlock the shutter mechanism. The camera had a fold-out Newton finder and eyepiece. The rear of the camera featured a footage counter dial marked in feet, a cranking speed indicator marked 16fps and 24fps and a pull-out focusing eyepiece with diopter adjustment and an eyepiece light-trap cover.

Also on the rear panel was a spirit level to level the camera on a tripod. The camera front lifted up and the side panels were hinged to reveal the very impressive movement and two 400 feet co-axial metal film magazines. The hand-cranked Le Parvo was at one time the most popular European made camera. Even in the early 1920′s, the Le Parvo was the most used camera in the world.“

The Debrie was one of the most popular models of the times, according to acclaimed senior DOP Jayanan Vincent, and says “the Debrie, Mitchell NC and Newall are  still available at AVM studios, Chennai ! “

A Video of the metal-jacketed, advanced version of the Debrie.

The Travancore National Pictures Movie Studio.

Pix Credit : Malayala Manorama

After getting back to Kerala with his cinematography equipment, JC Daniel sold off some more of his remaining property, and with the money, bought two acres of land at Pattom, from Nagappan Nair, a lawyer from the city, that included a house names Sarada Vilas, along with which he also built a two-roomed structure that would also double up as his living quarters. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call these two buildings, Sarada Vilas and this new annexe, the First Film Production Studio of Malayalam Film Industry. The name of the studio, was borne out of JC Daniel’s deep sense of bonding and love for his state and wanted his business venture to reflect it too.JC Daniel had almost exhausted his resources by now with no money left for the actual shooting process. So he did what he did best, dipped into the pockets of his close relatives and friends to find another round of capital and the shooting began in 1928, based on a story board he himself had put together, as feature film, shelving his idea of the initial plan for a later date.

A Must Buy !

According to Chelangatt Gopalakrishnan’s biography of JC Daniel, the debut production of the debut studio in Malayalam cinemawas done in two schedules, the first in Ceylon and the second at Pattom, mostly brought out and done in natural sunlight, as the director/cinematographer found the Sarada Vilas interiors too dark for normal shooting. The details on the Ceylon trip and the shooting there are unavailable yet, but it was a fact that JC Daniel himself cranked the camera, and in the night, after a days work, he processed the film himself in the studio, assessing his work and getting ready for next day’s shoot. The cast of the movie ( The Lost Child aka Vigatha Kumaran ) was a smattering of family members, rank amateurs and professional theatre artists, with the lead actress PK Rosy ( whose actual identity and her years post the movie remain an mystery even now ) also taking care of catering for the crew. Yes, she and her family cooked for the crew, and she acted in the movie ! There was no editing and the shooting was done as a continuous process keeping in mind the roll of raw stock in each cartridge, which was around 1000 feet. The crew themselves took care of the costumes and the makeup. The shooting started at sun up at places around the studio and Pattom palace with JC Daniel multi-tasking . The ENTIRE cast and crew were from Kerala, a daring initiative when one considered the prevailing conditions of movie-making in south India of those times.

Suffice to say, The Lost Child took two years to complete and was slated for release for October 23, 1930 but ran into problems, was finally released on November 7, 1930 at Capitol Theatre and was a disaster – not because the movie was sub-standard, but the pseudo-orthodox, senselessly conservative local population could never take a lady from their own land “acting onscreen.” To them, it was akin to prostitution! It ran for 4 days and had to be withdrawn ultimately, as the irate mob, incensed at the sheer audacity of PK Rosy to act in a moving picture, had by then, torn down the projection screen.

Capitol Theatre-Trivandrum (1930) / courtesy : Manorama Online

The movie, released in 5 more centres never fared any better and The Travancore National Pictures went under.It was only a matter of time. The equipment and the premises were sold at a pittance to recoup losses and repay his lenders, but that never sufficed. He had to sell of his wife’s remaining jewelry and the rest of his property to make good the losses. JC Daniel, Malayalam cinema’s first producer, bankrupt and broken, would relocate to Madurai, learn dentistry, open a clinic that would soon blossom into a flourishing practice and reclaim his life in the next 5 years.

The Capitol Cinema recreated in Kamal’s Celluloid

But his love for film -making remained, which was rekindled with a chance meeting with PU Chinnappa, one of the “megastars” of the times, who enticed him to make another movie, this time, bigger in budget, bigger in everything. He could get him in touch with some great money-men who would finance the project, and he himself would play the lead ! And that led to chain of events that decimated JC Daniel completely, condemning himself and his wife to a life of penury that they never recovered from, ever.

In retrospect, our first Film Studio’s only production was a path breaker in many respects. It was the first production that had an overseas shooting schedule, the studio owner was also the script-writer, cinematographer, lead actor, processing technician, director and distributor.The Lost Child aka Vigathakumaran also starred an all-Malayali cast and crew speaking of volumes of the righteous sense of purpose and initiative of JC Daniel, now considered the father of Malayalam cinema.

Next : Kunchacko’s Udaya Studio.

The Prem Nazir Samskarika Vedi, Kozhikode is organising a 3-day event celebrating the life and movies of the evergeen Prem Nazir, starting from January 16 till Jan 18, 2013, at the Town Hall.

Any doubts on why he is called Evergreen ?

Commemorating the 24th year of his passing, the organisation has also chosen four of his peers, GK Pillai, TR Omana, Sreelatha Namboothiri and Khadeeja for the Prem Nazir Memorial awards for the year 2013. The prizes, each carrying a citation and cash amounting to Rs 10,001 would be handed over at a commemorative meeting on the final day, January 18th, 2013.

Prem Nazir Samskarika Vedi honors Film actors-2013

GK Pillai, one of the awardees is also expected to deliver the Prem Nazir Memorial Lecture at the meeting. The events spread across three days, beginning January 16, 2013 include Film Screenings of Prem Nazir’s popular movies, Film Songs Singing competition, a Film Quiz on Prem Nazir and his movies leading up to the finale on January 18, 2013.

You could call 9142424755 for more details.

Update: 17 January 2013.

[ Amrita TV's coverage of the Film Posters Exhibition held on Jan 16, 2013.]

Inside the National Film Archives, Pune

83 years after the successful screening of the first Malayalam film, Kerala will at last get a film archive to call its own, if the State government has its way. But it is still in the planning stage According to the press release that I came across, and I believe this was first put across during the recently concluded 17th IFFK in Thiruvananthapuram, the plan is to have “an archive of Malayalam classic films in the wintry environs of Munnar, mobile digital movie theatres, and panchayat-level facilities for mini film festivals”, but it is the “Archive” part that excites and saddens me at the same time. Let’s face it, a state body is the last thing that any worthwhile keeper of treasures pat would look upto in preserving the legacies for the coming generations.

Credit & Rights : The Celluloid Man Crew

Minister for Cinema, K.B. Ganesh Kumar, has gone on record requesting the Kerala public to donate surviving film prints, Beta copies, publicity stills, song books, hand bills – in short anything and everything that is associated with the film culture of Kerala to be entrusted to the care of the state archive, who would take care of it for the future. Really ?

The country’s premier archive, the National Film Archive of India, that came to being in February, 1963, and then subsequently moved around till it got its own premises, even with its limbs tied in bureaucratic red-tape, had been literally nurtured by a lifetime of passion invested in it by its founder-director, the legendary PK Nair, India’s own Celluloid Man.  The latter is the seminal documentary made on him, probably the only documentary to be made on a film historian, and aptly titled The Celluloid Man. The NFAI and PK Nair has by now become two faces of the Indian celluloid film, so to speak, for the world’s movie historians. According to an interview given in 2006 by the then director of NFAI, KS Sasidharan, the National Film Archive proudly took care of 16,000 + films in its nitrate vaults and the other temperature controlled ones for posterity, and it must have only grown in the last 6 years. { Isn’t it a matter of pride that the most popular names associated with archiving our celluloid creations for posterity are all from God’s own country? Strangely, their domain of professional activity and expertise have also been OUTSIDE the state }.

The online presence of the NFAI is a horrendous, cringe-worthy experience. You would be amazed that road kills like these masquerade for websites for most of the central government outfits. I just tried searching for the Malayalam titles preserved there out of the 16,000 + titles and guess what it told me ? Its  given below.

I am sure they have pretty much a reasonably well-oiled documentation and archival process going on in the real world, but THIS is the impression that NFAI’s website gives to any cineaste or  serious student on Indian cinema !

Pix Rights : The Celluloid Man Crew

Plagued by bureaucratic apathy, indifference and budget crunches, there is a tiny band of loyalists, working against every known challenge that could be thrown at them, in this age, in this process, and they have been at it for the past 5 decades ! And it is to this scenario that our government takes its baby steps, trying to archive the land’s movie history, 80 years since it all started ! This is what disorients me. True, an initiative of this nature, though 8 decades late, is a hugely welcome move, but the avenues and the channels that would facilitate its archival collections is what worries me. And it is in an environment that is a hundred times more toxic in terms of process apathy and pure inertia that we intend to build an institution that will preserve an already fragile set of content for posterity.

Forget our Indianness, us Malayalis have to be one of the most dispassionate, insensitive and callous people  for whom heritage or anything for that matter from the past is something that should be travelled out of this land and be “Oohed” and “Aahed” upon, but never in our own backyard. And specifically, these are my apprehensions when it comes to this initiative :

1.Sourcing of  old films and related memorabilia.

Currently, to the best of my knowledge, other than than a reasonable handful languishing as actual reel footage in dusty, musty corners associated with the original producers and warehouses of production/distribution centres long folded up and disappeared – the majority of the source tapes exist as Umatic tapes or VHS  (thank God for the insane popularity of the VCRs in the 80′s and 90′s in Kerala ), and these are highly sought after, both by private collectors and those who have also a made a business out of it. The former collect them for the pure love of having a copy of that in their collection, the latter do it for the same, but with a commercial intent attached,   in the process  becoming the point of contact for established VCD producers who digitise these copies as crappy VCDs, hack away content to fit the standard 2 VCD storage space and sell it to you for Rs 50 on an average. It is this ecosystem the government would be reaching out to, and it remains to be seen whether they would respond in a manner the state envisions – for the greater good, you see. The private collectors would sit down and think very hard when it comes to parting/donating sourced copies of movies that they have hunted down using their own resources, restoring it at their own expense and  lovingly preserved for their own viewing pleasure in their times. For the business-minded, it would be the “right price” the state would be willing to pay. I am not ruling out the “Hand of Generosity” in this regard, but it would be a rarity.

2.Maintenance of the Films and Memorabilia.

Archival Data updation of film records at the NFAI, Pune

It should be Malayalam cinema’s good fortune that PK Nair is now available for guidance, now that he is actively retired in official capacity, for building our archive, with the best technology and resources now available, it would just what is needed to bring it to fruition. But going by the state government’s track record in taking care of our heritage, I wonder. Normally, for a venture of this magnitude, one would atleast make a conducive environment for the objectives that they have listed out, starting with a four walls and a roof over it, before inviting “media donations.” I wonder where they would store these till the actual building comes up, and who would take care of it in the interim period ?For those who have invested a lifetime in compiling and collating them and are generous enough to give them away for enriching the sensibilities of  future generations , it would be heartbreaking to see them stacked and piled in cupboards and empty rooms rented out as a temporary abode for the initiative with zero accountability.

3. Accessibility to the Film Archive.

I just can’t, for the life of me, figure out why Munnar has been decided upon for the premises and the facility for the film archives of Kerala. Going forward, the majority of the databank that would store the archival media would be digitised and that would require temeperature controlled environments, regardless of whether its at Palakkad, Munnar or Trivandrum. The state-of-the-art storage facility for color film at the NFAI, according to KS Sasidharan, “ maintains a temperature of 2°C with a relative humidity of 25°C% + – 5°C% round the clock which is ideally suited for preservation of colour material on long-term basis“. Locating it in the suburbs of the capital city would have had a huge advantage with respect to its location, which would also facilitate a huge inflow of  interested souls to the facility, which would also deem well if the State Film Archives devise programs and activities that could also “convert” this steady volume into a revenue stream too, if handled well. If they had a strong, updated online presence unlike the trainwreck that is the National Film Archives website, that in itself could turn out to be a serious source of income for those who would want to access the archives information through remote access, after paying at an hourly rate online, at the site itself. Even while I am typing this out, a part of me deep down is chuckling at the way it sounds – almost like a fairy – tale. But one can hope !

The government should bring in a legislation that would make the Mandatory Depository System a rule rather than a voluntary act, which would ensure one copy of their production, from every producer going to the Vaults, along with the issuance of Clearance by the State government for public viewing and exhibition of the movie. Just like how the US built the Library of Congress.

Willing to donate ? Here is how.

By the way, anyone willing to donate relevant media for the Kerala State Film Archives could either contact the organisers on phone at 0471 – 2310323 or mail them at officekeralafilm@gmail.com.

വയലാറിനും ഭാസ്കരന്‍ മാസ്റ്റര്‍ക്കും ശേഷം മലയാളസിനിമാ ഗാനരചനാ പൂമുഖത്ത് പുത്തന്‍ പൂക്കൂടയൊരുക്കി മധുവും മണവും പകര്‍ത്തി ആസ്വാദക ഭ്രമരങ്ങളെ ആവേശിതരാക്കുകയും ആകര്‍ഷിതരാക്കുകയും ചെയ്ത മലയാളത്തിന്റെ സ്വന്തം ഗാനരചയിതാവാണ് ശ്രീകുമാരന്‍ തമ്പി. എന്തുകൊണ്ട് വയലാറിനും ഭാസ്കരന്‍ മാസ്റ്റര്‍ക്കും ശേഷം, എന്നു ചോദിച്ചാല്‍ അതിനുത്തരം സര്‍ഗ്ഗവൈഭവത്തിലുള്ള എതെങ്കിലും ഏറ്റക്കുറച്ചില്‍ എന്നു തീര്‍ത്തുപറയാന്‍ പറ്റില്ല. ആദ്യത്തെ കാരണം കലാസപര്യ തുടങ്ങിയ കാലത്തിലുള്ള അന്തരം തന്നെ.

കുറച്ചുകൂടി ആഴത്തില്‍ ആലോചിച്ചാല്‍ ഈ പറഞ്ഞവര്‍ തമ്മില്‍ ഏതെങ്കിലും ഒരു താരതമ്യ പഠനം ആവശ്യമാണോ എന്നുതന്നെ തോന്നിയേക്കാം, കാരണം ഭാവനയുടെ വിഹാരമണ്ഡലങ്ങള്‍ മൂവര്‍ക്കും വളരെ വ്യത്യസ്തങ്ങളായിരുന്നു. ഗന്ധര്‍വ്വനഗരങ്ങളും സ്വര്‍ഗ്ഗഗായികമാരും മറ്റും പോലെയുള്ള അഭൌമമായ കാവ്യബിംബങ്ങളുടെ വിഹാരരംഗമായിരുന്നു വയലാര്‍ ഗാനങ്ങള്‍. ഭാസ്കരന്‍ മാസ്റ്റര്‍ ആവട്ടെ, ഇങ്ങു താഴെ ഭൂമിയില്‍ സാധാരണക്കാരായ നാമെല്ലാം നിത്യവും കെട്ടു ഹൃദയത്തിലേറ്റി നടന്നിരുന്ന നാടന്‍ ശീലുകളും പഴമ്പാട്ടുകളും തന്റെ ഭാവനയുടെ പഞ്ചാരക്കുഴമ്പില്‍ മുക്കി പുതിയ രുചിഭേദങ്ങള്‍ പരിചയപ്പെടുത്തി. ഇവരിരുവരെയും കുറിച്ച് ഈ ഒറ്റ വരിയില്‍ ഒരിക്കലും നിര്‍ത്തുവാനാകില്ല എന്ന ഉത്തമ ബോദ്ധ്യം വായനക്കാരെപ്പോലെ ഈ ലേഖികയ്ക്കും ഉണ്ട്. ഇക്കാര്യത്തില്‍ ഒരു വിശദമായ വിശകലനം പിന്നീടെയ്ക്കു മാറ്റിവച്ച് ഇന്നിവിടെ ശ്രീകുമാരന്‍ തമ്പിയുടെ ചില ഗാനങ്ങളിലേക്കൊന്നു നോക്കുവാന്‍ ശ്രമിയ്ക്കുകയാണ് .

തമ്പിയുടെ ഗാനങ്ങള്‍ വയലാറില്‍ നിന്നും ഭാസ്കരന്‍ മാസ്റ്ററില്‍ നിന്നും വേറിട്ട് നില്‍ക്കുന്നതിന് ഒരു പ്രധാനഘടകം അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ ഗാനങ്ങളില്‍ വളരെയധികം പ്രകടമായി കാണാവുന്ന ചില പ്രത്യേക കാവ്യബിംബങ്ങളാണ്. തന്റെ സ്വദേശമായ ഹരിപ്പാടും അതിന്റെ ചുറ്റുവട്ടങ്ങളും ജന്മദേശത്തോടുള്ള സ്നേഹസാക്ഷ്യങ്ങള്‍ പൊലെ നിരവധി ഗാനങ്ങളില്‍ തെളിഞ്ഞു നിറഞ്ഞു നില്‍ക്കുന്നു. മറ്റൊരു ഗാനരചയിതാവിലും കാണാനാവാത്ത ഈ പ്രത്യേകത മലയാളസിനിമാ ഗാനരചയിതാക്കളുടെ മുന്‍ നിരയില്ത്തന്നെ ആറാട്ടിനെഴുന്നള്ളി നില്‍ക്കുന്ന ഗജവീരന്റെ തലയെടുപ്പോടെ നില്‍ക്കാന്‍ തമ്പിയെ സഹായിക്കുന്നു.ശ്രീകുമാരന്‍ തമ്പി വരച്ചിട്ട കാവ്യചിത്രങ്ങളില്‍ ഈയൊരു പ്രത്യേകതയെ കൂടുതല്‍ അടുത്തറിയാനൊരു ശ്രമമാണ് ഇന്നിവിടെ നടത്തുന്നത്.

എണ്ണമറ്റ സിനിമാഗാനങ്ങളെ മാറ്റി നിര്‍ത്തി ഈ അന്വേഷണത്തില്‍ എന്തുകൊണ്ടും പ്രഥമസ്ഥാനം വഹിക്കാന്‍ അര്‍ഹമായ ഒരു ഉത്സവഗാനത്തിലാണ് ഈ ശ്രമം ആരംഭിക്കുന്നത്.

“പായിപ്പാട്ടാറ്റില്‍ വള്ളംകളി കാണാന്‍
പാറൂ നിന്നെ ഞാന്‍ കൊണ്ടുപോകാം”

- എന്നു തുടങ്ങുന്ന ഒരു നാടന്‍ ശീലാണ് ആ നാടിനെപ്പറ്റിയും അവിടുത്തെ വള്ളം കളിയെപ്പറ്റിയും പുറംദേശക്കാര്‍ക്കു പരിചയപ്പെടുത്തുവാനുള്ള അളവുകോലായിരുന്നത്. വെളുത്ത കത്രീന  (1968) എന്ന ചിത്രത്തിലെ “ഒന്നാം കണ്ടത്തില്‍” എന്ന ഗാനത്തില്‍ ഇത് അദ്ദേഹം ഉള്‍പ്പെടുത്തിയിട്ടുണ്ടെങ്കിലും, ഈ ഗാനം അത്ര പ്രചാരം നേടാത്തതുകൊണ്ടാവും പായിപ്പാട്ടാറും വള്ളംകളിയും ലോകപ്രശസ്തമാകാന്‍ 1983 – ല്‍ ഇറങ്ങിയ തരംഗിണിയുടെ ഉത്സവഗാനങ്ങള്‍ വരെ കാത്തിരിക്കേണ്ടിവന്നത്. അതിലെ “പായിപ്പാട്ടാറ്റില്‍ വള്ളംകളി” എന്ന ഗാനം പുറത്തുവന്നതോടെ ദേശക്കാരും അന്യദേശക്കാരുമായ എല്ലാ മലയാളികളുടെയും മനസ്സില്‍ പ്രൌഢഗംഭീരന്മാരായ ചുണ്ടന്‍ വള്ളങ്ങളുടെ വര്‍ണ്ണാഭമായ ഘോഷയാത്രയും മത്സരവും ഇനിയൊരു ചിത്രത്തിന്റെയോ വിവരണത്തിന്റെയോ ആവശ്യമില്ലാതെ സ്ഥാനം പിടിച്ചു.

കവിയുടെ മനസ്സില്‍ രൂഢമൂലമായ ആ ഗ്രാമീണചിത്രം, “കാരിച്ചാല്‍ ചുണ്ടനും, കാവാ‍ലംചുണ്ടനും,കോതേരിയും, ആ വലിയ ദിവാന്‍ജിയും മുന്‍ നിരയില്‍ ….” എന്നു പാടുന്ന ആ വാക്ചിത്രം, തങ്ങളുടെയെല്ലാം മനസ്സിന്റെ സുവ്യക്തമായ ആവിഷ്കാരം പോലെ തന്നെ പായിപ്പാട്ടാറിന്റെ ഇരുകരകളിലുമുള്ള ദേശവാസികളെല്ലാവരും നെഞ്ചോട് ചേര്‍ത്തുവയ്ക്കുന്നു. മറഞ്ഞുപോയ ഒരു സുവര്‍ണ്ണകാലത്തിന്റെ സാക്ഷ്യങ്ങളായി ‘ഒന്നാനാം ചുണ്ടന്നേലമരം പിടിക്കുന്ന പൊന്നിലും പൊന്നായ തമ്പുരാ’നും, അയാള്‍ പണ്ടേകിയ വെറ്റില തിന്ന ആ സുന്ദരി ചെറുമിയും ഒരു നിശ്വാസത്തിന്റെ കാറ്റേറ്റ് ഓര്‍മ്മകളില്‍ മയങ്ങുന്നു. ആട്ടക്കളങ്ങളിലെ ജയഭേരികളും കൂത്തമ്പലങ്ങളിലെ കലാസന്ധ്യകളും സമകാലീനരുടെ മനസ്സുകളില്‍ നഷ്ടബോധത്തിന്റെ നെടുവീര്‍പ്പുകള്‍ ഉയര്‍ത്തുന്നു. പായിപ്പാട്ടാറ്റിലെ വള്ളംകളിയ്ക്കും അതിന്റെ പെരുമയ്ക്കും മൂന്നു കിലോമീറ്റര്‍ അകലെയുള്ള, തമ്പിയുടെ സ്വന്തം ഗ്രാമമായ, ഇന്നൊരു പട്ടണമായി പ്രൌഢിപേറുന്ന, ഹരിപ്പാട്ട് ചെന്നെത്തിയേ പറ്റൂ. കാരണം, ഹരിപ്പാട്ടമ്പലത്തിലെ പ്രതിഷ്ഠാ മഹോത്സവത്തിന്റെ സ്മരണയ്ക്കാണ് പായിപ്പാട്ടാറ്റില്‍ വള്ളംകളി നടക്കുന്നത്.

‘പായിപ്പാട്ടാറ്റിലെ ചതയം കളിക്കെന്റെ ചുരുളനുമായി ഞാന്‍ വന്നപ്പോള്‍’ എന്നു തമ്പി വീണ്ടും ‘നക്ഷത്രക്കണ്ണുള്ള സുന്ദരിപ്പെണ്ണേ’ എന്ന ഗാനത്തില്‍ (പത്മവ്യൂഹം  - 1973) നായകനെക്കൊണ്ടു പാടിക്കുന്നു. കൌമാരക്കാഴ്ചകളിലെ ഏറ്റവും നിറം പിടിപ്പിച്ച ഓര്‍മ്മകളില്‍ ഒന്നാണു ചെറുവള്ളങ്ങളില്‍ കയറി വള്ളംകളി കാണാന്‍ പോകലും, കരയിലിരിക്കുന്ന പാവാടക്കാരികള്‍ കാണ്‍കെ തന്റെ ജലാഭ്യാസപാടവം പ്രദര്‍ശിപ്പിക്കലും. ചിങ്ങമാസത്തിലെ തിരുവോണം അവിട്ടം , ചതയം എന്നീ നാളുകളിലാണ് പായിപ്പാട്ടാറ്റിലെ വള്ളം കളി.

തമ്പിയുടെ പാട്ടുകളില്‍ ഏറ്റവും അധികം ഉപയോഗിച്ചിരിക്കുന്ന ബിംബങ്ങള്‍ ഹരിപ്പാട്ടമ്പലവുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ടവയാണ് . ഹരിപ്പാട്ടും പരിസരപ്രദേശങ്ങളിലും ഉള്ളവര്‍ക്ക് വളരെ പെട്ടന്നുതന്നെ ഈ ബിംബങ്ങളുമായി താദാത്മ്യം പ്രാപിക്കുവാനും തദ്വാരാ അദ്ദേഹത്തെ തങ്ങളുടെ ദേശത്തിന്റെ തന്നെ പാട്ടുകാരനായി കണക്കാക്കുവാനും കഴിയുന്നു. ഒരുപാടു ഗാനങ്ങളുടെ വാക് ചിത്രത്തുന്നലുകളിലൂടെ ഹരിപ്പാട്ടമ്പലത്തിലെ ഉത്സവക്കാഴ്ചകള്‍ നിരനിരയായി കടന്നുപോകുന്നതു നമുക്ക് കാണാം. ‘തൈപ്പൂയക്കാവടിയാട്ടം തങ്കമയില്‍പ്പീലിയാട്ടം’ എന്ന പ്രശസ്തമായ ‘കണ്ണൂര്‍ ഡീലക്സി’ലെ (1969) ഗാനം ഇവയില്‍ മികച്ചതാണ്. മകരമാസത്തിലെ പൂയം നാളിലാണ് ഹരിപ്പാട്ടമ്പലത്തിലെ വിഖ്യാതമായ കാവടിയാട്ടം. ഈ കാഴ്ചയെ വാക്കുകളില്‍ ഒപ്പിയെടുത്ത് വിദഗ്ദ്ധനായ ചമയക്കാരനായി മാറുന്ന തമ്പി ‘കണ്ണാടി പോലെ മിന്നുന്ന കാഞ്ചീപുരം സാരി ചുറ്റി, കവിത ചൊല്ലുന്ന കല്ലുമണിമാലകളും ചാര്‍ത്തി കണ്ണിനാല്‍ കണ്ണെറിയും’ സുന്ദരിയെ ശ്രോതാവിനു മുന്നില്‍ അവതരിപ്പിക്കുന്നു. താന്‍ നേരിട്ടു കണ്ടനുഭവിച്ച കാഴ്ചകള്‍ ഗാനത്തിലൂടെ മനസ്സില്‍ നിറയുന്നതറിഞ്ഞ് അവന്‍ ആനന്ദഭരിതനാകുന്നു.

വീണ്ടും ഉത്സവക്കാഴ്ചകള്‍ കണ്ണും മനസ്സും നിറയ്ക്കുന്നത് ‘ആറാട്ടിന്നാനകള്‍ എഴുന്നള്ളു’മ്പോഴാണ് (ശാസ്ത്രം ജയിച്ചു മനുഷ്യന്‍ തോറ്റു - 1973). ഒന്‍പതു ദിവസത്തെ ഉത്സവം കഴിഞ്ഞ് പത്താം നാള്‍ ആറാട്ടുമഹോത്സവം. ആയിരത്തിരി വിളക്കുതെളിയുന്ന ചുറ്റമ്പലം. അമ്പലപ്പുഴ സഹോദരന്മാരുടെ നാദസ്വരക്കച്ചേരി, വേലക്കുളത്തിന്റെ കല്‍പ്പടവുകളില്‍ മെയ്യു കണ്ണാക്കിയവരുടെ അഭ്യാസപ്രകടനങ്ങള്‍. ആള്‍ത്തിരക്കിനിടയില്‍ അവളുണ്ടാവും. അവനും. തിരയുന്ന കണ്ണുകളില്‍ കണ്ടെത്തലിന്റെ പൂത്തിരി മിന്നാട്ടം. ഒരു നോട്ടത്തിന്റെ നിര്‍വൃതി. പറയാതെ പറയുന്ന ഒരായിരം കഥകളുടെ മായാലോകം. കടന്നുപോയ കാലത്തിന്റെ ഓര്‍മ്മയില്‍ കേള്‍വിക്കാരില്‍ ചിലര്‍ക്കു സുഖദമായ അനുഭൂതി, മറ്റു ചിലര്‍ക്കു ഹൃദയത്തിന്റെ കോണുകളില്‍ മിന്നിമറയുന്ന തേങ്ങല്‍. ജന്മനാടിന്റെ കാഴ്ചകളില്‍ ഇഴചേര്‍ത്ത് എത്ര പ്രണയരംഗങ്ങളാണ്‍ തമ്പി നമുക്കേകുന്നത്!

‘ഒന്നാം കണ്ടത്തില്‍’ എന്ന ഗാനത്തില്‍ പായിപ്പാട്ടാറിനൊപ്പം കോളോത്തു കാവും പ്രത്യക്ഷമാകുന്നു. തമ്പിയുടെ ജന്മഗൃഹത്തിനു വിളിപ്പാടകലെയുള്ള കോളോത്തു ഭഗവതിക്ഷേത്രവും കാവുമാണ് ഇത്. കുംഭമാസത്തിലെ കാര്‍ത്തികനാളിലെ താലപ്പൊലിയുത്സവം ഇന്നും നടക്കുന്നു. എന്നുമൊരോര്‍മ്മയായി ഗാനങ്ങളില്‍ കുട്ടനാട്ടിലെ ഈ കൊച്ചുഭഗവതീക്ഷേത്രം തമ്പിയുടെ തൂലിക എഴുതിവച്ചു.

അശ്വതിയുത്സവത്തേരു കണ്ട് ആനക്കൊട്ടിലില്‍ നില്‍ക്കുന്ന കാമുകിയും അവളെ നോക്കി അമ്പലപ്പൊയ്കതന്‍ കരയില്‍ നില്‍ക്കുന്ന കാമുകനുമാണ് മറ്റൊരു മനോഹരചിത്രം. ഇത് നാം കാണുന്നത് ദിവ്യദര്‍ശനം (1973) എന്ന ചിത്രത്തിലെ ‘കര്‍പ്പൂരദീപത്തിന്‍ കാന്തിയില്‍ എന്ന ഗാനത്തിലൂടെയാണ്. ഈ ഗാനം നമ്മെക്കൊണ്ടെത്തിക്കുന്നത് തീര്‍ച്ചയായും ഹരിപ്പാടിന്നു കുറച്ചകലെയുള്ള വലിയകുളങ്ങര ദേവീക്ഷേത്രത്തിലെ ഉത്സവപ്പറമ്പിലേയ്ക്കുതന്നെ. അശ്വതിയുല്‌സവവും തേരുവലിയ്ക്കലും തിരക്കും ആളും ബഹളവും. അതിനിടയില്‍ അമ്പെയ്യും കണ്ണുകളുമായി കാമുകന്‍ . അവനുമാത്രം തിരിച്ചറിയാന്‍ കഴിയുന്ന സന്ദേശമായി അവളുടെ ഓട്ടുവളക്കിലുക്കം.

ചെട്ടികുളങ്ങര ഭരണിയും, അമ്പലപ്പുഴ വേലയും, അമ്പലപ്പുഴ പാല്‍പ്പായസവുമെല്ലാം ഇതര ദേശക്കാരായ മലയാളികള്‍ക്ക് പരിചയപ്പെടുത്തിയതില്‍ ശ്രീകുമാരന്‍ തമ്പിക്കു വലിയ സ്ഥാനമുണ്ട്. പ്രണയം മുഖ്യപ്രമേയമായിരുന്ന അക്കാലത്തെ സിനിമകളില്‍ തന്റെ പ്രണയഗാനങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് അനുയോജ്യമായ ചുറ്റുപാടുകളും പശ്ചാത്തലവുമൊരുക്കേണ്ട ബിംബങ്ങള്‍ ലഭിക്കുവാന്‍ തമ്പിക്ക് മറ്റൊരിടത്തും തിരയെണ്ടി വരുന്നില്ല. താന്‍ ജനിച്ചു വളര്‍ന്ന നാടും, നടന്ന നാട്ടുവഴികളും, കണ്ട കാഴ്ചകളും തന്നെ ധാരാളമായിരുന്നു.

കലയുടെ കലവറകളായിരുന്ന കൂത്തമ്പലങ്ങളെക്കുറിച്ചുള്‍ല പരാമര്‍ശവും അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ ഒരുപാട് ഗാനങ്ങളില്‍ കാണാം. കൂത്തമ്പലത്തിലെ കൂടിയാട്ട കാഴ്ചകള്‍ കര്‍പ്പൂര ദീപത്തിന്‍, കൂടിയാട്ടം കാണാന്‍ (ആനന്ദം, പരമാനന്ദം-1977) തുടങ്ങിയ ഗാനങ്ങളിലുമുണ്ട്. ഉടഞ്ഞ കുപ്പിവളകളുടെ ഓര്‍മ്മയുണര്‍ത്തുന്ന കൂത്തമ്പലങ്ങള്‍ ‘കൂത്തമ്പലത്തില്‍ വച്ചോ’ (അപ്പു-1990) എന്ന ഗാനത്തിലും നമുക്കു കാണാം. ഒരുപക്ഷേ ശ്രീകുമാരന്‍ തമ്പി, ഈ ഗാനങ്ങളെല്ലാം തന്റേതാണെന്ന് പറയാതെ പറയുന്ന അടയാളങ്ങളാണ് ഈ പദാവലികള്‍. ഒന്‍പതാം ഉത്സവം, ആനക്കൊട്ടില്‍ തുടങ്ങിയ പദപ്രയോഗങ്ങളും തമ്പിയ്ക്കു മാത്രം അവകാശപ്പെട്ടവയായി ഇന്നോളം നില്ക്കുന്നു.

അതുപോലെതന്നെയാണ് ഒരു പക്ഷേ ഭൂരിപക്ഷം വരുന്ന സാധാരണ മലയാളികളും ഒരിക്കല്‍പ്പോലും കേള്‍ക്കുകയില്ലായിരുന്ന കലാകാരന്മാരുടെ പേരുകള്‍ അദ്ദേഹം തന്റെ രചനകളില്‍ അസാമാന്യ വൈഭവത്തോടെ വിളക്കിച്ചേര്‍ത്തിരിക്കുന്നത്. കഥകളി ആചാര്യന്മാരായ ഹരിപ്പാട്ട് രാമകൃഷ്ണന്‍ , ഗുരു ചെങ്ങന്നൂര്‍, കുടമാളൂര്‍ , ചെണ്ട വിദ്വാന്‍ ശ്രീ വാരണാസി നാരായണന്‍ നമ്പൂതിരി, (ഉത്തരാസ്വയംവരം – ഡേഞ്ചര്‍ ബിസ്കറ്റ് / 1969), നാദസ്വര വിദ്വാന്‍ തിരുവിഴ ജയശങ്കര്‍ (ആലപ്പുഴപ്പട്ടണത്തില്‍ – ബന്ധുക്കള്‍ ശത്രുക്കള്‍ /1993) എന്നിവരുടെ പേരുകള്‍ ഇനി ഒരു ചരിത്രാഖ്യാനത്തിലും ഇല്ലെങ്കിലും തമ്പിയുടെ ഗാനങ്ങളിലൂടെ അനശ്വരത നേടിയെടുക്കുന്നു. ഇവിടെ വെറും പേരുകള്‍ കൊണ്ടുള്ള കസര്‍ത്തല്ല കാണുവാന്‍ കഴിയുക. ആത്മാവിന്റെ തന്നെ ഭാഗമായിത്തീര്‍ന്ന ചില കാഴ്ചകള്‍ താനറിയാതെ ഭാവനയില്‍ അലിഞ്ഞൊഴുകിയതാവാം. കൂടാതെ ജീവിതയാത്രയില്‍ നേര്‍ക്കാഴ്ചകള്‍ കാണിച്ചവര്‍ക്കുള്ള ഗുരുസ്മരണയുമാവാം.

ഹരിപ്പാടിന്റെ വിശേഷങ്ങള്‍ പറഞ്ഞതും അമ്പലപ്പുഴ വേല കാണിച്ചു തന്നതും ശ്രീകുമാരന്‍ തമ്പി. ആലോലമണിത്തിരകളില്‍ നടനമാടുന്ന ആറന്മുള ഭഗവാന്റെ പൊന്നുകെട്ടിയ ചുണ്ടന്‍ വള്ളവും, ചെട്ടികുളങ്ങര ഭരണിയും തേരോട്ടവും കാണിച്ചുതന്നതും തമ്പി തന്നെ. ആലപ്പുഴപ്പട്ടണത്തില്‍ അതിമധുരം വിളമ്പിനടന്ന കാലങ്ങള്‍ സ്മൃതിമധുരം, മധുരോദാരം.

ഇവയെല്ലാം കടന്നു നാമെത്തുന്നതോ? കേളികൊട്ടുയരുന്ന, കേളീകദംബം പൂക്കുന്ന കേരളത്തിരുമുറ്റത്ത്. കവിയുടെ മനസ്സില്‍ കനകാംബരങ്ങള്‍ പൂമഴ പൊഴിയ്ക്കുന്ന കേരളത്തിരുമുറ്റത്ത്. തിരുവോണപ്പുലരി തിരുമുല്‍ക്കാഴ്ചയുമായി അണിഞ്ഞൊരുങ്ങി നില്‍ക്കുന്ന തിരുമുറ്റത്ത്. അവിടെ കാറ്റുമ്മവയ്ക്കുന്ന മരച്ചില്ലകള്‍ക്ക് പിന്നില്‍ ഒളിച്ചു നില്ക്കുന്ന പ്രഭാതസൂര്യനുണ്ട്. ഒരുപാടൊരുപാട് ഗതകാലസ്മരണകളുണ്ട്. എല്ലാം നമ്മളും കവിയും ഒരുമിച്ചു നടന്നവയും അറിഞ്ഞവയും തന്നെ. പക്ഷേ കവിയ്ക്കു മാത്രമേ ആ സ്മരണകളില്‍ ചിത്രപ്പണി ചെയ്ത് വരുംതലമുറയ്ക്കായി സൂക്ഷിച്ചുവയ്ക്കാനും നല്‍കാനും കഴിയൂ. അവിടെയാണ്  ശ്രീകുമാരന്‍ തമ്പിയുടെ പ്രസക്തി.

ആദ്യം ചോദിച്ച ചോദ്യം വീണ്ടുമുയരുകയാണ്. മറക്കാന്‍ കഴിയുമോ? തമ്പി നമ്മുടെ മനസ്സില്‍ വരയ്ക്കും വര്‍ണ്ണചിത്രങ്ങള്‍ മറക്കാന്‍ കഴിയുമോ?

ടി. എന്‍ . ഗോപകുമാറിനോടൊപ്പം “On Record” പരിപാടിയില്‍  - 2012.

[ I would like to place on record the inspiring initiative by Adv Narayan, who has been tirelessly following up leads and collecting factual information to set Malayalam Cinema's most debated part of history straight - that of the actual year of release of  The Lost Child / Vigathakumaran, the first film in Malayalam film history, and also to Saju Chelangatt ( son of Chelangatt Gopalakrishnan) who shared invaluable information on the  journalist's quest.  This post, tries to put it all in perspective, so that this also becomes a starting point of further debates, discussions and possibly, as Narayan states, the gateway to laying our hands on actual memorabilia of the film itself - even a reel of it from some corner of the planet would be a possibility. ]

So, when was The Lost Child / Vigathakumaran screened for the first time – 1928 or 1930 ?

Pix Credit : Current Books

The intention of this rather long note is to lay  it out on the table, the facts, the percieved fabrications and how the latter have mostly drowned out the former that had been brought to light by meticulous research – in this regard, a respected veteran journalist’s life’s work. The objective is very clear – for any student of Malayalam cinema history who finds himsef/herself befuddled at the contradictory information on the year of release, this would  serve as a chronological guide on the way the information has come to stay that way, based on the information that I have been able to collate from various sources. The easiest point of reference to begin with would be,the researched  writings of  Chelangatt Gopalakrishnan, the veteran journalist. The way the historical date/year of the release of the first Malayalam movie stands now, the print, internet and visual media by now has 1928 and 1930 mentioned in equal measure, drowning out the ACTUAL information that had been consistently served for over a decade in the popular print medium, all due to two purportedly bits of information that ‘proved’ 1930 as the release year. If one looks at a rough timeline of this ‘historical fudging’, it would resemble on these lines.

1960 – 90′s.

Redeeming and reinstating JC Daniel’s rightful place in Malayalam Film history.

October 19, 1973 | Screen Film Magazine. { Click to Read the Complete Article.}

There can be absolutely no dispute when it comes to acknowledging the single-minded determination of a film journalist and humanist who literally rescued the father of Malayalam cinema from obscurity and through his sustained campaign, finally made the state machinery grudgingly admit and accept his contribution to Malayalam film industry. True, there have been local historians and cineastes  with a historic bend of mind who had pursued ( and still do ) the origins of the first Malayalam film and its creator on their own terms in their personal quests, but none could even hold a candle to Chelangatt’s sustained campaign on three fronts. He was at the same time fighting three battles – on behalf of the Daniel couple with the state government to accord him the due recognition as the father of Malayalam cinema, with the State exchequer to allocate him an incremental amount as monthly financial assistance, and with the regimented media who kept parroting  TR Sundaram ( producer of Balan, our first talkie ) as the Father of Malayalam Cinema. His first article on the existence of JC Daniel and the details of Vigathakumaran/The Lost Child came out in 1968, published in Malayali, a popular magazine published from   Thiruvananthapuram, of which he was the Chief Editor. A torrent of articles in the same vein followed to almost all film magazines that were published in South India.  Each one of them said exactly the same thing – Vigathakumaran/The Lost Child was first screened on November 7, 1928. Though it took its own sweet time, in the face of hard evidence, and after some useless stone-walling, the government finally caved in. But JC Daniel never lived to see that – he died in abject penury, a broken man, on May 29, 1975. It took close to two decades  for the government  to make it official –  The JC Daniel Award was instituted in 1992, with legendary film maker TE Vasudevan chosen as the first honorary recipient. Through out  the two decades, right from meeting JC Daniel till his recognition, Chelangattu Gopalakrishnan consistently repeated in all his articles and official communications on the date of the release of Vigathakumaran/The Lost Child as being November 7, 1928. It was based on this that the State government even fixed the year 2003 to celebrate the 75 years of Malayalam cinema as the theme for the VIIIth edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala from 12 – 19 December, 2003. According to Saju Chelangatt, it was during the eve of this grand celebration that  a hand-bill/pamphlet purported to be the publicity material of Vigathakumaran/The Lost Child surfaced, supposedly by Kunnukuzhy Mani, local film historian, which showed October 23, 1930 as the release date !

The 2000′s.

A ‘Xerox Copy from 1930‘ and other references from the Past .

Pix Credit & Rights : CURRENT BOOKS

The above handbill/pamphlet that is said to have surfaced during the VIII IFFK (2003) made enough noise to have it picked up by media houses, who gleefully ran with the story,  and from then on, has been bandied about so much in the Malayalam media in terms of historical context, on par with Chelangatt’s historical fact of November 7, 1928. that, at some point of time in the past decade, it started over-shadowing the two decades of meticulous research put in by Chelangatt Ramakrishnan. There is also a reference of  ”a news report that appeared in the Deepika of 23 October 1930, covering the release of the film” that has been repeated often by R. Gopalakrishnan, who went on to make a documentary on JC Daniel in 2006, called The Lost Life in which he repeats the year as 1930.

From the Lost Life, made by R Gopalakrishnan.

Check out 1:59.

[ Arguably the first 'integration' and thereby legitimising of this 'new date' into the visual media. He had also mentioned this new date on record, in The Hindu,  on the eve of the documentary’s completion, on Feb 24, 2006. In a cover feature done on him by Malayala Manorama in its Shree pullout, dated 29 January, 2006, he  repeats this 1930 argument quoting  the above Handbill and also adds, “അക്കാലത്തെ പത്രങ്ങള്‍ പരിശോധിച്ചപ്പോഴും മേല്പറഞ്ഞ തീയതിയില്‍ തന്നെയാണ് സിനിമ റിലീസ് ചെയ്തതെന്ന് ബോധ്യപ്പെട്ടു.” The news periodicals ( dailies/newspapers  were  non-existent for the times) available at Trivandrum were Kerala Kaumudi ( periodical), Malayali and Malayala Rajyam, as far as I could gather. There could be more. Deepika ( Nazrani Deepika then ) was published from Mannanam till it shifted to Kottayam in 1939. { * If anyone reading this has access or could find access to any of these folded up/still in print news archives, it would be fantastic if you could get a scanned image of those articles and send it to oldmalayalamcinema@gmail.com. That would be precious. }

What bugs me about this “New found evidence”.

The entire argument of this new date revolves around this Hand Bill/invite of the movie of which only a copy exists ! The original archival document of which this copy has been made has NEVER been mentioned anywhere. In the article that came in Malayala Manorama Shree, R Gopalakrishnan mentions about archival material that he was able to collect from the possession of Janet Daniel ( Mrs JC Daniel ) but he does not mention whether this bill too came from her. If it was, then it begs the question – How on earth could a meticulous researcher and journalist have missed this crucial aspect in his interactions with JC Daniel in person ? Going by the same logic, every single aspect that JC Daniel spoke to Chelangatt Ramakrishnan has to be verified again, isn’t it ? And whatever remained and had been bequeathed to Janet would have been passed on from the great man himself, and he would have been the first person to show Chelangatt this, if ever he had it in person ! Every single record chronicled by Chelangatt says November 7, 1928. And to top it all, a decade after it surfaced, Kunnukuzhi Mani comes around expressing doubts on the “authenticity” of this Handbill ! I could confidently say, to date, this Handbill’s source has NEVER been verified or authenticated by any single journalist who  ran the story. How bizarre can it be ?

2. The ‘mythical’ news report that appeared in the Deepika of 23 October 1930, covering the release of the film has never been presented or printed anywhere as a scanned image, or been reproduced ANYWHERE in the media, not even substantiating the argument ! I would really, really love to see that from the Deepika archives, if it exists. But enough damage has been done already.

The Historical Damage.

In Print Media.

The mention about this new date in Malayala Manorama and The Hindu have already been mentioned there, and the latter is available on the web, as a referral document, and being The Hindu, one takes it as bonafide, vetted information. What has been more damaging is that this relentless, shall I say, misinformation repeated ever so often even influenced the publishers of Chelangatt Gopalakrishnan’s  Biography of JC Daniel that they wanted the entire set of dates mentioned in his original manuscripts be changed to this new date on the handbill because they felt this unverified ‘historical document’  was more reliable than a life time of research by Chelangatt Gopalkrishnan.

It was convenient for them too to present Chelangatt’s original research in the way they deemed fit as Chelangatt Gopalakrishnan had passed away on June 4, 2010.  The book came out in July 2011, and carries this date this date across the book, which was NEVER written by the author. The publishers also deemed it fit to include this Handbill amongst other historical documents and photographs given in the book in its Addendum, giving the impression that this was also a part of Chelangatt Gopalkrishnan’s precious finds. It isn’t ! It has NOTHING to do with the author.

All it does is willfully misguide you, and ply you with misinformation, with a document that Chelangatt Gopalakrishnan had NO CLUE about in the first place. It uncannily reminds you of that certain quote by The Reich’s Master of Propaganda, “That propaganda is good which leads to success, and that is bad which fails to achieve the desired result. It is not propaganda’s task to be intelligent, its task is to lead to success.” And success, it has been. So if you are planning to buy a copy of this book, I would suggest you to wait till they bring out its next edition, with the content reverted to the original writings of Chelangatt Gopalakrishnan and the Handbill removed from the biography’s photo gallery.

A reasonable number of “conversations” must have happened in the web publishing front too, since then, though the State machinery has thankfully stuck to its guns, possibly out of sheer sloth or inertia, and the government still sticks to Chelangatt’s original submissions.  

In Visual Media.

1. Documentaries.

There have been two documentaries, to my knowledge, that have been based on the life and times of JC Daniel, the father of Malayalam cinema, The Lost Life (2006) directed by R Gopalakrishnan and The Lost Child ( 2012) directed by Kiran Ravindran.

a. The Lost Life  by R Gopalakrishnan (2006).

A 20-odd minute long documentary that chronicles the life and times of JC Daniel, and also reiterates the date of release of Vigathakumaran/ The Lost Child as October 23, 1930 based on the Handbill/Invite.

b. The Lost Child by Kiran Ravindran ( 2012 )

A 56 – minute documentary  on the life and contributions of Dr J C Daniel, the father of Malayalam cinema. No details are available online and according to what  Adv Narayan has shared based on his conversations with the director, the documentary upholds Chelangatt Gopalakrishnan’s finding of 7 November, 1928, with some vociferous support from movie critics like Vijayakrishnan who speaks on record about the whole “episode”.

2. Feature productions.

a. Vigatha Kumaran/The Lost Child (Redux )

JC Daniel’s Vigathakumaran/The Lost Child was “re-created/ remade” with the modern technology and film-making techniques available – though the year of release of the re-creation seems a bit disputed, with Malayala Sangeetham Info showing 2003 and Cinemalayalam displaying 2002. It was produced and directed by Kowdiar Das.

b. Celluloid by Kamal  (2013).

Arguably, this biopic on JC Daniel would be the biggest and slated to be the most influential ( in formulating public opinion and perception ) once released, especially with its A-list actors in the cast and some of Malayalam film industry’s veterans helming its production, based on Vinu Abraham’s book, Nashta Nayika, on Rosy, the heroine of Vighathakumaran. Director Kamal also has stuck to the “new” October 23, 1930 as the date of release of Vigatha Kumaran in the production, as is evident from the teaser of the movie. Call it irresponsible or outright bizarre, the biopic has Srinivasan essaying the role of Chelangatt Gopalakrishnan who has never associated himself with this date as the date of Vigathakumaran/ The Lost Child’s release.

Kamal himself speaks about the pre-production efforts of the movie, stating 1928 as the year of Vigathakumaran/The Lost Child’s making in a video available on the web.

Director Kamal on JC Daniel.

He says it right there at 0:23. This video was posted on the web in December, 2012. I presume shooting must have been on by this time for the movie, and the biopic’s trailer was released soon after. And guess what the movie he directed tells us ?

The Trailer of Celluloid (2013)

For those who missed that shot at 0:09 of the Movie’s publicity bill, I have added a screen grab below which clearly shows the date in it.

So much for diligent research and responsibility, if you ask me. It goes from bizarre to pure senselessness when one looks at the fact that it is a movie that also chronicles the efforts of Chelangatt Gopalakrishnan in rewriting Malayalam film history, with NO mention of the crucial date of the movie release he diligently recorded, based on conversations with JC Daniel himself ! This movie, once released, will go on to be a source of information in popular movie culture for anyone who would want to learn about the father of Malayalam cinema. Forget us, think of a child 5 generations into the future, interested in Malayalam film history, pulling out a video file of this movie, watching it and forming the opinion of Malayalam movie history beginning from October 23, 1930, based on an unverified document ! Wouldn’t it be criminal, this dissemination of misinformation ?

I really, really hope that he goes back and edits/reshoots the parts of the movie that goes against the recorded history of Malayalam cinema, atleast for the sake of holding true to the original research and findings of the character that is portrayed in the biopic called Celluloid (2013 ).

A Short Video feature on Chelangatt Gopalakrishnan.  

Please do write in with your thoughts.

Related :  The Kerala Movie Studio Legacy | JC Daniel’s The Travancore National Pictures