At a time when life and relationships have become so complicated, it's only but natural for people to take a film as simple as 'Rathinirvedham' in the wrong sense...
It was recently that I got to see the new 'Rathinirvedham', directed by T.K.Rajeev Kumar and with Shwetha Menon and Sreejith in the lead, at a multiplex in Kochi. It was not a big audience, families were less in number. I decided to forget that there was already a 'Rathinirvedham' that was penned by Padmarajan and directed by Bharathan; I preferred to see this as a new, totally fresh movie.
I saw the film, liked it, came out of the theatre satisfied at having seen a good movie; yes, I won't call it a so so movie, I'd prefer to be unpretentious and call it a good movie. As I was moving out, I was in fact surprised by the comments that were coming up. It seems most of the guys coming out wanted to be there because of the element of sensuousness that the film was supposed to have and hence were disappointed. The comments suggested so. In an age when sex, though considered to be a taboo in our social life, is served in all varieties and flavours over the internet and is so easily available, a coming of age story set in a little village in Kerala won't have much appeal. But those who pretend to have grown up and see those things as belonging to an age bygone perhaps forget that coming of age is still almost a similar thing. Changes have occurred, but that's mere superficial. In
essence, it's almost the same. Not just in little villages, in towns, in cities and everywhere we can find characters like Pappu and Rathi and similar stories happening; only that with the change in lifestyle it has acquired different colours and dimensions. Agreed that there won't be a Pappu who'd ride by in a bicycle and peep at dames bathing in village ponds, agreed that there won't be a 'sarpakkavu' and the exchange of books, agreed that there won't be the kind of simple and slow, uneventful life that's depicted so beautifully by Padmarajan, the master story-teller. Times have changed; there are no kites that boys fly during lazy evenings, there are no comic books of the old times that they read and cherish for ever, the old-time games that kids used to play in their compounds and all around are disappearing, you may not find kids going after things like pickles, balloons, simple little toys, film posters cut out of newspapers, stamp collection etc. There may not be the paddy fields, rivulets, mango trees, dragon flies etc. in the lives of most kids today. But take a peep into the mind of an adolescent who exchanges SMS messages rather than books with love-letters hidden in it with a girl of his age or who is older to him; take a peep into the mind of an adolescent who, from his rooftop in a teeming metropolis, views a much older girl in the neighbourhood; take a peep into the mind of an urban schoolboy who develops a liking for his beautiful teacher or a senior student..and you will understand it. The feelings are still almost the same; it's something that helps you understand yourself better; it's something that offers you some primary insights into love and sex; it's something that gives you a glimpse of how diverse relationships could be; it's something that helps you grow up, come of age...Hey, it's all so universal, so simple...Sitting there watching the new 'Rathinirvedham', I was mesmerised by the story that Padmarajan had woven up, over three decades ago. The story was not just a story. It was life portrayed as simply as possible, with a charm that exceeds all bounds...I was bowled over by the kind of insight that the much talented writer-director, who unfortunately is no more.
Coming out of the theatre and in the parking lot, I took out my cellphone, sent a message to director Rajeev Kumar, who is a friend too, saying that I liked the movie. Yes, I liked it, I liked it because I didn't compare Shwetha's performance to Jayabharathi's, Sreejith's to Krishnachandran's and I liked it because I didn't expect anyth
ing sensuous in it, except what would be part of the story, simply because Padmarajan has always been one of my favourites. I liked it because I tended to overlook many of the shortcomings in the film (some of which I had pointed out in my reviews elsewhere) and saw it just as myself. I liked it because I didn't compare it with the old 'Rathinirvedham'.
I still believe that those who go see all the trash dished out in the name of cinema should find time to see films like 'Rathinirvedham' too. Such films do matter... we need to come of age, at least now...
Yeah, I do know that Kerala is the land where films like 'Venalkinaavukal' won't be remembered for long and where films like 'Rugmini' would cause unwanted fuss. But that's all past. Let's change history at least now; things are changing so fast outside Kerala, as regards films. Tamilians see and enjoy 'Enthiran', but they also accord a warm welcome to films like 'Autograph', 'Mynaa', 'Vennila Kabbadi Kuzhu' and 'Kalavani'.
Yes, we need to come of age....
