Thallappavu -A Movie on Com Varghese

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FROM NAXAL REVOLUTION BLOG
Review of Movie Thallappavu

Onam comes every year, but “Thalappavu” comes once a decade. There couldn’t be a better Onam gift for Malayalis and Malayalam cinema than “Thalappavu”. Watched the movie today, First day, at SreePadmanabha and I’m still searching for a fault line. This one goes right up there – An All time Classic.

Madhupal makes a dream debut as a director, Prithviraj and Lal give their best performances till date, Babu Janardanan delivers a world class script which will stand its ground in any film festival ,and Azhagappan mesmerises with the Camera. “Thalappavu” is one movie which puts to rest any doubts about the class and scope of malayalam movies. We rank right up there!

“Thalappavu” is a gripping movie, immensely watchable, it doesn’t drag a bit, there is no suspense (starts with the death of the central character), no violence, no comedy, no love lines. Its almost like a Rohinton Mistry novel with tragedy heaped over tragedy, and finally topped with some very sad tragedy. I hate sad movies, and this is not one of them. Its a classic.

In a recent article from the Rupesh Paul-Amal Neerad junta, Rupesh had pointed out that “Story” is not an important part of a movie. While nobody liked his movie, the point remains that, if Cinema is for telling a story then you could as well publish a short story. Making a movie for telling a story is as good as using Google for searching for porn alone, or using your Blackberry for incoming calls alone. Cinema as a medium has immense potential which needs to be tapped. “Thalappavu”, kudos to Madhupal, does exactly that. It uses the medium’s untapped potentials for handing down a classic.

A still from the movie Thallappavu

Story: Thalappavu is a movie about Naxal Varghese who was killed in one of the state’s most controversial police encounters, and P Ramachandran Nair the police constable who shot him (and after 3 decades brought to book his superiors Laxmana and Vijayan who ordered the murder). Lal plays Ravindran Pillai, the constable, who carries with him the burden of the crime for three decades and along the way loses his family, his home and his sanity. Prithvi plays Naxal Joseph and his ghost, which keeps Ravindran Pillai company. The story moves in multi dimension with threads falling in line at their own pace, with every character getting their own space and piece of the tragedy, with recurring and repeating scenes shot from varying perspectives. Dhanya Mary is a find, and she must be here to stay.

Excerpt from the film website,

‘Thalappavu’ (headgear or turban) is a symbol of authority. In many societies, those in the upper social strata wear the turban as a symbol of power and authority. For the working class it provides shade from the hot sun and pelting rain.

The relationship between a hardcore revolutionary and the masses is usually distressing as far as governments are concerned. Everywhere in the world, it is a common practice for the ruling class to fetter one who is ready to sacrifice his life for social causes. The basis of a constitution is that whatever the crime, it is the law of the land that has the right to mete out punishment. The Malayalam movie ‘Thalappavu’ tries to portray that it is the very watchdogs of law who shamelessly violate the rules that they bound to defined.

Good:

1. Script, Screenplay & Direction: “Vasthavam” flopping is one thing I hold against the malayalam audience, then “Thaniyavarthanam” flopped too. Babu Janardanan of “Vasthavam” and “Achanurangatha Veedu”, delivers a water tight script. One can see the effort that has gone into writing this marvel. Madhupal, as a director delivers the script with finesse, but ends up delivering more than the screenplay. It is an exceptional “Director’s movie”, which I guess would catapault Madhupal to Blessy’s seat, now that the latter has started making trash. The story line is spoon fed to the audience multiple times in the first half that we are ready with the details when the movie speeds up in the second half. The delivery is subtle, forceful and passionate. If you look close enough you could even see a Jesus thread hanging around.

Gulmohar – Malayalam movie on Naxalite Maoist Movement in Kerala

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Review of Malayalam Movie Gulmohar

Once a revolutionary, always a revolutionary’ should have been the tagline of Jayaraj’s much talked about new Malayalam film Gulmohar. The acting debut of writer-director Ranjith has added to the curiosity value of this endeavour.

Scripted by Didi Damodaran (daughter of T Damodaran, the hit script writer of yesteryears) Gulmohar tells the story of a group of friends who were revolutionaries in their younger days. The tale is told from the point of view of Induchoodan (Ranjith), who now is settled as school teacher with his wife, two kids and mother-in-law.

Induchoodan – The protagonist of the movie

As Induchoodan jogs down the memory lane, we get glimpse of their adventurous existence mostly lived on the edge as they took on the establishment and fought for the voiceless.

The script as such is packed with lot of layering. The current generation ridicules the suffering and the sacrifices their elders made to make the world a better place. Their relatives never empathised or appreciated the zeal with which they followed their heart’s calling or even their sense of justice.

Still from the movie

Induchoodan was an orphan (maybe it is used as a tool to justify why he is moved by the plight of others, as conveyed in a scene in the beginning where he tackles a complaint against an orphaned boy in the school) with only an elder sister to call his own. A person with a creative bent of mind, he uses his writing skills to propagate his ideas on revolution.

We fear that Induchoodan’s character may go overboard any moment as any conventional multi-talented hero’s would. But it is discreetly held back at the script level itself.

The narrative moves from the past to the present, giving us the story of Induchoodan’s past and how his present is made.

Ranjith’s performance does not look like he was the last minute replacement for the role of Induchoodan (Suresh Gopi [Images] was to play the role). He makes us feel that the part was written with him in the mind. He gives the impression that he has rehearsed well for the part.

Debutant Neenu Mathew is the other performance that impresses us.

Technically too, Gulmohar is in a league of its own, helping Jayaraj to bounce back in form.

Rediff.com

Poster girl of kerala’s Naxalism

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Kerala’s Naxalbari: Memoirs of a young revolutionary, Ajitha, translated by Sanju Ramachandran, Srishti, Rs. 195.
It may not be worth much but it is a testimony to Ajitha that a random Google search of just her name brings up correct links in the first instance itself. No need to add either her initial or key words like Naxalite (the movement she was associated with in the 1960s) or P.K. Kunhalikutty (the powerful former Indian Union Muslim League minister in Kerala whose involvement in the ice cream parlour sex racket she tried to expose in 2005).
A familiar name in Kerala — courtesy her role in the Pulpally revolt in which she along with other Naxal comrades stormed a police station 40 years ago — it was her campaign against Kunhalikutty three years back that got her some national attention after the late 1960s when newspapers had flashed photographs of a defiant Ajitha under arrest.
Though the translation itself leaves much to be desired, Sanju Ramachandran and Srishti Publishers must be thanked for making Ajitha’s memoir accessible to a larger audience. So what if Ajitha has since moved away from Naxalism and become a feminist, there can be no denying the spirit that saw a school girl choosing revolution over a comfortable and carefree existence.
Not the best of reads — replete as it is with revolutionary rhetoric besides a touch of self-glorification — Ajitha’s memoir, however, doubles up as a window into the mind of a foot soldier of the short-lived Naxal movement of Kerala

 

People’s March Banned by District Magistrate on 14-02-2008

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Proceedings of the District Collector & District Magistrate, Ernakulam
(Present: Sri A.P.M.Mohammed Hanish. I.A.S.

M6.7364/08 Date 14-02-2008

Sub: Publication of “People’s March” – Prohibitory orders issued- Reg.
Read: 1. Report No: 324/T/2008/TS dated 6-2-2008 of the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Thrikkakkara
2. Order dated 1.2.2008 in Bail application No: 265/2008 of the Hon. High Court of Kerala.

As per the reference read as 1st above, it has been requested to cancel the registration of “People’s March”, since the said magazine (RNI No: KER/ENG/2000/2051), edited, owned, printed and published by Sri Govindan kutty S/o Sangunny Menon, Peroor house, Vadakkekkota bhagom, Tripunithura, contained materials that are seditious in nature, bringing about contempt and disaffection against the Government of India by projecting ideologies and activities of CPI (Maoist), banned in many states. It has been reported that a case (Cr.780/07 of Thrikkakkara Police Station) was registered against Sri Govindan kutty, on the basis of the report of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Govt. of India, relating to the blocking of the website http//:peoplesmarch.com for hosting anti national contents. The bail application moved by Sri Govindan kutty has been rejected by the Sessions Court, Ernakulam on 5.1.2008 in Crl. MC.2/08 and by the Hon. High Court of Kerala on 1.2.2008 in B.A.265/2008.

Further, in its order, as per the reference read as 2nd above, the Hon. High Court of Kerala has observed that a reading of “People’s March” published and edited by Sri Govindan kutty is sufficient to prima facie drive home the allegations against him.

In these circumstances, the publication, sale, distribution and circulation of the magazine named “People’s March” is hereby prohibited in the district of Ernakulam, since the said magazine is found to be containing materials that are seditious subversive in nature, bringing about contempt and disaffection against the Government of India.

The Commissioner of Police, Kochi city and Superintendent of Police, Ernakulam Rural,, Aluva, shall implement this order forthwith.

The Additional District Magistrate, Ernakulam shall take immediate necessary steps to take up the matter with the Registrar of Newspapers of India, New Delhi, so as to get the registration of the said magazine, cancelled.

Dated this the 14th day of February, 2008.

Signed
District Magistrate.

To
All Concerned.