The movie that one Mohanlal his first National Best Actor Award. This following the Jury Best Actor Award he'd earned the previous year. A hallmark of his career.
The performance stands apart for the observation of nuances rather than melodramatic high-tone. A lot of credit for which must surely belong to the director(Sibi Malayil). And one cannot help admiring the jury who's notice fell on this subtelity from the various candidates competing. A stark contrast from the recent trend of adulating loud performances, like those in 'Pukar' and 'Legend of Bhagat Singh' for eg., the latter inspite of a deeper performance in Company by Ajay Devgan which even the actor hinted deserved the trophy.
The movie revolves around Kaloor Gopinathan(Mohanlal) whose elder brother is Kaloor Ramanathan(Nedi Mudi Venu), a singer who is carrying forward the legacy of his illustrious father late Payanoor Devanarayanan Namboodiri. Palavoor Parameswaran Nair(Unnikrishnan) is their uncle who has being playing the Mridangam since the time of their father. As in traditional Kerala, Kaloor Ramanathan is also married to the daughter of this uncle Ramani(Lakshmi)while Gopinathan is engaged to her younger sister Devi(Urvasi). Gopinathan has been taught to sing by his elder brother and hence even looks upon him as his Guru. He accompanies his brother in concerts playing the Veena and also has a Govt. job.
It is in this backdrop that evil casts it's eye on the family. The movie comes immediately to this point when it is made clear that Ramanathan has picked up the drinking habit from some members of the organising committee of some of his concerts. The downslide into this whirlpool continues inspite of repeated assurances given by him to those who know this unpalatable truth-his wife, uncle and brother. He has even(to his chagrin) had to hear his brother speaking to him in a tone uncharacteristic of him while exhorting Ramanathan to give up this evil. As is the case when temptation has surrounded you, Ramanathan is able to silence his conscience each time with reasonings like "If drinking was bad for music, then would there have been musicians in the West? It is fine if we have control. We should consume alcohol, alcohol should not consume us." and then once "Music itself is an intoxicant, one who has drowned in that intoxicant can never drown in this intoxicant(alcohol)." "The voice clears up on consuming it." In the midst of this, Ramanathan's dumb sister's marriage is fixed with a widower, thus relieving him of the greatest tension in his life. His sister's marriage has been his long time desire. This only encourages his habit.
Events reach the crest when he comes drunk for a concert and is unable to sing. Gopinathan's aarengettum happens in this circumstance, in order to silence the booing crowd. His uncle too encourages him. Kaloor Ramanathan leaves the stage. He finds a metaphor of this occurence in the Mahabharatha when Krishna asks Arjuna to seize the opportunity when Karna's chariot's wheel is stuck to the ground. Perhaps the degenerating effect of drink makes his mind feel that everyone else have conspired and defeated him. The rest of the family has now learnt of this habit. While they are merciless in their criticism for this, they, in the same vein, point out to Gopinathan that taking the stage without his brother's permission was also a big wrong. Gopinathan is not convinced of his mistake. But it hurts him deep when his brother refuses to accept the momento presented to him by the organisers for his good performance which he offers as his Dakshina. His boss in office, an old accomplice, the RDO(Murali) philosophises it aptly when he says "No one can sit at the throne forever. When the time ended, alcohol just turned up as medium."
Determined to put things behind him, Ramanathan stops consuming liquor and begins rehearsal for the Thyaragaja Utsavam in Coimbatore. But he refuses to let Gopinathan play the Veena which pains Gopinathan immensely. But the only anticipation in his mind is to watch his elder brother give a terrific performance at the Thyaragaja Utsavam; his only intention that one day he would be back playing the Veena sitting behind his brother, his Guru. But a shock awaits both...
The Thyaragaja committee request Gopinathan to perform in place of Ramanathan. Ramanathan is unable to control his grief. Gopinathan, unable to believe his ears, decides to bring an end to this problem by singing the Mangalam which would mark the end of his singing career. Exhorted by his wife and uncle, Ramanathan sees sense and stops Gopinathan from doing so. He asks him to sing at the Utsavam. But he goes back to his old ways asking his wife "Now what is the need for control" who is unable to reply knowing the depth of the wound in her husband's mind.
Gopinathan gives a sublime performance at the Utsavam. Present among the audience, he finds none other than his Guru. Ramanathan is so impressed that he - albeit drunk - goes up to stage and puts the necklace their father had given him on Gopinathan's neck.
The next day, when it's just three days to go for their sister's marriage, Gopinathan and family realise that there is no trace of Ramanathan's whereabouts. All search goes in vain. It is then that Devi brings into Gopinathan's attention a notice she'd found in the newspaper. Regarding the unclaimed body of a victim of a road accident. With the RDO, the two go to the police stn. and as fate would have it, it turned out to be the body of Ramanathan.
But coming back, they are bewildered to find the family in good spirits, a striking contrast to the gloomy mood until that morning. A letter of Ramanathan written before his death, addressed to Gopinathan, mentioned how he was losing control over self due to alcohol. He wrote that he'd even once felt jealous of his brother. He said he'd be going on a long pilgrimage, from Kanyakumari to Kashi, and expressed his desire that one day the two would sing together on stage.
Pointing that it was more important for them to fulfill their elder brother's desire than to convey the truth and destroy the happiness prevailing currently in the family. Much against his will, the grieving brother is forced by others to sing on that night before their sister's wedding, the day he carried out the last rites of his brother at Ramanathan's favourite Bharatam river bank. Holding back his tears with utmost difficulty, he carries out his sister's marriage.
The bad news breaks out when he takes his nephew to cremate the ashes of Ramanathan. The boy makes out that it is for his father that the procedures are being carried out. News reaches the family. Just like the RDO has foreboden, people in the family are not able to see why Gopinathan had to hide the news of Ramanathan's death, some even suspecting his hand. It is only his sister-in-law, who,although shattered, as always, understands him. The movie depicts reconciliation when Gopinathan is show teaching his nephew to sing the way he had been by his dear late Guru, Ramanathan.
The movie, a wholesome family entertainer, stands out in various fronts. The abundance of Carnatic music which, in my opinion, deserved to win Yesudas the National Award over 'Ramakatha'. Supreme performances. Nedi Mudi Venu, as bankable as ever. A special mention must go for Lakshmi's performance. Calibre-wise, an even greater performance than Mohanlal's, superb body language being her highlight. And of course, Mohanlal, especially the way the character has been perfectly sketched. Throughout the movie, Gopinathan has been depicted as someone who's short tempered. This consistency is maintained in the last scene when he's asks looking at his brother's photo what all should he now bear for him. The body language just perfectly rhythmic like artists usually have. Various emotions, happiness or grief, so convincingly and spontaneously well depicted. Maximum credit, indeed should go to the director for such a well made film. Pranavam Arts once again scores at contributing to memorable Malayalam cinema with social messages conveyed through the medium of cinema.
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