Zachariayude Garbhinikal Malayalam Movie
Aneesh Anwar's 'Zachariyayude Garbhinikal' chronicles the lives of three pregnant women, and of a woman who pretends to be pregnant. Dr. Zacharia (Lal) who runs the Kinder Hospital has apparently so many tales to tell, of women who eagerly and some who not-so-eagerly await the day when they would become a mother.
Anuradha (Sandra Thomas) bears the seed of her lover in her stomach, while her husband Hari (Joy Mathew) lies in bed following an accident, waiting for an imminent demise. Unsure as to whether she should go for an abortion, Anu wonders where life is gonna take her from now on. Jasmine Jennifer (Geetha) is a nun who has walked out of the church after several years of commendable service, and who has decided to have a child of her own. And there is Saira (Sanusha) who turns up at the doctor's doorstep, claiming she is eighteen and insisting that she deliver her child.
Fathima (Rima Kallingal) hails from Kasargod and has built a small nest for herself and her younger brother Ikku in Cochin. She snatches an air pillow from a mannequin and places it on her belly, thereby giving the impression to all and sundry that she is pregnant. Though her predominant aim is to excuse herself from the night duty at the hospital where she works as a nurse, she finds the world smiling at her all on a sudden, seeing that the stork has paid her a visit.
Believe it or not, it is this mock pregnancy that works the best in the film, and Fathima and her brother are the only characters around that seem to have some real blood flowing through their veins. The rest, including the doctor himself either border on the melodramatic, or are too apathetic and perplexed at their own states.
None of these are pregnancies that are normal, when you take a closer look at them. Though it claims to be an ode to motherhood, 'the most purest' (according to the titles) emotion in the world, except for one, none of these mothers have concerns about the baby. They are much more alarmed at how their lives are to be transformed post the arrival of their child.
For that matter it does not really require a Padmarajan story that is furnished at the very end to comprehend how Saira has ended up being pregnant. Its utterly unbelievable that a gynecologist who has delivered hundreds of babies needs to go on a guess game to find out the culprit, when even the most common of viewers can easily sense where that sperm came from.
'Zachariayude Garbhinikal' has Rima Kallingal in top form, and she delivers yet another first-rate performance as Fathima, getting almost everything about the role, including the accent, the vibrancy and the vulnerability right. Asha Sarath looks gorgeous and together with Sanusha who comes up with a very sensitive feat, sees to it that the sentiments in their thread are all transacted safe and sound. Geetha is no naive performer, and grabbing the role with a vengeance, the veteran actress proves beyond doubt that she has still got it in her. Sandra Thomas, I'm sure is a good film producer, though I simply cannot vouch for her histrionic skills.
There is predominantly just one man who is expected to make his presence felt, which is Lal. However, Dr. Zacharia is no earth shattering role, which is why perhaps the audience develops an instant liking towards Aju Varghese, who plays a youngster in love with Fathima. I should also specially mention the young actor who plays Fathima's brother who is a true rockstar! The musical score by Vishnu-Sharath is downright striking, and so is the notable cinematography by Vishnu Naarayan.
Aneesh Anwar's film is intermittently engaging but gets unduly protracted by the greasy emotions that come to play in it. It does win points however, for its earnestness in attempting to tell a tale that is categorically special.
