Dany Malayalam Movie

Feature Film | 2001 | Drama | 2h 0min
Critics:
Apr 4, 2002 By K. T. Thomas


After Susanna, it's now Dany, and renowned filmmaker TV Chandran is back into action, with a bang. And a real big bang it is indeed. That's what you'd feel after seeing Dany, in the making of which director Chandran has come out with elan. Made under the banner of Film Commune, Dany tells the story of Dany alias Daniel Thomas, who began life as a singer of dirges, then becomes a saxophone player, following which he went on to become many more things-a husband, to a rich lady who has no love for him, a father to a son conceived by his wife from her earlier lover.


But the greatest irony is that he never becomes anything at all. Fate never allowed him to become anything. There are many people around him, but he has no one who really loves him or cares for him. Dany was born on the day Mahatma Gandhi conducted the historic Dandi march. Then onwards, all the important occurrences in his life happen on days of historical importance. Thus Dany's story is told on a track parallel to the history of Kerala and that of India itself, but the most notable thing is that Dany remains blissfully ignorant of these historical happenings and travels alone, all alone in life. It's in old age that he gets a real, good, understanding companion in a retired professor Bhargavi Amma, who too seeks refuge in the hospital in which Dany is dumped by his wife, son and daughter-in-law. And ultimately, he finds solace in death, the ultimate healer.


Mammootty gives a marvellous performance portraying the different stages in the life of Dany. An accomplished and seasoned actor that he is, Mammootty shines when TV Chandran transforms him to the ever-lonely Dany. Noted dancer Mallika Sarabhai as Bhargavi Amma, Vani Viswanath as Margaret, Dany's wife, Vijayaraghavan as Robert, Dany's son and Siddique as Freddie, Dany's friend in his youth-all do full justice to their respective roles. Ratheesh makes a comeback after a gap of time as Dr. Renji Thomas and does his role in an appreciable manner. KG Jayan's cinematography, background music by Johnson and editing by Venugopal has contributed very much to the realisation of the theme on celluloid. Some popular television actresses too are there in the cast. Among these, Maya Moushmi, who does the role of Dany's daughter Lucian, impresses us in her own way. Raji Menon, who does the role of Dany's first wife Clara, too does her part fairly well.


A very notable fact about Dany is that TV Chandran, who has done the story, screenplay and dialogues too, has managed to include in the film, knowingly or unknowingly, sufficient amount of humour - good, subtle, enjoyable humour that seems apt to the many contexts which elicit an occasional laughter among the audience. Still, Dany is a very serious film, serious in the sense that it's theme is very much relevant and there is no need to say that the maker of films like Ponthan Maada, Mankamma, Susanna, Ormakal Undaayirikkanam hasn't let us down in any way.


K. T. Thomas

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