Aayirathil Oruvan Malayalam Movie
Siby Malayil's Ayirathil Oruvan, misses the mark as an outstanding drama yet manages to brilliantly convey the devastating effects of debt and desolation.
Razak's script that won him a State Award several years back, is thoroughly engaging though it puts forward nothing that's new. Mani plays the ever sacrificing brother who gets himself into a financial mess, following the marriages of his younger sisters. As he strives hard to pay off the liabilities, he ends up borrowing even more and starts his slow and tragic descent into an abyss of no rerurn.
I would admit that for all its obviousness, there is a charm in this movie that really got to me. And for the best part of it, it's neither slow nor dull. Ayirathil Oruvan has been in the making for quite a long time, but it doesn't show much except for some oddities. It's heartening to see Oduvil Unnikrishnan on screen after a while, albeit for a very brief time.
The film succeeds atleast in parts, because of a combination of great performances and a solid script. Mani has evidently put a whole lot of himself into this role and sees to it that the despair and anguish that he goes through are extraordinarily obvious. Suchitha is a revelation. Looking melancholic and quite forlorn, she plays her role of the ill-fated bride with a remarkable charm, and serves as a perfect supplement to her lead actor. I would like to specially mention KPAC Lalitha as well in this regard. An ever dependable actor, she comes up with a truly stunning feat that's quite a treat to watch.
There's a staunch optimism that lingers all over this poignant tale that hits some surprisingly sweet notes. One could only revere the supreme human fortitude that refuses to give in to trauma and torture and rises above a marsh of despondency, hoping for some fresh air to start anew.
Razak's delivery of the finale however, is overwrought and uncomfortable, and the film's ending is quite unproductive, offering an easy-way-out kinda message that doesn't really match up with the rest of the plot build up. After the persistent gloomy realism, and the unvarying refusal to put a happy face, the finale does seem a bit convoluted, to put it mildly. I am all for happy endings, but if only there were more saviors around like the one who drops out of heaven in the climax to maneuver the shattered ship ashore.
It's amusing to note that Razak's recent take-on, on the 'blade mafia' in the state through Parunthu remains not a patch on the original script that he himself had cooked up in Ayirathil Oruvan. Perhaps the reworking of the script was prompted by the uncertainty associated with the earlier film's release.
Its dazzling cast and a few ingenious riffs on an aged outline makes the film a welcome deviance. Maybe its time we let go of that terrible Flash that Siby shone on us a couple of years back.
