Mammooty (Murikkumkunnath Ahmmed Haji) in
Palerimanikyam: Oru Pathirakolapaathakathinte Katha

Abstract

This development of Malayalam cinema mirrors a comprehensive artistic shift towards recognising mental health, emotive complexity, sensitiveness, and the blurry borders of gender. By adapting literary works that underscore self-examination and emotional exploration, present-day Malayalam cinema nurtures a profound link with the viewers, appealing to them to be involved with the silent truths of human survival. The filmic edition of these texts not only conserves the spirit of Mollywood but also carries new outlooks to the worldwide struggles of the human psyche, predominantly within the framework of gendered understandings. This article attempts to study how the human psyche differs in both men and women in aspects of their living conditions, choices, social orders and so on after the 2000s.

Keywords: Mollywood, Literature, Psychological, Identity, Emotion.

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With its rich legacy in the magic of storytelling, its sensitive depth and deep metaphysical perceptions, Malayalam literature has always been a source of encouragement and inspiration for Mollywood filmmakers. The continuous conversions of these literary works into movies have not only boosted the cinematic scenario of Kerala but also brought to life the nuanced, multifaceted characters and timeless chronicles intertwined into the platforms of Kerala's cultural heritage. The association between Malayalam literature and cinema is a space that shares mutual respect and inspiration, as both these art forms repeat each other's opinions, feelings, views and so on fashioning an exclusive cinematic experience that vibrates with spectators across many generations.

The literature of Kerala, with its socio-cultural and historical roots, lies in the ancient folk and oral traditions of the place, slowly progressing over many centuries, giving birth to a treasure house of tales and narratives, poems, and plays that express the densities and intricacies of humans. Writers like O. Chandu Menon, C.V. Raman Pillai, Thakazhi Sivasankaran Pillai, P. Kesavdev, Uroob, O. V. Vijayan, Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, P. Vatsala, M. T. Vasudevan Nair, T. P. Rajeevan etc… have crafted this world with amusing literary works which could explore ideas of love, struggle, sacrifice, and other societal subjects to thoughtful metaphysical questions and intricate human sentiments. The exquisiteness of Malayalam literature lies in its ability to replicate the common man’s everyday life, imbued with reflections of folklore customs, social systems, and the evolving struggles of entities.

Mollywood with its reel-world magic started in the 1950s and 1960s, during which the great filmmakers sought motivation from literary scenarios to bring out chronicles that could strike a harmony with the common masses. Hence, many films, particularly in the early golden periods of Mollywood, were adapted from great literary texts. This large literary spectrum served as the bridge that links the “world of letters” to the “world of visuals”, that later extended the range and scope of these literary jewels. What makes these film editions so captivating is how these filmmakers, scriptwriters, and actors blow life into their works, rendering their emotive depth into visual images that transcend written language.

When speaking about literary adaptations of Mollywood, one cannot omit the movie Chemmeen (1965), directed by Ramu Kariat, based on the novel by Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai. The film’s evocative depiction of the tragic love story set against the backdrop of a small coastal fishing community remains a classic masterpiece in Mollywood. The high emotional struggle depicted by the central characters, the prettiness of the Kerala coastline, the communal beliefs and customs of the fishing community, and the subtle interface between social norms and individual desires turn out to be identical to the power of literature to portray the intense complexities of the human experience.

Mollywood movies always tend to rely upon character-driven storytelling. In the materialistic world where mass commercial movies often highlight plot over character, Malayalam movies rooted in literature are always credited for their nuanced and multi-dimensional characters with intense human emotions. Here, reality surpasses fiction. This reality comes from genuine story writers and their literal backdrop. Movies are made to experience, not just amusement. Whether it is Aristotle’s model of the tragic hero in Kireedam (1989) or the conflicted lover in Randu Penkuttikal (1986), these movies convey the intensely complex human mindset. Mollywood could create these evergreen characters from the deep understanding of human psychology and the socio-cultural context of where they exist, which Malayalam literature always prettily captures. Mollywood has long been an embodiment of creative expression, sketching motivation from the region’s rich literary heritage.

The twenty-first century has seen Malayalam cinema travel beyond the classic literary adaptations that defined the genre for much of the 20th century. This shift has fetched an uplifting vitality to the genre, contributing more diverse outlooks and intricate explanations of the original works. One of the most noteworthy features of post-2000 Malayalam cinema is its emphasis on adapting works that delve into psychological, social, and emotional complexities. While previous adaptations were frequently more straightforward, current movies are noticed by their nuanced tactic for character growth and their examination of present-day issues, such as individuality, mental health, gender, and the details of familial and societal relationships.

Mollywood is always well credited for its nuanced, genuine representation of human sentiments and mental complexities. Over the years, movie makers from Kerala have probed into the intensity of the human psyche, investigating the inner fights, needs, and emotional settings of both men and women. In many of the Mollywood movies, the depiction of the human state of mind is not just an examination of individual or social conflicts, but a detailed study of worldwide themes such as individuality, love, loss, guilt, and redemption. This article will explore how Mollywood has described the emotional intricacies of both men and women from different angles, observing how gender influences their understandings and how filmmakers use these perceptions to expand their narrations.

A frequent theme in most male-driven stories of Mollywood is the psychological theme of the seclusion felt by men, repeatedly worsened by their incapability or reluctance to express their feelings. These films exemplify how social pressure on men to adapt to standards of stoutness, endurance, and self-reliance leads to deep emotional isolation. The helplessness to express weakness in aspects of individual misfortunes, damage, or unsatisfied desires highlights the sensitive toll these prospects can have. On the other side, one of the central themes in the female psyche in Mollywood is the fight for independence and self-empowerment. The female psyche is often represented as being wavering between the roles of a nurturer, lover, or martyr.

The conflict between societal expectations and personal desires makes both men and women face the pressure between what the social order assumes them to be and who they are. Whether it is the male protagonist struggling with his role as a provider or the female protagonist trying to declare her independence, this battle remains central to their psychological journeys. Both genders experience loneliness and isolation, either mental or physical, as an outcome of social norms and individual selections. While men in Mollywood may struggle with emotional suppression and seclusion, women often experience loneliness due to social boundaries on their independence. The desire for redemption is another significant statement to be discussed. Both male and female characters often board on a journey of self-redemption, trying to overcome their previous errors or emotional weights. This mission for emotional curation is a central theme in movies that explore the human psyche. The power of relationship works as whether it’s the connection between a man and his domesticities, or the difficulties of a woman’s associations with her husband or children, Mollywood often examines the emotional depth of human relations. These relationships form the emotional settings of both men and women, often inspiring individual development, transformation, or struggle. Adapted movies like Renjith’s Palerimanikyam: Oru Pathirakolapaathakatthinte Katha (2009) based on the novel by T. P. Rajeevan, Priyanandanan’s Sufi Paranja Katha (2010), based on K. P. Ramanunni’s work, Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Ee.Ma.Yau (2018), based on P. F. Mathews’ Chaavunilam (novel) fall under this category.

Aadujeevitham : Goat Life (2024)

Prithviraj (Najeeb) in Aadujeevitham
 

The film Aadujeevitham, directed by Blessy and starring Prithviraj Sukumaran in the lead role, is an excellent adaptation of the much-celebrated Malayalam novel Aadujeevitham (The Goat Days) by author Benyamin. The novel, which won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for its powerful and evocative narrative, explores various themes of survival, existence, human resilience, and the deep relationship between man and nature. The movie adaptation brings to life the fascinating and painful story of Najeeb, a young man trapped in the traumatic and brutal circumstances of a distant desert.

The book begins with the writer Benyamin’s superb quote on the cover page of his masterpiece that the lives that we haven’t experienced lie as mere fables to us. Certainly, one of the major draws of the novel is its shock wave - the astounding tribulations of its protagonist Najeeb inculcating a deep sense of fear in its Malayali readers, who are left wondering how “one among us” could have perhaps experienced such staggering trauma on a place that has debatably assisted in transforming the economic landscape of contemporary Kerala for the good. Nevertheless, the many lakhs of people who have migrated from Kerala to the Gulf countries and brought back substantial money over the years have been accredited, among others, as important sponsors to the state’s high growth files today.

The entire plot circles around Najeeb, a young Malayali man who, in search of a job, travels to the Middle East. But all his dreams get devastated when he finds himself trapped in a brutal labour camp and forced to work as a goat herder in an isolated desert. Harassed with intolerable loneliness, seclusion, severe conditions, and physical abuse, Najeeb must face both the cruelty of his captors and the relentless encounters of survival in the harsh desert milieu.

The narrative of the novel probes intensely into Najeeb’s inner spirit as he wrestles with anguish, isolation, and the brutal truths of being enslaved in a foreign desert. The movie adaptation retains the novel’s dominant themes, concentrating on his sensitive and physical fight for survival, his despairing efforts to uphold his mortality amid life-threatening dangers, and his steadfast confidence that one way or another he will return to his homeland. Prithviraj’s commitment to the play the role—his engagement in the character's psychological and emotive state—enhances a deep layer to the movie’s depiction of survival and human endurance.

The novel is considered a landmark in modern Malayalam literature, mainly due to its unadorned depiction of human sorrows and its profound emotional understanding. Benyamin’s capability to portray the agony and resilience of his characters has received critical acclaim, and the novel has impressed the sentiments of many readers. The success of the novel lies in its genuineness, emotive honesty, and worldwide appeal, which exceeds socio-cultural borders. In adapting an influential text in a movie, the director, technicians and actors encounter the challenge of upholding the text’s emotional depth while translating its emotional and metaphysical themes to the film medium.

One of the significant themes here is the portrayal of ‘survival’. The protagonist is pushed into a brutal world where even his basic human rights are stripped away, and he must depend on his strength, and the very core of his being to survive. The association between Najeeb and the goats he cares for is a significant expressive anchor in the plot, portraying themes of companionship and the delicate bond humans share with nature.

The movie reflects the novel’s representation of the human soul's resilience, the power of hope, and the brave struggle to clutch onto one’s individuality when confronted with the most traumatic conditions. While the desert, with its vast desolation and oppressive temperature, serves as a physical jail, it also signifies the emotive and metaphysical imprisonment that the protagonist goes through. His fight to survive in the desert is as much an interior voyage as it is an exterior one. He becomes one among the bleak of goats – and later seems unrecognisable. He would be alive for as long as he would serve his purpose for the person who "owns" him, just like the goats. This is one occasion in the movie that appeals to anguish like no other, where the outlines of ‘being’ between Najeeb and the goats are blurry.

Mazha (2000)

Biju Menon (Shastrigal) and Samyuktha Varma (Bhadra) in Mazha

Mazha directed by Lenin Rajendran beautifully compiles together the intricacies of the human psyche. The movie is an adaptation of Madhavikkutty’s (Kamala Das) short story Nashtappetta Neelambari. Lenin Rajendran has given a great visual dimension to this beautiful narrative, unfolding for the audience, on screen, a lovely character that every Indian woman with a free soul would definitely connect to.

The movie begins with the mesmerising musical notes of Neelambari Raga - a melody that always reverberates with bitter-sweet nostalgia and the sanctity of a woman’s first love. This love is something that often ends in pain, only to be pushed away into some deep recess of her mind.

The story probes intensely into the inner emotional psyche of the protagonist Bhadra, who is caught in a complex web of love, longing, and despair. The emotional battle in the story is deep as Bhadra struggles with feelings of relinquishment and desire, and her psyche is consumed by her incapability to reconcile with her past. The movie begins with teenager Bhadra coming to Madurai and starts learning music from Shastrigal and develops an infatuation towards him. Madurai here, is a beautiful village settled by Tamil Brahmins, including Shastrigal. She develops her infatuation because of her tender age and love towards music. Her creative talent in writing poetry gets appreciation from Shastrigal. The story is placed in the surroundings of Meenakshi Amman Kovil, Madurai. Over centuries, the temple and its surrounding premises has been a centre of education of culture, literature, art, music and dance. Here, Bhadra could be goddess Meenakshi (a form of Parvati) and Shastrigal eventually becomes Sundareshwarar, Meenakshi’s consort (a form of Lord Shiva), where the ‘Ardhanaareeswara’ concept forms.

The film clearly depicts the psychological depth and inner emotional turmoil of a woman in search of her love. Both the movie as well as the story explore the complex elements of love, loss, sacrifice, longing, and redemption, using nature as a powerful metaphor for the characters' core psyche. Through its introspective pacing and figurative use of rain, Mazha offers a touching meditation on the human mental state, resounding the author’s investigation of the emotional complexities that describe the human experience.

The relationship portrayed between Bhadra and Shastrigal is evocative at numerous stages. For Bhadra, it becomes her first bout of self-revelation. As she herself defines in the movie, the first verses of a woman’s autobiography. The movie strongly describes Bhadra’s changeover from childish-adolescent oblivion to the ardently throbbing womanhood that prospers inside her, rich with numerous dreams and desires. Love colours Bhadra’s world in various ways, that she could never have imagined. She discovers enormous beauty in the sceneries and echoes of that little village, for they seem to mirror her own state of mind. Bhadra realises poetry as the space to describe her emotions that brew into a frenzy, looking for an outlet. The second half of the movie characterizes Bhadra as a matured, dutiful doctor who appears to have come to terms with the bitter truths of everyday life. She is now married to a rich and successful software engineer, Chandrashekhara Menon.

Chandran is not perhaps considered as a bad human being. But he is the representative of the architype of that Indian male, with the masculine ego, trained and accustomed by the misogynistic approach of an orthodox Indian society. His stances about the roles of a husband and wife and their common outlooks from marriage are very traditional and stereotyped. Hence, he fails to comprehend Bhadra’s emotional phases, that leads to recurrent clashes between them, and their marital life becomes an ocean that raves and rages. Still, they both takes effort to prevent it from breaking, only to lash out again.

The movie differs for the reason that the plot and the climax are of only secondary significance. The core spirit of the movie is Bhadra’s individual personality – a woman who awakens the audience to the fact that as women existing in a contemporary Indian social scenario, all women are vulnerable to the undercurrents of life – far more than men in this society. Women might lie at the compassion of their prime caretakers (father or brother) and the men that they wed, but at their inner psyche - they alone own ownership of that free mind. The film highlights the fact that even inside the stiff context of this conventional society, the inner human psyche could be a free bird.

The monsoon rain here turns into an extension of the protagonist characters’ emotions, emphasizing on the themes of cleansing, regeneration, and upheaval. This metaphoric use of nature is a beautiful cinematic and literary tool, letting both the movie and the story to connect the underlying depth of the emotional struggle of characters, deprived of demanding explicit discourses. Here, the monsoon rain resembles the emotional climate of humans.

Works Cited:

Benyamin. Aadujeevitham. Green Books. 2016.

Cahir, Linda Costanzo. Literature into Film: Theory and Practical Approaches. McFarland & Co Inc. 2006.

Cris. Neelakuyil to Churuli: Malayalam cinema’s long tryst with literary adaptations. The  News Minute. 02-01-2023. https://www.thenewsminute.com/kerala/neelakuyil- churuli-malayalam-cinema-s-long-tryst-literary-adaptations-171522

Madhavikkutty. Nashtappetta Neelambari. D.C. Books. 2017

Mathew, Paul. The Image-Regime of Cinema in Postmodern Malayalam Literary Fiction.  South Asian Review. 40(4), 319-336. 2019 https://doi.org/10.1080/02759527.2019.1624124

Sajeev, Meenakshi. Blessy's 'Aadujeevitham' Wants to Stay True to Human Suffering But  Misses a Mark. The Quint. 02-04-24. https://www.thequint.com/entertainment/south- cinema/aadujeevitham-the-goat-life-blessy-benyamin-novel-real-to-reel

Vidya. A.C. Lenin Rajendran’s Mazha: Lush Lyricism, Pouring Love. Old Malayalam Cinema. 15-05-24. https://oldmalayalamcinema.wordpress.com/2014/05/15/lenin- rajendrans-mazha-2000-lush-lyricism-pouring-love/

Movies

Aadujeevitham: The Goat life. Directed by Blessy. Prithviraj Productions. 2024 
Mazha. Directed by Lenin Rajendran. Millenium Cinema Productions. 2000