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Celebration of a writer’s genius

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His perspective: MT Vasudevan Nair in the documentary ‘Oru Kadavinte Katha’

Thrissur: A writer takes a re-look at some of his creations and experiences that inspired his characters and shaped his craft.

Five documentaries, directed by Anoop Ramakrishnan and produced by Malayala Manorama, reveal little-known details about the creation of M.T. Vasudevan Nair’s films Nirmalyam, Parinayam and Kadavu and literary works Vanaprastha m and Nalukettu.

They will be released at a function at Lulu Convention Centre here on October 31. Through film clippings, interviews and shots of the writer visiting the places that inspired his stories, the documentaries celebrate the genius of Kerala’s favourite writer.

In the documentary, Oru Kadavinte Katha (Tale of a ferry), MT pays tribute to Pottekkatt and Kozhikode town. MT’s feature film Kadavu is based on Pottekkatt’s story Kadavu Thoni.

The documentary, Nirmalyam: Visakatha Daivathinu (Offerings to the hunger-less God) shows MT visiting Mookkuthala village three decades after his feature film Nirmalyam was shot there.

Another documentary, Vanapratha Vazhikalil (Appunni’s quest), captures the writer visiting Kollur in south Karnataka, the location of his story Vanaprastham.

Enganumundo Kandu (Where art thou?), a documentary on the feature film Parinayam, is the most evocative of the lot. Through interviews with MT, Madambu Kunjukuttan, Devaki Nilayangode, Kavungal Chathunni Panicker, Sreeja Arangottukara, Ajitha and Yusufali Kecheri, the documentary records the historical details of Kuriyedathu Thathri’s Smarthavicharam (trial for adultery).

Writer Alamcode Leelakrishnan is the narrator and interviewer.

In the documentary, Thathri comes across as a bold, beautiful, scholarly and fun-loving woman who questioned ills in her community and oppression of women.

The camera pans to show a wasteland at Arangottukara. The presenter narrates: “In this wasteland once stood the famous Kalpakassery Illam, where Thathri grew up. She talked to the flowers here. She saw butterflies here and learnt to dream. A century has passed. But no one still lives here. Villagers see it as a cursed piece of land.”

The most touching sequence in the documentary is that of Thekkumthala Govindan, a Kathakali actor modelled on Kavungal Sankara Panicker. An accused in the Thathri case, Sankara Panicker was banned from performing on stage.

MT had, in fact, planned a novel based on his life. “For an actor, nothing can be as painful as staying off the stage,” says MT.

Cut to the scene from Parinayam. During the ban, Thekkumthala Govindan pleads with organisers when a Kathakali show is being organised in honour of a prince.

“Assign me a role. At least, a small part. For 35 years, I have not been allowed to don the grease-paint. I’m longing to be on stage,” he demands tearfully. The prince allows the actor to play a role but has a change of mind later. The actor is about to enter the stage, resplendent with headgear and silk costumes, when he is asked not to.

Actor Premachandran’s enactment of Govindan’s pain and helplessness in this sequence from Parinayam ranks among the best performances in Malayalam cinema.

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