Ideas and prejudices deeply ingrained in human mind can be hard to dislodge.
Despite evidence to the contrary, some hold on to their irrational prejudices, even as the world evolves. Ottan Thullal exponent Pappu Pisharody (Indrans), the protagonist of Aalorukkam, happens to be one of them. An otherwise friendly soul, he shuts out the world when he discovers that his son did not turn out the way he had wanted him to be.
Directed by V.C. Abhilash, the film portrays Pisharody’s struggles, initially in search of his missing son, and later, in accepting him as he is.
When we meet Pisharody, he is long past his prime. He no longer regales audience with his mastery over Thullal. He is in a hospital, with a bandaged leg. He is weary, after a fruitless search for his son, who left home sixteen years ago. Later, when his son is found out, he struggles to accept the fact that he is now a transwoman.
Where the movie perhaps stands out, despite its failings, is in how it treats this flawed character in a non-judgemental way. You are told that he started searching for his son only after he began to feel lonely and helpless, following the death of his wife. You see him literally shutting up after discovering that his son is now a transwoman. He is shown to be impervious to logical arguments and pleadings from those around him. Yet, the script treats him with much empathy, almost telling you that there are those who need more than just a little help from their friends, to escape the prisons of their mind. The movie also scores in the portrayal of the transgender character, which is often reduced to a caricature, even by those filmmakers with the best intentions. Sreekanth Menon’s restrained performance too has contributed in no small measure to this.
Indrans, in his award-winning role, has quite a few challenges other than mastering Thullal. All through a long passage in the second half, where he remains silent, you get to read on his face and his gestures, his inner turmoil. Especially so in that sequence of his son helping him to take bath, when with a few movements of his body, he conveys all the simmering anger and disappointment. Aalorukkam , with its slow pace, might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it rewards the patient ones with sensitive character sketches.
S.R. Praveen
