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@flix_n_dawn
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Genre: Drama/world cinema Director/Screenplay: Ram Introduction: I have seen this film as among my first five Indian movies and it is one of my favorites when it comes to acting performances. Peranbu was showcased at the 47th International Film Festival Rotterdam in the Netherlands, 21st Shanghai International Film Festival in China, 49th International Film Festival of India, Korean Indian Film Festival in South Korea, and 11th New Generations Independent Indian Film Festival in Frankfurt, Germany.
Story & Screenplay: The story is about a father who worked abroad but is compelled to come back as his wife abandoned their teenage daughter suffering from cerebral palsy. Being away for so long, Amudhavan (Mammootty) finds it difficult to connect with Paapa (Sadhana). The father and daughter struggle living as they face financial and social problems altogether. The movie is divided into chapters centering on the lives of the father and daughter.
Sir Ram is so brave to travel the less traveled road in cinema - the nature of sexuality. His intricate screenplay depicts that sexuality is a natural thing and cannot be denied or locked behind bars. Many movies tackled sexuality but very few are about the sexual desire of a woman with a disability. He also uses Meera's character to show that even transgenders have their morality too. All the characters have flaws but Sir Ram made no one an antagonist. He makes his protagonist Amudhan to be a well-mannered man and does not judge anyone for their actions and lives. Another character playing in shadow is Nature itself. The mother abandoning her child, married women committing adultery, sex workers, and father allowing his son to be beaten are all just pawns of nature. Nature is the real antagonist here as one of the chapter's titles is "Nature is brutal."
The narrative style is a slow burn. The flashbacks and foreshadowing are provided to solidify the plot. It is raw, realistic, unique, and riveting leading to a beautiful climax that will haunt your memories for a long time. The climax scene is quite a spectacle. The dark tone, a bit shaky camera, melancholic score, wide-angle shots, solid performances, and few but impactful dialogues will make even the stone-hearted person drench in tears. The ending scene is absolutely rewarding and perfect to conclude the film.
Characters, & Performances: This is definitely among the best performances I've seen so far in Indian movies. It is my first encounter with sir Mammootty and his performance blows me away completely. With aesthetic close-up shots, he communicates his emotion to the audience. The scene when he closes the door after seeing Paapa and realizing she is already a woman is shattering. Sadhana nails her role as Paapa. It is a very challenging role and she does it effectively. Though there may be some time that I felt her performance is a bit exaggerating but overall it is phenomenal. Meera's (Anjali Ameer) pivotal character as a transgender sex worker deserves commendation too. She makes her every appearance memorable.
Frames, Score and Direction: I love the time-lapse and aerial shots in multiple parts of the film. The mist enveloping and lifting off from the lake foreshadows the emotion of each chapter. The first half shows the natural beauty of the country, fauna and flora, the stillness of the lake, and the warmness of green fields perfect for the blossoming relationship of the father and daughter. The second half shows the ugliness of the city, with trash, cramped apartment, and pollution suited well with their struggling life. My favorite frames are when they ride the boat the first time they went to the lake house, Meera's face outside the window of Amundhavan's taxi, and the aerial shot towards the ending. Those depict different emotions and are all so moving. The close-up shots are perfection giving out the details of facial expressions that encapsulate emotions and character dynamics. Theni Edward deserves all the admiration for commendable visual storytelling.
The music and songs by Yuvan Shankar Rajamusi are meditative in nature. They blend well with the emotions being depicted. The subtle background score sets the poignant vibe that makes the movie heart-wrenching.
I highly respect and admire Sir Ram for putting up a very emotional coming-of-age family drama that may be shattering and disturbing but beautiful by showing that love knows no bound really. A hard-hitting commentary on sensitive issues presented with certitude. The movie makes the audience feel emphatic with the characters and at the same time makes them retrospect with their own lives as well.
Conclusion: I have seen many father-child relationship theme movies but this is the rawest, realistic, moving, and magical yet poignant, hard-hitting, haunting, and depressing. We all have our own battle and struggle and sometimes feel that life hit us hard but after watching Peranbu we will realize that we are more than fortunate. How the flawed characters try to live their lives with dignity amidst the harsh and judging society is inspiring. Further, the movie is an eye-opener for all the parents that comparing one’s own children is unfair and brutal. And that we can never understand one’s suffering unless we experience it ourselves. Peranbu is a beautiful depiction of the unfathomable love of a father to her daughter.
By @flix_n_dawn
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