Mujiburrahman Kariyadan
How long has it been since I saw a movie like this. I don’t know how the new generation will accept such a film. But those who loved Sathyan Anthikad films and fell in love with the silvery light of cinema will love this film anyway – Soman’s Kritav.
After watching the film, one will realize that the creativity that Soman has grown on his cheek is not an old-fashioned way or perspective. This film will convince the viewers that even a creator can be a weapon against the injustices of the society like Veethuli and will polish the goodness.
This movie is full of beautiful scenery of Nedumudi village in Alappuzha district. Not a single scene goes outside the village. An old Kerala village (which should still exist) and its life are beautifully depicted in Soman’s work.
It may be doubtful whether there are still some such people in the country. It can be assumed that there will be no such people now and this is just a sight of foot fever. However, it must be recognized that people like this help keep the world at least as it is.
The movie begins with a villager paddling a canoe, showing ducks in the lake, and the unadulterated view of the morning light. Every now and then there is a mention of Soman Mazhavilkkavadi movie and Sathyan Anthikkad.
Soman, who was the agriculture officer of his country, was nicknamed Par Soman and Vattan Soman by the locals. There is no point in blaming the locals. Call the soman who doesn’t run in the middle while wandering. The person is completely ‘organic’! Mavila instead of paste, eat sitting on a leather mat on the ground without using the dining table, use a plavila to drink porridge, sit even when drinking water, travel by bicycle or walking, do not use oil-fried or bakery sweets and are not allowed to use them at home, bring food from home in wrapped bags, wash clothes by boiling water, mobile Soman is a ‘model’ man with all the ‘bad habits’ that can be considered common these days, starting with relying on landline phones instead of phones, and even wanting his wife to give birth at home. But to the locals, he is just a laughing stock. Soman’s other pastime is to keep healthy by going to the gym on holidays instead of going to the gym for muscle building.
There is a tree in the shape of a woman’s buttock in the agriculture office premises. Although the panchayat president and others demand that it be cut down, Soman and Chanthu in the office are against it and save the tree by fasting. He describes him as the unresponsive mother tree.
The story of Soman and the movie changes when a phone call comes in search of Soman, who fasted by making a tent on top of a tree. A girl named Shalini who likes Soman’s ways falls in love with him and he falls in love without seeing her and wants to marry her.
It is interesting that even his own mother mocks Soman for telling his mother that he wants to get married. The mother raises the question whether it is not enough to destroy her own life, should she also destroy the life of a girl?
Soman is a theoretician who believes in humans and not in religions. Hence the interesting name he proposed to his daughter – ‘Krimuhi’ – Christian, Muslim and Hindu. He calls his daughter ‘India’, thinking that religions should not be included in his life. Soman has found the best name for a baby in Abhinava India.
Soman’s position was to let her daughter play and study at home until she asked him to go to school. Later time proved that she learned more at home than at school. How beautifully Soman clears every doubt of his daughter. Of course, parents must be furious when a daughter raises suspicions that she was born when her father and mother hugged. Soman explains it here and it can be a role model for all parents.
The film also portrays how the public is easily deceived, including the duck fever in Kuttanad and the mass killing and burning of ducks.
Vinay Fort has handled a different role beautifully. Farah also uses his ‘thadi’ in Krita as in Amminipillai. Seema G Nair’s humor in the role of Amma will make the viewers more attached to the film and enjoy it. Even though her son is ‘Jiva’, she is the mother who gouges out his eyes and fills him with sweets and ‘Jiva’.
The songs sung by KS Harishankar and Vineeth Srinivasan like ‘Paridam Thalirunampai vaali kudail ppu, Eritum ee thanalu kori nakkeirippoo’, ‘Vellotin Cheru Kinnat chempavin kani khutna when pullanithandai kaiweeshum nadu’ are sung by KS Harishankar and Vineeth Sreenivasan in lines that are in harmony with the rurality of the film. The lyrics and music by PS Jayahari have done full justice to the film.
Good quality humor, Sujith Purush’s cinematography, Bijeesh Balakrishnan’s editing, all areas are crisp and sharp like Soman’s craft.
The director has tried to make not only Soman in the film ‘organic’ but also the cast members. In the title card of the movie, the responsibility and name of each person is shown only in Malayalam. Even if it is a little difficult to recognize when writing about photography, picture insertion and financial control, one cannot help but admire the effort.
Produced by Masterworks Studios, Ragam Movies and Raju Mallyath, the film hit the screens under the banner of On Stage Cinemas.
