Paleri Manikyam--പലേരി മാണിക്യം

Direction: Renjith and crew

Cast: Mammooty,Shwetha Menon,Mythili,Sreenivasan,Sidhique



The story is about a murder involving the brutal rape of a 20 yr old girl in Paleri,a place in North Malabar.

The film starts with its haunting title track..the horror experienced by the poor girl seeps into us,her innocent eyes,and beautiful smile haunts us and leaves a trickle of tear somewhere inside.The main problem with films with an old time line is an over dependency on cliches.But this films grows from that.Yes the director employs cliches,but they are not caricatures,they are characters with life in them.

Mammooty is superb as the negative character in Murikkum Kunnathu Ahmad Haji,a cold blooded feudal landlord.His entry into the film is cool,the single frame showing him in a single thorthu infront of his house prints the image of a cold blooded feudal lord into our minds.

The film tends to compare the contrast between the world in 50s and now,with Mammooty's relationship with his 'friend',who..happens to be criminal analyist of some sort,who also happens to be Mammooty's friend's wife,who also happens to share his life(?) now.Well she is employed so that Mammooty has somebody to narrate the story to.

Now enter the girl who plays Manikyam,she doesn't have much screen space as a character,but her eyes,her beautiful innocence drives the film.She needn't utter a word,her eyelashes and smiles speak for her and her poor tormented soul.Great pick!!

Each small character plays out perfectly,the village crack(Paleri's supersub conscious),the communists of that era,landlord,henchmen of the Haji etc.
Sreenivasan plays an 'original' communist(Paleri's superconscious)in the film,a hot blood,filled with dreams of a new proletarian era in the 1950s.His relationship with his former mentor leads to some very interesting thoughts being shared(great work Renjith!!).

Shwetha Menon is also great.She plays a seductive young woman in a frame and transforms effortlessly into an old hag in another.While she is seductive in each frame while shown as a young woman,she transforms completely into an old hag in other frames.Its not just make up,it shows her calibre as an actress.

Overall the film is a wonderful piece of art..I could point out flaws,but I am not going to do that..cos you have to watch this film..its an experience you shouldn't miss!Go in with the right frame of mind..just follow the sad song on the title track it lulls us into the 50s..the dark roads of Paleri with its hidden beauties and dangers.


4/5