cohuman Reviews

Veendum Chalikkunna Chakram (1984)

Family formula

[8/10 · 22 May 2024]

A unique ending . A bold attempt of its days . Menaka comes to the city for work . She starts living in a working girls hostel along with her friend Aruna . Her colleague and his friend Mammooty and Shankar become their close friends. They four are usually found together in hotels or beaches . Aruna silently starts liking Mamooty . Shankar likes Menaka but no one speaks their heart out as of now . Menaka's mother has had 2 failed marriages . Menaka does not know her father. Her mother gives her father's photo which she carries in her chain locket always hoping to find him one day .

Mamooty is taken in by her simplicity and speaks his heart out to her . Menaka also reciprocates as she is unaware of Shankar's feelings for her. Aruna swallows her sadness when Menaka happily blurts this out to her . She surpasses her feelings for Mammooty herself .

He takes Menaka to his house to introduce her to his father. He recognizes her as his own daughter . She too recognizes him from her chain locket . That makes Mamooty her step brother. A bold story of its times . A lot of emotional talks take place . After the initial shock , finally happy Aruna gets Mammooty , Shankar gets Menaka. They are a cozy foursome again . A fine movie with nice songs .

Aruna and Menaka wear simple cotton sarees as working women . Worth a watch with the entire family .

Kariyila Kattu Pole (1986)

Taunt thriller

[8/10 · 21 May 2024]

Unexpected ending . All are seasoned actors . Even young Karthika as Mamooty's long lost illegitimate daughter is on top . She shines in her role looking for a father figure . Mamooty the film director is found dead one day . The investigating officer Mohan lal is going around investigating . A lot of interesting suspects and their intentions come to light .

Rahman is cute as a young confused lover .

Jalaja , Unni Mary and Sripriya shine in their roles as his love interests . A lot of twists and turns take place . Mamooty is of course mis understood as Karthika's love interest . He has paternal feelings towards her . Sripriya , Karthika's mother understands this much later .

Makes a thrilling watch.

Naanayam (1983)

Total family fare

[8/10 · 20 May 2024]

Srividya and Madhu are working for the same company . Sadly they are single as they have lost their spouses a few years back . They have a son each . Since they are working together in Srividya's company , they decide to marry to make things simple . Their sons grow up as close brothers always up to pranks and jokes . As grown ups , Mammooty ( Madhu's son ) falls for Seema . Mohanlal is SV's son whose female love interest is Poornima . They face a lot of hurdles in their relations egged on by interfering relatives . A lot of misunderstandings later all becomes well.

Seema looks awkward in her short bob wig but later looks graceful in soft sarees . Poornima looks chirpy in salwars . Seema's mother ( the stereotype of a dominating wife and mum ) Sukumari wears nice soft pastels with sleeveless blouses and is good eye candy . Srividya as usual is a beauty ethereal and shows all expressions with those doleful huge eyes , whether as a young mum of a child or an old concerned matriarch of her unstable family . Mamooty and Mohanlal keep us engaged with their pranks . Over all its a fine family fare .

Aa Neram Alppa Dooram (1985)

Thriller

[8/10 · 17 May 2024]

Mamooty and Seema are happily married with a 4 year old son. Their neighbors Unni Mary and Soman very soon become their family friends thanx to their childhood history together.

Fair and fragile , soft natured Unni Mary is pursued by Sidhique , her ex who insists that she returns back to him. She keeps warding him saying she is now married to police inspector Soman and he should leave her alone. Seema tries to help her by warding off Sidique time and again . Mammooty and Soman are blissfully unaware of all this behind their backs .

Matters come to a head one day . In this squabble , Sidique manages to kill Seema and Unni Mary suffers head injuries. Their son is the only witness to this .

Shaken and broken , Mammooty gets back to his life after mourning period with his son.

They keep trying to catch the culprit and have parade identifications with the child to close this case .

Meanwhile , Sidique tries to kill this child . He does succeed after a few attempts.

In the final scene , Mammooty deliberately refuses to identify Sidhique as the killer when shown by Soman . Instead, he himself goes after him and kills him to extract revenge.

A poignant thriller with great acting .

Oru Mukham Pala Mukham (1983)

Routine family fare

[7/10 · 16 May 2024]

The early 80s saw the last of such family movies. Srividya is the back bone of this movie . She shows all emotions finely - an anxious mother , ruthless conniving aunt , an affectionate sister ... Her brother Mamooty marries a girl much to their father's unhappiness. Srividya has a son and so does her brother Mamooty . As Mamooty dies suspiciously and his wife also dies in a fire ( created by SV ) , she graciously agrees to take care of that child . The entire property is written off ( unknown to her ) by her father to her brother Mamooty's child. The two boys grow up into Ratheesh ( her spoilt nephew growing up in her own house with her ) and her own son Mohan lal ( who is studying abroad ) .

Ratheesh is spoilt to the core . When Mohanlal returns a lot of confusions take place .SV looks resplendent in Banaras sarees as a rich lady .

The house itself is palatial . The boys soon realise that they are switched at birth. Ratheesh comes to know this when he goes to jail for killing his factory worker . His daughter Seema tries to exact revenge and has to run pillar to post but finally falls in love with a reformed Ratheesh.

One of the early movies of Mohanlal and Mamooty - both manage to leave an impact. Seema and SV both look good in sarees. Tall and pretty , Anuradha comes as the villain's moll wearing mostly short tight dresses.

Finally the two cousins get together . SV dies in a freak fight and all ends well. A couple of nice songs are thrown in . A fine family fare.

Thadakam (1982)

Reincarnation drama.

[7/10 · 15 May 2024]

Seema and Rateesh go to Kashmir for their honeymoon . Usually soft and quite Seema starts behaving strangely and speaks in chaste Hindi. Rateesh is aware that she never spoke one word of Hindi before. As they keep touring scenic places , she keeps changing her behaviour in phases. They consult a local psychiatrist who is also unable to understand her. On one such tours they come across Sumalatha a local Kashmiri boat rider. She recognizes Seema as her close friend . Slowly the story is revealed that Seema was a local Kashmiri girl who was in love with Mamooty her timber estate manager. This was resented by her fiance and Mamooty was killed finally by him . Seema dies due to shock. Now her soul keeps entering the new bride Seema . A lot of fights and twists later Seema is restored as before . She returns back happily with her husband Rateesh. Mamooty comes in a small role but manages to make an impact .

Seema is the back bone of this movie . Looks beautiful as the unsure shy bride initially . Sumalatha looks fresh in her Kashmiri local garb .

Ratheesh is equal to Seema as the confused frustrated husband who is unable to find a cure for his wife .

Over all a fine family fare shot in lush locales of Kashmir . Sad that insurgency hit that beautiful virgin part of our country .

Mangalam Nerunnu (1984)

Heavy family fare.

[7/10 · 13 May 2024]

The movie totally rests on Venu's shoulders. Jilted in love , he keep drifting . A chance brings him to Madhavi - a reluctant prostitute. She has her own poignant story . Mamooty and herself were happily married for a short time. He keeps facing losses in his business when she was carrying .Finally he dies in a road accident leaving her fully drowned in debts. His business friends on the pretext of helping her show her this path of ill repute . She accepts her fate silently for her daughter ( A cute baby Shalini with her trade mark fringe hair style ) . When Venu hears her story he is stuck by her helplessness and adopts her daughter. Madhavi leaves the scene quitely . The child grows up to be pretty girl Shanti Krishna . She falls in love with Sreenath. Venu believes in telling the truth to him when he brings his wedding proposal to him. Sadly he develops cold feet at the thought of marrying the daughter of a prostitute and walks away . The last scene where Shanti tells him that she loves him and does not want to be the reason he is unhappy and unable to face society due to her back ground is very sad , indeed .

Venu shows all emotions finely . He is a consummate actor . Madhavi is svelte and beautiful as a loving wife ,caring mother and then as a destitute woman .

Thilakan comes in a small role as her dependable caring driver . Mammooty is good eye candy even when he has a few minutes role as her husband .Shot in lush locales of Kerala in traditional old houses the back ground music is the real hero in every scene.

Worth a watch .

Swargangal Swapnangal (1981)

Routine family fare

[8/10 · 6 May 2024]

Srividya and Soman are happily married with 2 girls. She yearns for a son . Soman was thrown out for marrying a girl out of his father's choice . How ever they return back home to him with their 2 girls and make peace . SV develops a tumor and is unable to conceive . The family is devastated and do their best to stick around . As expected, she succumbs to cancer at a young age.

Soman and Jayabharati had grown up together and she was his silent lover. She is elated that he is now back to his ancestral house with his girls and tries her best to befriend the girls and make sure they do not miss their mother . She is their class teacher. She is still pining for Soman . Meanwhile the family pressurises him to remarry . He gets married to a family friend Shubha . She tries her best to fit in the family . The girls are unable to for get the mother . Soman too is aloof and cold . All the time parallel Jayabharati is the pillar of support for the children and also Soman . To her credit , Shubha tries all means to win their love and trust .

Misunderstandings and confusions prevail and finally totally fed up , she leaves his house stomping out .

Totally broken , Soman decides to be a single parent . Finally Jayabharati's now seeing her chance tries to tell him about her feelings from day one .She is still hoping to be his life partner. He refuses to marry again as both his marriages had ended badly . Sad and hurt , she steps back .

Sukumari is her close friend and confidante .She was privy to her secrets and feelings . She intervenes and tries to speak sense with Soman and describes how Jayabharati felt since day one and how the children still like her as their loved teacher . Soman sees sense and agrees to marry her egged on by his excited happy girls .

The last scene is poignant . JB commits suicide unable to bear the cold shoulder from him. Srividya is the ethereal beauty who glows even in a sad state without much make up. Jayabharati and Shubha are more than adequate in their roles . Ambika has a small role and sings some duets with her lover.

All leading ladies wear soft silks to show their domestic status . Over all a fine family fare . The ending could have been better. Soman could have married JB and lived happily ever after.

Keechu Raallu (1991)

Thriller of its times .

[7/10 · 23 April 2024]

Bhanuchander and his friends are musicians always looking for opps to show off their talents. They get thrown out of jobs for some or the other reason . They meet shobhana a beauty queen and form a group. They keep performing at shows and weddings awaiting that big break. Shobhana's father wants her to marry his friend's son who is a known smuggler of drugs . She keeps stalling this wedding .

Incidentally they meet Sarat Babu who's son was waylaid and killed by this villain. A lot of twisting and turnings take place . Finally evil succumbs and good triumphs . Shobana is good eye candy and dances well.

Usha Utup's song in her powerful voice is the main centre of attraction . Baby Shalini is cute as Sarat Babu's grand daughter. Over all a taunt thriller of its times.

Ithile Vannavar (1980)

Family viewing

[7/10 · 3 April 2024]

Sheela is the spine of this movie . She is good eye candy wearing soft sarees . She also acts well. She is a lonely house wife living alone in a spacious house . Her husband Madhu comes back one day claiming to her long lost husband . She refuses to believe this . She herself saw his dead body thanx to some sad accident a few years back. Shot in a lush palatial bungalow among green locales, the back ground itself is enough to entice you throughout the movie . Jagathy comes in one of his early roles as a likable transgender house help . Ambika comes as her assistant meant to help her . Caught in a corner Sheela doubts every one and any one . Sukumaran comes in a small role as her ex lover .

Soman is the police officer she turns to for help. Finally after a lot fights car chases twists and turns ,she blurts out that she herself killed him with her car . With her lover Sukumaran dead, her father had forced her to marry Madhu to conceal her affairs and pregnancy . She had hated Madhu since day one . The present husband is a police officer in disguise over all a taunt thriller.

Saram (1982)

Family fare

[7/10 · 26 March 2024]

Sukumaran is likable even in his villainous role with an impish grin . He comes to Ooty and starts working for a rich family . Slowly he gains their trust and marries Ambika who has lost her mind . Her mother Srividya adores him as her Son in law and savior of her daughter. But he has his own ulterior motives. He tries to cheat the family and kill Ambika on several occasions but ends up killing others like Srividya and the family cook. Meanwhile Ambika becomes normal and comes out of her delusions .

His motives are revealed in the end. A lot of confusions and twists later both Ambika and Sukumaran are united .Shot in luscious green Ooty with nice songs, its a family fare. Both Srividya and Ambika look good in simple sarees. Over all its a family fare.

Ee Kannikoodi (1990)

Classy and fine.

[8/10 · 16 March 2024]

Ashwini who was a big star in Telugu plays the main role here. The entire movie rests on her shoulders. She is an innocent girl interested in Arts and belongs to a Christian family .her mother Sukumari tries every trick to get her married. She keeps stalling it and finally reveals that she is in love with a Hindu painter. Her parents refuse to get her married. She elopes quietly with him and gets married . Initially they start a happy life very soon he faces a lot of money problems and starts drinking . She bears all quietly . A family friend comes to her rescue buying his paintings . She starts trusting him. One fine day she comes to know that he is missing . Sad and broken she starts confiding in this friend taking him to be a kind soul. He has his own agenda . He starts using her for his own business benefits. She submits to her fate . She lives in a secluded house with her 4 year old son .

One fine day she is found murdered. A lot of people and their secrets come out tumbling . Veteran Thilakan makes a fleeting appearance as her visitor . He is a rich man and his daughter's wedding gets cancelled due to this . A couple of rich students had visited her before her murder. The police starts an investigation. Finally the child's nanny comes out with startling revelations . The world comes to know about her inner sad story when all the while they have been thinking of her as shameless and characterless.

They trace the husband to an asylum. He is recuperating from his alcohol addiction . He finally reveals the ending .

He had gone to reconcile with her with regret . He comes to know about her story but is still willing to accept her .He is privy to her visitors while hiding in her room . When he sees the bottle of alcohol gifted by Thilakan his addiction gets the better of him and again he starts drinking and losing control. In a fit of anger frustration self defeat rage he strangles and kills Ashwini himself .finally he turns himself in to the police .

The entire story is poignant . It shows several sides of each human . Every one is not fully good or bad .

Ashwini gets a meaty role . In real life she faced a poignant sad ending . Makes a compelling watch.

Aa Rathri (1983)

Family fare

[7/10 · 14 March 2024]

Mammooty and Purnima are happily married with a child. Rohini comes into their lives as a destitute they meet on the train . Her BF is Ratheesh who is in search of a job . He joins his friends very close to Mamooty's house. One day when Purnima and Mammooty are returning by scooter , the boys tease her and she is kidnapped and violated by them . Soman is Purnima's long lost brother . They were separated in childhood and she was sent to an orphanage . He is often earning money by giving false evidence in courts. He gives evidence against Purnima saying she is a street walker and is paid by the rich boys' father. A lot of twists and sad turnings take place . Purnima commits suicide . Mammooty kills the boys in a rage . Ratheesh and Rohini unite in the end. Soman is left to regret quietly . An eye opening formula of those days . All main cast have acted well. Rohini shines in her side role . Mammooty shows all emotions very finely . Some fine songs makes this movie a family watch .

Visham (1981)

Family drama

[27 February 2024]

Ratheesh is the brother in law of Srividya . They three are living a happy contended life . Ratheesh is a simple college student . His co student class mate falls for him . She also sends her father to Ratheesh's brother for match making . When his brother politely refuses citing their status , she gets angry and tries to file a false molestation case against Ratheesh . The three patiently bear all her tantrums . Menaka , his silent lover is always besides him giving him and his family quite support and strength. The family faces many problems because of her and her rich father. Meanwhile misguided by some friends, he also fights with his family and separates and joins the other side much to their dismay .

Suddenly one fine day Ratheesh's brother is found dead and all fingers point to him. Soman has a short role as the police officer investigating this . There is another small twist with Srividya and Soman being ex lovers in their own college days . A lot of twists and confusions later the real killer is revealed . Ratheesh settles down with Menaka. A fine family story . Srividya is as usual beautiful and ethereal in simple cottons . Ratheesh is more than adequate as the obedient brother , then a confused young chap chased by the rich girl then some one unlawfully accused then as an angry young impulsive man joining the other group ...facing all brunts quietly . Also has some nice hummable songs .

Kaathirunna Divasom (1983)

Don't jump to conclusions .

[7/10 · 9 February 2024]

Malini is an innocent girl living with her mother in a small town. Her mother often warns her about stray relationships as she herself was cheated once by a man. Despite this Malini falls in love with Soman . He visits her town for some office work and promptly both consummate their relationship . She assures her wary mother that he will surely return back to her . Sadly he does not come back . She realises that she is carrying his child . Her mother gets her aborted quietly . Scared of society and her own growing age , her mother forces her to marry a much older man . Angry and frustrated she agrees . She vows vengeance against Soman but is unable to trace him.

Her husband is a station master in a nearby village . She joins him expecting a life of domestic bliss . She tries her best to adapt to his odd timings and life style . He however soon starts abusing her .

She resigns to her fate sadly . As luck would have it , Soman comes to the station as his superior . Her husband commits some fraud and is warned by Soman . To appease him , he decides to send Malini to Soman . Aghast ,she outrightly refuses at the risk of another abuse . When she realises that he is none other than Soman she accepts to go to him to plead her husband's case and also plots her revenge. She takes poisoned food to him . Surprised at seeing Malini , he pours his heart out and eats that . Very soon Malini learns that when Soman was was very much interested in meeting her mother but was beaten up by goons and had to remain in the hospital for several weeks .

Sadly by this time the poison has taken effect and he dies .She too dies eating that food unable to accept her truth between her abusive husband and this dead lover. A very sad story . Malini has huge expressive eyes and shows all emotions finely . Soman is a fine actor and leaves a mark as an innocent lover singing duets , then a helpless adult watching his ex married and talking of abuse . Over all a fine movie . The final message being we should not jump to conclusions .

Oridam (2004)

Poignant drama

[7/10 · 25 January 2024]

Geetu is a street walker. She was kidnapped as a child and sold to a brothel. She accepts her fate and lives with other such women in a hostel. The whole movie is about her journey , her acceptance of her profession ,the perils which go with this , the various kinds of clients she gets , the sisterhood these women share ... Lalitha as an older street walker often shares her own sad story with these girls. Even after being battered they cannot go to the police as they dont have any id . They are caught in some raid and the police too try to take advantage of them . No one comes to check on them when they fall sick . They have to help themselves.

A social service organisation comes to take their interview . When Geetu starts speaking a bit firmly they cut her interview abruptly saying they want only those crying and wailing types .

Not very young with age being their biggest enemy , she tries to better her life .

She gives a lot of money to a local agent who promises her visa and work in the gulf . Eventually he is arrested in Mumbai and she loses her money . She goes back to her profession . She has big dole ful eyes which show her helpless state perfectly .

When a co street walker dies , she adopts her 5 year old child . She has a dull slow walk in the entire movie wearing loose salwars to show her resigned subdued status . Over all a fine poignant drama showing their lives .

Vilkkanundu Swapnangal (1980)

Wake up and smell coffee

[7/10 · 23 January 2024]

Sukumaran is perfect as an innocent young man going to the gulf by boat initially. Without much future in his home town , he too decides to go to the gulf like most Keralites of that time . He manages to get a good job after several travails like losing his close friend . Despite diversions in the form of his secretary and a nurse , Srividya he manages to focus and hold his job. Both these women have their own poignant stories to share . After earning substantially , he returns back home to Kerala planning to lead a peaceful life and realises that everything has changed including himself . People around look at him in a new light as he has lots of money now . He has snapped connections with his old self mentally . He himself grows aloof with those people who helped him in times of distress. His lover Jalaja rejects him citing his attitude despite him promising her the world at her feet . Dejected he returns back to the gulf to get on with his life . The whole movie is about his journey from a wary honest young man to an over confident well settled rich man . Srividya shines in her small role as usual as a nurse and then his lover singing a duet with him . Jalaja is cute as a simple girl and invokes some sympathy as some one who is shocked by his attitude. Mammooty shines in his small raw role as a drunk. Over all its a realistic movie waking up all those with day dreams of the gulf.

Ee Yugam (1983)

Family fare

[6/10 · 15 January 2024]

Soman and Sukumaran are bumbling gullible innocents on and off jobs .This movie is about their journey . How they solve the problems of everyone and any one some times willingly knowingly some times inadvertantly . Srividya and Prem are a happy rich couple with their only toddler son . He develops terminal disease and passes away soon . Sriviyda is left mentally retarded. Prem is left permanently depressed . Rohini is a poor daughter in law harassed often by her shrew of a MIL with her husband helplessly watching on . She manages to kill her DIL Rohini with scalding hot water. The bumbling do gooders come on the site , find evidence and send her off to the police .

Rani Padmini is a poor young girl often troubled by people around . Her handicapped father unable to help her watches all her miseries quietly .

There are a couple of more such stories all entwined with each other . A lot of bumblings confusions and mistakes by the two later brings all of them together to a happy ending .

A fine family fun fare.

Grihalakshmi (1981)

Family formula.

[7/10 · 24 December 2023]

Madhu plays a double role here as a father and a son. The son is waylaid and carefree always splurging and spending . The rich industrialist father is trying to teach him a lesson about life and income . He keeps remembering his own youth. The movie is basically a series of flash backs. The father Madhu himself had a love marriage with Srividya. They meet due to some misunderstandings. Srividya is from a rich family and are awaiting a banker in their estate. Madhu walks in to find a job and is mistaken to be the banker. A series of confusions leads him to fall in love with Srividya When he is thrown out by her father as the truth eventually comes out Srividya walks out with him much to her father's displeasure . They start their lives without much income . He also works as a server in some party where Srividy and her father visit . She is humiliated by her husband's plight and her father's insulting talk . She endures all . Srividya is very helpful and encouraging .After a lot of failures he succeeds in his business but keeps on sidelining his wife and family . She tolerates all this change patiently . Finally it takes it toll and she dies in his arms . The son Madhu learns his lesson and marries his sweetheart Subhashini ( Jayasudha's sister ) . They have a lot of squabbles among them due to his greed and speed to succeed. He keeps ignoring her and she returns back to her maternal house . Father Madhu comes in between and gives a long lecture about family life . The son learns from the father's mistakes and all turns out well in the end . A fine movie even today about family values . Srividya and Subhashini wear pretty sarees to show their domestic status . Its not easy to believe a nearly 40 year old Madhu as a chirpy play ful young chap . The father Madhu is more convincing in his role . Over all a fine movie even today .

Passport (1983)

One time watch

[7/10 · 7 December 2023]

A movie of the 80s when every one wanted to go to the gulf from Kerala for riches and paradiese. This is an eye opener of sorts. Prem Nazir and Madhu are close friends. Their sisters Jalaja and Kala ranjani are teh apple of their eyes . A very simple set of neighbors and friends . They are happy with what they have They meet a close friend who is come from abroad with riches . He humiliates them arrogantly which hurts them very much. They decide to go abroad and give a lot of money to some agent . He takes them to some remote area and leaves them saying this is as far as he can go . They realize they were conned . When they are on their way back, they meet a Keralite business man who takes them under his umbrella .They believe him blindly . A lot of twists and turns take place thanx to their own mistakes and also greed of a better life . Finally all ends well and they return back to their home towns back to their old lives. Anuradha makes a fleeting appearance as a dancer in her usual glittery skimpy tight clothes. Srividya has a small role as the villain's wife . Over all an eyeopener movie even today . Madhu and Prem are likeable in their bumbling innocent roles.

Agni Kshethram (1980)

Family formula

[8/10 · 30 November 2023]

Srividya is the daughter of a rich man. Prem is a doctor with meagre means who lives with his mother and sister Roja . She has a limp and often berates herself for not being very mobile. Prem goes to Srividya's house to treat her one day and both fall for each other. Despite her father opposing ,she gets married to him and starts her domestic life blissfully . He being a doctor is always busy and comes home late. She is often left with her mother in law and Roja for company. Her father comes visiting and is aghast at seeing his daughter cook and clean . He tries every trick in the book to take her away but she remains adamant.

Very soon she gives birth to a boy . Prem is often seen in the company of his nurse kanaka durga . She is a single mother and has a lot of problems in her personal life. Without telling any one , he keeps trying to help her with her child .... money .. professional life ... Slowly Srividya comes to know through salacious gossip about their relation. Already frustrated with his growing absence and not able to understand his dedication to his work, she starts believing all these stories egged on by her own father and also Roja . Her MIL tries to mend fences . Matters come to the head when her son falls sick and Prem takes time to come due to his own work commitments .In the mean time the child dies . All hell breaks loose. Srividya goes away to her father's house who is more than happy to add fuel to fire. He keeps instigating her to divorce that loser Prem and marry again to his rich friend's son . Initially upset and confused, Prem tries to make her understand but fails miserably .

Finally Kanakadurga goes to Srividya to tell the truth about herself . Funny how in our movies we don't believe our own spouses but some third person easily . Srividya and Prem unite in the final scene and all ends well. Roja Ramani is cute as his younger sister. She has had a long career as younger sister in South for several decades . Srividya is a beauty in deed even without make up in some sad scenes with those huge doleful eyes. Prem as a middle class doctor loving brother dutiful son singing duets with srividya busy confused frustrated defeated is a treat to watch . This formula was redone in several languages later. Over all a fine family fare .

Rajhamsam (1974)

Family fare

[7/10 · 27 November 2023]

The 70s were filled with family formulas. This is a relevant movie even today . Prem Nazir comes to visit his home town which is a sprawling estate surrounded by lush greenery . He meets Jayabharati who is taking care of her 4 year old son . Prem strikes a friendship with that boy as he is lonely in this vast estate . She often berates and hits her son for talking to Prem Nazir . Puzzled and curious he asks the people working in his estate . After the initial hesitation, they narrate JB's back ground .Her elder sister Srividya was sweet talked and cheated by a rich man a few years before . Srividya innocently believed that he will marry her . Despite having suiters in her own community , she ignores all and goes around with her rich paramour. The child actually belongs to Srividya who had died broken in spirit . JB has sworn off rich men life long . An impressed Prem goes to her house asking her hand in marriage but she stoically refuses . Slowly Prem changes her opinion about him. Prem and JB unite in the end . JB is cute as a young innocent girl teasing her sister about the men surrounding her and then later as a mature grown up woman sure of herself . Srividya as usual is ethereal in simple sarees as a girl from the lower strata . Her expressive eyes do most of the talking . Prem is perfect as a confused lover boy. Over all a fine movie . The lush green back ground of Kerala needs no introduction.

Parinayam (1994)

Super movie

[7/10 · 21 November 2023]

Mohini brings out the innocence of a young bride . Manj Jayan is her step son from around her own age who is a reformer . She is married to a very old man nearly 4 decades her senior who belongs to a rich upper caste already having 3 wives. Meekly she follows him . He is unable to consummate their relation on their first night due to his ill health. She goes to her parents house in the same village . When she returns back she realises that he has passed away .

Childless widows have had a tough time in our history . Very soon she settles down to a life of loneliness with the occasional visits from her step son asking her to study or remarry. In fact he himself once tries to ask her hand in marriage . Meanwhile she becomes close to a visiting Kathakali group actor Vineet .He is around her age. Their paths keep meeting they keep exchanging shy sly looks and smiles on lonely pathways . Vineet is Manoj's friend and is a frequent visitor to this family .

During one dance show , both become intimate and she conceives his child . From here start her ordeals , A pregnant widow whose husband died several months back must be dealt with very harshly . The elders of the community headed by the very dependable Thilakan come and stay in their house at their expense to give judgement . It will invariably mean that Mohini is guilty and an adultress and probably put to death or thrown out of the community . She at first refuses to eat or drink despite her senior maid Sukumari pleading . Finally when she realises that vineet has no intention of marrying her , she opens her mouth and says she has been violated by at least 64 men . The entire village is shocked. Meanwhile a repentant Vineeth returns back to claim paternity and marry her . She refuses saying she is now independent and cannot bind to one man . In the final scene , we see her practicing the Charkha weaving cotton with other women like her . A very poignant movie where this girl child grows very quickly.

Sukumari is elegant in her small role as a main maid . Mohini wears mostly white to show her widow status and steals our hearts from the first scene itself . Her own family has abondaned her as they cannot stand up to her rich in laws . A movie very rich in the back ground with old style Kerala tapestry , houses , costumes ,practices not to mention the lush greenery . A couple of dole ful songs thrown in .

Nakshathrangale Kaaval (1978)

Coming of age story

[7/10 · 16 November 2023]

Jayabharati and Shubha are close friends studying in the same hostel. Soman is a frequent visitor to meet girls there . He is a known play boy of sorts. The entire hostel knows about him. Many girls fall for his charm and some come back complaining about him and his promises . JB too falls in love with him unable to resist his charms . Her friend Shubha warns her but JB believes in his love . Soman backs out of marriage with her in the last minute and JB gets a shock and she moves away sadly . Shubha's marriage is fixed with Soman as they are family friends .Despite Shubha rejecting his alliance , her parents force her as he is from a good family . She keeps squabbling with him as she knows his real nature. Soman keeps reassuring her that he is changing and turning into a domestic man . Shubha unwittingly has a short affair with a man servant and conceives his child . She gives birth to this child and dies broken in spirit. Soman gives this child to JB to take care as she is still unmarried and pining after her friend Shubha . A softer side of Soman emerges . Slowly JB and soman grow close as she starts seeing his good points and get married . A parallel story is of Soman's mother Sukumari and Adoor Bhashi. Bhashi had poisoned Soman's father lusting after Sukumari and their property . In the final scene Soman poisions and kills Bhashi. JB Soman Sukumari and the child start a fresh life together .

Nizhal Moodiya Nirangal (1983)

Family fare

[7/10 · 13 November 2023]

A relevant movie even today . Bharat Gopi and his wife Sharada live with their two children with his older brother , his wife and his two kids and their mum. They are an ideal family always prancing and dancing around . The older brother suddenly gets bitten by a mad dog and contacts Rabis . He dies a horrific death in front of the entire family . Sad and sullen , Bharat Gopi , a tailor by profession gets down to business and takes care of the entire load . Sadly , the older brother's young widowed innocent wife is duped by some one and taken to the city on the pretext of giving a job . With the loss of both the parents, the two kids totally depend on Sharada and Bharat Gopi now . The mother too dies broken in spirit slowly , The girls now grown up , Rani Padmini and a very young ambika are always up to pranks . Ratheesh , the son of the older brother turns out to be a creep and is always looking for easy money . Bharat Gopi's own son goes missing due to the problems in the family . The entire situation is chaotic . Ratheesh and Rani track down their mother inadvertently who is in dire needs and now belongs to a very low strata . Sad and depressed , both return back . Ratheesh marries a very rich girl and keeps his status and back ground hidden from her . Rani too mends her ways and returns back to domesticity . Finally the prodigal son returns much to his old parents' happiness. The movie finishes on a happy hopeful note. A very strong formula even today . Over all a fine movie .