.jpg)
Review of Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam: Scene-by-scene, the filmmaker Lijo Jose Pellissery centers our experience on the village's way of life.
James (Mammootty) travels to Velankanni on a bus with his relatives in Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam. He never finds humor in his family and is always unhappy. He can't enjoy the trip because he is constantly concerned about the rising costs. He appears to be a man who believes the worst of others. He might initially wonder, "Why is he helping me?" whenever someone offers him assistance. What will he get out of it? He appears to be a man who does not support a humanitarian cause and is self-centered.
James finds himself drawn into an odd circumstance for no apparent reason. After a substantial lunch, the bus deviates from the highway and enters a small village far removed from the city's bustle as everyone falls asleep.
It is a quiet, close-knit village that is at peace with itself. James gets off the bus and starts walking when the village in the middle of nowhere comes to a stop. He seems to be familiar with the location from every angle. He doesn't need anyone to direct him. He makes steady progress through the village's narrow streets until he reaches an old house. He enters the house, changes into his outfit, and greets everyone there. James aka Sundaram goes about his business as usual, even though his neighbors and family are shocked by his behavior.
When the sleepy town wakes up, it doesn't know what to do with a stranger who acts like a dead man. According to the villagers, Sundaram vanished two years ago and they were unable to locate him. The village and Sundaram's family come to the same conclusion. Ramya Pandian, who plays his wife, dies as a widow; her grieving face and empty forehead tell their own story. She has not left. She may be stuck in time because she was unable to properly bid her husband farewell. The rest of the story is about how James and Sundaram's friends and family react to this bizarre situation.
Not only the village, but also the audience may have trouble understanding the situation. However, the way S. Hareesh writes makes it very open to interpretation. You can project your own life experiences onto the film's dense subtext.
It appears that James and his companions rarely pause to assist another person. However, by chance, they all stop to assist a man who has been dead for two years.
Scene-by-scene, the filmmaker Lijo Jose Pellissery centers our experience on the village's way of life. The residents of that village are not impatient. They are unconcerned about the passing of time. Because there are fewer opportunities for them to be distracted from the absolute banality of life, they are extraordinarily at ease in absolute stillness. To keep themselves occupied and content, the villagers rely on the humor of their friends, and occasionally of strangers.
James, who believes he is Sundaram and interacts with everyone with a sense of familiarity, never bothers to be identified by anyone in the village. They don't have to worry about his caste, religion, language, or other identities; they just enjoy his story and his company.
The black-and-white television shows constantly make noise, disrupting the peaceful atmosphere of the village. Lijo incorporates the television into the background score to enhance the mood and depth of the narrative. The village's tranquility and beauty are beautifully captured by cinematographer Theni Eswar. The images have a meditative quality. There are multiple stories told in each frame. A single shot frames Sundaram's wife and James' wife together at the height of the drama. Their husbands have both passed away. They may have grown up in different environments, cultures, and languages, but they all experience the same grief. This is the most touching scene in the movie, and it applies to everyone.