The power of the memory of love:

Can spring be far behind?

This is a question that the great English poet PB Shelly asked in one of his compositions.

Nothing great about the question if one looks at it in isolation.

But when it comes up in the movie by the name Pookkaalam (Spring) that follows a frosty winter and that too in the context of a breakdown in a long relationship, then Shelly’s question assumes significance.

Needless to say that Malayalam movies are winning rave fans across the globe and yet there is something about their trailers in general.

When I saw the trailer of this movie a few months ago I wasn’t that impressed. Malayalam movie trailers have that consistency about them - you’ll never get a clue about what the movie is all about. You need to watch the movie to experience the beauty and depth unfold, even as some of the movies turn out to be trashy.

Thanks to some my friends from school I put this movie in my long list of movies to watch and finally got around the day before yesterday and even as the first 30 odd minutes were tempting me to switch off despite the curiosity triggered by the opening quote from Shelly, the Director Ganesh Raj’s name kept me slightly hooked (He’s helmed another beautiful movie, a couple of years ago - Oru Vadakkan Selfie - A Northern Selfie - a comedy turned drama about the coming of age story about two useless young men.)

Coming back to Pookkaalam, the second half is so beautiful and heart touching with such a beautiful message that I was happy to have tears well up in my eyes and flow down my smiling cheeks.

When the movie opened with that partial line from poet PB Shelly, I was keen but couldn’t figure out where it was going. But the second half and the entry of veteran actress Suhasini turns the story into a different thing altogether.

In retrospect I shouldn’t have suspected the Director.

I can watch this slow burner again and again.

What a coming of age movie this is for the lead nonagenarian character.

As I watched the film, I happened to remember an article titled “Splitting grey hairs” that had come in the Outlook magazine way back in October 1999 about the then new and increasing trend of divorce among the elderly in India.

And what an acting by - the veteran actor Vijayaraghavan playing the nonagenarian character called Ittoop/ Ichoyi especially as the movie progresses.

I always looks for the attention to detail a director and actor have given to the micro expressions in the performance. Here again Vijayaraghavan scores brilliantly with all the happiness, confusion, hurt, anger and all expressed beautifully in his eyes and wrinkled facial expressions as well as in the subtle but constantly jerking finger movements.

What a wonderful performance by actress KPAC Leela (who I was seeing for the first time) as Ichoyi’s wife of nearly 80 years. What a wonderful piece of submission she makes in the court that truly broke my heart and at the same time touched me so deeply and movingly.

Continuing with the casting, of course Suhasini as one of their eldest daughters, Sarasa Balussery as Ittoop and Kochuthreysia’s eldest daughter afflicted by Alzheimer’s and the rest of the cast as well including the double pair of twins. What a perfect casting!!! I was very happy to see the new role given to veteran actor Abu Salim who was otherwise mostly cast into side kick and villainous roles.

And even though it’s less than 10 minutes of total screen time, what a performance from veteran comedian Jagadish who has been on a great run since his turn around into a character actor of depth from the heart breaking movie Leela (starring Biju Menon and once again Vijayraghavan) a couple of years ago directed by Ranjeeth where he plays a villainous, monstrous father who turns into a guilt ridden man.

In the present film, it’s a simple but powerful and profound act when he asks Ittoop to return home than get drawn into a confrontation and score points for the ego. Watch the movie to find out the reason Kochousep doesn’t want to get triggered by Ittoop and gently tells him to go back home.

This movie Pookkalaam is also about loss, grief, guilt, realisation, resolution, maturity, wisdom, compassion, reconciliation, the powerful force that the memory of the love of a lifetime can exert and pull, empathy, the diffusion of a personal loss at the social level and yet the holding, bonding and healing power of the immediate society in some of our families, dignity and grace. kindness, redemption and true homecoming. And maybe much more.

As I was writing this and remembered the most poignant moments in the film, I was also reminded of that famous line of Rumi:

“Out beyond the idea of wrongdoing and right doing, there is an open field. I will meet you there.”

I wonder, given the life that Ms. KPAC Leela breathed into her character of Kochuthresiya, was she or Kochuthreysia possibly aware of the spirit of Rumi’s line, especially even as she was dictating those words in her court submission?

The sounds of her words in that submission is one of the most moving scenes and experiences in the film.

There are also two moments of fear in the film when you’re confronted with the possibility of death of a character.

As a life long student of cinema who wasn’t destined to be a film maker but is still happy to be at least a life long student of cinema, it’s also a great class for me on characterisation and the arc of evolution almost each of the characters go through and grow through in this movie.

Hats off to Ganesh Raj - the screenplay writer-director of this movie and the characters therein.

The poster I got, to go with this post does not do justice to all the characters in the movie but so be it. The movie does it and takes good care of them.

The spirit of the movie stays long enough and long after the movie is over.

Must watch.

It’s important to allow happy tears to come out every once in a while.

Here’s the trailer:

https://youtu.be/PaKujbIWw8Y?si=ysBWvSh7qH5gIAAJ

It’s available on Hotstar Specials with English subtitles.