That day in 1993

Originally written on October 01, 2021

I have had many enduring love affairs in my life.

They are of nature, stories, books, deep meaningful conversations, food, travel, silent retreats, movies, music and trains.

And what if the last three come together in one movie? There is at least one other movie that combines all these but today I want to talk about one of them.

My love affair with movies started almost 40 years ago when I must have been 6 or 7 years old. And guess which movie did I see first?

Of course, Pather Panchali. It had to be. For me, it was meant to be.

I still remember those grainy black and white images that I saw in a neighbour's house.

Then about 28 years ago I saw a movie that captivated me to no end. It must have been in the months of May/ June/ July or August of 1993 when I saw Andha Naal (That Day) starring Sivaji Ganesan.

I was completely enthralled and the grip still remains intact. I hadn't heard of the Rashomon effect till a few years ago but it was the movie which introduced me to the effect first mastered by Akira Kurosawa.

It was also the movie that further fascinated me with forensics, investigation techniques and critical thinking. I still remember that moment when the CID detective Sivanandham's face lights up in shock when he detects the killer and how he figured it out.

Why am I talking about it today?

Well, it's the legend's 93rd birthday today. And what a performance did he put in it as the brilliant anti-hero.

I was happy to learn eventually that Andha Naal was included in the 100 greatest Indian cinemas in the poll conducted by CNN-IBN in 2013.

While I don't come anywhere close to claiming that I am a walking encyclopedia on the legendary Sivaji Ganesan because I am yet to watch his Parasakthi, Thevar Magan (later remade in Hindi as Virasat by Priyadarshan and starring Anil Kapoor), Thangapathakam (which was later remade in Hindi as Shakti starring Dilip Kumar Saab and Amitabh Bachhan) and many more; I can still say that sometimes a single glimpse or two is enough to let one know of another's brilliant genius.

So here is the movie that combines my love affairs of acting, music and trains. It's the 1997 Malayalam movie that brings together an ensemble of legends.

It is the climax scene from Oru Yathra Mozhi (an Adieu/ A Good Bye) starring some of the legends of South Indian cinema in one movie - Sivaji Ganesan, Mohan Lal, Thilakan, Nedumudi Venu and Ilyaraja as the music composer. What a story of a father-son relationship; what a screenplay; what background music, what editing; what casting brilliance and coup and shot brilliantly at the iconic Cherukara railway station in Kerala back in the days in the 1990s when we had those iconic brown painted railway carriages with yellow painted handles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acZtbuhIZ10 (Wait till the end credits finish as you see railway tracks merge together with an amazing song and music track).

While true movie fanatics can't pick one actor over the other in this climax scene but I tip my hat in favour of Sivaji Ganesan for the way he portrayed the scene of Mohan Lal's father here.

I wish I was chosen by forces of time and destiny to have played Mohan Lal's role in this movie with Sivaji Ganesan.

Happy Birthday Periyavare!!

Neenge neenal vazhatte.

_/\_