Rajeev's Review: "Mathilukal" (Prison Walls)
Sundara Pandian
Malayalam movie `Mathilukal' (1990). Adoor Gopalakrishnan,
director of this movie is one of the respected art-movie
makers in India, and I learn from Rajeev that Adoor has
taken the story from a short-story collection by a modern
Malayalam writer, Vaikom Mohammed Basheer. Basheer is one
of the many acclaimed writers in modern Malayalam literature
and one of his novels has been translated into Tamil. Its
title is `engal thaaththaavaakku oru yaanai irunthathu'
(Tr: Our grandpa had an elephant) and it was published
by Cre-A publications, Madras. I believe that Basheer got
some award for this novel, but I am not sure. Anyway, it
is a good novel and I recommend the nettors to read it.
Basheer's writings reflect well the life and experiences
of Islam society in Kerala, and a modern Tamil writer,
Thoppil Mohammed Miraan ("oru kadalOrak kiraamaththin kathai")
is often compared with Basheer by Tamil critics for the
same reason. Thoppil Mohammed Miraan hails from Kumari
District. - SP ]
-= Review =-
By: raj...@rahul.net (S. Rajeev)
Movie: "Mathilukal" (Prison Walls)
"Mathilukal" (Prison Walls), 1990. Malayalam. Directed and Produced by
Adoor Gopalakrishnan. Starring Mammooty and Tilakan. Cinematography by
Ravi Varma.
Every new Adoor Gopalakrishnan film has become an eagerly-awaited
event, given that his meticulous and painstaking oeuvre is so sparse:
only seven or eight films since the 1971 "Swayamvaram". In his 1990
film, "Mathilukal" (Prison Walls), he demonstrates once again why he
has inherited the late Satyajit Ray's mantle as the most personal and
penetrating of Indian filmmakers. Like Ray, Adoor avoids the large
problems of politics, choosing instead to concentrate on an intimate
portrayal of one person. He has chosen to film a short story of the
same name by Vaikom Mohammed Basheer, one of the grand old men of
Malayalam fiction. Basheer's autobiographical story recounts the time
he spent as a political prisoner in Trivandrum's Central Jail during
the Independence movement. It is a simple human tale of loneliness
and, surprisingly, love. Mammooty steals the show with a fine
performance, and the film won a slew of National Awards.
Mammoty plays Basheer, jailed for sedition as a result of his writing.
But the authorities are relatively kind, for he is a well-known
writer, and in any case, they know that the days of Independence are
not far off. The life that Basheer and his fellow political prisoners
live is benign, as jail terms go. They are not tortured or abused, and
despite the sheer boredom and the lack of such treasures as tea,
cigarettes, etc., they get to talk about the struggle, Gandhiji and
the glorious independent India they will surely walk out into. Of
course, there are sad tales too: mild Razak who murdered his
brother-in-law who had talaqed his sister; and Basheer's unnamed
friend, who had unwisely stood up for justice and seen his jail term
quadruple for his pains. Basheer's friend, the hospital orderly, gives
him the occasional fried fish and fried egg as a little treat.
But then one day, all the other politicos are freed, and Basheer is
left entirely alone. He is miserable, until quite by chance he comes
upon young Narayani, an inmate of the adjoining women's prison. They
never see each other, always talking surreptitiously over the high
wall that separates the two prison compounds. They develop an
intimacy, and flirt shamelessly. They long for each other's touch. As
Basheer says: "I am kissing this stone wall, imagining your face and
the woman scent of you." And Narayani says: "I am pressing myself
against the wall, imagining your embrace." The flowering of desire or
even love in this unlikeliest of places--Narayani is in for twelve
years for murder--is moving, sad and at the same time comic.
There are no happy endings. However, with no female characters, except
for Narayani's voice, Adoor has created a deft and effective love
story.
-= Namaste =-
- SP -
Padu Nellayappan
: [ I read a movie review by Rajeev in ACK of a recent
: Malayalam movie `Mathilukal' (1990). Adoor Gopalakrishnan.......
I have seen the movie, very impressive. If I am not mistaken, The name of
the movie is Mathilikkul (meaning inside the Madhil, and Madhil means
the wall that serves as a fence, in Malayalam).
Speaking of good Malayalam movies, there was another great one with
Mammoty, who portrays the role of the head of a household but is declared
'mad/senile/insane' while he actually is in possession of his senses. An
unusual theme but good portrayal. I forget the name. Anyboy remember this
one ?
Srikant Sridevan
In article <931230044...@cec2.wustl.edu>, s...@cec.wustl.edu
(Sundara Pandian) writes:
>Malayalam writer, Vaikom Mohammed Basheer. Basheer is one
>of the many acclaimed writers in modern Malayalam literature
>and one of his novels has been translated into Tamil. Its
>title is `engal thaaththaavaakku oru yaanai irunthathu'
>(Tr: Our grandpa had an elephant) and it was published
>by Cre-A publications, Madras. I believe that Basheer got
>some award for this novel, but I am not sure. Anyway, it
>is a good novel and I recommend the nettors to read it.
I personally prefer "Friends" to "My Grandad 'ad an Elephant". Probably
the best short story I've read recently.
Anyway, enjoy.
Srikant
--
--
Execution time is the time taken to complete a pogrom
or a set of pogroms.
e-mail : s...@apollo.psrc.ncsu.edu
Ravisankar M. S
Vaikkom Mohammed Basheer. Brilliant. I liked the stories
Neela veLicham and Manushan. All his stories were of high class.
Title of the book is Love Letter. There is a story with the same title
in the book.
Another book which impressed me was U.R. Ananda Murthy's novel
"SAMSKARA" Translated from kannada.
-MSR
su...@immunex.com
>
> In article <931230044...@cec2.wustl.edu>, s...@cec.wustl.edu
> (Sundara Pandian) writes:
>
>>Malayalam writer, Vaikom Mohammed Basheer. Basheer is one
>>of the many acclaimed writers in modern Malayalam literature
>>and one of his novels has been translated into Tamil. Its
>>title is `engal thaaththaavaakku oru yaanai irunthathu'
>>(Tr: Our grandpa had an elephant) and it was published
>>by Cre-A publications, Madras. I believe that Basheer got
>>some award for this novel, but I am not sure. Anyway, it
>>is a good novel and I recommend the nettors to read it.
>
> I personally prefer "Friends" to "My Grandad 'ad an Elephant". Probably
> the best short story I've read recently.
>
> Anyway, enjoy.
>
> Srikant
> --
> --
>
My vote is for Fatima's Goat (Pathummavudaya Aadu). Basheer is one of those
rare writers whose "novels" are only about 100 pages long. They can be
classified (if you have to!) as small novels or long-short stories. Like his
other novels, Fatima's Goat is partly autobiographical. Most of his stories
are translated (in Tamil) and published by Sahitya Akademi (with a k!).
Could someone tell me where I can get Adoor's movies?
Thanks,
Sucha Sudarsanam
su...@immunex.com