Maya Krishnan talks about ‘Mummy and Me’, a new Malayalam movie that makes the theatres of Kerala, packed in with family audience even amidst the monsoon havoc. It tells the story of longing and belonging between a mom and her daughter, as a regular episode in the present day life. Hitting the box-office, it redefines the traditional ‘mamma mia’ bond by complementing it to the fast-track core of today.

For the last one year ‘Daddy Mommy veetil illai, thada poda aarumillai’,[meaning No one is here right at home including Daddy and Mummy to wedge us (from?)], had been the signet- song of the South Indian teens. But recently, ‘Mummy’ has slipped out of the mere ‘thada podal’ (to block) mission to some more broad spectrum, over the Kerala end. Yes, after the release of “Mommy and Me’, a Malyalam movie, portraying the factual routines of a present day nuclear family, at least some of them have begun to brood over their moms as just more than one who is blocking them from this and that.

Malluwood–From ‘topless’ to realistic and academic

Malayalam film industry had been wailing over its miseries as affected badly by the spread of umpteen satellite channels and film piracy since the latter’s emergence. Recently, it began to hit the headlines with the over- politicizing of the given democratic and constitutional freedom by fanning their own dirty linens.

Flayed as ‘topless’ in the early 70’s Malayalam cinema had been brushed aside until the bombastic entrance of the stalwarts like I.V.Sasi, Bharathan and  Padmarajan. By narrowing the gap between art and commercial banners they seamlessly integrated the seriousness of the parallel and popular tracks of mainstream cinema. But the way that they paved when trailed off for the stars and superstars instead of artists, the very constellation itself has marred. Moulds were remolded to befit the hero-centered and super-human screen images. The ever-appeasing media became chaotic even when the veterans atop like Adoor Gopalkrishnan, Shaji.N.Karun, the conjurers like Sathyan Anthikadu, Kamal, Fazil, Siby Malayil and the comprehensive Jayaraj take their fleet.

But in 2005 Malayalam Cinema has resurrected with the endeavors of some fervent talents like Lal Jose, Roshan Andrews and Blessy. Scenarists like Sreenivasan told, retold and riveted the fact that cinema is the brain child of the director and never of the ‘star’. The empathetic and aesthetic Malayali learned the way a cinema is being carved out. But in the torrents of ‘item dances’ aired through the innumerable channels created a parallel track through the generations coming up. It made the ‘remakes’ and ‘dubs’ abuzz the aesthetic Kerala terrain. This dangerously lenient attitude plus the ‘backbitings’ turned the scenario all the more messed up.

In search of an artist

When it was pecking with some resolute challenges from Ranjith and Madhupal, entered a hushed Jeethu Joseph, with a euphony that tintinnabulates in every home where love makes the glue-factor. Nothing to boast with except that of the very diverse and dynamic movements of his team as a whole, ‘Mummy & Me’ came re-defining the eternal ‘mamma mia’ bond, complimenting to the fast-track core of today.

“I have been pondering over this theme for the last 3-4 years.” Says a jubilant Jeethu as quiet as his first venture ‘Detective’ pulled the audience to the edge of their seat. He narrated his years-long search for the cast and a sensible producer. It illustrated how the image-oriented stardom ruins the caliber of the artist and leaves the potentials untapped.

“I approached several heroines of the industry to do the role which Urvashi did, but no one was ready to be essayed as a teen’s mom.  Some of them remarked that if it is a 4 or 5 year child, it would be okay. At that time, Urvashi had been caught in the bracket of ‘Achuvinte Amma’ (a golden hit from Sathyan Anthikkadu). So, I never even thought of approaching her again with a character of a grown-up girl’s mother, even though this one is apparently different. But finally, it came to be Urvashi’s and it has proved the best choice.” remarked the contented film maker.

The more amazing thing is that when the Superstardom of Malayalam Film arena is being tethered to the tree-rounding with teens, Mukesh, the handsome ‘buster’ of the Malyalam screen was getting into the shoes of a father, that too of that ‘me’ of teens!! But Jeethu says :’ “ It was Mr.Mukesh who asked me at a time, when I was downtrodden of the search, about this particular project. In fact, he himself wanted to be a part of this one. He was that much attracted to the theme..”

We need not approach a piece of art with much prejudice. It comes and projects as it may. But when the usual oddments, having no signal of any news-concept, novelty, or anything ethereal when get exalted by the goodwill, we can call it an art. If so, this tell-a-tale of a common nuclear family is an aesthetically appeasable piece of art– in cinematic lingo, a box-office hit.

Yes, ‘Mommy&Me’ is being celebrated all over the A – class theatres in Kerala, with all the zeal and fervor from the family audience. After a long time, we see the depressed ones return from the serpent queues of the Cinema houses without  a ticket to get into.

Concept

The scenarist and director Jeethu Joseph, here tells the tale of a nuclear family with a Bank Manger father (Mukesh), a home-maker mom (Urvashi) and their two children. The story revolves round the combats between the mother and the teenaged daughter Jewel (Archana Kavi),. Those combats may be equated with the combats between generations, outlooks, values, and so on and so forth. The very word “Generation gap’ itself became a cliché out of redundant repetitions and inculcations. But the fact that such a thing is there since the Alpha and unto the Omega. ‘Mummy &Me’ rivets that fact once again, even though how much educated and socially indulged the persons are.

As the scenarist himself states in this film, Mukesh’s role is that of a referee, to tide over the combats in his usual ‘meek and humble’ style so as to retain the peace but always ends up in trouble. But at times, it relieves for awhile when the fourth one, the son Jokkuttan (Jeevan) enters the frame to add fuel (and also laughter to the audience).

Like today’s majority of home-bound girls, Jewel, a well-pampered and spoilt-brat, longs for an orphan-hood – to relieve from the bonds of love and over-care her mom showers on her. She introduces her mom to us as her ‘main foe’. In more than 10 frames in the movie, we see her complaining to her father about her mom’s behavior. When the father takes a ‘castling’ move, she once blasts out at him “Are you hen-pecked?”

Parallel to this family we see another one, with Rahul(Kunchacko Boban) as the only son and Lalu Alex and yesteryear-actor Shari as his parents. There also we inadvertently meet a father-son combo always lock horns with the mother in a thinned way. Lalu Alex and Mukesh being childhood friends, their family also follow the same friendship in the posh way in club-meets and night-outs as well as in deep-heart. And the onus of local guardianship of the ‘eccentric’ Jewel naturally falls on the shoulders of Rahul who studies in the same college where his mother is a Professor. All these inter-linked bonds play vital roles in the swift movement of the story-line.

As any girl of this age, Jewel also is pertinent to get a cell phone and a PC and the over-caring mom never permits it fearing its dire aftermaths. So she finds way to have it, in her own ways and the mom (Dad also) kneels down before her cocksure inferences. The director wants us to know at this context that Jewel is apparently ignorant towards their love and care or she simply exploits it to procure her needs.

Thus computer and the vast Web world come to her study from the internet café where she had been a frequent visitor. There she finds a chat-friend (nothing new today) who then takes the rein of the story there after. Her longing for an ‘unbound life’, here finds solace only to maintain equilibrium in the story line with Ameer , apparently an orphan.

Casting

Though worn out of long hunts, Jeethu Joseph has shown that casting is also an art in the close-shot of a film maker.

Urvashi again and again proves that she is unparallel in the industry. One cannot imagine any other heroine in the South Indian cinema would essay the role of Clara, so emotionally involved, as Urvashi did. Mukesh, the Peter Pan and the romantic-comedian, as installed in the Malayali hearts stands hand-in-hand with Urvashi, with whom comedy is no more a tool, but a way. Even at the tense moments, such snippets make the audience burst into laughter. Master Jeevan is an icing on this cake. With all the dissonances between her sister and mom, he makes himself an in-home entertainment; by the naughty peeps and loud soliloquies and of course with the chicken legs. Along with the unbeatable combo of Mukesh-Urvashi, Jeevan goes well stuck. Archana Kavi could somehow  manage to get out of the ‘Kunjimaalu- snare’, but makes the audience peep out for some one else.

Even in his short-numbered appearances, Lalu Alex excels as usual with all the solid affection and friendship a father carries on with his son. He himself has proved unabated in such roles in Paadheyam, Niram etc. with the winsome father-image. Kunchako Boban again put himself in the shoes of a college boy, who bears a matured head on his shoulders. Taking off his mustache, he subdues to the role as well. An unseen thread of romance radiates whenever he meets with Jewel, the ‘me’. As such songs and song-sequences were visualized by dissecting the camera magic of veteran Vipin Mohan. The salubrious locale’s energy passes straight into the audience with the unadulterated visuals.

Compromising with the trends, abundance of songs protrudes out of this good cinema as a mere add-on at times. Though seem to be misfit to this particular structure, songs can be counted as above average.

Climax of the movie is really a kind of ‘take-off’ for the spectators, as it invariably changes its pace for this otherwise friction-less drift.

Director’s cinema

What makes ‘Mummy &Me’ a jubilant hit when other theatres with star-buzzed hoardings lay silent, is a fact that it is a director’s movie. The way he handles his own script never looses out of his fingers, but drifts along with the same pace thrusting the realistic touch to the core issue.. He not only tells the story but, chops a routine episode out of the current social fabric also to retell it to the same society where it happens. As it mirrors all the scars and black-heads, we search for the needles after  introspection.

Though socially committed, there is no lecturing from the film maker’s side, but he simply lets the onus to the unseen chat-friend, who empowers over the whole text. Not only have the characters of the cinema, but the whole audience come under his spell thence forth. Anoop Menon, the Psychologist also shares this pack. Once drenched, etching of some messages and concepts becomes easy and finally we come to a conclusion that, this movie carries a good message to the parents as well as the growing children, after getting out of the cinema house.

By making each mother turns back to her travails and ‘good old days’ with her all-obedient baby, and making each teen to rewind his/her short past whilst moving forward, Jeethu Joseph has succeeded in making ripples in the Malyalam film industry without any showbiz. But he dedicates the whole fabulous accolades he receives every day to the Producer of the movie, Mr.Joy Thomas Sakthikulangara, saying, “If such a person was not there to take over this project (sans any superstar wave) as a challenge, this cinema would not have happened..”.

So, let us also thank him for this intellectual take on.

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