Movie Review - Pranayam

Blessy's movies always evoke a feeling of apprehension in me - I keep a convulsive grip on whatever is near me because tragedy can strike at any moment, at any turning. And after watching Palunku, any reference in his movies to children left alone at home or elsewhere sets the doom bells tolling in my mind. Then why do I go on watching this director's movies? Because he delivers, each time, every time.

Pranayam - I'm still in the hangover of watching this movie - a better name for it would be a visual poem. Right from the moment Achutha Menon (Anupam Kher) rattles off the Bible passage that is his test for presbyopia, to the last appearance of the butterfly which alights on its true love is one magical journey of love - and how many kinds and variations of it... To sum up the story in cinema cliche, boy and girl fall in love and elope; they divorce after having a child who stays with the father; girl marries another man and has new family; all meet after 40 years. Sounds cliched, yes? But in the hands of the master craftsman that Blessy is, the movie sounds such depths of emotions that can only be guessed at. I fear that I may give away the climax of the movie by elaborating. You have to see this! Mohanlal gets a role for which any actor would literally give away a leg and an arm - it's one of the rare movies in which you forget that he is Mohanlal - instead you just see Mathews. Anupam Kher and Jayaprada .. I don't have words that will do justice to their prowess. Anup Menon gets another juicy one as the estranged son. Dhanya Mary scintillates as the daughter who simply refuses to understand. 

I think this is one movie to be added to one's personal movie collection: and viewed about once a year with family. Just to remind us why we are here on earth. We become so inured to each other in the daily grind of life that we take all the good for granted and just grumble at the imperfect. One's husband might make the perfect sarcastic comment for each proudly paraded new outfit that would want you to burn the new dress. One's wife may wear a tattered nighty to bed and put up her hair a la the Panchayat President's wife in Boban and Molly. One's kids may not be the perfect paragons of virtue in public and might embarrass you with innocent comments and observations. Shouting, criticism and defensive behavior might have become the norm rather than hugs, praise and encouragement. Watch Pranayam and fall in love all over again, with each other, with the whole world...