Kaadu Pookkunna Neram Malayalam Movie
In one of the scenes in "Kaadu Pookkunna Neream," a teacher (Indrans) tells the story of three creatures- rabbit, cat and woodpecker, to his students. Two of these creatures are in dispute about their habitat. In fact, this is the underlying nub of Dr. Biju's latest venture.
Narrated in the backdrop of Maoist issue in Kerala, this film explores the poetic tranquility of the forest life and opens our eyes towards tribal lives.
Though the topic is about the battle between power and revolutionary norms, "Kaadu Pookkunna Neram" keeps its sangfroid vis-a-vis films of similar themes.
A police team arrives at a tribal village and they occupy two rooms of the forest school as their camp. They are in a mission-- in search of Maoists. One night the police chase some Maoists in the jungle, but one of them got trapped in the woods along with a female Maoist. The policeman's (Indrajith) encounter with this girl becomes a turning point in his life.
Interestingly, the characters in the film don't have names. As the girl (Rima Kallingal) says, names don't have any significance. For them, there are only police and Maoists.
Crispy dialogues, restrained story-telling and picture perfect visuals transform this film into one of the finest films of these times.
Filmmaker Dr. Biju, noted for his socially committed movies, has raised the bar of his creativity, and leaves a few questions for us to ponder.
If you believe in art and commercial categorization of films, you may find the first half dragging a little. But then it's not letting us down as far as the story is concerned. Since it discusses brutal laws like AFSPA and infamy acts of police against innocent people in the name of Maoist hunt, the movie tenuously shows traits of a documentary in a few places.
Rima is an apt choice for the role and the mystery surrounding her will haunt you even after watching the film.
MJ Radhakrishnan's camera magnificently captured the serenity of forest.
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