Pathira Kaalam Malayalam Movie
Priyanandanan's "Pathirakalam" (Nocturnal Times) is a beautiful blend of disturbing contents with filmic moments. Referring to the status quo of current society, the pervading angst the film generates is alarming and effective. The portrayal of the perennial exploitation of the minority, including the tribals and their hardships is realistic enough to nudge our consciousness to realise the truth.
Director Priyanandanan takes us to a journey along with Jahanara (Mythili), accompanied by Mahesh (Kalesh Kannatt) in search of her missing father Hussain (Joy Mathew). During the journey, the bitter truth strikes hard reminding us of the pathetic situation we are mired in. In her quest for Hussain, Jahanara realises the fake faces around her and their submission to the tentacles stretched out by those in power. The ordeal is worth for her when she comes to know about the good deeds of her father among the marginalised section of people.
Joy Mathew authentically makes his presence felt in the film through his voiceover. It is a real test of the calibre of Mythili, who, undoubtedly, claims the lion's share of the soul of the movie with her astounding performance. Jahanara, a woman with modern outlook, defies all the ingrained notions about her gender and decries the injustice meted out to her by the police. Her boldness is her charm and her perspectives are her strength.
The coastal area depicted in the flick is a cross section of the modern society. Using it as a trope, the director unravels the lingering menace around us. P.N. Gopikrishnan, who is the scenarist to the story written by the director, keeps objectivity in the script. Aswaghoshan, son of Priyanandanan, cranks the camera. He is able to lend arresting visuals to the theme.
It's a highly disturbing film that scans through the socio-political landscape of our society, raising myriad questions. The package is recommended for serious cineastes as the film points to the harsh realities that we comfortably ignore in the pace of modern life.
A thought-provoking film that aptly gels with the contemporary incidents.