Perumani Malayalam Movie
The third film of director Maju is a sort of coalescence of satire and fantasy set in a fictional village. It begins with the graphic description of the myth stapled with the history of Perumani village which is teemed with life, with characters squabbling and scheming to create a perfect chaos on screen. Maju, who is also the screenwriter, implants the seed of satirical elements in the form of a tea shop at the main junction with its owners being a Muslim and a Hindu. He brilliantly conveys certain subtle ideas that affect social life by narrating a tale that is not so exciting but certainly riveting like folklore.
In 'Perumani,' the director homes in on the psyche of villagers as well as their superstitious beliefs to establish a solid plot that becomes interesting while placing it in a refreshing premise. Maju weaves a social consciousness into his narrative through the events in the movie and throws light on the ongoing patriarchal influence in a community. Nasser, played by Vinay Forrt, epitomizes many such narrow-minded individuals but when Vinay draws a restricted line by himself, the role becomes more attractive to watch. Nasser is unable to put up with his would-be-bride Fatima's (Deepa Thomas) friendship with Abi (Lukman Lukku) and the director has exploited the protagonist's orthodox outlook to make progress in the screenplay.
The conflict of 'Perumani' is linked to the marriage of Nasser with Fatima, who realizes the groom's real character only a few days before the wedding. She tries to explain it to her brother Mujeeb, played by Sunny Wayne, but it fails. Fatima also approaches Aby to stop the wedding by any possible ways. Nasser is misguided by his friend (Vijilesh) and the muezzin of the mosque, played by Navas Vallikkunnu, plays his part to mislead Mujeeb. Meanwhile, the appearance of a migrant worker from West Bengal creates panic among people as he is believed to have some occult powers. Soon, a group of people try to exploit the situation by making the migrant a saint. In fact, the transformation of the migrant as an influential saint has not been conveyed effectively in execution.
However, the movie becomes engaging when the follies of ordinary people are showcased in a satirical manner. Through the character Ramlu (Radhika Radhakrishnan), the director ridicules the marriage system that ignores the preference of women. Despite being a married woman, Ramlu wants to get rid of that relationship and reunite with her lover Mujeeb. There are moments that add folklore traits to 'Perumani' and the characters have the shades of caricature.
Deepa Thomas has given a mature appearance by handling the character with elan and responsibly. Vinay Forrt smartly breaks the typical layers of a hero to beautifully portray the absurdities of the protagonist. Lukman has followed a consistency in his performance as a good-natured young man, who bears emotional agony inside him. Interestingly, 'Perumani' has features of certain old films that had showcased the blunders of a rich and crude hero from a remote village. The visuals of Manesh Madhavan add a notable charm to the fictional village that is believed to be guarded by Perumani Thangal. 'Perumani' dominates its own fictional space with a riveting tale dunked in satirical elements. Though it is not fluent in its convincing mode, the premise and performances ensure a refreshing watch.
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