Poomaram, Coming of age and memories..

A Special Column by: Suhansidh Srikanth

There is something so intriguingly beautiful about the ‘Coming of age’ genre. My favorite among the wide spectrum of cinemas.. A genre that does what a good book, a comforting piece of music, a heart-wrenching poetry would do to you! It is a genre that effortlessly takes the thin stand between being a preachy mentor and a storyteller! 

Walter Chaw defines the genre in one of his reviews as..

Be it Before Series or Boyhood.. a textbook reference filmography from Richard Linklater is on this. 
There is Xavier Dolan who keeps exploring what it is to grow up in contemporary world.

 

And there is no doubt that Malayalam Cinema is abundantly exploring it and excelling in it. 

 

There was Anandam last year that captured the freshness.. the simple yet pure moments of college life during an IV.. With handful of 7-8 characters the film manages to take us through a rollercoaster ride of nostalgia lane and leaves one with a sense of confinement about friendships, first love and responsibilities. Earlier there was supremely well done college part inPremam that balanced both being mainstream and being unconventional. It was trendsetting given we haven’t been seeing something like that in a while. Om Shaanti Oshaana that followed a high school girl's love for a man.. To an extent, even Angamaly Diaries that is not necessarily about college life but traces the path a man comes across in his life.

 

Even in a mainstream glamour flooded arena like Bollywood.. there is Masaan, Titli, stunningly done A death in the Gunj.. where you see a man / a character growing internally.. struggling.. trembling.. before realizing the purpose of existence unlike Tamil films where we are always introduced to lead characters who are moral and ethical right from scene 1. It is sad that the genre has almost become extinct in an industry where until mid 2000s bunch of college stories would release every year. Am thinking of Kadhir’s KADHAL DESAM, Jeeva’s ULLAM KETKUME.. and even earlier.. the 80s that were ruled by collegehood films.

 

The latest addition to the list from Kerala is Abrid Shine’s directorial ‘Poomaram’. It is a put together of vignettes, candid moments, moods and emotions that celebrates campus life, college days and essentially the spirit of friendship, unity and bonding. Half way through the film.. it was quite unbelievable for me to realize that they really made a full length feature film out of just these pure, serene unadulterated emotions of youthhood.. given there is no prime story to hold you, no character to follow.. 

The film is woven around Pablo Neruda’s ‘Tonight I can write the saddest lines’ poem at one moment when the sulking heaviness of the night before the D-day takes over everyone’s heart! The poetry is beautifully vocalized in Malayalam that it leaves a tragic stamp on you even after it ends. Here is a film on campus culturals yet there is a take on philosophy, ethical and moral values in every event that unfolds. 

It talks off Michelangelo, Byron, Shakespeare.. It talks about the purpose of art.. It talks about success and failures not just as with reference to the cultural events but between one’s conscience and the vision he sets. In one scene, the coach while comforting his student who felt bad about her performance says he strongly believes that the opponent was much worse in her performance. As he talks that we see that contestant standing behind him. He awkwardly wishes her and tells her performance was very moving. 

 

I was taken aback when the jury who judged Mohiniyaattam was asked to perform as the opponent team had complaints regarding his judgement claiming he is a Bharatnatyam dancer. The scene is remarkably funny for not just the little counters thrown throughout the scene but look at the mere conception of scenes like it in a film on college culturals that could easily fly away with massive audience roaring moments or youngsters clap worthy dialogues and one-liners.. It peels off the intentions of teachers, coaches that are sown into young minds. It explores the root or the directions students are set to.

The male and female leads are not at all moulded as a regular hero and heroine. In fact.. they never meet in the film, there is no love angle between / to them. Instead.. they are developed as flag bearers of the spirit and idealism that this film tries to emphasise.  At times, it all goes overboard. The one after other event montages, the tiresome no conflict – no clue treatment that emotionally leaves us blank on whom to follow or hold on to.. I was even thinking how ideal or trendsetting this film would have been given if it is made one or two decades back! 

 

I would like to end this with a line of Rumi.. “ONLY MEMORY REMAINS”
And this is a genre that’s an example in every bit to this..

 

At one point, a teacher in the film tells her students that we need not revisit memories.. we need not recreate the magic of 93.. now it is about discovering something that you all haven’t experienced yet! And as film unveils.. they do!

Like a song in Poomaram goes..

“In days to come.. 
For the path to be showered with flowers..
I grew a tree!"

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