Nanpagal Nerathu Mayakkam – The film is Lijo’s but the reactions are yours!

Bharath Vijayakumar

I watched Nanpagal Nerathu Mayakkam around a month back when it was running in a handful of theatres in Chennai. The film’s OTT release last week has got social media buzzing with cinephiles discussing various theories and what they think about what Lijo Jose Pellissery’s actual intention behind the film was. It is always fascinating to read these interesting theories. Some of them may seem far-fetched but isn’t it great when people are actually discussing a film. I am not averse to box office discussions. In fact, I am actually interested to know what kind of films work with the masses but when almost everyone seems to be talking numbers in social media, this kind of a film and this kind of a discussion is indeed a refreshing break.  

To be honest, when I saw the film for the first time, my initial response was that Lijo has made a simple film. With Churuli in mind, Nanpagal Nerathu Mayakkam obviously felt like a simple film. Of course, I did realize that there was a lot of scope for multiple interpretations but I did miss out on a lot of cues that are being discussed now. The one involving a shadow being the most prominent. Even without these theories and the philosophies that the film is possibly discussing, Nanpagal Nerathu Mayakkam was a fulfilling experience. You are transported to the village and you sort of get a meditative experience. Though largely different from each other, the film gives you the kind of feel that you got from a Kadaisi Vivasayi.

The beautiful static frames, the interactions between characters being captured from a distance, the use of yesteryear Tamil songs and dialogues and a terrific performance by Mammooty – there is so much in Nanpagal Nerathu Mayakkam to capture your attention. At one point you are amused by what is happening to James and his troupe and then there is also so much happening emotionally. The plight of Sundaram’s family and Sundaram himself (or James as some would argue) when he breaks down while having that meal haunts you. The absolute lack of melodrama, and in particular, any background score to drive home any point means that how these scenes impact you may also say a lot about your own frame of mind and who you are as a person. No one is actually channelling your thoughts or emotions or reactions to what is happening on screen. It is as though something is unfolding before your eyes in your neighbourhood. As much as Nanpagal Nerathu Mayakkam is Lijo’s film, your reactions to it are mostly yours.

The mix of Malayalam and Tamil is again fascinating. The majority of the film is in Tamil and with all those Tamil songs and dialogues in the background, it would be interesting to know how a Malayali would receive this film. In the theatre that I saw the film at, a group of Malayalis (my guess) were having a hearty laugh for all those M.R.Radha dialogues. Were they aware of those dialogues or were they enjoying his wittiness for the first time or were they reacting to the subtitles? I am unsure. But it was fascinating to see that a Malayalam movie in 2023 was using an actor’s performance from an old Tamil film and the audience were reacting to it.