Ore Kadal is a Classic

Ever since Shyamaprasad announced "Ore Kadal", I was waiting with baited breath for the movie to release. For once, Shyamaprasad is one director who I have really liked from his television days (Peruvazhiyile Kariyilakal, Vishwavighyathamaaya Mookku, Uyirthezhunelpu, Maranam Durbalam, Manal Nagaram). His debut film (Kallu Kondoru Pennu) was dismal, but he more than made up for it with his next two releases (Agnisakshi, Akale). Shyam has been an expert when it comes to depicting complex human relationships on screen and this is precisely what Ore Kadal is all about. Based on the Bengali Novel Hirak Deepthi by Sunil Gangopadhyay, Ore Kadal is the story of Deepthi (Meera Jasmine), a housewife and a mother married to Jayan (Narain). The story starts with Deepthi in a fix, thanks to her unemployed husband who is out of town in search of a job and her ailing son bed ridden with fever. Without any one to turn to or any money to tide over the situation, she approaches Dr. Nathan (Mamootty), a noted economist and social scientist who lives in the same apartment complex as Jayan and Deepthi. The generally reticent Dr. Nathan helps her out and from this juncture, starts what one may call an illicit relationship between Deepthi and Nathan. They meet, they make love to each other and at the end of it all, Deepthi gets pregnant with Nathan's kid. Nathan lives his life on his own terms and does not believe in family, commitment etc. Looking at Nathan's indifferent attitude towards her pregnancy, Deepthi severs all ties with him and proceeds to deliver a girl child. However, her sense of guilt and self pity coupled with her unrequited love for Dr. Nathan continue to haunt her and she ends up as a schizophernic. Jayan steps in and takes Deepthi to a mental asylum. After a couple of years at the asylum, Deepthi returns to her old self only to be disturbed again by Dr. Nathan, who is on his way to self destruction pondering over the unjust treatment meted out by him on Deepthi. In between all this is Bela (Ramya Krishnan), a high society Call girl cum restaurateur who assumes the role of Dr. Nathan's alter ego, telling him things that he refuses to believe or acknowledge. Adapting a literary classic to celluloid is always a challenge. Shyamaprasad is adept at that. If his version of Lalithambika Antharjanam's "Agnisakshi" was excellent, so was his "Akale" based on Tennessee William's "Glass Menagerie". Shyamaprasad raises the bar a few notches higher with Ore Kadal. His expertise lies in the fact that he is able to bring out the finer nuances of his characters and extract stellar performances from his cast. The use of silence, props and an excellent background score to bring the emotional turmoil of the characters to the fore deserves special acknowledgement. Ore Kadal is easily Shyam's best work till date. Shyam is ably supported by his excellent crew- Azhagappan's camera angles are imaginative and captures the emotions of the protagonists very effectively. Vinod Sukumaran's editing is sharp. Ouseppachan's background score is lilting and the songs (Lyrics by Gireesh Puthencherry) contribute effectively to taking the narrative forward. Special mention should be made about Cuckoo Parameshwaran's Wardrobe. The art director (Muthuraj, I believe) is successful in creating authentic background, his expertise coming to the fore while portraying the Jayan- Deepthi household at various stages of their prosperity (From unemployment to under employment to adequately paid to upper middle class income levels) Ramya Krishnan's extended guest appearance is a treat. The actress literally lives as Bela and comes up with a power packed performance, easily her best till date. Narain is earnest though his character appears card boardish and one dimensional. The reason could be that Jayan is presented from Deepthi's point of view only and hence, it appears as if he shares a frivolous marital relationship with Deepthi. The Mega Star crown can be quite a headache for a lot of actors when it comes to taking up complicated and image defying roles in meaningful films. But, Mamootty is an exception. His Dr. Nathan is a study in contrasts- on one hand he is a person who poo- poohs the sentiments and familial commitments of the middle class and on the other hand, he is a social scientist who performs a research on the lives of the Indian Middle Class. Playing an ill dressed, philosophy spouting, womanising alcoholic who refuses to accept his heart over his head is not an easy job. But, trust Mamootty to come up thumbs. He is completely at home portraying the oh so complicated Dr. Nathan. However, the star of the movie definitely remains Meera Jasmine. The young lady has travelled a long way since her Soothradharan days and is definitely moving from strength to strength. She underplays the docile, domesticated Deepthi to perfection. Her transformation from the dutiful family woman to the guilt struck wife to the schizophernic to the new age woman who follows her heart is magnificent. Meera seems to have taken adequate care about each and every aspect of her acting- subtle expressions, perfect body language and excellent voice modulation. This is definitely worth another national award for the highly talented actress. Ore Kadal is not the regular commercial fare and might not find astounding success at the theatres. But, the movie is sure to bring laurels to its cast and crew. This one is definitely a classic!