Thatathin Marayathu- Film Review

 I never thought I would end up writing an eulogy on what is essentially a teenage romance. But Thatathin Marayathu, which I saw recently, in my late forties, still  managed to cut its way through the skepticism and the cynical crustiness of middle age, to bring back my teenage years. With it,  the flames of raging passion and overwhelming emotion, I felt then.
To deconstuct what happened. It appears that it was some very true and sensitive scenes and songs, which did the near impossible.Wake up the romantic in me!


 Payyanur College Interlude and song Anuragathan Velayil Varamayi vannoru sandhyayil..
This scene is possibly true of nearly every romance that blossoms in college campuses in Kerala. (The song of course is fantasy and variations of it possibly would have played in your mind if you were blessed with  a fertile imagination :D.)

In Kerala,where boys and girls are segregated and not allowed to mingle freely, most of the romantic  exchanges happen  in subtle ways and are often unspoken. Long walks with shoulders brushing at times would count for intimacy. Braving stares, smirks, giggles and the heckling calls of "panchara adi nirthede" "diabetics pidikum sookshicho" etal..would be part of the journey.It is never a private, intimate passage. All the sweetness and ache of that time of growing up, with its episodes of ridiculous idiocy,clumsiness, possessive jealousies, insecure pettiness and pathos has all been captured in its essence by Vinneth Srinivasan.  It was a pleasant surprise. Technically well made, great photography, smooth editing, memorable music...thoroughly enjoyable bit of film making.

Songs:
 This song is one of my favourites. Absolutely love it.
Muthu chippi poluru kathinulil

I heard this one before in a movie in the 80's. called Noketha Doorathu Kannum Natu. This rendition makes it come alive again.
Aayuram Kannumayi kathirunnu nine njan...

The rest of the songs were not bad either..
Shyamambaram

Swethambare Devi Namosthuthe

Vande Mukunda Hare

Malayalam Film songs: Chandrakantam kondu. Film: Padheyam

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Malayalam Film songs: Thumbayum Thulasiyum. Film: Megham

This song captures the landscape of rural Kerala and the music is apt. Girish Puthencherry provides the lyrics which have been scored by Ousepachan. The movie is Megham and starred the Punjabi girl Priya Gill and Mamooty.

Malayalam Film Songs: Erotica

 A popular song credited to Irrayiman Thampi was played first in a movie called "Enipadikal", with the music being provided by Devarajan. This song lends itself best to Mohiniattam. It has also been rendered in a modern fashion,in the movie Kadaksham.

Some Malayali Film Music that make for great listening

Chentarmizhi from Perumazhakalam . Brilliant movie on an incident among Gulf Malayalees and about clemency that saves a life. The visuals show a Brahmin wedding.Brilliant camera work.
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Pathira mazha from the movie "Ulladakam"



"Kaneer poovinte kavilil thalodi" from the movie Kireedom. Johnson Master composed the music for this. Kaithaparram gave the lyrics



"Madhuram Jeevamritha bindu" from Chenkol which was a sequel to Kireedam and a Lohita Das creation. Think Sibi Malayil directed this one too like it happened with Kireedom.


"Alimalar Kaavil pooram kanan"



Valkannezhuthiya makara nilavil mamboo manam ozhuki.. from Paithrikum



Seetakalyana again from the same movie paithrikum. Brilliant. Thyagaraja kriti in utsava sampradaya set to Kurinji raaga.

Girish Puthencherry- Lines that will never fade away

 For those amongst us who listen to music expecting it to soothe us and give us meaning and reason to ruminate, the death of a lyricist and poet like Girish Puthenchery would be cause for grief. Girish Puthencherry graced the malayalam cinema world as a song writer and those of us who listened to "Pinneyum Pinneyum aro kinavinte padi kadannethunna ..." would remember him and the mesmerising music he created with Vidyasagar. "Surya kiridam veenudanju ravin thiruvarangil..". would capture the pathos of a fall from grace with the sunset as a metaphor, like no other song could.
His death too was probably reflection of the sensitive soul that he was, he was apparently upset with the untimely passing away of a friend and colleague Cochin Haneefa. This exacerbated his blood pressure and he suffered a stroke within a few days. He did not survive.
Yesudas in an eulogy to this writer lamented the situation of talents like Girish who find themselves with a bank balance of Rs 48/- at the age of 45 in spite of a body of work that set the trends and became benchmarks in our cultural mores.

This blog is to pay homage to this free spirit and sensitive soul. May he find eternal peace.

"Pinneyum pinneyum aro padikadannethunna padaniswaram" from "Krishnagudiyile Pranaya Gatha."


I think the K.S. Chitra version has its own sweetness, listening to it again would only heighten the pleasure :) Girish and Vidyasagar at their best!!

 

"Aaro veral meeti" from the movie "Pranayavarnangal" girish puthencheryy and vidyasagar.



"Sooryakireedom veenudanju ravin thiruvarangil" - Devasuram. Lyrics by Girish Puthencherry and Music by MG Radhakrishnan


"Manja kiliyude moolipattunde manasil" from Kanmadam.



"Movandhi thazhvarayil"... ravindran mash providing the music from the movie "Kanmadam".



Harimuraleeravam songs by Girish Puthencherry and music by Raveendran Mash. Film Aaram Thampuran. The picturization kills the song in my opinion, but the lyrics are great and you can shut your eyes and listen to it:)



Another song from Aaram Thampuran, I think the lines are by Girish Puthencherry.
Padee,Thodiyilethoru punnam kili". Brilliant visualisation! Watch it and listen!




From the movie "Balletan" "ente nenjile" captures the ethos of paternal affection.




Oru rathri koodi videvangave... from "Summer in Bethlehem" Girish and Vidyasagar.




From the movie Nandanam... "Gopike ....hridhayamoru venshnaghu po le.." Girish and Raveendran mash.


This is another one from the movie and the singer K.S.Chitra broke down in tears after singing this. Girish always had the lines that made their way to your heart.



From the movie "Vadakumnathan" for which Girish Puthencherry wrote the screenplay.

This is a devotional dedicated to Lord Siva.



This one is on the river Ganges. "Gange". His interest in the Sree ragam finds and echo here:)



Another hit "kalabham tharam bhagawane manasum tharam" from Vadakumnathan.



In an interview with Asianet, Girish mentioned this song as one of his favourites and the lines "kanana shalabathin kandathil vasantha kakali nirachavan neeyallo, nitya sundaramamee bhooloka vaadiyil udyana palakan neeyallo...deva.. as one of the best he had heard.The song is "Thamara kumbilallo man hridayam.." penned by PBhaskaran and set to music by MS Baburaj and sung by S Janaki from the movie"anveshichu kandethiyilla"



This is another song by the same team of PBhaskaran MS Baburaj and S Janaki for the movie "Tharavattama" . This was not in Girish's list but is worth listening as it has the same simplicity and melody to it.Straight from the heart.



Another song he mentioned is "aa nimishathinte nirvrithiyil" from the movie Chandrakantham. The song was written by Sreekumaran Thampi and music was set by MS Viswanathan and was sung by Yesudas and S Janaki



S Jankai and pictured on the sensuous JayaBharati



The full song (without Jayabharati in the visuals)
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