Anantaram
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Anantaram
Plot
A narrative experiment following the psychological unraveling of a sensitive young man, Monologue is told from the point of view of Ajayan. Abandoned by his mother at birth, he is raised in luxury and affection by the doctor who delivered him. As a boy, he precocious nature and sharp wit get him into continuous trouble, and when he grows older a gnawing sense of loss brought on by his inability to connect to other people pushes him to the edge of neurosis. At this point the story begins again, this time emphasizing different details and changing others altogether, until it becomes impossible to separate the truth from Ajayan's troubled imagination. ~ Tom Vick, RoviReview
Always an acute dissector of human psychology, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, in Monologue, delivers his most complex narrative puzzle by funneling the film's story through one character's crumbling psyche. Gopalakrishnan's more experimental narratives always demand that the viewer pay close attention to details without the aid of telegraphing devices like intertitles or fades. The Man of the Story jumps decades in a single cut. Shadow Kill uses characters from the hero's life to illustrate an imagined catastrophe. Monologue is told from the point of view of a man who's ability to distinguish reality from fantasy disintegrates at the film progresses. As he narrates and re-narrates events from his life, the viewer is given the task of interpreting which are real and which are not. The result is a remarkable film that can produce different readings each time it is seen. ~ Tom Vick, RoviCast
- Ashokan - Ajayan
- Mammootty - Balu
- Sobbhana - Suma @ Nalini
Credit
Sivan - Art Director, Adoor Gopalakrishnan - Director, M. Mani - Editor, M.B. Srinivasan - Composer (Music Score), Ravi Varma - Cinematographer, K.Ravindranathan Nair - Producer, Adoor Gopalakrishnan - Screenwriter| Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock (1990 Film), Anansi Goes Fishing (1992 Film) | |
| Anaparastasis (1970 Film), Anarchistak (2001 Film) |
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Anantaram
| Anantaram (Monologue) |
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| Directed by | Adoor Gopalakrishnan |
| Produced by | Ravi |
| Written by | Adoor Gopalakrishnan |
| Starring | Mammootty Ashokan Shobhana |
| Music by | M. B. Sreenivasan |
| Cinematography | Mankada Ravi Varma |
| Editing by | M. Mani |
| Studio | General Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 1987 |
| Running time | 125 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
Anantaram (English: Monologue, Malayalam: അനന്തരം, meaning Thereafter) is a 1987 Malayalam feature film production written and directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan. Mammootty, Ashokan and Shobhana star in the lead. The film is structured like a monologue. It develops through a commentary by the protagonist about himself in the first person. The attempt of the protagonist is to narrate how he became what he is now.
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Contents
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Plot
The film develops through a commentary by Ajayan (Ashokan) about himself in the first person. Later he tells another story about his life with the same background. Finally both these stories fuse together.
Ajayan was born an orphan. He is brought up by a doctor. A brilliant child, Ajayan grows up into an introvert and confused youth. The beautiful Suma (Shobhana) arrive at their house after marrying Balu (Mammootty), his foster-brother. Ajayan at the very first sight of his sister-in-law gets sexually attracted to her. This creates internal conflict within him and ultimately he leaves the house.
In the second story Ajayan narrates his confused youth and about the beautiful girl, Nalini who enters his life. Ajayan's mind shifts often between reality and an imaginary romantic world. Finally both these stories converge to a point where both Nalini and Suma become a single entity.
Cast
- Mammootty as Balu
- Ashokan as Ajayan
- Shobhana as Sumangali and Nalini
- Sudheesh as teenage Ajayan
- Bahadoor as Driver Mathai
- Azeez as the gambler
- Kukku as the nurse
- Krishnankutty Nair as the ailing patient at the dispensary
- Kaviyoor Ponnamma as Yogini Amma
- Adoor Pankajam as Lakshmi Amma
Themes
In Anantaram, the theme of perception is dealt with through the protagonist, a youth who, like Adoor, is both an introvert and an extrovert at the same time. In an interview, Adoor said, "Anantaram is basically about perceptions. About a young, impressionable boy who is an introvert and an extrovert at the same time. You will say he's like me. My treatment was not very familiar, though I was searching for the familiar experience of growing up, struggling with life and relationships. What is in the frame and what is juxtaposed to it just outside the frame... or let us put it this way, it has to do with attuning to the reality just beyond perception. Actually this is part of daily experience though we don't analyse it."[1]
Critical reception
The film is considered Adoor's magnum opus by a few critics, however the overall reaction was mixed.[1]
Awards
The film has been nominated for and won the following awards since its release:
1987 FIPRESCI Prize (Karlovy Vary)
1987 National Film Awards (India)
- Won - Best Director - Adoor Gopalakrishnan
- Won - Best Screenplay - Adoor Gopalakrishnan
- Won - Best Audiography
References
- ^ a b Gowri Ramnarayan. "A constant process of discovery". Frontline. http://www.flonnet.com/fl2220/stories/20051007001508200.htm.
External links
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