‘Pathemari’ will strike a chord with Gulf Malayalis
Pallikal Narayanan’s
role reminds us of the Mamootty we have always admired
With director Salim Ahamad, you can
expect a good story that will be told sincerely.
Be it his maiden venture, ‘Adaminte Makan Abu,’ the national award winner or his second, ‘Kunjananthande Kada,’ Ahamad’s protagonists is the common man with small dreams.
‘Pathemari,’ his third film and with Mammootty in the lead again touches you with its simple tale told without frills.
It is set in the seventies and early eighties of the boom time in UAE, when Malayalis migrated here for a better life. Travelling in dhows (pathemari) without proper documents and saddled with an uncertainty about reaching the shores alive, the Malayali found strength in his dreams.
‘Pathemari’ holds a mirror to the saga of many Malayalis of this era.
Pallikal Narayanan (Mammootty) and close buddy Moideen (Srinivasan) board a dhow helmed by Velayudhan (Siddique), who deals in this business. Despite a journey marked with hardships and uncertainty, Narayanan and Moideen reach Khor Fakkam island and sneak into the mainland. In no time they find employment and their families live comfortably.
But what about Narayanan’s dreams of building his own house in his native town and settling there someday with his family?
Striking a chord with many expatriates in UAE, ‘Pathemari,’ could remind them of their parents or an uncle working in the middle-east and returning home with a huge box of gifts. The first half of the story is slow, very much like the pathemari but picks up speed in the second half.
Lots of moments in Narayanan’s life tug at your heart. One scene is where Narayanan makes a phone call to India on the day of his niece’s wedding and waits eagerly to hear all news, but the busy family members cut short the conversation. Another time, when he calls home, his two grown up sons, not keen on talking to him, tell their mother to inform him that they were sleeping.
Yet, Narayanan holds no bitterness, in fact given another life, he says he would do the same things again. Raising a toast to his life, Salim salutes the magnanimity of the average Malayali lives frugally so that his family is comfortable back in India.
Narayanan’s shoes fit Mammootty perfectly and the veteran with a subdued performance brings an endearing Narayanan to life onscreen. This is the Mammootty we fell in love with in the eighties. Supporting him is Srinivasan as Moideen. Siddique’s role though brief is memorable. A mature performance is noted in Jewel Mary, as Narayanan’s wife, who goes through different stages of his life. Tamil actress Viji Chandrsekhar makes an impressive debut as Mammootty’s mother. Complementing Salim Ahamad’s story is the brilliant visuals of Madhu Ambat.
‘Pathemari’ is an emotional family drama that bares the harsh realities of life.
Be it his maiden venture, ‘Adaminte Makan Abu,’ the national award winner or his second, ‘Kunjananthande Kada,’ Ahamad’s protagonists is the common man with small dreams.
‘Pathemari,’ his third film and with Mammootty in the lead again touches you with its simple tale told without frills.
It is set in the seventies and early eighties of the boom time in UAE, when Malayalis migrated here for a better life. Travelling in dhows (pathemari) without proper documents and saddled with an uncertainty about reaching the shores alive, the Malayali found strength in his dreams.
‘Pathemari’ holds a mirror to the saga of many Malayalis of this era.
Pallikal Narayanan (Mammootty) and close buddy Moideen (Srinivasan) board a dhow helmed by Velayudhan (Siddique), who deals in this business. Despite a journey marked with hardships and uncertainty, Narayanan and Moideen reach Khor Fakkam island and sneak into the mainland. In no time they find employment and their families live comfortably.
But what about Narayanan’s dreams of building his own house in his native town and settling there someday with his family?
Striking a chord with many expatriates in UAE, ‘Pathemari,’ could remind them of their parents or an uncle working in the middle-east and returning home with a huge box of gifts. The first half of the story is slow, very much like the pathemari but picks up speed in the second half.
Lots of moments in Narayanan’s life tug at your heart. One scene is where Narayanan makes a phone call to India on the day of his niece’s wedding and waits eagerly to hear all news, but the busy family members cut short the conversation. Another time, when he calls home, his two grown up sons, not keen on talking to him, tell their mother to inform him that they were sleeping.
Yet, Narayanan holds no bitterness, in fact given another life, he says he would do the same things again. Raising a toast to his life, Salim salutes the magnanimity of the average Malayali lives frugally so that his family is comfortable back in India.
Narayanan’s shoes fit Mammootty perfectly and the veteran with a subdued performance brings an endearing Narayanan to life onscreen. This is the Mammootty we fell in love with in the eighties. Supporting him is Srinivasan as Moideen. Siddique’s role though brief is memorable. A mature performance is noted in Jewel Mary, as Narayanan’s wife, who goes through different stages of his life. Tamil actress Viji Chandrsekhar makes an impressive debut as Mammootty’s mother. Complementing Salim Ahamad’s story is the brilliant visuals of Madhu Ambat.
‘Pathemari’ is an emotional family drama that bares the harsh realities of life.
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