‘Sarvam Thaalam Mayam’ a beautiful musical drama

By Mythily Ramachandran

Is music the privilege of a select few?

Rajiv Menon’s musical drama ‘Sarva Thaalam Mayam’ while raising this valid question takes viewers through the life of Peter Johnson-son of a Dalit mridangam maker-who aspires to learn music from none other but the renowned percussionist Palakkad Vembu Iyer.

Inspired by the life of Carnatic mridangam vidwan Umayalpuram K Shivaraman, STM is beautifully narrated and complemented by spectacular performances, especially by the two lead actors-music director cum actor-GV Prakash and the Malayalam veteran Nedumudi Venu.

Peter (GV Prakash) is a crazy fan of Tamil actor Vijay. This easy going young man prefers skipping his examination so that he can play the drums during the release of a new Vijay film. His father Johnson (Kumaravel) is probably the last in the family to continue with the profession of making a mridangam. Peter is certainly not keen on following the mridangam, but is fascinated by its beats. When he delivers a mridangam to Vembu Iyer (Nedumudi Venu) for a concert, he happens to watch the live show from close quarters and from then on, his  heart beats for the mridangam. He is adamant about learning mridangam under Vembu Iyer. Will Vembu Iyer accept a Dalit as his student?

Rajiv Menon- known for his earlier two romantic dramas, ‘Minsara Kanavu’ and ‘Kandukondein Kandukondein’-found the spark for this story while making ‘Overtone’ –a documentary on the life of mridangam artiste U.K. Sivaraman.

GV Prakash training in mridangam under Sivaraman for a year prior to shooting has clearly paid. Prakash just lets himself go onscreen as he brings out Peter’s passion for beats and his perseverance to learn mridangam. It’s a delight watching him match every step with the spontaneous actor Nedumudi Venu.

A romantic angle is woven into the tale with Malayalam actress Aparna Balamurali as Sarah, a Malayali nurse who attends to Peter’s injury following a scuffle. 

‘Sarva Thaala Mayam’ a feel good entertainer that without making a loud noise makes a social statement-Music is a universal language that crosses boundaries of sect, religion, culture and language.