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Battling to keep a tradition alive

‘Chandranilekkoru Vazhi’

The film ‘Chandranilekk- oru Vazhi,’ directed by Biju Varkey, is about a family engaged in keeping alive the traditional art of Thukilunarthupattu, songs sung to wake up the gods.

The film portrays how innocent village folk are lured into the vortex of modernity and in the process lose their traditional values. It falls upon Kumaran (Nedumudi Venu) to uphold the art form of Thukilunarthupattu. He gets support from his mother, wife Sulochana (Rekha), and children Indira (Divya Viswanath) and Vinod (Master Midhun).

The family manages a small phenol unit. It is then that Lenin (Manikantan) comes there to buy phenol. His lustful eyes fall on Sulochana. Kumaran decides against taking Sulochana on long trips at night to practise their art. Instead, he seeks out Chandran, a distant relative, to accompany him.

Chandran has a special liking for Indira. But he suddenly disappears. Kumaran’s family realises that Indira is pregnant. And now begins Kumaran’s tormentous and futile search for Chandran. Apart from Nedumudi Venu’s acting, the film excels in technical aspects.The cast includes T.G. Ravi, Jagathi Sreekumar, Santhosh Joggy and Joly.

G. Jayakumar

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