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Of human bondage

Of love and loyalty: ‘Ore Kadal’ has Mammootty and Meera working together for the first time in a film

“It is an extension of my earlier films; an exploration of the nuances of human relations, of the subtleties that colour every relationship and make each one unique,” explains Shyamaprasad about his latest venture, ‘O re Kadal,’ which reaches cinemas today.

As it is a Shyamaprasad film, expectations are high as his ‘Agnisakshi’ and ‘Akale’ had won a clutch of national and State awards in various categories. ‘Ore Kadal,’ like Shyamaprasad’s other works, is an adaptation of a literary work; a Bengali novel by Sunil Gangopadhyay.

Narain and Meera in a scene from the film

While ‘Agnisakshi,’ based on Lalithambika Anthajanam’s novel of the same name, delved into the uneasy marital relationship of a couple, ‘Akale,’ an adaptation of Tennesse William’s ‘The Glass Menagerie,’ deftly, and ever so delicately, sketched the distances in time and place that separated a family of three. If ‘Akale’ was a visual essay on the spaces that divide, ‘Ore Kadal’ is on the claustrophobia that can rock a marriage. ‘Ore Kadal’ examines the threads that hold a marriage, and the emotional and the physical dynamics that sometimes turn those ties into shackles that oppress the soul and maim a relationship.

Mammootty, Meera Jasmine and Narain play the lead characters in the film. Meera is Deepthi, a homemaker and mother, who is irresistibly drawn towards Nathan, a professor of economics. However, Deepthi is torn apart by her sense of guilt. “It puts the institution called marriage under the scanner and scrutinises the waning and waxing of emotions that can break or make a marriage,” says Shyamaprasad.

According to the director, both Meera and Mammotty have come up with sterling performances.

“Deepti’s is a complex character. Initially, I found it difficult to internalise my character or relate to Deepthi owing to the moral issues raised by her actions. Finally, with the director’s help, I was able to get into her mind and understand her predicament, her angst and her passion. I ended up feeling sorry for her,” says Meera.

The director makes no attempt to sit on judgement on the choices of the characters and none of the players are conveniently killed to come up with an easy conclusion. What makes the film stand out from other Malayalam films that have timidly tiptoed through a sensitive subject like infidelity is that no excuse is offered to Deepthi to justify her liaison with Nathan.

“It is an emotional need that refuses to wither away. The fact that Deepthi was a sensitive and creative person whose diffident expressions of creativity were stubbed out by an early marriage and the cares of home and family have been subtly woven into the film. Although, outwardly, Deepthi is this contented mother and wife, her mind rages for expression and emotional fulfilment. Even the tiltle of the film is a play on her state of mind, on the storm within her,” explains Shyamaprasad.

Capturing the play of emotions is Alagappan’s camera work that pans the claustrophobic confines of Deepthi’s existence that impels her to seek relief in an affair. Alagappan, a long-time associate of Shyamaprasad, is all praise for the film. He says: “It is an intimate story that is told in an intimate manner. The emphasis was not on scenic locations or landscape. Most of the film is shot in a building where the main characters live. It was on the fleeting expressions that spoke of the turmoil in the characters’ minds.”

Echoing his words, Meera says: “Usually, if there is a scale of emotions, say from 1 to 10, actors are told to emote within two and five and then maybe seven and so on. But in this film, the action is so subtle that one had to negotiate between one and one and a half. Minute expressions came into play. So sometimes, I had to use my eyes to convey my feeling; a look or a glance had to speak volumes. Sometimes, it had to be a gesture. It was minimalism at its best.”

Similarly, the lighting, make-up and costumes also play an important role in conveying the mood of the film. “Art director Muthuraj, and Cuckoo Parameswaran, who choose the costumes, helped me a great deal to design the frames,” adds Alagappan.

Close-ups of the protagonists narrate the story of two people tormented by their passion and sense of guilt. “It is a story of our times. Globalisation wears thin our ties to our roots. So, there is a constant conflict between ‘what was’ and ‘what is,’ between desire and duty, self and society, right and wrong...It is all played out in the mind,” says Shyamaprasad.

Haunting music by Ouseppachan enhances the myriad moods of the film as it moves thorough a spectrum of emotions. “Shyam suggested that the songs be composed around one raga - Shubha Panthuvarali. It was a challenge. I enjoy such experiments. Five songs were based on that raga. I was so inspired that I did not take more than three minutes to compose any of the songs. Not one sounds the same nor is it repetitive,” says Ouseppachan.

“Since there is only one theme, I felt that the music should also be centred on one raga,” explains Shayamprasad. He adds that the music is one of the highlights of the song. “The lyrics sometimes flow and become the background score. Sometimes, the background score drifts into a melody with words and melts into the scene. Music is an integral part of the film,” adds the director.

The film produced by Vindhyan under the banner of Rasika Entertainments is distributed by Emil And Eric.

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