PHILADELPHIA

Watched "Philadelphia" (for yet another time)... supreme acting from Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington and an unforgettable piece from Bruce Springsteen. But more than that it is the theme which is more important, of fear of AIDS and homo-sexuality, a theme for 80's America and ...for today's India and Kerala.

It is sad... sad is the word not anger or pity, that how a state, which boasts of 100% literacy and has very high standards of social life, treats its people with AIDS, ghettoising them, loathing them. Who can forget Benson and Bency, two HIV+ kids who were denied admission across several schools. And finally, after they (and their lone grand father) staged a day-long fast infront of the secretariat, they were allowed into a state-run school. Only, for the parents of all other kids in that school to keep their children at home, and stage a protest. You cannot complain, parents elesewhere in Kerala would have done the same. I don't know what happened later, heard the governmet provided a teacher exclusively for them. I don't also know, how Benson and his little sister are doing now. They must be doing fine.

Many such incidences have come up in the last few years. Even the government is planning to start a school especially for HIV+ kids. Not a lasting solution, but still praiseworthy. What is needed is more awareness. And there's no better wasy to do it than through movies. To bring the issue out to into the open, in all its rawness. And who else can we look upto than the creator of "Kazcha" and "Thanmatra". Blessy you'll be blessed!

TANMATRA

Once in a while Mohanlal acts in a way which makes you feel, "What a talent has been wasted (and continue to get wasted) with all those super-hero junk movies over the years"...

"Thanmatra" has Lal at his best, probably his best ever! (An overstatement ;) due to the fact that there were only so very few good movies from Lal in recent years, but still this was a great show). Blessy has created a wonderful movie... subtle, no frills, with every shot driving home the message. If you thought "Kazcha" was great, then this is even better.

There is a freshness about Blessy which you cannot find in anyone else among the current crop of Malayalam directors. While Kamal was refreshing with "Perumazhakalam", "Rappakal" was dissappointing in just repeating the same old cliched villager virtues. And while TV Chandran ("Kadhavasheshan") does provide some magnificent moments they are few and far in between. Blessy has this unique talent of keeping you gripped and mesmerised throughout the entire length of his creation.

Earlier this year Big B had a similiar role in "BLACK", where although I found him okay, some of my friends had the opinion that he over acted a bit. But seeing Lal in "Tanmatra", how simple and natural he was, you know that Amitabh was way off. Only Lal could have pulled this one off, with an acting that is breathtakingly carefree. As many people say, Mohanlal lives through in such roles. What a shame, that we can't provide him with more such roles.

There were too many great shots in this one, too many to list down..., some which will remain in the mind forever. Like, "Lal trying to remember the Bhartiar poem in the loo", "removing his shirt off and asking his wife for tea forgetting that he is in office", "desperately searching for the missing file and finding it in the freezer", "Biting his hands off trying to convey a message which he doesn't know how to tell" and "that unforgettable last shot". With great performances from the suppoting cast, this movie was just superb.

Once in a while a movie like this comes along, to remind you how unpredictable life is ... and how beautiful!

Kudos Mohanlal, Kudos Blessy, Kudos Malayalam Cinema

GULT

Yesterday,

GULT asked,

"Why are there so many problems in life ? "

...