Three years after her husband passes away, the widow of the Patriarch of a famous Namboodiri (Brahmin caste from Kerala) family becomes pregnant. The prestige of the family is paramount and the Namboodiris have devised a way to get the family out of this so-called sticky situation with their respect intact. Learned Namboodiris from all over the land would assemble at the house and conduct an enquiry into what happened and all who were responsible. All the while, the family needs to treat these esteemed guests to daily feasts and monetary allowances. In the end, the woman who brought disgrace to the family would be ostracised and left at the mercy of lechers who wait at the gates.
Though it might seem cruel and matter-of-fact, making a motion picture about such a topic is not easy, as it should make sense to the intellect, be aesthetic and challenge status quo. “Parinayam” (matrimony) has many things going for it and the most important is the screenplay by MT Vasudevan Nair. The way in which narration unfolds and each character is brought to light is remarkable.
Even with a great script, the acting had to be spot on for the movie to have succeeded. And here it was fortunate enough to have the best talent of the day almost competing with each other to make the scene come alive. I have felt the same while watching the Turkish movie “Babam Ve Oglum”. In “Parinayam” the masters of the craft Thilakan, Jagathy Sreekumar, Nedumudy Venu, Oduvil Unnikrishnan and Sukumari shine through. Among the younger actors, it is Mohini who plays the central character Unnimaya Antharjanam and Manoj K Jayan who plays the communist Kunjunni who make their mark.
Most of the scenes are shot indoors and yet the cinematography takes full advantage of the lack of light. Many a shot look like out of a painting, as the lights and shadows play with everything they fall on. S Kumar has made it happen with the camera.
Fortune does not end there as the music is a treat in itself. With lyrics from Yusuf Ali Kechery, music by Bombay Ravi and vocals by Yesudas and Chitra, the songs very much encapsulate the theme and composure of the narrative.
All this should have made life easier for the director Hariharan, but it is no coincidence as he is known for good works of art as this.
Deepa Mehta's “Water” which was released in India in 2007, similarly portrays the plight of widows in pre-independence India. It had a more dramatic intensity in comparison to “Parinayam” which is more aesthetic and culturally oriented.
The writer MT as he is popularly known, mentions in an interview that the writers who came before him made sure that they captured the social and cultural setting of various periods in Kerala's history so that the next generation would benefit from it. And he continues to do the same in literature and cinema. “Parinayam” discusses the evils of an orthodox custom, and in the process, won state and national acclaim. It takes courage to speak about social issues and oodles of talent to make it compelling piece of art.
