Padmarajan sir is my favorite director of all time and 'Namukku paarkan munthirithoppukal' is my favorite Indian movie till date. Pappetan is surely a legend and he deserves more than respect from us. And no doubt, Mohanlal is my favorite actor in any language. In fact, I have seen this film for more than 20 times and always wonder how pappetan convinced such a character called 'Solomon'. This is the most influential film of its era and and still is called the greatest love story ever told in Malayalam film history.
'Nammuku paarkan Munthirithoppukal' is a sensitive portrayal of a mature love story which is lyrical and poetic as the music of the film. This film is based on a K sudhakaran novel and a great adaptation of the english translation which mean "Vineyards for us to Dwell". It transverses a path that exists but but is not mentioned in the book. That is the beauty of Padmarajan sir's work. The film is a beautiful and well told love story of a guy who falls in love with the newly moved neighbor girl. But the girls situation was worst than he thought when he finds that the man who was told to be her father was her stepfather. This film is noted for its inherent simplicity with a rich and expressive screenplay. The screenplay is the king just like all of pappetan's other concepts and this is the best of his work closely followed by 'Thoovanathumbikal". The entire screenplay is worked around Solomon's songs from the bible and it keeps referring to the vineyards of Solomon. The dialogues are crisp and powerful.
There are few things connoisseurs of good classic cinema will notice in this movie. The film is not about love, it is about the depth of love. The story is the hero and Solomon & Sofia are mere instruments to portray that tale. It's a simple tale but exceptional story telling makes it extra ordinary. The lines from Bible impart a touch of eternity to the selfless love portrayed in the film. Solomon proposes Sofia using lines from The song of songs, Bible. What a poetic way to propose to a girl ? The eternal romanticist Padmarajan professes through this scene a love that is perennial and profound. And the climax scene... Padmarajan's hero, Solomon accepts Sofia, who was raped, and takes her to his vineyards. It must also be noted that she wears white, It implies a love that is pure, real, unconditional, deep and everlasting. It's no coincidence that she wears white, the symbol of purity. Also, when she gets into the truck, she doesn't even have to bent her legs. Everything is so subtle and implied.
Last but not the least, the movie has an excellent performance by Mohanlal. The background score by Johnson is so touching and surreal. It is one of those films that had always stayed with me in my dreams and fantasies ever since I saw it on my teen age. I am short of words to describe this cinematic awesomeness.
For those of you who grew up on a diet of great movies by Padmarajan sir, Bharatan etc, this is a way to get back. For the present generation of lovers of Malayalam Cinema, its a way to acquaint themselves with the glory days of Malayalam cinema. Hats off Padmarajan sir. I can safely recommend this movie to anyone who believe in good contentful cinema and if you are missing it, your education in films has not begun.
