#NewsBytesRecommends: 'Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam'—poetry in motion where time stands still
What's the story
Mammootty's Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam (referred to as NNM hereafter) is a strange yet beautiful film.
It is one of those rare heartfelt dramas that draw you in from the word go, and even before you know it, you find yourself becoming an invested spectator as the story reveals itself gradually scene by scene.
With kindness as its beating heart, NNM makes for a must-watch.
Plot
Mammootty lives 2 lives in 'NNM': James and Sundaram
NNM revolves around a middle-aged man, James, who lives a seemingly normal life with his family and a theater troupe.
One day, when he and his family are returning from a pilgrimage, they stop over at a dhaba near a village.
However, the village "calls" James toward itself, who obliges and lives there for over a day as Sundaram, long believed to be dead.
Acting
Mammootty's one-man show through and through!
The bizarre-sounding plot demands the veteran actor to look the same throughout but act, walk, talk, and behave like two different people divided by different economic worlds.
The wide spectrum of emotions felt by the protagonist, especially the moments of sheer vulnerability and defenselessness when nobody recognizes "Sundaram" in his own family, has been vividly portrayed by Mammootty.
Even his gait and mannerisms change!
Cinematography
Cinematography will stay with you for long time
While several factors swing in NNM's favor, the cinematography instantly stands out.
Shot in a South Indian village, each frame looks like it has been plucked straight out of a painting book, and each scene resembles the images reminiscent of classic postcard stamps.
There is so much brightness, beauty, and color in the entire film; it is almost like a moment frozen in time.
Open interpretations
Not lazy film, wants you to draw interpretations
NNM is not the kind of film that would serve you well-written, well-marinated answers on a shining platter.
Instead, it wants the viewers to put their thinking caps on, utilize their gray matter, and dig up theories about the film's climax, so much so that you may want to watch the Netflix drama from the beginning right after finishing it to unravel the mystery.
Rootedness
Deeply-rooted drama has relatable characters, scenarios
As is the case with several South Indian films, NNM is deeply rooted in our everyday surroundings; the characters that populate the drama might as well exist in our own world.
It is discernibly devoid of any artifice or unnecessary "sophisticatedness," with scenes flowing one after the other like a stream's steady gush.
Its relatability factor fluently blends the drama's artistic and commercial aspects.
Verdict
Short runtime also works in film's favor
The Lijo Jose Pellissery directorial, at less than two hours, keeps churning in your mind long after you have finished watching it.
Moreover, Mammootty's striking performance and the core plot sweep you off your feet, while the fable-like feel and rich cinematography are added incentives in this oneiric, innovative drama.
Time almost stands still in NNM, and for a while, so do we.