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Mayookham
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'Mayookham' Good story, sensitive direction

By P. Sreekumaran
Film critic, ApunKaChoice.Com

Director Hariharan has the reputation of being a sensitive director who does not believe in compromises to get the cash registers ringing. He belongs to that old school which goes by the dictum that a good story is an essential pre-requisite for making a good film.

The Hariharan-MT Vasudevan Nair (himself a top director and an excellent script-writer) team has to their credit a host of films noted for their lyrical narration and powerful script. To mention a few: Nakhakshathangal, Panchagni and Sargam. All these films were well-received although they did not have the usual song-dance-sex masala that is the hallmark of the so-called commercial cinema.

Hariharan's latest film, Mayookham is one more product of that genre. It, as expected, has a powerful story backed up by an excellent script. The director himself has penned the story.

The director has also been able to coax excellent performances out of his cast. The two debutants, hero Saiju Kurup and heroine Mamta Mohandas have managed to get under the skin of their characters and emote to telling effect. Full credit to Hariharan for inspiring the lead pair to rise to the challenge.

Unni Kesavan (Saiju Kurup) is an angry young man. He has every reason to be angry as he is unable to get a good job despite being brilliant in studies. The resultant frustration turns him into a rebel who is out of step with his near and dear ones.

Into this grim backdrop walks in his childhood friend Indira (Mamta Mohandas). Indira, who had gone to US along with her doctor father (Saikumar) is back after a prolonged stay abroad. The girl is shocked to find the sea change that has come over her classmate.

Then begins her effort to bring him back into the mainstream of life. The effort is both slow and painful. But gradually Unni responds to the caring and affectionate approach of Indira and comes out of his shell. Inevitably, love blossoms between the two.

Then fate plays a cruel joke. It turns out that Indira is a terminal patient in need of expert treatment. So she has to go back.

Veterans Jagathy Sreekumar who plays the heroine's father and Nedumui Venu who is the father of the hero acquit themselves well with a liberal dose of situational comedy that goes down well with the audience. Hariharan has taken care to see that the comedy does not detract too much from the main theme. In this comical interlude Indrans provide excellent prop to Jagathy and Venu.

As in his earlier films, Hariharan's favourite music director, Bombay Ravi, has come up with a few melodious songs in Mayookham too.

Hariharan's message continues to be: if you take up a good story and fortify it with a powerful script and sensitive direction, the end product cannot fail to impress the audience.

Mayookham is a welcome change from the usual crop of commercial films that litter Malayalam cinema these days.

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