Movies - Thanmathra

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	Movies - Thanmathra

Thanmathra (translation:Molecule) (2005) is a Malayalam film directed by Blessy which deals with the effects of Alzheimer's disease on the life of a person. The film bagged five Kerala state film awards for the Best Film, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Screenplay and a special mention for debutant actor Arjun Lal.

Story

Rameshan Nair (Mohanlal) is a government secretariat employee, cocooned in his own small world. An honest and sincere man, Rameshan's family consists of his loving wife Lekha (Meera Vasudev), son Manu (Arjun Lal) who is a plus-two student, and daughter Manju (Baby Niranjana), a primary school student. His biggest ambition is to see that his son gets into IAS (Indian Administrative Service), something he himself fails to achieve despite being a brilliant student. Manu is an intelligent student and a very loving son who has strong emotional ties with his father. All in all, they form the very picture of a happy and loving family, with a bright future.

However, fate has other ideas. Rameshan starts to gradually lose his memory. Initially, this is not taken very seriously by the rest of the family and friends. However things take a turn for the worse, when he misplaces things at home and forgets to carry out his office duties.

The first time we notice this is when Rameshan misplaces a very important office file at his home, inside the refrigerator. One day he arrives in office carrying a bag of vegetables, something which he always does on his way back to home from office. He begins acting strangely in the office, as if he has lost his sense of time and place and mistook the office for his home. He is taken to the doctor by his family and close friend, Joseph (Jagathy Sreekumar).

In the hosptial, Rameshan is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, a diease which causes a gradual loss of memory and cognitive abilities. The news comes as a rude shock for the happy family and turns their world upside down. The family is devastated, but adjusts to the situation with a lot of determination underscored by strong emotional bonds. How they cope up with the trauma and uncertainity caused by Rameshan's plight, forms the gist of the movie.

Director Blessy has brought out the manner the dreaded disease entangles Rameshan in its vice-like grip, with a few deft directorial strokes. The snapshots are devastating. One scene depicts Rameshan forgetting to switch on the scooter; another has Rameshan using his son’s toothbrush. Then there is the scene that shows Rameshan forgetting the way to his home. In a few fabulous frames, Blessy conveys to the audience the malignancy and horror of the disease.

Thanmatra is a must-watch film both for the serious student of cinema as well as the ordinary filmgoer who likes to watch good and clean cinema. A socially relevant theme has been brilliantly told intertwined with a portrayal of strong family bonds, strongly supported by very good performances from all the main actors.

Performances

The movie has been hailed as portraying one of the finest performances by Mohanlal who is known as a spontaneous actor and an acting genius in his own right. He won the state best actor award for his unparalleled depiction of a middle aged man in the throes of a crippling illness. The movie was advertised as a return from his super-hero image back to that of a common man, and he has taken full advantage of the opportunity given to him.

Newbie Arjun Lal who plays Mohanlal's son, is the surprise package of the movie, giving a performance much above his experience. His performance won him a special menton from the state film awards jury. The performance of Nedumudi Venu, who plays the role of Mohanlal's father, is also excellent. Meera Vasudev, a newcomer to Malayalam movies, plays a great supporting role and does justice to her character. Jagathy Sreekumar, as usual is in his elements and fits into the role of Joseph, as if it was tailor-made for him.

The bulk of the movie is carried on the shoulders of the three protagonists - the father (Mohanlal), the grand-father (Nedumudi Venu) and the son(Arjun Lal). It is very touching to watch the strong ties between them helping the family to cope up with the disaster. In this age of the Internet and instant relationships, it is soothing to watch a story that rides on the strong ties among three successive generations.

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