Words are not enough!!!. Review on Tanmatra Movie

Suddenly… I realized that I forgot my busstop and rushed to the door !… Yes,…. I missed it. Now wait for the next. I jumped out of the door at the next stop. Now I have to walk back. My mind was full of Mohan Lal, Blessy, and “Tanmatra”… I couldn’t help myself come out of thoughts…since I went to the cinema last evening after office!

‘Tanmatra’ (The Molecule)

Language: Malayalam

Written and directed by Blessy based on a short story “Ormma” by Padmarajan.

Music: Mohan Sitara

Banner: Century.

Cast : Mohan Lal, Meera Vasudev , Arjun ,Nedumudi Venu , Jagati Sreekumar , Pratap Pothen , Innocent etc.

The Movie

Can’t describe in words…. but I will try….It is about a father who guides his son with a vision. He wants to see him as an IAS Officer. Once he himself dreamt about it…but couldn’t realize.

Ramesan Nair (Mohan Lal) is a clerk at the Kerala Secretariate in Tiruvanantapuram. Wife (Meera Vasudev) and two children (Arjun and the little girl of Film Naran) make his small and happy family. His father(Nedumudi Venu) is in his ancestral house in a far away village.

Ramesan begins to loose his memory and some unfortunate incidents reveal his desease…the worst possible …Alzheimer’s...The smart, loving father turns a dull and depressed man. Like falling leaves. …as the doctor( Pratap Pothen) says…he gradually forgets his past . He is taken to his ancestral house and nursed by his wife and father. The movie ends showing how his dream gets fulfilled.

Signs of a classic

The scene in which Lal talks with Nedumudi Venu about why he does not want a transfer to the village, is a classic. I could not find such a complex moment of life shown in any other recent movie. And one scene with Meera in the ancestral house in the night is unforgettable.

Acting Performances

Mohan Lal is the soul of the movie… I would say this is his best ever performance…. it is superior even to those of Kireedam, Vellaanakalude Naad , Dasaratham, Taalavattam ,Devasuram and Pavitram. His subtle expressions, eye handling, voice modulations, mannerisms and the intensity that he delivers are unmatched…you feel close to him …His third National Award is coming..…Once again he proves there is none other like him in Indian cinema. I dare to say that this is probably the best ever performance by an Indian actor.

The new model turned actress Meera Vasudevis brilliant…she has a very bright future …like Tabu, Nandita Das or Konkana Sen Sharma.

The new actor, Arjun, (as the son) is above average. His performance gives a lot of hope that a brilliant actor is in making.

Nedumudi Venu as the father is great as always.

Music

I do not like Mohan Sitara’s music after Vasantiyum lakshmiyum…. , but for Tanmatra, he has given some of the finest melodies. The song

'Italoornnu veena panineerdalangal.... ' (the fallen rose leaves….) is haunting.

Listen to believe it.

Blessy

The Guru ,Padmarajan will be blessing him from the skies. Blessy is a gift to Malayalam cinema. He rised upto the expectations after Kazhcha.

So…..

Tanmatra is classic ,poetic like a Padmarajan film, and leaves you with a lot of thoughts that may make you forget where you are!