Fifteen years after the much celebrated gangster drama ‘Big B’, Mammootty and director Amal Neerad have teamed up one more time for another action-packed Malayalam movie ‘Bheeshma Parvam’, released worldwide on March 3. The movie comes when fans were all eyes and ears for ‘Bilal’, a sequel to ‘Big B’, touted as a comeback of the actor-director combo. However, the Covid-19 pandemic had the director take quite an unexpected detour from his pet project and floating another movie in the meantime.
As hinted in the title, a brilliant adaptation of Mahabharata’s Bhishma Parv boasts a hefty star cast featuring the young crop in Malayalam film industry apart from the ‘Big M’ Mammootty. Shine Tom Chacko, Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, Sudev Nair, Dileesh Pothen and Jinu Joseph — all having played their part to perfection. Rave reviews have been trickling in and here’s a look at the major takeaways from the film.
Mammootty’s Michael rings a bell with Godfather, an all-revered patriarch of Anjoottil family in Kerala’s Mattancherry, despite not being the eldest. Men at Anjoottil enjoy an upper hand in decision making where women live ‘happily ever after’ as loyal wives and bread makers. As with Bhishma Pitamaha, Michael claims to have ichha-mrithyu and sustains bachelorhood, reasons enough for drafting and crafting rest of the plot.
The film reminds there are chances of a patriarch to be respectful of women. Thanks to the thought-out script from Amal Neerad and Devadath Shaji, Michael is one among the rarest breed, who believes in gender equality and stands for women wherever they are deemed hapless, meek and tender.
The protagonist has a baggage from the past, when he was forced by circumstances to murder two men, who killed his elder brother Pyle. Pyle married Fatima in an inter-faith wedding. The then law student was put behind the bars for years. Thereafter, Michael gets into the skin of a not-so-monstrous gangster and saviour-of-all.
As with the case in Mahabharata, a section in Anjoottil family turns hostile and develops sort of remorse over Michael’s doings. The script figuratively part ways to ‘Kauravas’ and ‘Pandvas’. In the end, those who stood by Michael win the battle of good over evil. The plot never resorts to a one-man show, giving ample space for the good-at-heart and villainous members of the clan to put one’s best foot forward (in terms of performance). The villainous tribe adds a member from another family, that harbours vengeance towards Michael, to their side.
The acting, direction and screenplay departments having done a good job, cinematography and background score acted crucial to set the right mood in. DoP Anend C. Chandran has deftly incorporated tight frames, even, yet warm tone to fit the bill. Sushin Shyam, so far known for his musical compositions, keep up with the never-dying spirit of the movie intact through its 2 hour 24 minute screen time.
The movie thinks beyond Mahabharata and the 1980s Kerala. ‘Bheeshma Parvam’ talks about honour killing, corruption, power politics and sibling rivalry which are issues not bound by any particular period or people.
