Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam Movie Review: Lijo Jose Pelissery's latest film Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam feels like a companion piece to his last, Churuli, except of course with none of the colourful words. If in Churuli, two men are transported in a bizarre world where people, who have been cordial with them till then, begin to abuse them freely, then in Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, it is one man who acts strange when reaching a certain place supposedly alien to him. And that man is played by Mammootty in what is a fabulous dual performance that's also a reminder why we are in love with this superstar for decades. A reminder that is needed when you also have to bear to the National Award winning actor being almost robotic in humdrum fare like Christopher. Christopher Movie Review: Mammootty’s Cop Saga Does an ‘Encounter Killing’ to Progressiveness of Malayalam Cinema.

Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, streaming presently on Netflix, is about what happens to a drama troupe mid-way on their bus journey from Velankanni to back their homes in Kerala. Or specifically to their quasi-leader James (Mammootty). James is a family man, whose wife and teenage son is also with him. A Christian who is not so much of a devout, James is often irritable, bossy and has less-than-stellar opinion about the people of the state he is presently travelling in.

However, all that changes after an afternoon nap during the bus journey. James tells the driver (Rajesh Sharma) to stop the vehicle, gets down and walks away from there into a village, that should have been alien to him. He goes into the house, and begins to act a completely person who has been living there to the utter befuddlement of the inhabitants of the house and is completely familiar with the people around him and also speaks fluent Tamil. While his own people are worried about his mental state, the locals are intrigued because he is behaving like Sundaram, who is believed to be dead for two years.

So what's up with James? Is he possessed by a ghost? Or is he suffering from dissociative personality disorder like Ganga had in Manichitratazhu? Or simply, is the entire 'Sundaram' part a dream that James had while he was having his afternoon nap in the bus?

Watch the Trailer of Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam:

Like with Churuli, LJP is in no mood to offer any proper answers for the mystery he concocted in Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam. He leaves it as a beautiful puzzle whose solution (if there is any) is left for the viewer to decipher and be happy at that. That can be frustrating in a way, a feeling I never had with Churuli, whose fantasy element and odd characters made it easier to bear the film's open-ended mystery packaging. Churuli Movie Review: A Rare Lijo Jose Pellissery Misfire That Is Still Fascinating and Mystifying.

Here, it is frustrating as an onlooker that Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam doesn't want to be outright with me, since the characters are far more sympathetic and likeable, and there is a sense of sadness about unresolved issues and getting closures.

Like with Poovally.

Played with a understated frailty by a lovely Ramya Pandian, Poovally is the widowed wife of Sundaram, who might be startled by a strange man acting like her long-lost husband, but his appearance also opens up old wounds that have barely healed. One of my favourite scenes in the film is, after sequences of being quiet, Poovally bursts out on her family and reminds them of her own pain, and how she is getting some solace that her her husband has returned to her, even in this way. At the same time, she isn't oblivious of the pain and despair of James' actual wife Sally (a restrained but effective Ramya Suvi), who is just a house across waiting for her husband to return to his senses. Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam Ending Explained: An Insane Dream or Ghost Seeking Closure? Decoding the Mystery of Mammootty-Lijo Jose Pellissery's Film!

And despite Poovally's tragedy, Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam isn't a tragic film. It is sprinkled with nimbly handled comic scenes and interesting filmmaking choices. The banter of the drama troupe is often whimsical, and so is the scene where Sundaram's neighbours chase after James when he takes off with their moped, while his own folks are clueless as to what's going on. It also becomes a commentary on the fluctuating nature of humanity, and the bizarre ways it works. The drama troupe who thinks of the locals as troublemakers, child-nappers and even rapists, find a sense of respect and belonging among them at their time of crisis, while two of their own leave them right in the middle of the night.

There are also interesting easter eggs and plot hints strewn across along with meta gags (Mammootty as James watching his own dual performance in Parampara is a hoot, though it has a deeper meaning to the film's plot). Not to mention, it is also tribute to a certain G Aravindan, noted Malayalam filmmaker, which is confirmed by the final shot that lingers upon the troupe leaving the place (Thampu), on the name of their play ("Oridathu") and Sundaram's dog chasing after the bus (Kummatty).

The stillness of certain sequences is occasionally frustrating to watch, but the colourful frames that LJP create with cinematographer Theni Eswar, often going for imperfect symmetry, do make up for it. Sometimes the 'posturing' feels shoehorned for the sake of sheer dramatic imagery, like in a scene where both Poovally and Sally positioned at two ends of a frame, looking into the night forlornly while their kids come to comfort them. Otherwise though, Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam is allegorical in the picturisation, in the innovative constant use of cinema sounds from TV and radio as means of BG score and in the superlative performances. Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam Review: Mammootty-Lijo Jose Pellissery's Film Gets Positive First Reviews From Its Premiere at IFFK 2022!

As for the last part, nothing can better exemplifying the lead actor himself. Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam may house one of his finer performances in recent times, but the film isn't the showcase of the versatility of Mammootty, one of Indian Cinema's best actors. Rather, it is more of how he performs leaves an impact on the onlookers, astounded by his stunning change in demeanour. Most of the frames are long or mid shots of Mammootty surrounded by people, and the only couple of memorable shots of his closeup are about when his character goes through a shattering revelation and when he 'wakes' up. Within that range there is a fabulous performance.

Final Thoughts

How to describe Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam the best? It is definitely one of LJP's better works, though the slow-burn nature makes its unsolved mystery somewhat frustrating. It is beautifully framed and houses a wonderful Mammootty dual performance. It is a quirky tribute to G Aravindan the filmmaker, to the Shakespearean adage 'All the world's a stage' and to the embracing nature of humanity. Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam is streaming on Netflix.

Rating:3.5

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 23, 2023 03:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).