I was talking to a friend and suddenly a movie came to my mind from nowhere. Movie titled ‘Aranyakam’ – a Malayalam movie from the 80’s I think. But something in that movie still clunks me onto it. The heroine of the movie is a kind of bubbly character whose real name I wasn’t knowing of till some days back and this friend helped me in knowing her name. And don’t worry I am not attempting for a film review here and I am none to review also! But just thought of spreading a good stuff that I found in the movie.
The script of the movie can be considered as a sort of enlightenment during the 80’s period. I am not so sure if that film will make you feel like watching it over and over again. But surely I do feel so and it’s particularly because of the heroine character in the movie - a very vibrant dynamic young girl. The theme of the movie is all about feudal system that existed (and still exists in certain parts of the country) - the way how landlords treat poor landless peasants. The rage or the anger that was steaming inside the hearts of these peasants made them attack the feud’s family with an aim to destroy him. But tragically the hero - a cute looking young Vineeth - was caught in between and he couldn’t survive that moment.
Basically this is the concept of the movie which tries to teach something good out of it. But what made me find this movie interesting is the way how the script twines in a classic love story between. Though I never used to rattle that much about love or love life, I really appreciated the young hearts of the characters in this film. The hero, Vineeth, is coming from a very well to do family - another zamindhar family in the neighborhood of our heroine. Saleema, the heroine, is staying with her uncle and family as her father, Devan, took up a travelling life after his wife’s early death.
Like most of the Bollywood movies in the late 90’s, the director of this film portrayed it as a triangle love story which I think was very uncommon to find in a Malayalam movie at that time. And the character assumed by Parvathi, finishes the triangle. Parvathi is Saleema’s cousin or the landlord’s daughter. The feud’s family was planning to arrange Parvathi’s marriage with Vineeth who returns back to the country after a foreign study. Similar to the K-series sequels in Star-Plus, the script was trying to give a tinge of negative role for Parvathi who mostly can be found quibbling with her almost same aged Saleema. But it’s fun to watch though.
The story takes a U-turn as the hero finds his love in Saleema instead of Parvathi just opposite to what both the families arranged. No wonder and I won’t be able to blame the hero as the heroine’s intelligent talks and character at times impressed me also! (ahem!) Saleema loves books a lot and was very knowledgeable about a wide range of topics and was brave enough to express her opinion to anyone. The story mainly focuses a forest with all those beautiful trees and flowers, lakes and birds and all those lovely natural creatures. And it’s this place which can be referred to as a kind of secret place where Saleema likes to spend alone reading and writing and chatting with nature. Isn't it so beautiful even to imagine?
‘Aranyakam’ in Malayalam points back to forest and hence the name of the movie. And it’s at this secret place in the forest which the hero traces out one day by following Saleema silently, where he expresses his love to her. Now when the love story reaches this climax, on the other side the fight between the peasants and the feud breaks out. And unfortunately the story reaches a tragic end.
A mix of original classic love with a wonderful message and that makes this story, the cast and every character in it so dear to me..
