Perumthachan (film)
Encyclopedia
Perumthachan literally means "The Great Carpenter" is a Kerala State Film Award
winning film released in 1990. This movie was also nominated for Golden Leopard Award. It is a story of a Carpenter and his son, the problems caused by the generation gap are explored in the relationship between a skilled carpenter and his tradition-breaking son.
The movie was directed by Ajayan for the screenplay by M. T. Vasudevan Nair
.
)is unsurpassed as a wood-carver, sculptor and architect and his creations were so exquisite that he was regarded a reincarnation of the architect of the gods.He was also a man of great erudition. Though brought up as a carpenter, he was alluded to be the son of a Brahmin. Perumthachan himself doubted this supposition and in one part of the film he smiles approvingly when his son suggests to him that perhaps the made up story about his Brahmanical antecedents was a ruse by the uppercastes to lay claim to some of his ability and prestige.
The screenplay begins at dusk with an old ambalavasi trying to light a stone lamp. But due to a strong gust of wind the lamp struggles to remain alight. A man lying in the tanner pandal close by gets up and places a stone slab strategically in such a way that the path of the wind is breached. He wears a sacred thread(poonool) and hence is mistaken for a Namboodiri. But he tells the ambalavasi that he is no Namboodiri, but an Asari(carpenter) who had forgotten to remove his thread which he had worn during the construction of a temple. Immediately the ambalavasi recognises that this was no ordinary carpenter but the legendary Perumthachan himself. News spreads about the arrival of Perumthachan .
He meets up with a rich Brahmin who was his childhood friend and who is now the Thampuran of a rich royal household(Kovilakam). He is requested to oversee the construction of the family's shrine and the sculpting of the image of the goddess . The ravishing beauty of the Brahmin householder's wife Bhargavi Thampuratti(Vinaya Prasad
)catches his imagination and he sculpts the face of the goddess in the mould of the Thampuratti. Though a man of principles, Perumthachan feels drawn to the woman whose looks he compares to 'Swayamvara Durga'; but steps back, knowing well the consequences of any indiscretion on his part. This apparent attraction leads to a minor misunderstanding towards Perumtachan in the mind of the Thampuran and consequently he is not allowed to complete the work on the idol to his satisfaction and is insulted by the Thampuran during the consecration of the idol.Perunthachan leaves the place disillusioned.
Years roll on and his son Kannan(Prasanth)has grown into a insightful young man of great charms and talent. Perumthachan is proud of his son's abilities and pleased by his son's growing reputation, but is also worried by his son's tendency to overlook the traditional rules and values of sculptural art and by the strain of unscrupulousness in the son which is a mark of the new, more materialistic and self- centred generation. It is Perumthachan's long cherished wish that he be the one who builds the Saraswati mandapam which Bhargavi Thamburatti had desired for. Kunhikkavu Thamburatti(Monisha Unni), the daughter agrees to her late mother's wish, but it is Kannan, not Perumthachan, who is called up to do the work. The young man goes to the very household of the same rich Brahmin for whom his father had carved the image of the goddess years ago and designs and supervises the building of the temple. In an ironical repetition of his father's experience, he falls in love with Kunhikkavu. But unlike his father, he does not hold himself back and a scandal erupts in the royal household . Seeing that the scandal is slowly destroying his old patron, the father of the girl, Perumthachan arrives to oversee the construction of the temple. He tries to cajole his son to walk away from his relationship. The son refuses to yield and the distraught Perunthachan, in a final act of desperation, drops his chisel deliberately on his son's neck , killing him during the work of the final touches to the dome of the temple.
This film was aided by brilliant Cinematography and lighting, directed by Ajayan with Santosh Sivan as the cinematographer. While the movie was made expressive with warm background music by composer Johnson, but the story was that of M.T.Vasudevan Nair.
M.T. Vasudevan Nair has told this legendary story of the master carpenter with finesse, bringing to mind the old rituals and traditions and a world long since forgotten. He systematically builds up the suspense until ultimately the ending comes upon you surprisingly, almost shockingly, leaving you cold and unbelieving.
Kerala State Film Award for Best Film
The Kerala State Film Award for Best Film winners:- References :* * Specific...
winning film released in 1990. This movie was also nominated for Golden Leopard Award. It is a story of a Carpenter and his son, the problems caused by the generation gap are explored in the relationship between a skilled carpenter and his tradition-breaking son.
The movie was directed by Ajayan for the screenplay by M. T. Vasudevan Nair
M. T. Vasudevan Nair
Madathil Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair , popularly known as MT, is an Indian author, screenplay writer and film director. He was born in Kudallur, a small village in the present day Palakkad District, which was under the Malabar District in the Madras Presidency of the British Raj...
.
Plot
In this Indian story, based on a Kerala legend, a pious and self-disciplined master carpenter of a supposedly mixed-caste background, moves easily in his world, building temples and then carving the stone statues which embellish them. He is at home in his traditional world, is at peace with his inner self and the social mores of the time. By way of contrast, he begets a son who is of rebellious nature and questioning of the traditional social hierarchies of the time. He falls in love with the daughter of a royal household which ultimately leads to his demise.Synopsis
Perumthachan(ThilakanThilakan
Surendranatha Thilakan , known mononymously as Thilakan, is an Indian actor who works in Malayalam cinema and theatre. He was awarded Padma Shri on 25 January 2009.- Theatre:...
)is unsurpassed as a wood-carver, sculptor and architect and his creations were so exquisite that he was regarded a reincarnation of the architect of the gods.He was also a man of great erudition. Though brought up as a carpenter, he was alluded to be the son of a Brahmin. Perumthachan himself doubted this supposition and in one part of the film he smiles approvingly when his son suggests to him that perhaps the made up story about his Brahmanical antecedents was a ruse by the uppercastes to lay claim to some of his ability and prestige.
The screenplay begins at dusk with an old ambalavasi trying to light a stone lamp. But due to a strong gust of wind the lamp struggles to remain alight. A man lying in the tanner pandal close by gets up and places a stone slab strategically in such a way that the path of the wind is breached. He wears a sacred thread(poonool) and hence is mistaken for a Namboodiri. But he tells the ambalavasi that he is no Namboodiri, but an Asari(carpenter) who had forgotten to remove his thread which he had worn during the construction of a temple. Immediately the ambalavasi recognises that this was no ordinary carpenter but the legendary Perumthachan himself. News spreads about the arrival of Perumthachan .
He meets up with a rich Brahmin who was his childhood friend and who is now the Thampuran of a rich royal household(Kovilakam). He is requested to oversee the construction of the family's shrine and the sculpting of the image of the goddess . The ravishing beauty of the Brahmin householder's wife Bhargavi Thampuratti(Vinaya Prasad
Vinaya Prasad
Vinaya Prasad is a popular film and television actress in South India.She hails from Udupi. Vinaya made her film debut with a small role in G V Iyer’s Madhwacharya in 1988. She worked in smaller character roles before playing the leading lady in Ganeshana Maduve opposite Ananth Nag...
)catches his imagination and he sculpts the face of the goddess in the mould of the Thampuratti. Though a man of principles, Perumthachan feels drawn to the woman whose looks he compares to 'Swayamvara Durga'; but steps back, knowing well the consequences of any indiscretion on his part. This apparent attraction leads to a minor misunderstanding towards Perumtachan in the mind of the Thampuran and consequently he is not allowed to complete the work on the idol to his satisfaction and is insulted by the Thampuran during the consecration of the idol.Perunthachan leaves the place disillusioned.
Years roll on and his son Kannan(Prasanth)has grown into a insightful young man of great charms and talent. Perumthachan is proud of his son's abilities and pleased by his son's growing reputation, but is also worried by his son's tendency to overlook the traditional rules and values of sculptural art and by the strain of unscrupulousness in the son which is a mark of the new, more materialistic and self- centred generation. It is Perumthachan's long cherished wish that he be the one who builds the Saraswati mandapam which Bhargavi Thamburatti had desired for. Kunhikkavu Thamburatti(Monisha Unni), the daughter agrees to her late mother's wish, but it is Kannan, not Perumthachan, who is called up to do the work. The young man goes to the very household of the same rich Brahmin for whom his father had carved the image of the goddess years ago and designs and supervises the building of the temple. In an ironical repetition of his father's experience, he falls in love with Kunhikkavu. But unlike his father, he does not hold himself back and a scandal erupts in the royal household . Seeing that the scandal is slowly destroying his old patron, the father of the girl, Perumthachan arrives to oversee the construction of the temple. He tries to cajole his son to walk away from his relationship. The son refuses to yield and the distraught Perunthachan, in a final act of desperation, drops his chisel deliberately on his son's neck , killing him during the work of the final touches to the dome of the temple.
This film was aided by brilliant Cinematography and lighting, directed by Ajayan with Santosh Sivan as the cinematographer. While the movie was made expressive with warm background music by composer Johnson, but the story was that of M.T.Vasudevan Nair.
M.T. Vasudevan Nair has told this legendary story of the master carpenter with finesse, bringing to mind the old rituals and traditions and a world long since forgotten. He systematically builds up the suspense until ultimately the ending comes upon you surprisingly, almost shockingly, leaving you cold and unbelieving.
Cast
- ThilakanThilakanSurendranatha Thilakan , known mononymously as Thilakan, is an Indian actor who works in Malayalam cinema and theatre. He was awarded Padma Shri on 25 January 2009.- Theatre:...
- Raman (Perumthachan) - Vinaya PrasadVinaya PrasadVinaya Prasad is a popular film and television actress in South India.She hails from Udupi. Vinaya made her film debut with a small role in G V Iyer’s Madhwacharya in 1988. She worked in smaller character roles before playing the leading lady in Ganeshana Maduve opposite Ananth Nag...
- Bhargavi Thampuratti - Nedumudi VenuNedumudi VenuNedumudi Venu is a popular Malayalam film actor from Kerala, India. He has also written screenplays and has directed one film.- Early life :...
- Unni Thampuran - Monisha Unni - Kunhikkavu Thamburatti
- PrashanthPrashanthPrashanth is an Indian film actor who appeared in several Tamil films, as well as a few Telugu films, Hindi and Malayalam films.The son of noted actor-director Thyagarajan, Prashanth began his career at 17 by appearing in Vaigasi Poranthachu and went on to feature in other acclaimed films...
- Kannan Vishwakarman - M.S. ThripunithuraM.S. ThripunithuraMS Thripunithura was a famous actor in the Malayalam film industry. He was born as Madathipparambil Seshaniyyar Venkatrama Iyer to an Iyer family in Thripunithura, Cochin State....
- Namboodiri's Friend - Babu Namboodiri
Crew
- Director: Ajayan
- Screenplay: M. T. Vasudevan NairM. T. Vasudevan NairMadathil Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair , popularly known as MT, is an Indian author, screenplay writer and film director. He was born in Kudallur, a small village in the present day Palakkad District, which was under the Malabar District in the Madras Presidency of the British Raj...
- Cinematography: Santhosh Sivan
- Editing: M. S. Mani
- Art: P. Krishnamoorty
- Associate director: Unni Narayanan