Mammootty teams up again with director Kamal in "Karutha Pakshikal"
after their last successful outing in "Raapakal".
The film tells the story of a Tamil immigrant Murugan (Mammootty),
who makes a living out of ironing clothes in Kerala. He is a widower,
who lives in a slum with his three children - one of whom is blind.
"Karutha Pakshikal" showcases the life in slums with these
characters, but it moves between starkness and sentimentalism. Where
the film wins us over is the characterisation of the protagonist Murugan.
Kamal puts so much life into this man that we can overlook any other
shortcoming of the film.
The film portrays Murugan's daily life and the odds he faces because
of his identity-less existence. He cannot afford a cornea transplant
for his daughter as recommended by the doctor in the free eye camp.
When he loses his handcart in a political riot in the city, he is helpless
because his name is not in the electoral list. The general apathy towards
such people is highlighted again where he lies bleeding at a hospital
after a stabbing incident.
These events are just
punctuations in the narrative. The story moves forward as his blind
daughter Malli (Baby Malavika) befriends a rich woman, Suvarna (Meena),
while accompanying her father to work. Suvarna, who is terminally ill,
develops a special bond with Malli and decides to donate her eyes to
the girl after her imminent death.
Mammootty has grabbed the opportunity to perform with relish. He truly
embodies Murugan and takes us through a gamut of emotions, as the character
is forced to compromise at several occasions.
Kamal also scores with the characters of children - they are the mirror
of Murugan's conscience. This becomes evident when Suvarna offers to
donate her eyes to the little girl after her death, but Malli does not
wish death for Suvarna who has been extremely nice to her.
On the other hand, Malli's elder brother Azhakappan (Master Thejus)
hopes that Suvarna dies soon so that his sister's sight is restored
at the earliest.
The female characters, however, could have been portrayed better. Meena
as Suvarna is a porcelain beauty and does not reveal the emotional depth
of a terminally ill patient. This treatment of Suvarna's character may
be intentional, as we see her through Murugan's point of view.
Poonkodi (Padmapriya), the beggar girl who has a soft corner for Murugan's
kids, provides some lighter moments to the film.
