Marupakkam (The Other Side)

I stumbled on this movie on Amazon Prime. I absolutely love the way Amazon and Netflix are not just bringing international content at our doorstep but are also making local content more accessible. With subtitled versions of regional cinema, I do hope many more people understand and appreciate this form of art.

A Tamil movie after a long time. I like watching Tamil movies because of all the South Indian languages, I am most familiar with Tamil.

Marupakkam is directed by K. S. Sethumadhavan who is actually a Malayalam director. He is a winner of ten national awards with a lot of critical acclaim as well for many of his movies. I hope I get my hands on some more of his movies in the future.

Marupakkam is based on a story by Indira Parthasarthy. The story starts with Ambi (Sekar), son of an orthodox Tamil Brahmin Vembu Iyer (Sivakumar), who is visiting his hometown with his newly wed Christian bride. Unfortunately, they are not welcomed by his father. Four years later, we see Ambi returning alone to his native on learning of his father’s illness. His father once an erudite brahmin, has now lost most of his movement and doesn’t speak. He hardly recognizes anyone. Apparently, he learnt of Ambi’s separation from his wife and that shocked him into this state.

Through bits and pieces, Ambi realizes that his father has a guilty conscience regarding his first wife Avayam (Radha), and even in this semi-conscious state keeps on repeating her name. Avayam was an accomplished dancer and singer. Vembu Iyer’s mother did not approve of her dancing and forced him to divorce Avayam. He was unable to support his wife and probably realized his hypocrisy once he learned that father’s sins were being repeated by the son.

Through Vembu Iyer’s reminiscences, we see just how much he was in love with Avayam and secretly encouraged her. Unfortunately, he couldn’t stand his ground when it came to supporting her in front of his widowed mother who strongly disapproved of the fine arts. A learned philosopher like Vembu Iyer was unable to answer Avayam when she asked the reason for his objections – do you have conviction? This formed the root cause of his guilt ridden vegetative state.

Sivakumar as Vembu Iyer will make you introspect your own choices in life. Jayabharthi who plays Ambi’s mother and Vembu Iyer’s second wife Janaki, does deserve a mention. A loving mother, dutiful wife, she grew up believing that Avayam was of loose character. However, in the last scene when she sees Avayam while Vembu Iyer is on his deathbed, we see a new understanding dawning on her face. In one stroke, she understood her husband’s guilty conscience.

It’s a simple movie, apparently shot in 14 days with a budget of 12 lacs. Yet it delves on the complex issues of right and wrong. Does it matter being learned if you are unable to stand for the truth? At the same time, how do you kindly oppose someone’s unflinching orthodox views, especially when that someone is your mother.

I would say, very relevant in today’s world. How do we embrace our past and ethos without inheriting senseless prejudices?

Maybe the movie will strike a chord in you.

Do watch.