Some of the greatest films of our times have been tragic. That could be said again and again, like every tautology. However, would you watch them again and again, except in moments of extreme masochism? Here’s a list of those ten Malayalam films that made me cry so much that I haven’t dared to watch them again. Each frame is etched in my mind, and I am in no hurry to refresh those tragic cinematic moments.
Thaniyavarthanam: I must have been about 10 years old when I saw this and till date, except when someone sends me a YouTube link of that scene where Balan Mashu grapples with the reality of his family publicly declaring him a stranger, I have studiously kept my distance from it. That climax (shudder!!).
Kireedam: The hero, like in Thaniyavarthanam, is victimised and ostracised for no fault of his and every time Sethumadhavan finds himself cornered, my heart would break into a thousand pieces. Arguably one of the finest scripts in Malayalam cinema, it remains one of the most heart-breaking films of all time. Never dared to revisit.
Unnikale Oru Kadha Parayam: This is one of my favourite films from childhood and every scene, every song remains embedded in my memory. That’s why Aby (Mohanlal) was a childhood hero, a messiah and his death put me in depression. Even today I am unable to reconcile with the unfairness of it.
Amaram: It was so easy to warm up to Achutty – the perfect, lovable father who had gigantic dreams for his only daughter. But when she threw away everything, including her father’s dreams, for love, I despised her with all my heart. Again, I have probably re-watched only the climax which would sometimes innocuously find a place in my YouTube searches.
Akashadoothu: After the first watch where I cried enough to get a headache, I never expected to have the same unsettling effect the second time round, that too after a few years. But I did. I howled for the same scenes – when the mom gives away her children, one by one, and their heart wrenching reactions to it. God help me!
Pavithram: The lovable Chettachan is a lingering poignant memory, the one who sacrifices everything for his little sister and ends up losing his mind because of her. Her cruel outbursts and his distress – not more than one time can one bear to watch it.
Thanmathra: One man and his family’s distressing experience with Alzheimer’s; they watch him slowly and completely dissolving into the mind of a child. It is not something we would want to watch again for sure. I never did at least.
Vicharana: Once again the whole victimisation story – Mammootty plays a lawyer who find himself at odds with his own family and the world, and ends up taking his life. It’s the kind of film where there are no happy moments, just stretches where he is always unfairly pulled into situations he has no part in. Unfair and miserable.
Sukrutham: The film is knotted with emotionally distressing scenes. A man dying, followed by his journey into life that gets badly jolted when his wife actually follows through on his wishes of her being with another man. The film ends with his subsequent reactions to it, eventually leading him to his own obituary note on a desk. And of course, the final walk towards death. Not a one for a second viewing.
Moonam Pakkam: It’s a breezy watch till a few scenes before climax. But after that you witness one of the most traumatic climax scenes in Malayalam cinema. And Thilakan’s performance is such that you go through the whole rollercoaster ride with him.
This article was originally published on Fullpicture.in. The News Minute has syndicated the content. You can read the original article here.