Imagine this: it is a dry, hot afternoon and you have fallen asleep. You wake up a while later, feeling disoriented, unable to figure out what time of the day it is and where you are. In a frenzy, you look for things or people who can confirm your identity – your phone, pets, familiar objects, and loved ones. Once you get a sense of your reality, a feeling of calm washes over. Lijo Jose Pellissery’s latest feature Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam (Like An Afternoon Dream), written by S Hareesh, follows James (played by Mammootty) who experiences this same post-nap strangeness, but for an extended period of time. The film had its world premiere at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) 2022 in the International Competition category on Monday, 12 December.
When the film starts, James, his wife Sally (played by Ramya), and their son are returning from a Velankanni pilgrimage tour with a few others in a rented bus. Midway through the journey, all of them slip into an afternoon slumber. James wakes up from his nap, asks the driver to halt, and takes off into a village somewhere in rural Tamil Nadu. Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam references a Thirukkural song that sets the tone of the narrative – “Death is sinking into slumbers deep, birth again is waking out of sleep.”
Mammootty is very convincing as the disoriented protagonist who feels alienated in a reality that seems to clash with everyone else’s perception of time and space. Though his performance is sometimes slightly pulled down by the weight of his stardom, there is something very palpable about Mammootty crying on screen that instantly moves you. It deeply humanises the narrative, pushing the viewer to reflect on themes of identity, belongingness, and the need for social acceptance.
For a viewer exhausted by Lijo Jose Pellissery’s prolonged obsession with pandemonium and on-screen frenzy, Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam is a fulfilling experience. Though the plotline is rooted in absurd events, Lijo brings in a sense of melancholy that speaks intimately to the viewer – a finesse that was disappointingly absent in his celebrated Jallikettu and Churuli.
He punctuates the narrative with subtle investigations into how people, even the ones who claim to love us, would respond if we start behaving differently from the way we are expected to.
Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam slides slowly and calmly into big philosophical questions without the loudness of pretension or the deliberation of wanting to make a point. There is an unsaid acceptance of the brutality of fate that resonates throughout the film, and the characters are mostly mindful of each other’s tribulations. The juxtaposition of Tamil songs with montages from rural life, accompanied by storytelling that is comfortable at its own pace, makes the film an immersive experience.
It is heartening to see Lijo Jose Pellissery renew himself as a filmmaker. Like his note of gratitude at the beginning of the film reads, the viewer in me (and hopefully most others) is also grateful for his awakening from chaos to quiet fragility on screen.
Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither TNM nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film’s producers or any other members of its cast and crew.
Watch the teaser: