MT Vasudevan Nair’s Manorathangal: A melange of timeless stories & misplaced adaptations

Among all the contributions MT Vasudevan Nair, that doyen of literature, has made to Malayalam, the greatest should be this, that he has brought the language closer to generations of Malayalis. When he wrote for films, his words and literary expressions – simple and poetic, witty and spontaneous – lured people of varied ages and interests to the beauty of the language. He made Malayalam effortlessly cool, beautiful to listen to. Adapting nine of this genius’s stories for an anthology, to celebrate nine decades of his life, seemed like the much needed whiff of ‘MT air’ missing in Malayalam cinema for a long time. 

Manorathangal (Mindscapes), the anthology film that was shaped out of this need, became in many ways a yearning for lost times that could never be recreated, and the coming together of reputed actors and technicians to celebrate the great writer. The end result – a melange of timeless stories, misplaced adaptations, and sometimes less-than-satisfactory retellings – should in no way be a reflection of where the writer’s works stand in this day and age. MT’s stories will always enjoy their cherished place in the hearts of Malayalis, while their adaptations in some hands may not.

Priyadarshan, a veteran who made Malayalam comedies so memorable, takes charge as showrunner of the anthology, while directing the first and last episodes of the film series. The first that the anthology begins with, Shilalikhitam, has an age-appropriate Biju Menon playing a middle-aged man coming to his ancestral home for a short visit with his adolescent daughter. In this film and quite a few other adaptations, the attempts to recreate an early era, with the trappings of the time against the backdrop of a tharavadu (ancestral home of privileged castes), stick out like sore thumbs. The frequent outpouring of a high strung veena and the common title track forcing nostalgia only add to the artificiality of the settings of various films. 

It is endearing that Kamal Haasan introduces every film in the anthology – averaging 45 minutes each – walking across a large library and speaking in his Tamil-touched Malayalam, about the autobiographical content and the relationships in MT sir’s stories. His own film Kanyakumari, which became a turning point in his life, too had come from a story by the master.

Other great actors of the time, including Mammootty and Mohanlal, have a lot to thank MT for, their prominence growing with the bunch of scripts the writer had penned in the peak of their careers. Their movies in Manorathangal are kept for the end. 

Mammootty, consistent with his recent selection of great scripts, shows up in MT’s famous Sri Lankan stories in a film by Ranjith. Mohanlal transforms into an ancient character, once played by Madhu, for the Priyadarshan film Olavum Theeravum. But the film appears too out of place today, and the cast – including a 30-something Surabhi Lakshmi playing an aged mother – too wrong. 

Another MT story that was previously adapted to film is Jayaraj’s segment, Swargam Thurakkuna Samayam. In its 80s version Aalkoottathil Thaniye, it was the character of Seema, standing by the ill uncle who had wronged her, that became the focus of the film. In Jayaraj’s version it is the ill man, made achingly adorable by the late Nedumudi Venu, that forms the core. Indrans’ character that ‘oversees’ the death of the ill is also striking. With all its overt expositions about the neglect of the young towards the old, the film is a far cry from the ‘84 script that has easily stood the test of time. 

The best of the lot is Mahesh Narayanan’s adaptation of Sherlock, its three main characters played wonderfully by Nadiya Moidu, Fahadh Faasil, and a cat. It tells with charming simplicity and wit and fitting music, the story of pain and separation and the loneliness of an expat’s life.

Shyamaprasad’s Kazhcha, featuring Parvathy Thiruvothu, is another lovely adaptation of a woman deciding to take charge of her life, smiling at the suffocating “well-wishers” of her life. To appreciate the enormity of it, you need to remember it was a different time, when decision making, especially concerning a marriage, was more a privilege than a right for women.

Another interesting feature of the anthology are curious combinations of actors and characters, especially the teaming up of an older woman and younger man as protagonists. Like Fahadh and Nadiya, another film, made by MT’s daughter and one of the producers Aswathy V Nair, has a younger Asif Ali in combination with the veteran Madhoo. Though the dubbing of Madhoo’s character and Asif’s ill-fitting wig make it stagey, one can trace the lines to MT’s original thought, the price of a human being living not for herself. 

Then there is the love triangle, with Indrajith Sukumaran, Aparna Balamurali, and Ann Augustine forming the three corners of it. Even with the ‘tharavadu’ setting and the piercing veena accompanying her storyline, Aparna’s part comes out organically while the flowery English and the pop songs give an air of melodrama to Ann’s. Like Sherlock the cat, Caesar the family dog gets to play a part in the film. 

Such relationships between man and nature has often found place in MT’s stories, Kamal Haasan reminds you, ahead of a segment by Santosh Sivan. This one, featuring Siddique and Ishit Yamini, about the dilemma of a tenant who lives in his past, is the most forgettable one of the lot. 

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 producers or any other members of its cast and crew.

The movie is streaming on Zee5