What is the real purpose one should serve in life is a question that might haunt all at some or the other point of time. It’s a question for which nobody can find an answer. Your thoughts might run on similar terrains after watching Pa.Va, the directorial debut of Suraj Tom.
A simple take on life, Pa.Va, short for Pappanekurichum Varkkiyekkurichum, deals with the inherent instincts of a man that linger till the end, defying age and time. Written by Ajeesh Thomas, the movie throws light on the ironies of a man's propositions and what prevails.
The story revolves around two 80-year-old buddies Devassy Pappan and Varkichan, who shared many dreams and memories together. The drama rolls out with the demise of Varkichan followed by Pappan's encounters with the former's apparition.
Pulimootil is a prominent Christian family in the central Travancore. Interestingly, the wealth and name of the large family, earned though the travails of Pappan, become the bone of contention between two churches - one at the place where Pappan was born and brought up, and the other at the location where he presently resides.
When Pappan's interests and aspirations in the last stages of his life differ with those of his kith and kin, he slips into a dilemma over some decisions. Although he was once engaged in building up his empire, what emotionally excites him now is the pure and delicate interludes of his youthful days.
The arguments presented by Varkey, Pappan's alter ego in ethereal form, are nothing but Pappan's own. Varkey himself is Pappan's invention to trawl out the real emotions from deep within. His attempts to revisit a past that had long passed by display the final stage of the human life cycle.
In Pa.Va, the events are essayed with poetic beauty, without getting eerie. Kudos to Murali Gopy for his meticulous and enchanting portrayal of Pappan. The whole movie swivels around the exuberant performance of Gopy. You may never blink your eyes, not even once, to imagine him as someone else.
All the actors are excellent in being an integral part of the narrative. Indrans as Kunju, P. Balachandran as Fr Kallai, Shammi Thilakan as Fr Ittiparambal, KPAC Lalitha as Annamma were outstanding. Ashokan, Renji Panicker, Idavela Babu, Kottayam Pradeep, Sunil Sukhada, P. Sukumar, Ranjini, Geetha, Ponnamma Babu, Kaviyoor Ponnamma, Muthumani portray their roles exceedingly well. Noted dubbing artist Bhagyalakshmi seemed a seasoned actor in her role.
The narrative is thoroughly gripping and nowhere is the philosophy overstated. The dialogues are realistic and simple. The camera maneuvered by Satheesh Kurup makes the view a marvelous experience.
The songs composed by Anand Madhusoodhanan and penned by Satheesh Verma and B.K. Harinarayanan are already a hit with the masses.
At times, the background score drowns out dialogues. The course of the narration lags a little after the first half, but catches up with the pace towards the end and ends well. The film is not a thriller, but gives an insight into the sum total of emotions one might get after equating life with death.
Produced by Siyad Muhammed, under the banner of Safa Entertainment, Pa.Va is a simple but enjoyable outing for family audience that needs a quiet break.
Onmanorama rating: 3/5
