This evening I happened to see the movie Kireedam yet again...
the crown of Malayalam cinema... for that matter, the crown of Indian cinema or World cinema.
Dear Sibi Malayil, time and again, whenever I had seen this movie, I have witnessed the great legacy of Malayalam cinema... seen the crowned kings of the industry led by Mohanlal and Thilakan alongside two uncrowned kings...two unsung heroes namely Sibi Malayil and Lohithadas.
From the time Kireedam was released and I started watching it... might be five or six times, I have never wanted to watch the full movie at one stretch, again. Not because I have anything against it, but because I hold it the closest to my heart. I feel that it is the greatest Malayalam movie ever made and given a chance I would question the Oscar committee as to how they could avoid nominating it. I would rather not comment on it as millions of Malayalees living in or out of Kerala would have presented you the Oscar award each time they viewed it. When actors in the movie led by Mohanlal , the singers or the lyricist are applauded, the creator and the story writer have remained in the background as unsung heroes. It is not that you have never been lauded or given awards but not to the extent that you deserve to be. My very personal opinion.... Today I felt a sudden urge to congratulate you from the bottom of my heart and tell you how it touches the finest chords of my heart. My heart begins to pound and I start to cry for some unknown reason...at the tragedy that struck the happy family. I am happy watching Mohanlal behind the window curtain when the brothers-in-law discuss about the love-struck pair, am tender hearted when Kaviyoor Ponnamma gently strokes Mohanlal's hair as he reads the Ramayana for her, and cry my heart out with Parvathi as Mohanlal bids her the final good bye. How the character of Mohan Lal who is shaken at the sight of a policeman hitting a culprit at the start of the movie, gets transformed by circumstances which have ensnared him, by the gruesome reality staring at him, by the natural instinct of a man to save his family and save himself from falling into one pit after the other. The director is, I feel, the creator of the movie. You are the creator of an Oscar winning movie. ...the Oscar of movie lovers.
These feelings were dormant in me, but today I thought I should voice it out because something unsaid remains unheard. Though it is said that unheard praise, like songs are sweeter, I would rather you hear it, from as many people, as have viewed your visual magic. A great salute to the unsung hero Sibi Malayil. The Oscar Award goes to Sibi Malayil....
(Chandralekha Bhaskar retired as a high school teacher from Loyola School, Trivandrum. She has worked in Holy Angels' School, Trivandrum and schools in Delhi, Faridabad ,Rajkot and Bangalore. She recently got her book of poems 'This World of Colours and Smells' published. She is working as an editor for Aksharasthree, the Literary Woman's E magazine. She is also a translator, having translated two Malayalam novels into English. At present she is pursuing literary activities in Trivandrum.)