For a generation which has been brought up on e-mail, a postman might almost be an unfamiliar presence in their lives, but there was a time, before Gmail and WhatsApp took away the romance of anticipation, when he was the visitor every household looked forward to eagerly.
The postman, in his khaki trousers and shirt and carrying an old-fashioned umbrella, was the one who brought you the appointment letter or money from a relative abroad. Watching Bhayanakam, which won Jayaraj this year’s National Award for the Best Director, you cannot but recall the friendly postman who frequented your house.
The postman has, of course, been the subject of some memorable films in the past. Il Postino (The Postman), for instance. The 1994 Italian film, jointly directed by Michael Radford and Massimo Troisi, who also played the title role, told an absorbing, fictional tale about a postman and his relationship with the Nobel-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.
- Film Review: Bhayanakam
- Cast: Renji Panicker, Asha Sharath
- Direction: Jayaraj
Unlike the postman in Il Postino, Jayaraj’s protagonist, a role in which Renji Panicker comes up with probably the finest performance of his recently launched acting career, is not inclined towards poetry. He is hardened by circumstances — crippled by World War I, he has to depend on a crutch to walk — and has to cover a few villages in Kuttanad.
He is not an entirely unfamiliar character, at least not to those who have read Thakazhi’s Kayar. Jayaraj has done well to take out the character of the postman from the voluminous novel and make a fascinating film.
We are introduced to the postman as someone who is loved by everyone in the village: he brings them letters and cash from the sons in the Army. But, once World War II begins, he becomes the messenger of death. His arrival is dreaded by the villagers, for the telegram would invariably contain the news that their loved ones are no more.
He is, however, sensitive enough to postpone, by a day, delivering the telegram in order not to disrupt the wedding in a poor family. Gouri Kunjamma, in whose house he lives and whose two sons are in the Army, is the only person in the village who truly understands him, but even she wonders if he is hiding something from her. Asha Sharath plays the role with restraint and aplomb.
Cinematography
One of the highlights of Bhayanakam is its camera. Nikhil S. Praveen shows you why he won the National Award on debut. He has captured the beauty of Kuttanad in all its splendour.
Artist Namboothiri’s production design has also helped the film get that 1930s look.