Thoovanathumbikal

Today, Padmarajan’s Thoovanathumbikal is one of Malayalam Cinema’s greatestcult classics but back in the 80s, because of how progressive it was with its themes, how unafraid it was to show its protagonist as a flawed man leading a double life of a pure family man in his village and a playboy in the city; a double life that flowed into his relationships as well, falling in love with 2 women at the same time with one of them being a sex worker. Dealing with such themes and characters can go in any direction with other filmmakers but Padmarajan’s deep understanding of human relationships and emotions, his novelistic approach to filmmaking and the sensitive, non-judgemental lens that he applies to the world makes it one of the most romantic movies ever made. The way he uses rain as a character that makes its appearance at particular points of Jayakrishnan and Clara’s relationship which is elevated by Johnson’s iconic BGM… For today’s audience it’s usually difficult to watch an older film because of the heightened melodrama or dated ideologies but this film...is a vibe.