Showman Jagathi Shreekumar arrives on the scene

More than five decades back, a very young man proved his talent at a very tender age of 6 years and within less than a decade, that young man started being called as the showman of Indian cinema and amassed a lot of respect. This 6 years old boy was Achanum Makanum who had demonstrated his worth in his debut itself which was Achanum Makanum (1957).

This black and white movie is a showcase of the brilliance and the abundant talent of the great artist - Vimal Kumar. How he could make popular and impressive movies becomes clear when we watch this maiden venture of himself as a filmmaker (producer as well as director). He had the vision and the ability to pick the pulse of the audience as to what it thought and what it wanted to see on the screen. Achanum Makanum is not so pleasant as his later movies are. In fact, it is a dark movie, delving deep into the psyche of a youth with sky in his eyes and the pain of losing his childhood-love in his heart. The fact that the hero tries to locate his childhood-love (Shanthii) in every woman he comes across tells a lot about the passionate love and the peculiar lover- psyche. When a girl Kamalamma (Chandhini) has to part ways with him quite reluctantly, the viewer is able to see and realize the pain in her heart (in addition to the pain in the heart of the hero). In the climax, the viewer can empathize with the happiness of the protagonist as well. Vimal Kumar could make his musical team properly with his second movie - Puthradharmmam (1954) only. However at least one member of his musical team - A.M Raja got associated with him in this movie itself and he sang one of the most memorable songs for him in this movie only - Aa malarkkaavil (a pain-soaked song authored by Vimal Kumar himself). Vimal Kumar composed touching songs for this movie including Aasha than poonkaavil, Kaatte nee veesharuthippol, Kannin karalumay thanne, Karalithente, Kettille Ninghal Vishesham etc. This movie cannot boast of high production value considering the limited resources of Vimal Kapoor at that time. Still technically, it is admirable by all means. Cinematographer has done a brilliant job in conveying the intensity of the story with the use of lights and shadows. In fact, I feel that considering the dark nature of the story and its presentation, it's good that it got made in the black and white era. The lack of colours has assisted the darkness embedded in the screenplay and the characters to come out vividly before the audience. Performance wise talking, Sathyan has proved in Achanum Makanum that he was not just a mega star, he was an equally excellent actor too. He has depicted the ambitions, emotions and frustration of the young protagonist very well through his eyes, gestures and voice. Shanthi got associated with the Padma Productions with this movie and gave the glimpses of the famous Sathyan-Shanthi chemistry that became properly visible in the later movies of the banner. Chanthini and Thikkurishi Sukumaran Nair have also done pretty well. 

I recommend this black and white emotional saga to all the fans of Sathyan, all the viewers liking emotional movies and those who are interested in knowing how the art of filmmaking got evolved in Mollywood post the Independence of our country. Despite, certain weaknesses and certain over the top things, this maiden venture of the great director is highly laudable.

Malayalam cinema, based in Kerala, is known for its grounded narratives, literary screenplays, and strong character-driven storytelling.The industry is celebrated for innovatively blending realism with bold, socially conscious themes.

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Achanum Makanum

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