MATHILUKAL

MATHILUKAL   1990

Part. 2

(Walls)

Mathilukal (English: Walls; Malayalam: മതിലുകള്‍) is a 1990 Indian feature film written, directed and produced by Adoor Gopalakrishnan based on the autobiographical novel of the same name by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer. The film focusses on the prison life of Vaikom Muhammad Basheer and the love between him and Narayani, a female inmate of the prison, who remains unseen throughout the film. Mammootty plays the role of Vaikom Muhammad Basheer while K. P. A. C. Lalitha gives voice to Narayani. The film was well received upon screening at the Venice Film Festival, and won four awards at the National Film Awards in 1990.

On the centenary of Indian cinema in April 2013, Forbes included Mammootty’s performance in the film on its list, “25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema”.About casting Mammootty as Basheer, Adoor says: “To play someone when he is living is no mean challenge, and the Malayalam star rose up to it”.

In 1942, Basheer, a noted writer in Kerala, South India, was imprisoned by the British Government for “treason”, i.e. advocating the exit of the British. Sentenced to 2-1/2 years, he was released early by an amnesty. This movie depicts his months within the prison walls.

And how lacking in incident or interest those months were! Mostly he passes the time smoking, walking about the yard, growing roses, scribbling, and talking with the other prisoners. (The politicals wear white hats, the murderers red, and all others black.) Everyone has heard of him, and he is cheerful to everyone, occasionally offering spiritual advice (like admonishing a guard for stealing his petty property). He is given small presents by the guards and other prisoners–cigarettes, tea, dried fish, writing paper.

MOVIE

IN the opening scene we see Basheer inside the  lockup .The inspector asks him” suhanthanne? ( are you well?)

” Parama  Suham ” ( very fine)  says Basheer

Basheer  looks so cheerful. You don’t even feel he is inside a lockup.

He asks the inspector how long he has been inside. He also wants to know under what case he is booked.

” Raja Dhrogam” says the inspector. It means he has antagonized the goverment.

They have just booked him under some case without any proof. Now the inspector tells him to go on a hunger strike so that they will have some solid proof to arrest him.

Inspector  asks him about his writing. He tells him that things are very tough out side . There is scarcity for  everything including paper.So getting papers for him might be difficult. He wanted to keep all his manuscripts safe with him. He loves to read them.

Baksheer befriended another inmate. He told him he was arrested one fine morning when he was about to have his oil bath. They never even allowed to wear his shirt. His wife is still recovering from the shock. He too doesn’t know exactly what is the crime.

Now he is produced in the court and after hearing the witnesses false accusations gave 2 years jail term for him. Baksheer was so cool . The constables have high respect for him. They even hesitated so much to put the handcuff. He got some matchbox and a blade and few beedies which are normally given by the constables  secretly to very special inmates.

As soon as he was produced before the Jailor people came to know he is the famous writer Bakseer. After the usual enquiries he was given all the necessary things like a mat, bedsheet, and the dress and asked the jail warden Puthanpulli to take him to his room.

Basheer and the Warden

Warden asks him to remove his shirt. While checking he found a matchbox. Cigarettes ( beedies) and broken blades. He removed all of them saying it is not allowed in the jail and wrapped them in a paper and put it inside his cap.

Basheer follows the warden . He is asking him to walk fast. Basheer asks him ” what is a big hurry ? What important work we have to do?

An interesting conversation follows…….

How many children you have?

5 daughters and 1 son!

If you die suddenly who will take care of them?

Why ? God is there!

You know I have visited all over India . I’m a sanyasi . I have gone to all holy places. God will ask you when you meet him after death ” I ve been watching all the crimes you have committed!

What crime?

You have confiscated the petty things from the prisoner and going to sell it for a good price to other inmates!

Warden was laughing and gave back the things he took back to him.

Suddenly there was a giggle of some woman. Basheer was asking him who is laughing? Warden told him they have the ward of women prisoners on the other side of the wall. He followed him to his room. He calculated the number and told the warden according to numerology it is a very good number. Basheer was handed over to another warden. He kept his things and went and drank water from the common pipe. He was locked inside the room.

When he asked for his lunch the warden told him since he was brought to the room after lunch time there is no lunch. Basheer had to take it without any protest . In the mornings there used to be shower of small packets thrown from outside the wall. There is a big crowd waiting to catch them. It contains some tea leaves, dried fish, beedies, matchbox etc.

All those who are having life sentence or death penalty are given red caps. There is one such prison who has become an orderly because of his good conduct used to make tea for inmates . Basheer has to have tea in between. He has become very friendly with him. In fact everyone loves him so much because of his humor and cool nature. He has become very popular with the inmates.

There is an interesting story behind the matchboxes and beedies and the blade. Since there is a scarcity of things Basheer wants to save the matches . He takes the blade , cut the match stick into two length wise so that he can use it twice. Now he removes few threads from the bed sheet and make it a thick rope and light one end of it . It keeps the fire and he saves it for lighting the other cigarettes.

He enjoys his prison food so much. He loves the ” Kanji( porridge) ” they make. He calls it ” Thagarthan Kanjavu “ meaning super kanji. He keeps all the inmates in good spirit.

He started planting roses and watering the plants is his favorite job. Soon  he has created  such a beautiful rose garden.

All  inmates used to admire his garden. He used to talk to his plants . One particular rose never bloomed. He asks the plant whether she is angry with him. All inspectors ask him to plant few roses for them. He talks to everyone with so much care. He makes tea for the death sentence victims before they are hanged. He tells the Jailor there are 2 ways of dying. One with smiling and other with fear. Let’s take it with a smile. Basheer won’t sleep on the day when someone one is going to be hanged. He says he gives company to death. He is so philosophical about the whole life.

He is so friendly with the Jailor. He calls him ” Aniyan Jailor “They talk about his Dog Joker . Basheer knows all about dogs.He is also friendly with assistant superintendent. Some inmates don’t like it . Basheer meets his old classmate there. He was chained from head to toe. He used to be a small time thief. But he attacked the old warden twice , so they chained him and extended his jail term also.

Oneday the warden came and told him that all the political prisoners are going to be released next day. Basheer was so happy . They were all getting ready to leave the prison. But next day the Jailor told Basheer that his name is not there in the list. Basheer was quite disappointed.

The jail looked so empty without most of his friends. He was so frustrated and wanted to escape from that place. Thinking of many ways to escape. He was asked by the warden to help in planting a vegetable garden near the women’s prison. He was not at all interested but forced to participate. He saw some small patched hole in the wall. He realized later that it was patched by the Jailor because it was a way of communication  between women and men prisoners. Basheer was wondering whether the smell of woman will pass through that hole.

One day he heard the same giggle he heard long back across the wall . He asked who is that and got to know it is Narayani a 22 year old prisoner. Her voice gave him some sort of excitement.After a long time there is a bright smile on his face. Suddenly the prison seems like a paradise. She too seemed to be attracted by his voice. Their conversation goes for few minutes. She wanted a rose plant. Basheer  promised  to throw one across next day. She said if she wants to talk to him she will throw one dry twig across. Basheer felt like hugging and kissing her.

Basheer feels the whole jail looks so bright now. He knows he is in love with her. Their conversation goes like this……..

” How many women are there totally?

”  87″

“All are beauties like you?”

“no , one beauty and 86 oldies “

” How do you look like?”

” I’m not very short. Quite fair with small eyes “

” I’m short , fair and  have small eyes too “

” Are you in love with me “”

” Yes I feel like hugging you”

Oh God I just want to die now”

“No I want to die before you “

” Please never forget me”

” I want to meet you”

” I’ll be going to hospital on Thursday . Be there”

Yes I’ll meet you definitely on Thursday “

How will I identify you?

I have a mole on my right cheek!

“How will you recognize me”

“I’ll be holding a single rose”

Basheer is all set to meet her on Thursday. He has washed his pajama and shirt and kept it ready . The Jailor comes and greets him. He saw the dress and asked him to wear it. Basheer says he does not want it to get spoilt. Since he was insisting so much he wore them. He immediately took a paper and gave it to him. ” you are free from today! It is the order. Are you happy!

All Basheer’s dream shattered. ” Free? Freedom?? Who wants freedom?

We can very well understand his state of mind. It is as though a kid which was given a sweet got it snatched immediately!

In the last scene we see a lonely Basheer standing with a single rose and having a vacant look!

No one except Mammootty would have done justice to the role of Basheer. He has lived as Basheer! I think if anyone asks him which is his memorable role without any hesitation he will say ” Vaikom Mohammed Basheer”. . Movie of a lifetime!

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