Pakalkkinavu

Tales of philandering playboys and gullible girls 'destroyed' by these men have provided fodder to many an Indian movie. Pakalkkinavu, (def:daydream)  is a 1966 Malayalam film penned by M. T.  Vasudevan Nair and directed by S.S.Rajan based on this general theme.

Nellikode Bhaskaran & Sathyan in Sathyan's mid-century modern apartment

Other than M.T's characteristic protagonist, a young man from a tharavad in Valluvanadu, the story, the setting and the dialog are very modern compared to other Malayalam films from the sixties. This is the earliest Malayalam movie that I have seen/heard the word "cool" being used by the lead actor in the way we use it now, as a slang term meaning awesome.

Even the young man, played by a young looking 54 year old Sathyan is not the typical hero you see in M.T's stories. In fact both male characters in the movie, Sathyan's Babu and Nellikode Bhaskaran's Chandran are atypical of the roles each actor used to play during their usual outings. Nellikode Bhaskaran has a meaty role in the movie, a far cry from the side roles I am used to seeing him in.

Sathyan on his motorcycle, Sharada and Bhaskaran looks on

The movie starts with a motorcycle ride through the city of Bangalore where Babu is seen establishing his character as the rich scion who matches women on his pillion with his outfit of the day. It was an eye-opener for me that even back in the sixties, Bangalore was Keralites' idealized city where girls went to go wild and men were all dashing and debonair. In this city of daydreams, Babu is seen living in a hotel suite decorated with tasteful pieces of mid-century modern furniture. He drinks beer for water and plays savior to jobless youth like Chandran when he feels like it, with only one condition - no one is supposed to give him life advice. Keeping your mouth shut vs homelessness, that is an easy choice for Chandran.

A very young Sharada as Malathi makes appearance as Chandran's acquaintance. But the audience and Babu knows, try all he might Chandran is not going to get the girl. The girls usually have a incomprehensible fondness for dudes on motorcycles and Malathi turns out no different in the end.

Sharada & Sathyan - 30+ years age difference separates the stars often paired togehter

The second half of the movie shifts back to Kerala from Bangalore and in Malathi's place we have Vasanthi as Shaari, Malathi's younger sister. While it is melodramatic at some places as was the trend of the times, the treatment of the movie, including the ending is contemporary.