Among the set of M T Vasudevan Nair’s short stories that have been brought to life in ‘Manorathangal’ is ‘Vilpana’ (The Sale), directed by Aswathy Nair. The segment, unlike majority of the stories in the nine segment anthology except ‘Kazcha,’ is told from a woman’s perspective with actor Madhoo taking on the role of Mrs Parekh.
What is common in M T Vasudevan Nair’s literary works is his ability to capture the essence of his characters by delving deep into their emotions and basing it on situations around them. Mrs Parekh too is a victim of her circumstances. Rich beyond measure, Mr and Mrs Parekh live in Madras (present day Chennai). The city, known for its warmth, is lonely for Mrs Parekh, who is seemingly in an unhappy relationship. She detests Madras and longs to return to Calcutta, which she fondly calls home. Since her husband gets a transfer to Hyderabad, she is tasked with selling off all the furniture in the house. “My husband always prefers new things. He doesn’t like to keep old furniture. I must be the most vintage piece here,” she tells Sunil Das (Asif Ali) who arrives to pick up the type-writer for sale.
‘Vilpana’ is essentially a tale of loneliness, trying to expose the framework of the female mind in the most desperate of times. It relies heavily on dialogues, that are sometimes poetic and mostly prose. Some of the magical dialogues written by MT sound stiff and theatrical on screen, but that is compensated by the smooth flow in narration.
Though Mrs Parekh is placed in a complicated space in ‘Vilpana’, the narrative never attempts to be too complicated. While MT gives the reader the choice to decipher Mrs Parekh’s turmoil, Aswathy chooses to convey the protagonist’s story more literally. In her attempt to do so, she has managed to keep the essence of her father’s story intact, except probably at the climax, which is delivered without much impact.
Madhoo breathes life into Mrs Parekh, while too much is not required of Asif Ali who is placed more like a spectator in the film. The makers could have also thought of a better makeup for the actor. The music by Bijibal and the background score elevate the film’s viewing experience.
