Nirmalyam (നിര്‍മ്മാല്യം)

Novel Films (Kerala) presents...

Nirmaalyam

Written by MT Vasudevan Nair

Songs: Swati Tirunal (The Folk Songs of Kerala) Poem: Edasseri

Music: K Raghavan

Background score: MB Sreenivasan

Singers: Brahmanandan, Padmini, Mannoor Sukumari Chirayinkil Soman, LR Anjali

Actors: PJ Antony, Kaviyoor Ponnamma, Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair...

... Sankaradi, SP Pillai, Shanthadevi...

... Ravi Menon, Sukumaran, KR Sumitra

...Devidasan, Kuthiravattam Pappu, MS Namboodiri, Kunjandi, Surasu, RK Nair

AV Bhaskaran Nair, Somasundaram, VA Narayanan Nair, Mettilda, Nilamboor Balan, Vijayalakshmi

KK Surendran, VP Sreedharan, DJ Rao, RS Pavana, Raghu, Aappa, Janardhanan

Murali, Aruna, Aleena, Sithara

Art Direction: S Konnanatt

Dances: PS Gopalakrishnan Dancers: Saraswati, Leelamma

Sound: Devadas, Kannan (Bharani) Kanniyappan (Vijayalakshmi)

Costumes: Venkatesan, Krishnaswami

Outdoor Unit: Sujata Movietone

Processing: S Ranganathan (Vijaya Laboratory)

Second Unit Camera: KR Murthy

Editor Assistant: Vairamurthy

Still Photography: Punaloor Rajan VP Sreedharan

Publicity: SA Nair

Production Controller: RK Nair

Distribution: Sheeba Films

Associate Director: M Azad

Editing: Ravi

Cinematography: Ramachandrababu

Please don't, Oracle.

- If you have some paan, I will have too... - No betel!

- Has the Marar (chenda artist) gone? - He must not have. The chenda is still here.

: What is this? : That's all!

: 21 rupees is all you get. : Keep that with you. I am not that cheap.

All I get is offerings from devotees. What do I do?

- How many people can that feed? - Keep that to yourself.

People take me around in a taxi to temple festivals. Know that?

A ritual dance used to be only a quarter rupee.

I am giving you what I can.

- Did you see him refusing the 5 rupees I gave? - Yes, I did.

Just consider everything an offering.

I told you not to hurt yourself taking it too seriously.

When the ceremonial sword is in my hand...

I forget everything.

Let me go.

God knows when will I get to perform again!

- Where is the lamp, my girl? - No oil!

Come with me. The road home is not safe.

: I am returning after tomorrow's morning prayer. - When next?

Not coming back. Let them find someone else to do the pooja.

- Don't say things like that. - I am not joking.

No offerings, no sweets, and I have to face others' displeasure!

It is better to go do some manual labour.

So far, the poojas have gone on...

The elder Namboodiri can appoint someone.

There are days when I don't even an anna!

If the people don't care about the temple, why should I?

Ammini, why don't you come inside?

Its already late.

Warrier, why don't you tell His Lordship about getting a new priest?

I wouldn't mind, but I can't walk that far.

I'm sure His Lordship will arrange someone.

- How is your father's health, oracle? - The same!

I remember the last time the elder oracle performed.

He was astonishing!

You carry on, oracle.

- All I want is the poojas to continue. - O Goddess!

Ammini, let's go.

Didn't you know that it was going to get late?

You could have sent Appu.

Brother wasn't there. Mother sent me instead.

God only know where does this boy wander around from dusk to dawn!

Don't be afraid. It is the madman Gopalan.

: Please give me a beedi...

No beedi, Gopalan. Why can't you go to sleep, my boy?

He saw something frightening under the banyan tree in his childhood.

A garland of lamps... Parameshwaran Nair made the offering.

Nothing else.

The poojari is leaving.

He can't continue doing the pooja with such low revenue.

I should report this to His Lordship tomorrow.

Pooja getting disrupted is inauspicious.

O Goddess, look at how the temple's glory has deteriorated!

- Shall I serve the gruel? - Have the kids eaten?

The little ones have. Ammini will eat with me.

- Father? - Ammini had fed him before she came to the temple.

: Didn't get anything much.

Why do you still have to shed blood? No wonder your headache never ends.

I go there thinking I shall not hurt myself. But I forget myself once I'm in the temple.

Appu hasn't come yet?

Do you need anything, grandpa?

I'm taking the lamp away.

: Go to sleep, kids. Don't burn all the oil; do the homework during the day.

Where were you all this while?

What do I gain sitting here?

- Don't you want to eat something? - No!

Where did you eat?

His Lordship knows about our plight. Why don't you ask him for some rice?

Should I discuss the matter of pooja or rice?

How long do you think we can survive with so little rice and oil?

O Goddess!

: "Lesson Two: Cow..."

"Mother gives me boiled milk..."

"She cries if I refuse to drink the milk..."

"Why does she cry?..."

"Because mother wants me to grow up like father..."

Is the gruel ready, mother?

: "Where does the milk come from?..."

: Why can't you read without disturbing others?

- Where to? - Nowhere.

I need two rupees.

I don't have any money.

Don't you know the condition of the temple?

Need to go to Thrissur to meet someone for a job.

Gopi has offered to arrange a recommendation...

There is a time for everything, Appu...

Pray to our Goddess. She will protect us...

That is what grandpa used to say too.

What is the Goddess doing for him, now that he is paralyzed?

Give me a beedi here...

Hey...

Oh! Inauspicious...

Boy, you go on...

Maimunny, I am on my way to see to an urgent matter.

I had come to your house yesterday afternoon.

You had gone to temple to perform...

A sacrifice is coming up, and I will get some money.

You are making it difficult for me to do my business.

Rolling small amounts of money for interest is what I do.

I didn't mean to borrow from you and not return the money.

Huh! Worthless wretches... coming to pollute!

- Please give some milk. - Not a drop is left here!

You could have given them a little.

They have little kids to feed.

There is no end to their penury!

- The oracle is not making anything. - As if we are better placed!

We are surviving on what little milk this cow gives.

- Was Govindan there, Aiyyappan? - Yes.

- What's he saying? - That we will do what the court says...

- Did you tell him that I would like to meet him? - Yes, I did.

- And? - He can't bring his new car this way; the road is bad!

: The land has reached the hands of the tenants!

Before redistribution, this land used to fetch 1000 paras of rice.

What misery!

Is His Lordship here?

- Is your father, His Lordship, here? - Father is under treatment. He refuses to see anyone.

Hey oracle!

Be seated!

- It's so hot early in the morning! - Yes. Why this way?

- The priest has left. - Oh!

- I came to discuss the matter of finding a replacement. - Hmm..

Warrier can't walk all this way. So I decided to come.

- And what did His Lordship say? - I couldn't meet him.

- Apparently he is under treatment. - Yes, treatment for alcoholism!

- He won't meet anyone? - No, he won't. Won't even talk.

On the bright side, people like me have a respite from blows and curses!

By the way, any performance coming up?

Not with this bad leg.

Ravunni Nair's Bheema, Nanu Nair's Thaadi, Nambeesan's singing, Poduval's chenda...

Those were the days..!

How they have come up in the world...

Awards, Padmasree, air travels...

All these are for the fortunate!

Those days, the temple festival would start with a Kathakali...

Ten days of performances...

For the last three years, we haven't even seen a sacrifice at the temple. Forget about performances!

Bad times even for Gods, I assume.

O Goddess!!

Nobody here bothers about Kathakali or temples anymore.

Bus service, rubber, tyre price... everyone is interested in these things.

To be frank, if any art survives, it is due to the white folks' interest in it.

What should I do? All I want is the pooja to continue.

- Tell the young Lord. - Where can I meet him?

Must be attending to the elephant...

...That animal is getting a wellness treatment. Its being fed ghee and rich tonics!

Let me try talking to him.

Hundred rupees worth of medicines a day!

That's what I call good living!

- I'm the temple oracle. - Aha!

- The priest has left. A replacement? - Elder brother is under treatment.

And I have to attend to the elephant. No time for anything.

- Pooja should continue. - Of course it should. Or else it will bring bad luck!

- (Assistant Narayanan): Pooja should not get obstructed. - The Goddess is powerful. We shouldn't invite her wrath on us.

- Whom shall we send as replacement? - (Narayanan): Indeed, whom shall we send?

Kunjunni's son is working in the estates...

- What about that fellow's son? - (Narayanan): Who would that be?

His name is on the tip of my tongue. Keezhedam's son.

- (Narayanan): He is educated. Won't be interested. - Can't be more educated than our boy.

- (Narayanan): Can't be. - Then he can be the priest. He can!

- Narayanan, tell Keezhedam to come and meet me. - Ok.

- What did he say, oracle? - (Oracle sighs...)

- A priest will come. - What about sacrifices?

What are you thinking, oracle?

: My boy is having nightmares. You should heal him, oracle.

Did you tell him about the state of affairs here?

: I don't have anything in my hand. I owe you, oracle.

- Is this the way to the temple? - You should have gone that way.

- Oh! - But you can take this road for this one time.

Come.

- Where is the oracle's house? - We are from there.