Ponthan Mada (പൊന്തൻ മാട)

Move those things.

-Stylish house, Aunt. -Come.

-May i use this room? -Alone? -So what? -Ok. As you like.

Why is this room locked?

Can't find the key of it. Some old things are in this room. So who needs to open it?!

Father, Aunt is saying that i won't go back to hostel again.

You just sit here.

We're in a difficult situation after buying this house. Your brother returned after cancelling the visa. In between, this bus accident too..the compensation for the dead and injured is also a headache. So it's difficult to educate both of you together.

Rameshan has good practise now. His mother urge for the marriage quickly.

Why should i stop my study because Rameshan has good practise?

Why do you want to study more? Even if you attain a degree, you're supposed to live as the wife of him.

I'm not ready to live like such a wife.

This is her trick for the quick marriage.

-Have his both ears gone? -Be careful.

-Have you eaten? -Very much.

-Where is Rashmi? -On upstairs. After a tiff with us.

Why in darkness?

Don't you want to see it?

-May i ask you a thing? -A thing?.. Fire.

-I like to marry only after completing my studies. -Agreed.

I'm not joking. I want to study. After degree, i need to go for diploma in journalism.

Is that enough? Agreed. Marriage will only be at the time you wish.

-Sure? -Sure. At least now, please smile.

Nuisance.

Didn't even allow us to romance in peace.

Hello.

Did anything happen to you when the car hit?

Hey, nothing happened.

-Lost all things, is it? -What things? I didn't have anything.

I was in that car. I felt sad by thinking that something had happened to you.

Nothing happened dear.

See you later.

Why are you sitting here?

For selling some baskets to this shop. They will give something. For that, i'm waiting.

Why are you fatigued?

Tired..very much tired.

Haven't they given the money?

Will give after a long time.

-What is the price of this basket? -25 rupees. -Twenty five? Then how much you give to the person who made this?

If i must give him the entire money, then why should i do this business?

Give him what he deserves soon. Why you make this poor man sit in this hot place for long?

So you don't have time nowadays, is it?

You come.

-Why aren't you eating? -I don't feel hungry. -I feel extremely hungry.

You eat.

What are you thinking?

Everyone call me Mada (Buffalo).

I've been here for so many years. Before that i was working for a christian family. The matriarch of that family need the poop of otter for a medicine to stop the drinking of her husband. I came here to search the poop.

That's when i firstly saw Shima Thampuran, the lord of this region.

Who are you?

I'm from east.

Why are you here?

I..otter's..

Who are you to otter?

Poop

Otter's poop? What you want actually?

Otter's poop.

For what?

To stop drinking.

Do you drink?

It's not for me. It's for my master.

Ok..say about it.

After we paste the otter's poop in a glass and give toddy in it, he can't drink ever again.

We can import this medicine to England.

If you don't need to find this poop and go back, you can stay here.

There will be work in paddy field. And some other small works too. What do you say?

I liked the streams, water lilies, lake water..in here.

And above all that, i like Shima Thampuran.

Mada, do you like our place?

Learned the work?

You come.

How is your stay?

Fine.

You have to go to the market tomorrow morning.

We were searching for you Mada. At least we are from the same place. May because of the fate you're struggling.. Do you have any job?

Yes, i have.

What is the use in getting a job in some other place! Do you get anything to eat?

What a pity! Here you mayn't have at least a place to sleep.

It's not like that sir. Here i have a job, have food and also have a place to stay.

Mada, i came here because of not having any job in our place. This Panchangam not work out nowadays. It has been two days, i haven't eaten and slept.

What is the benefit in having everything in some other place! Hometown is always the best.

Human life is not supposed to live like a servant. According to our hindu culture.. oh, you don't understand such things.

I'm Gopala Kaimal. From Mada's hometown.

Kaimal is telling me to return.

What have you replied?

I said that, i won't go to anywhere from here.

Why don't you shave this beard?

Tell that Karuvan Irayachan that, i told him to make a knife for shaving.

Shaving the face is a status.

Have you shave by yourself?

I'll teach. You have to do it carefully. Else cuts will occur on face.

First, you sit on the side of a stream, that clearly display your face.

Then take the knife and hold it on the side of face.

Now shave. Else, for what you're waiting?

Why are you so much happy Mada?

There is a great feast by Thampuran for the inauguration of new wheel made by Nambunni Asari.

That's why you're over-excited like this?

Have it.

Start.

-What police has done to you? -The same thing everyone is doing on me. -Then why they cut your hair? -Because they love me more.

Why don't you marry?

I'm already married. I have a daughter too.

At England?

Then, why don't you go to England?

No, Mada. I can't go there again. They expelled me from there.

Expelling Thampuran?

You can't understand it. I was expelled to British India from England for supporting the Irish Republican Army.

Was the marriage function fine?

-Gopi, where are you going to wander? -To feel the breeze. Are you coming? -Get lost.

-The matching nephew of Uncle. -It can be vice versa.

Why are you cursing him?

Oh, there is another one here too. Where may be he is? May went to find candles with that lower caste guy.

He's looking after all the things here well. If he light the candles as per his own wish, what's your problem in it?

You mayn't have any problem. But if he had married on time and have a boy, then i wouldn't have to find boys from outside for my girls.

Yuck! I don't want uncle's son.

Mada, come and bath with me.

Oh, no lord. I'll bath later.

Come.

Gone?

At evening, after bathing, Thampuran pray (hindu) with his mother.

At night, he pray alone by lighting candles.

Both the prayers are equal for him.

On feast, Thampuran light candles all over the room, and dance with an unseen person.

His craziness has increased.

Why are you always on upstairs?

That locked room is that of Shima Thampuran. He was a great man.

Don't tell these Shima Thampuran things to your father. We're blaming ourselves now for buying this damn house.

Get up and go away idiot.

Shima Thampuran was in Irish Republican Army. So he was expelled from England. He always thought about his wife and daughter there..

Even we didn't hear about such things. How you, a new person to here know all these things?

I met a person named Mada here. Mada, Ponthan Mada.

What are you singing?

I'm not singing dear, i'm hearing.

In old days, we ourselves do all the works here manually. Nowadays everything is done by machines. Then,..masters are discussing.

I can't invest in agriculture by suffering loss, as you told.

-What you get in driving autorickshaw? -That depends! -Anyhow? -Atleast 50 rupees.

But giving that 50 rupees to labours. Is it? Then why don't you leave your autorickhaw and do the work by yourself? Thereafter, will there be any loss?

We are not interested in doing this agriculture job lifelong.

When they became farmers? Almost three quarters of this land was ours. Later government gave it to them. Now, if they think doing agriculture is not profitable, they should give back those lands to us. Instead of it, they don't have the right to stop work here. Scoundrels.

Please talk quietly.