Premasoothram (പ്രേമസൂത്രം)

This is an independent script based on a story from the anthology ‘Jalajeevitham'

by the famous writer Ashokan Charuvil.

Folk Tune by Manikantan Perumpadappu.

Why is that man lying like that, sister?

It's been a while…

He has been lying down like that since seven days.

What's wrong with him?

Nothing wrong, he's just pretending!

He tried to commit suicide.

He is fed up with life, he had a love failure!

He was struggling to get his breath,

and I saw him when he was about to fall off his bed.

Is this your father?

Yes, my husband's.

Where are you from?

Poonkunnam.

There is a level-cross there, do you know?

Yes, I know.

I have come there.

You are Sheela, right?

I mean, this Uncle was calling out your name when he was struggling.

I thought he was calling for cloth… when he shouted Sheela… Sheela…

My full name is Sheelamani

Sheelamani, nice name, it sounds new..

Can you come near the cement bench at the East corner of the hospital?

I need to talk.

Oh God!

Who's that?

That's mother, my husband's mother.

Sheelamani's husband has not come to the hospital yet, why is that?

He is not here; he works in the Persian Gulf.

That's a good thing.

How long is it since he has left?

Three years.

When are they going to discharge you?

I don't know, the doctor has not said anything.

You will go only after you are completely recovered, I suppose?

Actually, I don't want to go.

How can you not go when you are fully recovered?

Suppose I don't want to get recovered?

I want to be a patient forever.

But you are so already!

What?

A patient, a love-patient!

I loved that expression!

Sheelamani, you said it right.

Love is a disease.

It's a disease that cannot be cured.

It spreads through your body like cancer.

Can I ask you something?

Go ahead!

Why did you attempt suicide?

Just because I saw you…

only because of that…

Daughter, Sheelamani…

come fast… he is very unwell, call the doctor…

father is very unwell…

get that medicine…

Father…father…

What's it?

Move, let me see...

Ask someone to call a taxi…

Bijuvetta, have you any idea how long I have been pursuing her?

I saw her first during my Class VII summer vacation time,

when I went to my Uncle's place at Potta.

I was coming through the by lane after buying milk,

and she came up walking, wearing a parrot green skirt.

She looked like Monisha, you know.

I accompanied her till her doorstep that day.

I lost my peace of mind on that day.

You know this Sudhi was first in class till Class VII.

Oh, everybody says this.

It's the truth!

I have even won five soap boxes, you know that?

Now I am the worst student of the class.

How else can it be!

The minute I open my book, that girl's face comes up.

You know Bijuvetta?

When her lunch box fell into the well at school, they didn't have to use the hell-scooper to fish it out of the well,

Sudhi jumped in himself to get that lunch box.

And does she show any gratitude for that?

I am fed up of my life.

If I had walked straight instead of going after her,

I would have reached Pakistan by now!

What's the use of walking after her like a dog going to the market?

You should have a knack for doing such things!

Is it possible that a girl should fall in love with you at first sight?

Do you have the looks for that?

If you had looked like me, for instance…you are not like that, are you?

So you want to swing on the suspension of your granddad's trousers, Bijuvetta?

You do that then!

Wait! Did you get hurt by that?

Hey, I was only teasing you!

That's why I am telling you, you should go and see VKP at once.

- Did you get what I said? - Will that do me any good?

People usually trick me and run off!

Barber Manichettan took a new Seiko watch off me promising me to write a love letter for her.

So I lost that…

Did you say anything?

This guy is not like your other teams.

He is a Tiger!

VKP is well-versed in everything about love.

If love is a school, he is the headmaster of that school.

And we are his students.

You take heart and go and join there.

She will definitely fall for you.

Come…

My beloved, I am only an impoverished singer

A shepherd who plays the flute in the world of music

Bijuvetta, there's no one here…

Sometimes he swims underwater to the river and back;

he has the life of a fish.

Till VKP gets back, I will tell you a story.

It's the biggest love story of Pallipram.

When you hear that, you will understand your hardships are mere nothings.

This was years ago, in the month of June and it was raining heavily just like this.

It was the day school reopened.

- Swapna S - Present

- Paramu K T - Present

- Ammukutty V - Present Sir

It was during the roll call by Sahadevan Sir that Prakashan first noticed Ammukkutty,

the beauty with a mole on a lower jaw.

From that day, Prakashan began following her around like a shadow.

I will help you.

Did you have breakfast?

I asked if you had something to eat in the morning.

Yes, I had breakfast before I came over.

Have you brought lunch?

Yes, I have, have you?

Yes, me too. Mother insists.

The aroma of cashew nuts…Who is that?

It's me Prakashan.

Come we'll go.

Gone?

In spite of the fact that he was an orphan,

in spite of the fact that he had no big house or any of the conveniences you have,

Abu was ahead of everyone in helping others…

Rasheed Sir's Malayalam class…

the students listen to him absorbed …

In the book that documented the favourites of God,

the first name was this…

Abu, the son of Adam.

Now I will ask you something, you must all answer me, okay?

Who do you want to be in life when you grow up?

Lakshmikutty, tell me

I want to become a doctor.

Swapna?

I want to be a teacher.

Subhash, what about you?

I want to be a driver.

Ammukkutty?

I want to be Abu's girl.

Suni, how about you?

Then I want only to be Abu, Sir.

Suni, you stop right there…

What's it?

You are not Abu, that's me.

So?

Ammu is mine…

You go man, if I look at her, who are you to ask.

Fight, fight, fight...

Children, don't fight…

don't fight…

hey separate them without just looking on…

you are making them fight, huh?

Till Subramani Appappan, our resident drunkard, who had passed that way

on his way back from the town selling his little papads, separated them;

they fought on that muddy path on the side of the rice fields.

Take your bags.

Shanku, you move those kids…

Children, go away…

Prakasha, why do you fight on the street like bad boys?

Hey Prakash, are you mad?

I don't like her at all, thin as a rake she is.

I was only trying to tease you.

I have been watching you follow her around with a Champaka Flower.

I like that fat girl, Sarala Kumari.

You can never stop hugging her, she is like a soft cotton pillow.

But someone else is after your girl.

That Karayogam President's son Suku.

Both are Nairs, and moreover his dad's loaded.

This Suku is an artist.

Do you know what all he does?

Don't be scared.

I am with you.

We are now one!

He threw hot water over my pet cat.

He is sitting near that stork pond trying to trap chameleons.

Come let's go and bash him up.

Prakash… come run… he is going to kill you…

I am tired to seeing you boys fight.

Always fighting!

You stop there…

You go man, you frog-eye!

Are you not a beautiful flower…

Am I not there in the moonlight of your modesty

Don't say no, my pretty jasmine,

Please don't be angry with me

Don't go away

Don't take too long to speak