It is particularly hard to infuse humour into a situation, a term riddled with negative connotations. Travelling beyond an outpouring of emotions, misplaced sympathies, false optimism and unfounded guidance to help overcome a tricky disease, the film takes a sincere, thoughtful but a rather risky path. I could almost hear it saying with a great sense of relief: though cancer with its mighty grasp could invade into a person’s life, it needn’t necessarily end up being their entire life story. The eager wait ends with Kurien’s genuine and warm smile that speaks to us in its silence. They take a long-awaited vacation to Kodaikanal while waiting for her chemotherapy results. The smallest of things suddenly find a larger place in their lives. What makes Njandukalude Nattil Oru Idavela even more engrossing is its take on how their bond, as a family, gradually changes for the better in the course of the cancer journey. This revelation, that builds itself up so aesthetically, truly uplifts the film. They too had fought their own battles and dealt with personal moments of emotional outbursts, but always behind closed doors and never once in front of her as nothing is more important to them than her happiness. Sheela’s diagnosis does open up a huge spectrum of complex feelings and uncertainties in every member of the family. As Kurien rightly puts it it is impossible not to, especially when engulfed by the thought of someone so beloved turning into a memory. Rachel, Kurien’s girlfriend (played by Aishwarya Lakshmi) asks him, “Do you all not cry?”. It almost felt as if she was covertly keeping all the unpleasantness completely to herself – protecting the family she nurtured, like always (the dutiful mother and wife that she is) even at a time when one would normally require unconditional support from the family.īut, in the end, we learn that the exasperating journey was not hers alone. There is a particularly touching moment where Sheela shaves her head as she starts losing her beautiful long hair, which was a huge part of her identity till then, due to the chemotherapy sessions. Tested by an unprecedented and frightening discovery, even when she feels less in control of life, being the remarkable woman she is, Sheela gracefully picks herself up and manages to maintain her composure. She exudes confidence and courage, even in her body language, with a striking calmness that permeates through her. Embracing new routines, each of them change slowly, in their own way, while adapting to a new way of life.īut, watching Sheela gracefully move through this chaotic charade with such strength was the true highlight of the film for me. It imbues an authenticity to every character, caught off-guard in a real and difficult predicament. I absolutely loved this life-like, realistic perspective to storytelling that the film takes and its perfect pacing which continues rhythmically till the very end. The film effectively follows her through the day showing us how the air of stability and clarity that surrounded her till now slowly begins to shatter. Her somewhat dysfunctional family essentially includes – a caring but fidgety husband Chacko (Lal), a lethargic son in the Lays-loving Kurien ( Nivin Pauly), a seemingly detached Sarah (Ahaana Krishna) and an overbearing Mary (Srinda Arhaan) as her daughters and the adorable Appachan (KL Anthony), their grandfather who suffers from dementia.Īt the onset itself, we spot this pragmatic, level-headed woman at a rather vulnerable time where she silently falters as the seed of cancer-suspicion gets planted in her mind while in the shower, one fine morning. The film is an extraordinarily versatile take on how she and her family journeys through the illness. Directed by Althaf Salim, it stars Shanti Krishna as Sheela Chacko, a college professor who gets diagnosed with breast cancer. An Interval In The Land Of Crabs), brims with a soothing sense of familiarity that almost feels therapeutic. Much like a warm morsel of comfort food, Njandukalude Nattil Oru Idavela (transl.
From celebrated ones like Pursuit of Happyness and Little Miss Sunshine to regional gems such as Bhooter Bhobishyot, Kakka Muttai and C/o Kancharapalem, they have all triumphantly managed to not only cheer me up but also enrich me as a viewer, as a human being.īut a film, closer to home, lies as snug as a bug in a rug in a rather chummy corner of my heart. Mind mapping my way through all the feel-good, inspiring and heart-warming films I often snuggle up to, the list feels endless.
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