Prayanam

This is a Malayalam language film starring Lakshmi.

The film is a creation of P Padmarajan (Writer) and Bharathan (Director), both geniuses. With a talent like Lakshmi at their disposal, they have created a gem of a film.

I wonder why this one isn't watched (and thus rated) more. Especially given it's available for free on Hotstar.

The film explorers loneliness within marriage when there is a gap - both in terms of age and priorities of what one seeks in a marriage.

The side narrative in the film explores how misplaced priorities even ruins childhoods and scars lives.

The film bucks the trend in showing how the girl's father who has arranged the marriage to his own disciple, stands by her in her tough times. The pride he mentions isn't to be misconstrued as ego, but the importance he yields to his girl children, as he himself clarifies. Wish all parents of girl children in the past generations were like that!

The film is bold in not ending with a resigned-to-fate manner. But by the protagonist choosing to forge a path of her own choice.

Hats off to such a film created in the 70s.