All the Malayalam stars of the 90s did pay back to society by being part of roles that are less tred upon by mass heroes. Roles that wouldn't fetch a lot of money or enhance celebrity status. They would be part of cast and crew who would ideally be indebted to these stars for playing a role in their film. But instead these stars themselves would be vying against one another to get such rich roles to play and to be part of films that truly convey a message than simply entertain. There were rewards too, in the sense that Malayalam films of that decade did get a lot of recognition in the National Awards scene. As did the actors themselves who would win Best Actor awards at the national level.
Sneham is one such Malayalam film. It's such a simple film that it seems to have gone out of memory, going by the so few ratings on IMDB. But it's a film that will stay on with you once you watch it. There is none in Keralam of those todays who wouldn't be able to identify - or relate to someone seen in daily life - a character like Padmanabhan. A man from a bygone era who was a father figure to his family. Who lived by the land and didn't look at the world around changing to be materialist. A person who would refuse to get his brother a bike for college saying "it has only two wheels".
Such a person seems like would end up penniless and uncared for in the world today. Nobody understands him but for the handicapped girl witness to his life - who keeps recording poetry - perhaps a reflection of mother nature who is ever watching. The pathos of such a man best expressed in the immortal song of the film "Perariyathoru Nombaratthe, Premamim aaro Villichu".
But the beautiful message of the film is that such selfless people are indeed the richest of them all - for they have a clear conscience unlike the others who have to look down - fallen in their own esteem. And such are the people to whom nature and life gives unto herself.
