The moving story of ‘Headmaster’ is the strength of the film, which is based on the classic short story ‘Pothichoru’ by Karur Neelakand Pillai.
The moving story of ‘Headmaster’ is the strength of the film, which is based on the classic short story ‘Pothichoru’ by Karur Neelakand Pillai.
Pothichoru, a classic short story by eminent Malayalam writer Karur Neelakand Pillai, is about a principled teacher who struggles to meet his needs. Feature film by award winning film director Rajeev Nath school director It is based on a story that dates back to the time when households were starved in Kerala and consumerism was still an unknown phenomenon in the state. This was also a time when teachers were underpaid, and it was only their dedication that kept them on their business. The theme of the film assumes significance in today’s world when teaching and student-teacher relations have seen many changes over the years.
Film director Rajeev Nath | photo credit: special arrangement
The director, who returned to cinema after overcoming a serious illness, had said during the conversation that the story was on his mind for more than 20 years. When he found a producer, Rajiv put everything aside to make the film.
However, making a feature film based on a short story is not easy and as a result, the narrative drags from place to place. Some scenes could have been shortened, or better still avoided, and a little more attention to detail could have heightened the sense of the poignant story.
Written by KB Venu and the director, the dialogues have an earthy flavor in which the story unfolds. Shot in and around Thiruvananthapuram, Praveen Panikkar captures the lush greenery of the rustic backdrop and the vintage feel of an old-fashioned classroom.
The teacher who takes care of a large family has to survive on his meager salary and often feeds his hunger by drinking water. Tired of hunger, the teacher stole a student’s lunch. But then, overcome with guilt, the loving father and devoted teacher decided to punish himself for his mistake. Thampi Antony plays the lead role of the headmaster and most of the time, he is at home in the role. The classroom scenes are well crafted and Thampi is able to strike a chord with the audience as the helpless father and devoted teacher.
The story unfolds when the son (played by Baby Antony) goes to his village in the company of his daughter. He remembers the past as he tells his daughter about his past.
Jagdish, Manju Pillai, Madhupal, Shankar Ramakrishnan, Prem Kumar and Devi Nair are some of the other actors of the film. Devi, the daughter of yesteryear actor Jalja, has an interesting role. However, not everyone in the cast is able to step into the characters’ skin and this upsets the narrative, making their characters look artificial. Jagdish is his loud self, while Babu Antony is unable to go beyond his normal expressions. Manju Pillai, as the teacher’s long-suffering wife, brings forth the path of character and so does the veteran Sethu Lakshmi.
Produced by Srilal Devraj under the banner of Channel Five, the film’s strength is the story. Carnatic singer and playback singer Kavalam Sreekumar made his debut here as a film composer with some soulful songs.
Headmaster is currently playing in theaters