The archetype of the all-sacrificing, long-suffering elder brother used to be an oft-repeated one in the Malayalam films of yesteryears. Mohanlal’s Balettan (2003) happens to be one of the extreme cases, with the character forced to bear the cross that his father handed over to him right before his death. He goes to great lengths to protect the secret, even at significant loss of face to himself.
Krishnadas Murali’s debut film Bharathanatyam riffs off (not rips off) on this peculiar situation, but it goes along an entirely different trajectory. For one, the father Bharathan (Sai Kumar), does not die and is left to rue his decision to confide a long-held secret of having another family to his son Sasi (Saiju Kurup).
The director, who has also written the film, is also aware of how people will easily connect the scenario to that in Balettan. So, to deny anyone the pleasure of pointing it out, there is one sequence where Sasi’s sister warns him “not to be too much of a Balettan!” While the film that it takes inspiration from was highly melodramatic in tone, Bharathanatyam attempts to keep the mood light and humorous even in situations which could lead to high drama.
Bharathanatyam
Bharathan’s revelation leads to an interesting domestic situation involving two families and even lookalikes. Parallel to this happens the drama involving a temple committee of which Sasi is a part. A typical nosy soul in the committee suspects something amiss in the family and attempts to dig more. Bharathanatyam can be seen as a family’s desperate struggle to protect their reputation from nosy people in their neighbourhood, who are ready to even barge in to see what the family is hiding. More than the discomfort of the peculiar situation that they are caught in, it is the common fear of “what people would think?” that troubles them more.
But the film does not have the kind of writing or craft to use the potential of this compelling situation. It is saved from being totally forgettable by a few standout bits. The way events from Bharathan’s past are revealed in casual discussions or from random vacation photographs, much to his discomfort, is one of those. The other happens to be the evolution of the bond between the two families, especially between two young boys from either side.
Saiju Kurup chose the movie to venture into film production, probably expecting the humour to carry the film, but there are not many laugh out loud moments. Bharathanatyam is one of the movies which does not drive you away, but does not have enough to pull you in either.
Bharathanatyam is currently running in theatres
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