Remember ME - You Me and Dementia

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Thanmathra :film on Alzheimer's Disease

Malayalam film Thanmathra Directed by Blessy of Kazcha fame,tells the story of a middle-aged secretariat employee named Rameshan Nair, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The story is inspired from Padmarajan's short story called Orma.

Rameshan Nair (Brilliantly played by Mohanlal) lives in Thiruvananthapuram with his wife and two children. His father (Nedumudi Venu) had wanted him to become an IAS officer, but Rameshan was unable to fulfill his father's ambition. He is now hoping to make his son, who is a plus two student, an IAS officer, and this has been a wish of "three generations", he says. For his son, Rameshan Nair is a "friend, philosopher and guide". It was then that he starts forgetting his office files and bike keys, and is diagnosed of Alzheimer’s disease.

Memories are the most precious things in Life. The horror that our memories are leaving us one by one - that would be a terrible feeling. One would have expected Blessy to make a film fully exploiting the talent of a great actor like Mohanlal, showing the tragedy of Rameshan Nair as he slowly sinks into forgetfulness. Rameshan forgetting minor things, Blessy abruptly converts him to a totally broken person overnight, after which he doesn’t even recognize his wife and children. In the whole of second half, Mohanlal's role is something like that of mentally retarded person.

Thanmathra has several scenes crafted touchingly, mainly portraying the relationship between Father and Son. Rameshan Nair narrating his childhood days in which he had lied to his mother, and his son crying and admitting that he had also lied, Rameshan Nair creating a mock fight with his father as he is about to bid farewell to him - all are examples. In another memorable scene in the second half, Rameshan Nair recognizes his childhood girlfriend, as his wife stands and watches them helplessly.

It is a beautifully made film about Alzheimer's Disease, sure to touch the hearts of the people who see it. There is no entertainment value as such but it portrays a real life crisis faced by a close knit family really well.



Forget yourself for others, and others will never forget you.

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