Pakshe

This is a Malayalam language film starring Mohanlal and Shobhana. It's underrated but actually a hidden gem. The film has a big lesson on life's circumstances and priorities.

The film is about an IAS officer who had to sacrifice the love of his life and get married to the daughter of a rich contractor in order to help his family's impoverished condition. His married life is unhappy and he leads a life of regret. The character of an overworked bureaucrat who is going through stress and deep unhappiness about his personal life is excellently portrayed by Mohanlal.

At a critical phase when he walks out of all of it, he encounters the lost love. He shares his pain and slowly the two reconcile and hope to rebuild their life. But will life really restore what was once lost..

The movie stands out for the excellent performances of Mohanlal and Shobhana. Those who have enjoyed the comedy films they Lal-Shobhana worked together in the 80s will be awed by their chemistry together in such mature roles.

The story has a few flaws but the director Mohan needs special mention for creating a film with the right pace and settings. The film was truly ahead of its times and will be much better appreciated by today's generation in the 40s who've seen life flying by in the IT field without really stopping to check what once wants. This is a film that can be easily related to even by international audiences.

A memorable must-watch!

I think, a simple test of the quality of a movie is to watch the same movie again. This is a movie that passes this test. I have watched it twice and the experience that I got the second time surpassed that which I received when i viewed it the first time.

The movie is about lost love and sacrifice. It shows the life of an IAS officer who regrets the compromises that he had made in his life. I am sure that viewers who are in their early forties will appreciate it.

I am generally not a fan of any single actor, but in this movie, Mohanlal and Shobana act so naturally. Every action done by Mohanlal, even the act of taking off his spectacles, paints the picture of a man who has nothing but regrets. Soman, also has some memorable dialogues and his portrayal of a retired IAS officer is worth mention.

Except for a small fight sequence, almost all the scenes in Pakshe are so coherently intertwined, and if you remove even a single scene, then the movie will lose its charm. It is a slow paced one, but it is definitely not a movie which you can fast forward. Also do enjoy the wonderful songs in it.

I was surprised that the movie was made in 1994, but it seems so fresh and the theme is timeless.