Veyil Marangal is a film that I had to watch ever since its release. Finally found it on Primevideo (orig. Malayalam w/Eng. Subs.) This is an ultra realistic film ... and a sad reflection of Indian society. Deserves a wider audience which hopefully Primevideo will bring.
A small so called "low caste" community in the backwaters somewhere in Kerala, barely ekes out a living from odd jobs here and there. Their humble dwellings get submerged in a heavy monsoon flood. Local authorities assure them of financial aid, however as none of them have govt. Aadhaar cards, they will not be entitled to this. This is pretty real as per regular news reports of various Aadhaar less marginalised citizens all over India being denied their due govt. Entitlements.
A family of three : father (Indrans), mother (Sarita Kuku) and teenage son (Goverdhan) are among those whose homes and belongings disappeared in the flooded backwaters. Goverdhan is heartbroken because his puppy has disappeared. Indrans gets a reasonably paying job in a hotel and Sarita hopes to get a job there too. Goverdhan who sells peanuts by the roadside is threatened with arrest by the police and rudely spoken to just because of his low caste, leaving the family desolate and disheartened. Indrans friend (Krishnan Balakrishnan) offers to get them labour work in an apple orchard in Himachal, which they accept in a bid to start afresh in a new environment. Life is tough in the mountainous terrain of their sylvan surroundings where they do not even speak the language, but the Indrans family soon adapt to the work and the rigours of the climate and terrain. Goverdhan adopts a little lamb that is in their dwellings. All seems well ... but the grim reality is that nothing has really changed as far as their so called caste status goes. After awhile the Himachali zamindar (actor not known) comes to their dwelling, pays them their dues and abruptly tells them to pack up and leave his orchard. The family is shocked. Krishnan informs that the zamindar found new labour from elsewhere who will work for half the wages. The family is about to leave. Goverdhan picks up his lamb but the zamindar demands that they leave only with what they brought and nothing else, grabbing the lamb. Goverdhan can not bear this, snatching the lamb from the Himachali. The zamindar is enraged that a "filthy low caste" has touched him :-((((( (I have actually seen 'upper caste' people in rural Himachal behave this way towards 'low castes'; believe me it is frightening that some Indians still harbour this evil mentality especially in certain northern states where shockingly some upper castes even proudly display their caste status on their cars viz. Thakur Car, Brahmin Car et al). The zamindar hits Goverdhan which Indrans can not tolerate. Indrans gets a rifle from the dwelling which was given to ward off wild animals. Threatened with the gun, the zamindar lets the boy go, but suddenly snatches the rifle and is about to shoot as Krishnan and another assistant persuade him not to let the situation escalate out of hand.
The saddest moment is the family leaving with the abject realisation that for them as so called 'low castes' nothing has changed, nothing will ever change.
The film is matter of fact sans melodrama, a tad slow in some frames; beautifully directed with outstanding cinematography in the scenic backwaters and mountains. The Indrans family actors have done an outstanding job, every actor was convincing in his/her respective role.
