Rowdy

Anna Garu (Mohan Babu) is a feared and respected leader of the masses in Rayalaseema. He is the ultimate authority in the region when it comes to taking decisions. Many political leaders and officials operate according to his wishes. This film is a Mohan Babu Masterclass in many ways. With deadly venom in his voice and a serious expression, Mohan Babu steals the show with his immense screen presence. This role is a cakewalk for him. Vishnu is very good in the role of Krishna. He looks macho in the action sequences and he has supported Mohan Babu well. Jayasudha is a class actor and she is very convincing as the loving mother. Tanikella Bharani has an interesting character as Vedantham Murthy. Mohan Babu's associates like Gaja have been showcases well in the film. Shanvi is OK as Vishnu's love interest. The film' short length and high voltage action scenes keep things going. Interval block is very good and it is a treat to watch Mohan Babu and Vishnu together in the same action episode.

The great showman of Mollywood Ramu Karyat had made a classic movie - Mudiyanaya Puthran (1961) containing an interesting and meaningful discussion about Nature vs. Nurture issue and the conclusion drawn was that nurture is more important in shaping the personality of an individual than nature or the jeans in his / her blood. I am in complete agreement with this conclusion. A child is like a lump of clay which is shaped by his / her nurture and the associated environment only in which he / she grows up. The role of his /her genes, if any, is minimal only.

However around five years post Mudiyanaya Puthran, K.S Sethumadhavan directed a movie in which this argument was contradicted and it was established that jeans play a far greater role in shaping an individual than the fostering and environment. Well, I find it difficult to agree with that assertion. But I appreciate that the movie made by Sethumadhavan under the prestigious banner Thirumugan Pictures is definitely an entertaining movie which was a box office hit also. It's Rowdy (1966).

Rowdy is the story of Paramu (Sathyan) who is a hoodlum and, therefore, better known as Paramu Daada. He is not at all happy with this form of his life and he wants his offspring to become a law- abiding, decent and honourable individual.

Rowdy is a damn interesting movie. The narrative maintains its momentum from the very beginning to the very finish. If this movie is watched for sheer entertainment only, it's fine. However the thought propagated by it is dangerous. I don't know how Sathyan allowed his director to make a movie turning his all time great classic Mudiyanaya Puthran upside down. A child arriving on the Earth has no control over the surroundings in which he is born. And hence blaming the genes in his blood for his taking the wrong path in life, is a sheer injustice to him. In fact, it's the quality of the nurture, the environment and the milieu which makes all the difference in development of his personality. Technically the movie is superior and lives up to the repute of the Thirumugan Pictures . The screenplay is formula-based but able to maintain the curiosity of the spectator throughout. Writer P.Keshavadev has written the dialogs also which are not great. Considering the mood of the movie and the script, better dialogs should have been written.

K.S Sethumadhavan has directed this movie also quite proficiently and extracted good performances from all the lead actors including Kottarakkara Shreedharan Nair as well as Sathyan. Sheela being his love interest in the movie didn't have much to do though.

G.Devarajan's music is admirable. It contains two gems in the voice of P.Susheela - 1. Vellikkinnam Kondu Nadakkum (this classic song elaborates a great philosophy of life), 2. Gokulapala Gopakumara. Other songs are average.

I recommend Rowdy to all the entertainment-seekers but with my reservation about the theme of the movie. A seed may be good but if it does not get proper proper soil, water, manure and care; it cannot grow up into a stout tree. So much talent is wasted in Kerala because the talented kids do not get the requisite nurture and desirable environment. They are the unfortunate buds which are not able to bloom into fragrant flowers and wither out before time.