Set in the busy state of Kerala, India, Anantaram is a Malayalam film about a lifetime event that happens to a man named Ajayan. Released in 1987, this film is a prime example of Gopalakrishnan's unique directing style, characterised by diligent production and meaningful storytelling. The film starts when Ajayan is a baby and continues into adulthood. For the first 30 minutes of this film, I can tell that the main character, Ajayan, is a troublemaker with a piece of advanced knowledge and mind. This can be seen in one scene where he is late to school and scolded by his teacher. In that scene, he is the character who goes against the norm and breaks the stereotype. He rejects conventional social conventions and explores the limitations imposed on individuals based on their caste, class, and tradition. Ajayan's figure symbolises a spirit of liberation and resistance against repressive systems through his aspirations and societal norms. In addition, this can only be accomplished with the fantastic performance by Ashokan in the leading role. His performances are subtle yet compelling, enabling the audience to deeply understand and relate to the characters' predicaments. Next, I would like to highlight the mesmerising cinematography in this film. The visual storytelling in Anantaram is exceptionally remarkable. Gopalakrishnan utilises extended shots and nuanced visual elements to communicate the internal conflicts experienced by his characters effectively. Mankada Ravi Varma's cinematography effectively portrays the beautiful countryside of Kerala, adding an appealing setting to the characters' inner conflicts. Other than that, I cannot help but notice that the storyline never really tallies, and to connect it to my conclusion, by the end of the movie, where he was reminded to take his medicine, I assumed that Ajayan suffers from some sort of mental illness like schizophrenia or short term memory loss.
