Utharam (1989)

This 1989 movie in my native language Malayalam, which I first saw on TV at age 14 sometime in 1992-94, has always remained a haunting presence in my mental cinemascape. I saw it again on TV in 2001-03, and watched it again 16 years later just now -- like my all-time favourite film "Paleri Manikyam", another Mammootty movie, "Utharam" which means "the answer" is a journey to find "the truth" behind a woman's death.

As the bereaved protagonist interviews various people connected with the past life of the deceased woman, the sad truth is revealed in layers, with a typically excellent performance by the actors -- the child saying (that his name is) "Emmanuel Antony" is one of the most devastating scenes in Malayalam cinema. Poignant tragedy with an uplifting finish. Highly recommended for fans of Malayalam noir. However, I am not sure a version with subtitles exists for the rest of the world... Great film for sure!!